Show n TV i That's not to say that the Saxon Aggies can absorb a bad game from Saxon and still win — at least not on the road He averaged just eight points a game in lJSUri three Big West losses at His uack Keoqy Saxon got him into playing basketball bat he New Mexico State at Nevada didn't envision himself developing into a collegiate or pro mpcntar s'd simply ih his way into the league” Eustachy says "Whether it’s sooner than later or later than sooner he’ll be there in my opinion because he's got a great work ethic and is receptive to the coach” Saxon’s size 200 down to a knee injury early in that game and the Aggies never rrrtw pounds) improved shooting (his field goal percentage has between bones — in his left knee in late January Saxon's condition while not career threatening has threatened to cut short his season Hoping to prolong his effec- - i and at Boise State (6-foo- Marcus Saxon knows what its like to be drafted int one-on-o- 1 se ne BnKjMktaayleftIitqnlil A year later Saxon was well on his way to being a lot more than all right Liter learning to control the was such a sensational eighth grader he made the varsity team at AC Flora High — the same school which seaweed NBA players Xavier McDaniel and Tyrone Corbin — asaftesb- - "I didn’t play much” Saxon admits "I avenged about eight minutes and four points a game My 10th grade year I started to come on aid started the last 11 or 12 games "And my 11th and 12th grade years— the team was mine" During his junior and senior at Utah State Saxon has die same way That comes from the expecta- tions of Eustachy who thought so much of Saxon’s itialmathe simply skipped over more normal such as a solid defense a ?oals goal percentage above JOOL a ratio and placed the responsibility of wins and losses squarely an his point guard’s shoulders "I think that’s the best compliment you can be paid as a coach” Eustachy says "Impact on winning is what it’s all about” : Saxon and Eustachy however on haven’! always seen eye4o-ey- e S June Saxon is anticipating a call from an NBA franchise Eustachy has done nothing to convince him otherwise ”1 know he can play professionally” Eustachy says "I think But he’s going to get drafted maybe the best situation is for him to go undrafted” If Saxon is drafted there’s a good chance that he'll be selected by an NBA team with just one or none roster spots actually open If he’s not taken in June he may have the option of picking a team instead of the other way around :"I believe he'll eventually work and handled the as eporta writer ball against backcourt pressure against Emmett "He’s good” Pratt said with a ftmrlrU Of course the Tribe also has one of the state’s top players in guard Ben Heusser who is aver- - en second half of the season The uard is Univcnity of backed by a solid supporting that includes Noel Creel a 2 senior who’s scoring a ce entering the more skill instead of athletic ity alone” per-gam: - against Emmett “We’ve been Utah State could set a school consistent all season and we’re going to keep playing our game” The Knights boast one of the state’s beat big men in Abe Jack-so- n forward who laat a seaaon was named the A--2 Player of the Year "They’re big and they like to the Big West Tournament in Reno Nev The No 1 seed out of the East die Aggies are one of the favorites to advance to the this tournament and go to the championship game and battle NCAA Tournament which I’ve for the conference’s automatic wanted to do since I was a kid berth in the NCAA Tournament and then I'll start thinking about An selection what’s ahead of me” last season Saxon guided Utah And the Aggies and Eustachy State into the semifinals before will have to start thinking about falling to eventual champion what — possibly the best point Pacific uard in school history — is Center Antwan Smith went Ithem u : said "Obviously we have transition them make them get up and down the floor and take them out of that halfcourt game” Jackson who u being recruited by Boise State ia versatile far his - cl fe A Si (j clip in the e w le I fii While the West Side Pirates aren't necessarily favored to win re Si th in West Side head coach Lee Ralphs said his team has been practicing well and is wearing Ihrir ti itnct rimiiMnMtiip trinriy "I told the kids they should be proud” Ralphs said "But they’re u hi v not done Not yet" The Pirates tip off against the Firth Cougars today at 8 pm at Boise’s Capitol High School The third-rankCougars will present an offensive attack similar to the one West Side dealt with during two meetings with Aberdeen The play a halfcourt game” Pratt ‘ or have been on a championship streak lately and are looking to continue TheFnes have won seven of their last nine contests dropping one to Preston and the other to Maiad ai team they froed five teams this season 20-poi- nt record for number of victories in a season Saxon’s team’s won 22 just two fewer than the 1960 team "I want to play college as long I can” he says "I want to win av 6-- Bishop Kelly (20-3- ) was ranked third ia the season's final poll but that was prior to the Knights' win over the state's No 1 ' squad Emmett last week "That doesn’t bother us at all” Ptestoo head coach Coy Pratt said of Bishop Kelly’s strong showing If the knee continues to hold up and die Aggies continue to win Saxon's final chance to prove himself a winner in the colligate