Just like that, we are 2-1

Just like that, we're now three games into the season with a record of 2-1. Starting out with the much anticipated home opener to BYU, our young team learned quickly what it is like to play in the greatest college basketball atmosphere. I never got the final count on just how many students were at the campout that started the Tuesday before a Friday night's game. What's important to note is that it was some ridiculously awesome number that set a record as well as generated more news for our killer student section and basketball program. Needless to say, the crowd brought it and after a tight first half we pulled out the win over the Cougars.

We faced a bigger test on the road against Weber State and came up short. We came back to within six at the end of the game but couldn't quite repair the damage done in the first half. There's not much to say here I don't think. They outplayed us. We turned the ball over too many times and didn't make enough shots.

Back at home, we struggled against SUU, trailing most of the game. Our bench came up big for us in the second half to push us over the top. It was too close for a home game and too close to warrant a "Winning team, losing team" chant, but a win is a win.

The team is now on the road to face Texas A&M – Corpus Christi - all except me that is. After about three minutes into Saturday night's game I came out due to a foot injury. No bones were broken but I tore up the soft tissue on the top of my foot. The trainer gave a verdict of about four weeks but I think I will be ready to go in two. I'll be helping out against Wichita State, that's for sure.

We'll be counting on all of our new guys to step it up and bring their SUU second half with them on the road at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi and again on Saturday against Idaho State. The way we play this week will tell a lot about the maturity of this team. I know we're ready for the task and I'm expecting the first USU basketball game I watch on a screen to end in win. Let's go boys!

-- Brady Jardine

Excited For Adams State, Saturday Nov. 5 at 4:05 p.m.

To say the team is looking forward to Saturday's game against Adams State may be an understatement. After five straight days of long and exhausting practices the team couldn't be more excited for a game. Despite being sore from the challenges this week, I can say that as a team we've gotten better. Each day it was apparent that guys were giving everything they had in trying to improve. We've added quite a few new plays and even a couple of different defensive sets. With the regular season and our home opener with BYU just around the corner the team is as excited as ever for the year to start. With the anticipation comes a realization that we still have a lot to improve on by next Friday's game. Aggie fans can rest assured that the team and coaching staff is doing everything in our power to get ready to start the season off right at home next week!

-- Brady Jardine

Blue and White Scrimmage, Wednesday Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.

We’re now 10 days into practice and it feels like we’re finally starting to make some real progress. The newcomers continue to do their best in absorbing all of the new information we have thrown at us each day. The playbook is really starting to grow as we prepare for our first exhibition game this Friday. It will be so nice to finally get to play against someone other than ourselves.  It’s tough to see how well our offense is really coming until you play against someone that doesn’t know all of the plays. Even though we’ve only had a few practices learning the offense, we’ve already found ways to cheat the plays defensively. This is one of the main reasons for exhibition games, to see where we are really at as a team on both ends of the floor."

                  Many people continue to ask how the team will be and want to know about each individual player. Well tomorrow you will have a chance to get to know the new squad at the annual Blue and White Scrimmage that starts at 7 pm in the Spectrum. We will play two 10 minute halves and then sign autographs and take pictures with any who would like to meet the guys. This is not only a great chance for the community to meet the team but also for the players to get to know some of those who support us all year. Take a few minutes tomorrow evening and come say hi, we’d love to get to meet the best fans in the country.

-- Brady Jardine

The Basketball Season Is Coming!

It seems like pre-season conditioning and workouts just started yet somehow they're already over. The past few weeks have gone really well for the Utah State men's basketball team. Weight-lifting sessions have made us stronger, early morning conditioning periods have helped us get in better shape, and individual workouts have allowed the team to start learning the basic principles of our offense and defense.

It's been kind of funny to watch some of the new guys in practice and see the looks on their faces as coaches explain the plays and defensive rules, etc. Their eyes get huge and you can tell they're thinking, "How in the heck am I supposed to remember all this?" I've been there and know exactly how they're feeling. Being the new guy in Coach Morrill's system is like drinking through a fire hose. Everyday new stuff is being added and it takes a 100% mental focus throughout the entire practice to give your self a chance to understand what’s going on. I didn't realize how many things have turned into second nature over the past three years until I watched a bunch of newcomers trying to figure out what in the world is going on. The new guys are working extremely hard though and have made a ton of progress in just the last few weeks.

Coaches have given us the next few days off to rest up and get ready to go on Friday. Our first official practice will be this Friday at 5pm and from there, it's off to the races. We have our first exhibition game in just over two weeks and our first official game (BYU at home) in less than a month! Excitement is starting to build throughout the program as the season leading into a new era of Aggie Basketball approaches. It's our goal as a team to keep the tradition going and win a fifth-straight WAC Championship!

-- Brady Jardine

Where Has The Time Gone?

It seems like just yesterday that we were carrying the WAC Championship trophy through the Las Vegas airport on our way home from a successful tournament run. I can still feel the emotions of hearing our names called out in the NCAA tournament bracket and can still feel the frustrations of coming up short in that game. It all still feels so recent and yet here we are again, three weeks into school with the upcoming season just around the corner.
As anyone that has followed Aggie Basketball in the past few years would know, we lost a ton of leadership, talent and experience with last year’s graduating class. Losing, Tyler Newbold, Pooh Williams, Tai Wesley, Brian Green, Matt Formisano and Nate Bendall obviously leaves a huge hole needing to be filled in this year’s team. It’s been kind of funny to talk to people over the summer about the team becausemany act as if the Utah State Basketball program ended with last year’s seniors- like there isn’t even going to be a game played in the Spectrum this year. Well ladies and gentleman, there will be a team this year, and to be honest, I think we will surprise some people.
The coaching staff has done an awesome job over the summer in bringing in some great recruits. I dare say that I believe we will be one of the most athletic teams in Utah State’s recent past. We are taller, quicker and more explosive than we’ve been since I’ve been an Aggie. The question still to be answered is will we have as much mental toughness and heart as the past years team.
With school now rolling, the team has been in the weight room and gym for a couple hours each day. Last week we began our preseason conditioning program and boy was it tough. It’s amazing how quickly your body loses its “previous conditioning”. Along with conditioning, we’ve been lifting four days a week, having individual workouts twice a week and playing pickup ball 3-4 times a week. We’ve already come a long way as a team but still have a lot of learning to do. We currently only have four players that have ever played in a Division I basketball game. Luckily we have a staff that’s been very successful and knows what it takes to get a team ready to win basketball games. I have no doubt that by the time the season rolls around we will be ready to go. And as always, Coach Morrill will have us playing our best basketball come conference play.

--Brady Jardine

Where Has The Time Gone?

It seems like just yesterday that we were carrying the WAC Championship trophy through the Las Vegas airport on our way home from a successful tournament run. I can still feel the emotions of hearing our names called out in the NCAA tournament bracket and can still feel the frustrations of coming up short in that game. It all still feels so recent and yet here we are again, three weeks into school with the upcoming season just around the corner.
As anyone that has followed Aggie Basketball in the past few years would know, we lost a ton of leadership, talent and experience with last year’s graduating class. Losing, Tyler Newbold, Pooh Williams, Tai Wesley, Brian Green, Matt Formisano and Nate Bendall obviously leaves a huge hole needing to be filled in this year’s team. It’s been kind of funny to talk to people over the summer about the team becausemany act as if the Utah State Basketball program ended with last year’s seniors- like there isn’t even going to be a game played in the Spectrum this year. Well ladies and gentleman, there will be a team this year, and to be honest, I think we will surprise some people.
The coaching staff has done an awesome job over the summer in bringing in some great recruits. I dare say that I believe we will be one of the most athletic teams in Utah State’s recent past. We are taller, quicker and more explosive than we’ve been since I’ve been an Aggie. The question still to be answered is will we have as much mental toughness and heart as the past years team.
With school now rolling, the team has been in the weight room and gym for a couple hours each day. Last week we began our preseason conditioning program and boy was it tough. It’s amazing how quickly your body loses its “previous conditioning”. Along with conditioning, we’ve been lifting four days a week, having individual workouts twice a week and playing pickup ball 3-4 times a week. We’ve already come a long way as a team but still have a lot of learning to do. We currently only have four players that have ever played in a Division I basketball game. Luckily we have a staff that’s been very successful and knows what it takes to get a team ready to win basketball games. I have no doubt that by the time the season rolls around we will be ready to go. And as always, Coach Morrill will have us playing our best basketball come conference play.

--Brady Jardine

Aggie Basketball Tradition

We finished this season with a disappointing loss to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. We prepared well and played extremely hard but we did not play extremely well. I am so sad to see my collegiate career come to an end along with many of my teammates who I love. I am so proud to be able to say that I played for Coach Morrill all four years. I got to be a part of the winningest senior class in the history of Utah State. The memories and lessons I have learned will stick with me forever. I am so grateful to the fans that have been so supportive!! Even though my career is over, Aggie Basketball will always be a part of me. I will miss being on the court when the Spectrum is rocking, but I will never forget how it feels. Even though many seniors graduate this year, Aggie Basketball will carry on the great tradition that has been built up over the years!!

--Tyler Newbold

March Madness!!!

As the WAC Tournament week came upon us we were excited to finish out the season strong. We headed down to Las Vegas on Thursday night after most teams had already played. We were excited to finally get down and play against a San Jose State team that played extremely well during the tournament. They played us tough and luckily we played an excellent defensive game or else we would have lost. It was nice to get that win under our belt and we knew we would play better in the title game against a Boise State team which had played well as of late. The championship game was so much fun as we came out and played confidently!! The thrill of our students rushing the court was incredible. Winning the WAC by numerous games and completing the year by winning the tournament was the best way to do it our senior year. We celebrated all night with the amazing Aggie fans that packed the Orleans Arena. Making our tournament games feel like home games has been a trend recently for Aggie fans at the conference tournament. We are so appreciative of our fans that are so dedicated and travel with us!! Thank you!!

Winning the tournament means that we punched our ticket to the Big Dance. We had a party on the third floor of our athletic facility to watch where we would be headed. The excitement of waiting for our name to be called is so much fun. I have always dreamed of playing in the NCAA Tournament and this will be the third time I am able to play which has been a dream come true. We found where we are headed during the last bracket announced. We play Kansas State in Tucson on Thursday night. We are excited to play against a really great Big 12 team. We are going to prepare to win and show the country that the Utah State Aggies are for real. We are excited for the opportunity to make a wonderful season even better!!

--Tyler Newbold

Championship Week

ESPN calls this week championship week. All the teams in Division I conferences get to battle it out during a one week tournament for a chance to make the Big Dance automatically. This week we get to go to Vegas. We are excited for the games to start so that we can see who we are going to play. The WAC finally decided to have a neutral site conference tournament which is going to be a blast. We are putting in the work this week to give us the best shot we can at winning the whole thing. This week is what college basketball is all about. A chance to earn a trip to play in the NCAA Tournament is at stake and we will be ready for the challenge. We are excited to leave this week and hope many people are able to come and cheer us on in the WAC Tournament. GO AGGIES!!

A Little More In The Coming Weeks!

This regular season has been very successful. If someone would have told me that we would be 28-3 and nationally ranked for much of the last few months of the season I would have been ecstatic. We completed a road sweep this last road trip to close out the regular season. Our defense has helped us to win close games. Winning at New Mexico State felt great!! It is always a great accomplishment to beat them in Las Cruces. They had not lost a WAC game this year at home and we were able to break their streak. We overwhelmed Louisiana Tech in the first 10 minutes to have a big lead that we would not surrender. We were so excited to win the WAC with a 15-1 record. Our fourth straight conference championship means a lot to me and my teammates. All the hard work we have put in this past year has paid off. It was weird playing my final regular season game as an Aggie. We have done great things this season, but we look forward to a little more in the coming weeks!!

--Tyler Newbold

"The game was one that I will remember forever."

The team was excited to head to California to take on Saint Mary’s. The practices leading up to the game were great and we had a great game plan. McKeon Pavilion is a fun place to play. The gym is very small and I don’t think that security could have allowed any more people in the game. We started out the game and took a lead into the first ten minutes of the first half. After taking a lead we let St. Mary’s go on a run into half-time. It was a very frustrating first half for me as I picked up my third foul with ten minutes left in the first half. I knew I was not going to play again in that half. I felt helpless on the bench during a stretch where we could not score a basket which led to a nine point halftime deficit. At half-time we did not panic and we talked about shaving a few points off their lead every four minutes. I was excited to play the second half after being in foul trouble. The second half we came out hot and played one of our best halves all season. We talked at half-time about how great it was going to feel coming back into the locker room after coming back to win the game. We all knew we could do it if we played up to our potential. The game was one that I will remember forever. There were so many emotions with the strongest coming when Brady Jardine had a massive dunk with a few minutes left that sealed the game for us. The locker room after the game was a very fun place to be.

