Seniors go out with a win
Six seniors are graduating from the Utah State basketball team this season. Five started during Friday night’s game against Idaho, with Tyler Williams was the odd man out.
Even though he didn’t start, Williams still made his presence on the team known – hitting a 3-pointer form well beyond the arc as the clock ran out.
“We were not trying to rub it in at the end. Our senior walk-on felt he needed a shot and I don’t blame him,” head coach Stew Morrill said. “I told him I would have done the same damn thing. All the work he’s put in on scout squad, no scholarship. He’s a wonderful kid.”
“[Williams] deserved that,” Nelson said. “He pulled up from 40 feet, which is exactly what he should have done and it was good to see him go out like that.”
Williams and Nelson along with Calvin Brown, Ian McVey, Jason Williams and John Neil closed the door on their last game at the Spectrum during the regular season.
Winning by 22 points wasn’t a bad way to go out.
Nelson’s last basket came on a dunk which came on an assist from Chris Huber.
Nelson finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds adding yet another double-double to his career total.
The game didn’t have a good tempo but at the end the Aggies put together a run to get the crowd into it so they could give the seniors a worthy sendoff.
“They did a good job of slowing down the pace of the game,” Nelson said. “[But] we got a win. Great senior night.”
Williams, a senior who started all but two games last year but, because of injuries and other circumstances, has only started nine this year, scored eight points including two 3-pointers.
McVey and Neil, both junior college transfers, scored two points each in their Spectrum finales.
Brown, who until this season had been losing playing time each year since his freshman year, had two assists to close out the Big West conference regular season.
Although the seniors performed well for their senior night, Nelson said Aggie fans haven’t seen it all yet.
“Our best basketball has yet to come,” Nelson said. “I think this team hasn’t played its best basketball yet and I think going into the tournament it’s a good time to do it.”
The seniors weren’t the only ones finishing their careers Friday night.
The game was the last regular season contest the Aggies will play in the Big West.
Next season the Aggies will play in the Western Athletic Conference.
“I’m going to miss the Big West,” Morrill said. “The Big West has been good to Utah State. I’ve always said I’ll shed a tear when we leave the Big West.”
Morrill leaves the conference third on the all-time winning percentage list. He is behind Lute Olsen and Jerry Tarkanian.
Some of the advantages the Aggies have in the Big West won’t be such a boon when the Aggies enter the WAC next year Morrill said.
“I’m going to miss the Big West,” Morrill said.
One of the advantages Utah State has enjoyed in the Big West is the fact that it has the biggest arena, which won’t be the case in the WAC.
Morrill said the move might also affect recruiting.
-krn@cc.usu.edu