ranks may come this weekend at A-- 2 - abil- Jo Utah-boun- d tourney and they win square off against Bishop Kelly at 3:13 pm at Meridian High School lot because I’m using a little says Tm going to work as hard as I can I ain’t going to let anybody beat me ouL” But basketball holds more ball with his left hand as an allure than baseball and come five The Indians are the No 2 team 1 "If I do get a chance in the NBA I'm going to pretty much make sure that it works out” he Ri ' By Lanes PNchor 1 in the NBA draft by the time he graduated from AC Flora that the New York Mets used a draft choice on him lA don’t that very well" he says think tbs team suffered in wins and losses but I think the quality of basketball suffered'' Eustachy quickly changed his outlook and told Saxon that he needed to learn to play and practice with die injuiy think it’s helped my game a he says "I right’1 hi "1 fault myself for not handling and center-field- er tei After winning their respective tiveness Eustachy altered the district tournaments the fteston way he used his senior point Indians and the West Side Pirates guard for a practices and games - look to continue their success by a right-hande- d" It’s tourney time recovered Eustachy’s greatest fear is that something similar could happen to Saxon Diagnosed with a tom meniscus — a kind of cushion which helps distribute weight and shock around in me house or piay outside jumped from 276 to 419 this ou the rim in the yard late at aighL His mother Mary Ann an season) and skills 1 played basketball because all accomplished softball in would seem to m1m him worthy player my friends were playing sod they her youth got her son into base- of becoming the first Aggie since s having &aMhesays "I dido! ball at an early age and Saxon Greg Grantia 1986 to be selected want to be left out so I played” Smaller than moat kids his age Saxon finally started catching up want to win this tournament size-wigo to the about the time he left elementary school He made the NCAA Tournament which I’ve wanted to do junior high basketball team as a since I was kid” seventh grader but his skills were limited "I could run real last and drib—Marcus Saxon 1 TTV 10 — ThtHarald Journal Logan Utah Thursday March 5 1998 Pg ble TVrTTTTTTTV T"V ai ed Pirates split the district series size Pratt said The senior hit with Aberdeen i E I 2-t- assists-to-turnov- er MWGMm WffWUSSSBB THIS WEEK YOU'LL met SPRING SRORTs IT howl to g0 aboutwinning' ' 4 Eustacfay's emphasis 'oil defense rebounding and good riut selection ‘ hi juaed too 81 College (“He played for a restaurant owner” Eustachy saysX found himself on the bench at the end of a loss at Southern Illinois a dozen games into his USU career 17 After playing a career-lo- 77 - minutes against the Salukis Saxon logged 38 minutes in the Aggies’ next fame at Boise State 33 and pumped in a career-hig- h — 13 overtime in points including — in Utah State’s 0 victory & vV r VVs i' 73-6- West first Named to the All-B- ig team after averaging 132 points and 44! assists as a junior Saxon & headed into his senior season under the influence of even high- K2 REFLEX Men's & er expectations A preseason favorite in a number of national magazines to be named the conference's player of die year he rose to the challenge in a iYesea- son NTT game at Minnesota Vast underdogs to the Gophers Saxon pumped m 31 points m his 38 minutes on the elevated fkxxstage at Williams Arena stunning 13000 Minnesota fans who were just seven months removed from a trip to the Final Four His teammates weren’t neatly as shocked by Saxon’s performance "I knew he had ability to turn it on like that” USU senior forward Kevin Rice says “I saw him do it at Boise I was just glad it happened then” After the game in Minneapolis there were tumblings about what a Big Ta guard was doing in the v Big West Tb Saxon his hot night in frigid Minnesota was a simple matter of assessing the needs of his team It was only the second game of the season and newcomers like V Ladies' Inline FLIGHT IDER 93 MBa&bal MenH Shoes Xvoss-trsune- 1 Ladies' rs lOrifl- - 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ADIDAS DESA1LLYJR Soccer Cleats QdluQSl ROLLERBLADE NITROBLADE Adult Ini ira Sutas 1120 ADIDAS TORRA UGA ’Adult Soccer Cleats MertCross-trainef-s ROLLERBLADE VIABLADE 7 ADIDAS STRAIDSUGAl UMM Man ft Ladfes1 Inlnt Skates AduhSoaerCleats HBOS's fSl a TURNTEC NIMBUS ‘fcgSS REEBOK INSTINCT JR IWCroB-tmne- n AwfaMsIatlmlM-- l 31 Donnie Johnson and Pharoah Davis needed time to learn and OfcM grow into their roles like he had the year before V ADDAS TORM GOAL JR W But as the rest of the Aggies Moor n NIKE AIR EDGE MAX Soar Shoes ROLLERBLADE FUSION have adjusted arid gelled Saxon’s IMMI UfafOntiMS Adult Mbia Skates offensive numbers have fallen 100 off After leading the team in scoring in eight ofUSU’s first 13 games he’s paced the Aggies just three times over the last 16 scoring average has fallen from over 140 points a night to 161 ppg and his shooting have also slipped Utah State hasn’L The team went 13-- 3 in Big West play and won the Eastern Division by two games is Interim marfcrinwfM may haVH hflftn ad9BQ067 &caaisaa nl J "I think sometimes the more 1 score the less chance we ave to win” Saxon says "But the more points that Donnie and Pharoah give us the better chance we have to win” i 4 J ' POOR' |