--Tyler Newbold

Broken Backboards and BracketBusters

Since the last time I wrote a lot has happened. We had a tough loss at Idaho where we were outplayed and struggled to score the basketball. The Fresno State game was a great game to get the bad taste of a loss out of our mouth. We are disappointed in the loss to Idaho but we have learned from it and are moving on. It’s always exciting to take a break from conference play. We played Montana-Western in a game last night. We shot the ball great which is nice to see. Hopefully we can take our hot shooting last night on the road to Saint Mary’s this weekend. Tai Wesley broke the backboard during half-time warm-ups last night. That was something I have never seen before. Tai felt bad at first, but everyone thought it was pretty incredible that he shattered the backboard. I was not as impressed once the second backboard shattered while it was being worked on (Ha Ha). I will never forget pulling out the practice side basket to play the rest of the game with. It was an odd experience to say the least. With that game behind us we now put our full focus on Saint Mary’s. We are so excited to go play a BracketBuster game against a nationally ranked team on their court. We have a wonderful opportunity to show what we can do. I was excited to play Saint Mary’s again this year because they have beat us twice in the last two years. We begin our preparation for the game today. These types of games are what college basketball is about. The game is going to be intense. Hopefully we will perform well and have a chance to win.

-- Tyler Newbold

National Exposure

Coming back to the Spectrum during this past week was amazing. We played two great games and had two convincing wins in front of great fans. We have received a lot of national exposure this week, which is really fun to see. It’s important that we as players continue to do the little things everyday to improve our team. We must understand what has got us this great start and continue to do those things. It has been fun to see the Spectrum get recognized this week as one of the toughest places to play in the country. We are so grateful to the fans that come and support us and make the Spectrum what it is!! This week we have our chess match game against Idaho. Both teams are familiar with each others plays and tendencies. Coach Verlin and Coach Morrill were together so long that both teams have very similar styles. The game will come down to who can execute their game plan the best. We are excited for another nationally televised game to show how well we can perform on the road as a team. Composure will be huge this game as Idaho will give us looks that we have not seen. We must be solid and take what the game gives us and we will have a chance to win.

--Tyler Newbold

Roller-Coaster Road Trip

Lots of travel and a few time changes made this last road trip a tough one. The team played extremely hard against San Jose State and we came out with a big win!! Brian Green was on fire in San Jose. He could not miss and we ran numerous plays to get him a good look at the basket and he converted time after time. We felt really good about a solid win in San Jose because they caused us fits in Logan. The next day we flew across the ocean and had a few hours to enjoy the beach and rest before practice. Hawaii had not played all week and the University was promoting the game all week. It’s a great feeling to know that we are the team that other schools and fans get up for when we come into town. The atmosphere at the game was the best I have seen at Hawaii. The game was a roller-coaster of emotions to say the least. Many lead changes and clutch plays by both teams made it a tremendous college basketball game. Many big shots were hit time after time throughout the game. Brian Green made two huge shots that kept us in the game. We showed our maturity and playmaking ability down the stretch that showed why we are a great team. I am sure anyone that stayed up to watch or listen to the game almost had a heart attack. I know that after the big win I was physically and emotionally drained. I have never been part of a game with more emotional changes in my whole career. It was a game that I will remember the rest of my life. We found a way to win even when our chances looked slim. It is always nice to get out of Hawaii with a win so that the long flight back across the ocean is a little more tolerable. We are excited to continue our winning streak at home this week against Nevada on national TV.

--Tyler Newbold

California and Hawaii

Home games last week boosted players as we were able to play in front of a powerful Spectrum crowd. Students were back and always make the building electric. Two bloody and physical home wins have given us a lead in the conference race. Being 7-0, we are excited to try and keep our streak going on the road this week in San Jose and Hawaii. Watching the snow pound Logan this morning gets us excited to leave and play in sunny California/Hawaii. We have started out the conference season well but we are not going to be satisfied until the season is over. Any road trip to Hawaii is always tougher because of the longer travel time. We must be focused and inspired to continue to play well this week!!

--Tyler Newbold

Back in the Spectrum!

After what seemed like an eternity without a game in the Spectrum we are finally back and excited to play Louisiana Tech tonight with all the students in town. We are happy coming off a big road sweep. We are getting better each week as a team. Limiting our turnovers will be a big focus this week. Defensively, we have improved as of late which has helped tremendously. Tonight we have a opportunity to set a record for consecutive WAC games won in a row. We hope to accomplish this but we are not focusing on it. Louisiana Tech must have our full attention because they always play well in Logan. We hope everyone will be in the Spectrum tonight. Saturday we conclude the week with a game against New Mexico State.

--Tyler Newbold

Road Trip

A great come-from-behind win at Nevada has helped us get on the right track in the conference season and with what looks like one of the toughest road trips this year coming up, it is a good sign. Boise and Fresno have both been playing great and so this road trip will decide who is on the top of the WAC early in conference play. Getting better everyday is the biggest priority this time of the year. We are not going to fall into the trap of complacency, thinking that because we have won a few in a row that we are invincible. We must work hard everyday in order to contend for the WAC title and that’s what we are going to try and accomplish.

--Tyler Newbold