Ags look to continue win streak over Wolverines
After a win that seemed like a loss against Cal-State Bakersfield at home last Saturday, there were a lot of question marks on a senior-laden team that was seemingly headed for unquestioned success.
The Utah State Aggies (7-2) will get another chance to find their potential on Saturday when the face in-state rival Utah Valley University Wolverines (4-5). The Aggies haven’t lost to the Wolverines since their series started in 2006, but USU will be facing the best UVU team they have yet seen.
“They are similar to Cal-State Bakersfield in that they are a lot better than they were a year ago,” Aggie head coach Stew Morrill said. “They went to Oregon State and got a win, and they are 3-1 at home. They are playing pretty well. When you watch them on film they are solid. It is a good challenge for us to go down there. For all the trips that we have made down to Orem to play this is probably the best Utah Valley team we have faced.”
Junior guard Isiah Williams, a junior college transfer from College of Eastern Utah, is leading the Wolverines with 15 points per game.
“Number one, he is real dangerous from the three-point line,” Morrill said of Williams. “Anytime you are shooting 42 or 43 percent from three, you are a very good shooter. As you close out on him to chase him off the three-point line he has the ability to drive around you. He is impressive. He is a new guy and it is not very often you expect a new guy to come in and lead your team in scoring. He is a very confident scorer. All you have to do is look at his three-point percentage and his free throw percentage to know he is a pure shooter.”
Williams will be a load for the Aggies front court and both junior guard Brockeith Pane and senior forward Pooh Williams, who found themselves in Coach Morrill’s dog house and out of the starting lineup against Cal-State Bakersfield for an unspecified violation of team rules, will be back in the starting lineup.
“We will start both Brockeith (Pane) and Pooh (Williams) after they didn’t start last game,” Morrill said. “They will both start. At the point guard position we have had an interesting week of practice. I think that Brockeith is the guy there and hopefully we can get him playing like he can play.”
Even though the Aggies run most of their offense through senior forward and WAC Player of the Week Tai Wesley, the Aggies desperately need better production from the point-guard position. Against Cal-State Bakersfield the Aggies’ point-guard combined for seven assists and one point.
Tip-off against the Wolverines is slated for 7:05 p.m. at the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah. The game will be televised on CW30 (Comcast Ch. 15, DirecTV Ch. 30, DISH Ch. 30).
-ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu