Men’s hoops team set for exhibition contest
After less than a month of team practice, the Utah State men’s basketball squad will hit the hardwood for its first exhibition game of the season Friday against Global Sports.
The contest will start at 7 p.m. in the Spectrum.
Global Sports, which is comprised of former college players, started a stretch of 10 games in 16 days last Sunday. Prior to coming to Logan, the team will have faced Providence (a 77-63 loss), Southern Utah (an 85-80 victory), Boise State (a 94-79 loss) and Weber State (a 74-73 loss).
Of the games on Global Sports’ schedule, five of the teams reached the NCAA Tournament last season – USU, Alabama, Auburn, Creighton and Weber State.
Providence and Iowa State participated in the National Invitation Tournament.
Former Aggie Shawn Daniels led Global Sports with 13 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes of action in the team’s first win.
In his final game at USU, Daniels recorded 11 points in the Aggies’ 75-50 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to UCLA in 2001.
“We’re still a long ways away in a lot of areas,” said Utah State Head Coach Stew Morrill after Hoops Fest last week in the Spectrum. “It’s not uncommon for this time of year.”
Morrill said he thinks his squad is inconsistent in most of the phases of the game. The Aggies will play great offense for a set and then not be able to hit anything. He also said he is concerned with defense, a key strategy in Morrill’s coaching style.
“That’s what I keep saying to [the team] is that they have to prove they are the good guys I keep telling everyone they are,” Morrill said. “That’s my whole thing [to the team] is that we will get better – we have to get better.”
Last season against Global Sports, Desmond Penigar led Utah State with 20 points en route to an 83-68 win.
Spencer Nelson also added 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
The Aggies recorded 20 assists and only seven turnovers in the contest, but were outrebounded 34-32.
Despite losing leading scorer Penigar to graduation, the Aggies were picked to finish second in the coaches poll and in the media poll at the annual Big West Conference media day Wednesday.
USU received three and four first-place votes, respectively.
In both polls, UC Santa Barbara was selected to finish first. The Gauchos received six and 22 first-place votes, respectively.
Last season UCSB recorded its first-ever outright league championship and went on to play in the NIT. The team finished with an 18-14 overall record.
The Gauchos return four starters including the 2002-03 Big West Player of the Year Bandiunn Fullove and Big West Defensive Player of the Year Jacoby Atako.
-juag@cc.usu.edu