Morrill not pleased, says team played ‘out of sorts’
Judging from Wednesdays blue-white scrimmage, USU head coach Stew Morrill said the men’s basketball team needs improvement before it can expect to compete for another Western Athletic Conference championship.
“I just thought we didn’t have any semblance of Utah State basketball,” Morrill said. “We were just out of sorts.”
The Aggies played two 10-minute games with a 10-minute break between them. There was improvement from the first game to the second. The first game had 11 turnovers and five assists. The second game was a little bit more in control, with only five turnovers and 11 assists.
During the first game both teams shot a combined 35 percent from the field. That was improved to 52 percent in the second game. Morrill said it is hard to tell how well a team does when it is playing itself.
“It’s catch-22 when you play yourself,” Morrill said. “There is something you are unhappy about.”
Tyler Newbold led all scorers with 11 points and had two rebounds. Tai Wesley, a returning starter, struggled in both games. He had five points and one rebound on the night.
“I’ve got to realize that I can’t do too much,” Wesley said.
Morrill agreed.
“I thought Tai tried to do a little too much,” Morrill said. “He needs to play within the framework of what he’s good at.”
Morrill also said he was disappointed in the lack of times senior center Gary Wilkinson got the ball.
“That’s people not understanding he is our leading returning scorer,” Morrill said. “That will be remedied.”
Bright spots included sophomore center Modou Niang, who had six points on 3-of-4 shooting, and tallied two blocks.
“I feel way comfortable,” Niang said.
Morrill said Niang has strengthened his game.
“I thought Modou showed that he has improved a great deal,” Morrill said. “He changes the game at times defensively.”
Wesley said the scrimmage served it’s purpose.
“This game was to get the jitters out, and that’s what it did,” he said.
The Aggies came into the scrimmage with only nine days of practice, and will play the season opener Friday at 7 p.m. against Northwest Nazarene.
“It’s early,” Morrill said. “It’s too early to be playing a blue-white scrimmage, and we looked like it. We will get better.”
–p.d.k@aggiemail.usu.edu