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Show JiartSThl Bored with your Statesman — Carroll's leadership guides Aggies BY BLAIR FAIRMAN Staff Writer USU junior guard Jaycee Carroll started the season strong and continues to be the best scorer on the men's basketball team. Averaging 21.6 points a game and already scoring a total 626 points this season, he is a key part to the success of the team. Other than being born with amazing basketball talent, there are other factors in which he attributes his success. First of all, USU's advanced coaching staff is able to "help individual Monday - Friday 10 am - 6 pm Saturday 12 pm -6 pm 1115N 2()0ESuite210 435-755-3171 ww.beadlesoriginals.com PRECISION • BEAUTY • FOREVER As covered in USA Today 2-2-07 The Needham Brilliant is known for precision, beauty and lasting value. There is no other diamond like it. These diamonds come with a special diamond grading report, a precise cut lo assure maximum light return and a laser inscribed identification number for security purposes. You may also personalize your diamond with a laser inscription seen only under magnification. The Needham Brilliant...Precision...Beauty...Forever. players get better inside a team system," Carroll said. Coaches play an integral part in the team's success by not only calling good plays, but by also being mentors to the players. The team itself has also helped Carroll get to where he is today. M My teammates set good screens for me," he said. "They pass me the ball when I'm open, and they have confidence that I can score the ball and contribute to this team." The 6-foot-2 guard wouldn't be as advanced as he is today without the extra efforts he put in this summer. Carroll spent numerous hours in the gym training and practicing to get ready for the season. Carroll started every game this season, playing a total of 1,019 minutes. He's made 125 free throws already, which is a huge improvement from last year's 60. His free-throw percentage was boosted in the home game against the New Mexico State Aggies, where he shot 15-for-15 from the charity stripe. Beating NMSU was Carroll's best game statistically as well as his favorite, he said. "We beat the secondplace team in the conference pretty handily," Carroll said. "And I was able to play a good game." He didn't only have a perfect free-throw game against NMSU, but he also had an almost flawless scoring game. Carroll was 12-of-l6 from the field, and he net a career-high 44 points. As for the WAC Tournament, the team is expecting only the best. Tm planning on doing extremely well in the WAC Tournament as a team, and I hope everyone has that same mindset," he said. Carroll has one more year at USU, but he said he • Patrick Oden/poden@a. usu.edu JUNIOR GUARD JAYCEE CARROU goes up for a layup against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the Aggies' 71-66 home loss. Carroll led the Aggies to a 21-10 regular season record. doesn't want his basketball career to end at graduation. "We need to find someone in the NBA that thinks I can play for them, and Til defi- M TEEEEEWWW From page 5 Jl Store Hours: The Diamond Engagement Ring Store...since J896 Monday - Saturday 10:00-7:00 141 North Main •752-7149 ww\\\seneeelhain.com Middle of tht blotk at tht lign of the dock ax& nitely take a shot with it," he said. "If there's an opportunity, I'll go for it." • 'bfairman@cc.usu.edu can't do it anymore, probably Morrill's connection with Morrill's energy also conmore than I've ever thought his players is another thing nects him to the fans at about somebody saying, Tfou that gives him credibility. the Spectrum. His name is fiA liw know what, you did a pretty "He's always there for you. announced at every home good job.'" I g^iess you could say he's like game to a chorus of "Stew," Some of the success Morrill another father figure," senior and during the game, he has had can be attributed to forward Chris Session said. motions to the crowd for the players he's been able to more intensity, and the crowd Morrill's success could be recruit, including 10 firsta product of many things, but responds. team all-league players. there is one thing that can be And the Spectrum has "He's a winner," Peterson clearly seen by anyone who been good to Morrill. Going said. "Not every coach is a watches an Aggie basketball into this season, he posted a winner. Some coaches don't game - Morrill's passion. .991 winning percentage in have that mentality. Some "Coach has a passion for the Spectrum, including only coaches didn't play basketball basketball, and a passion for 11 losses. in college. They didn't get this Utah State basketball, and a "Utah State basketball isn't di ni experience. And he gets to passion for Utah State winwhat it is without the fans as speak from true life experining basketball games," Verlin and the support that we have. ences and that's always good said. "I think when you're It's unbelievable and there's for a coach and his players." going to ask your kids to do no one that appreciates that -rii things at a high level, you The true life experience more than Coach Morrill," have to be the most passionPeterson speaks about comes Verlin said. from Morrill's college basket- ate one of all, and that's what "Since the day I got here he is." ball career, which started at nine years ago I said this ria Rick's Junior College in Idaho This passion doesn't go would probably be my last where he was named a junior unnoticed by the players on job," Morrill said at a press college all-American in 1972. the floor. conference Monday. "I've said Morrill then went on to play 'Tm a player and I get disit a number of times, and it's at Gonzaga, where he was tracted at times seeing him the way I feel. Utah State's ibl first-team all-conference in jumping up and down on the been great to me. Its been a 1974. He also played a year sideline," Session said. But it two-way loyalty street and I ni of professional basketball in inspires him to play harder, don't see that changing." [37 France. he added. -dabake@cc. usu.edu • : . " \ RICHARDS From page 6 Polls close this Wednesday 4 : 5 0 PM TO VOTE: GO TO A-STATION.USU.EDU, WEB3VLAIL.USU.EDU USU picked Richards up as a freshman, where she hit the ground running. She dished out more than 90 assists in Big West Conference play, the only freshman in the conference to do so. As a sophomore, she pulled down 17 starts in 27 season games, and in two of those games she played the entire 40 minutes. This elementary education major knows just how far the Aggies basketball program has come in the last few years as a participant in the rebuilding of a team that had been reinstated for the 2003-2004 season since the school saw a need for it's discontinuing in order to save money. Head Coach Raegan Pebley came on board for the first season since the school had last seen women's basketball in the 1986-1987 season. "Since the program started, everyone's been surprised by how quick we've advanced," Richards said. "And definitely we have more experience, and we have more confidence. This year we've been competing really well. We've had some upsets we've pulled of. We're confident this year. I think that's the biggest thing." Averaging 33.3 minutes per game in the WAC, Richards keeps up with her 45.8 field goal-percentage. Richards hasn't exceeded her!'-' expectations on the season. *° She said she recognizes the n advancing of her team but ] 3C constantly feels that there j is always room for improve- IfH ment on her part. Richards IO nJ has much to be proud of w - in WAC play, she leads her { team in 3-pointers made, as J o t iR1 she has 20. ii6 "I'm kind of a hard self oi critic," Richards said. "I n believe that you can always 3 expect more out of people, although I am excited about "* how things have turned out. >ro I always know that we can * c do more, I can do more. It's J ^ a great confidence builder ^ to work harder and achieve T^ greater things " 'fi -eawads@cc.usu.edu |