USU ready for showdown
Now 6-3 in the Big West Conference following a 57-46 road win over the University of Idaho, the Utah State University men’s basketball team has a chance to separate itself from the middle of the pack when the Aggies take the court against the University of California Santa Barbara Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the Spectrum.
With a victory over UCSB Thursday (12-6, 6-3 in the BWC) and California Polytechnic University Saturday night, the Aggies would put themselves in a position to challenge for the league title, something Head Coach Stew Morrill knows is critical at this juncture of the season.
“We have two teams coming [to the Spectrum] that are right smack in the middle of the conference race just like we are,” he said. “That provides a lot of motivation for them and certainly should for us.”
Speaking of motivation, the Gauchos will have plenty of it when they play the Aggies Thursday night, Morrill said. After all, UCSB had won five of six games and were considered by many to be the hottest team in the Big West before USU came away with a hard-fought 60-56 victory on Jan. 3 on UCSB’s home court.
“I knew what a quality win that was for us down there,” Morrill said. “I knew at the time that it was a huge win and they were going to be one of the top teams in the league.”
Nearly a month later, the winner of Thursday’s game will break a two-way tie for second place in the BWC, depending on how UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge (both 7-2 in league play) fare in its Thursday games.
“One thing is for certain, we better defend and rebound if we want a chance to win, because we are playing against some good personnel,” Morrill said.
Among the personnel who have been playing well for the Gauchos is senior center Adama Ndiaye. Third on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game, Ndiaye has played some of his best basketball over the last four games, averaging more than 19 points and 10 rebounds a contest.
Not only is Ndiaye one of the Gauchos’ top scorers, he is also a force on the defensive side of the ball, ranking third in the Big West in rebounds per game (8.3) and blocks per game (1.72).
Like the Aggies, UCSB has one of the top scoring duos in the conference in Mark Hull and Branduinn Fullove. Hull paces the Gauchos with 15.5 ppg (eighth in the conference), while Fullove is right behind him at 14.1 ppg.
In USU’s victory at the Thunderdome on Jan. 3, the Aggies were able to keep Hull in check, limiting him to five points on a horrendous 2 of 14 shooting from the field. For the game, USU held UCSB to a paltry .362 shooting from the field.
“I’d like to think we had something to do with [Hull] not having a great game in Santa Barbara, but he also missed some open looks,” Morrill said. “You try and limit the open looks he gets, and then maybe if he gets one or two they’re a little bit hurried.”
Another thing the Aggies will look to do against the Gauchos is limit their dribble penetration, Morrill said.
“They’re all looking to penetrate more then I’ve seen them do in a long time,” he said. “They’re really looking to take you off the dribble.
“They’ve got a lot of weapons,” he said.
Thursday’s game will not only feature two of the top teams in the Big West, but statistically, the top two defensive teams in the conference.
USU and UCSB rank first and second in the BWC in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense as both teams are holding its opponents under 60 ppg and a sub-40 percent clip from the field.
After allowing a season-high 81 points against the University of California Irvine in a game Morrill said the Anteaters shot “lights out from three [point land]”, the Gauchos held Long Beach State to 50 points in a 82-50 rout Saturday.
“I think Santa Barbara is real good defensively,” Morrill said when asked if other teams have adjusted to its defensive style of play. “What happens when you get to league [play] is everybody becomes more familiar with people and what they do [defensively].”
For the Aggies, power forward Desmond Penigar and shooting guard Tony Brown continue to be the league’s most prolific scoring tandem, ranking second and fourth in the BWC with 17.7 and 16.4 ppg, respectively.
Penigar scored a team-high 19 points in USU’s road victory over the Gauchos.