It’s tournament time in Amaheim
If history is any indication, the Utah State basketball team should breeze its way through the first round of the Big West Conference basketball tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
USU has played only two games ever in Anaheim – both wins against Cal State Fullerton. The Titans will be the Aggies’ opponent tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. (MST)
USU has dominated Fullerton in recent years, winning 13 of the last 14 games. The Aggies are 30-15 all-time against the Titans. This season, USU defeated Fullerton 76-52 on the road, but the Titans made it a little closer of a contest in the Spectrum, 58-46.
Though Fullerton looks like an easy opponent based on its 3-13 league record this season, USU forward Curtis Bobb said the squad shouldn’t be overlooked.
“We can’t go in cocky,” Bobb said.
As far as Bobb is concerned, anything can happen in the tourney – anybody can beat anybody.
“That’s the great thing about tournaments,” said head coach Stew Morrill. “Everybody thinks they can win.”
Morrill said The Idaho Statesman reported after USU’s game with Boise State University a week and a half ago that the Broncos felt they should have beaten the University of California at Irvine and that they think they could win the tournament. BSU ended up 8-8 in league play and 16-13 overall.
“Even though there are some teams that have proven during the long haul that they’ve got the best chance to win, we have all seen cases where last-place teams or near-last-place teams have won the tournament,” Morrill said.
The USU team is confident going into the tourney because of its experience, said Aggie point guard Bernard Rock.
In order to win the BWC Championship once more, Rock said the Aggies must have an intimidating defense dictating the flow of the game. Rock said the team lost that defensive edge in the two road losses to Long Beach State University and Boise State University, but got it back in the last two home wins. He hopes to continue that defensive momentum into the tournament, he said.
USU is fifth in the country in points allowed (58.6) and 12th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense. On the offensive side, the Aggies are 10th in the nation in field goal percentage and average 71.9 points a contest. Fullerton averages 59.8 points per game and consistently allows 70.
The Titans have two starters averaging in double figures – senior forward Ike Harmon, 13.0, and junior guard Kevin Richardson, 11.8. Four Aggies average double figures – Tony Brown, 12.2, Shawn Daniels, 12.1, Rock, 10.4 and Bobb, 10.3. Center Dimitri Jorssen has come on strong of late, averaging 11.5 points and 6.2 points in the last six games.
Morrill said he is glad USU will have a lot of time to watch film and rest after Thursday’s game with Fullerton.
“If you can win the first one, it becomes a really positive situation to have played early like that,” he said.
The tournament was held in Reno last season, and Bobb said playing on a neutral court will be an advantage this year. The University of Nevada at Reno was tough at home during the second round of the tournament last season, Bobb said.
A lot of people say holding the tournament in Anaheim is to UC Irvine’s advantage, Bobb said. UCI could likely be USU’s opponent if the Aggies make the finals.
According to Morrill, UCI has lived the charmed life this year that USU did last season. The Anteaters lost one game in conference this season while USU went undefeated in league play last year. UCI’s lone conference loss was to USU.
“Now [we’ll see] whether [UCI] can continue to live it in the tournament,” Morrill said.
“I think our guys think we can beat anybody in the league,” Morrill said.
Lots of people in California are saying the Aggies don’t have much of a chance in the tournament, Rock said.
“We can sneak up on people,” he said. “Don’t count us out.”