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Show # A look ahead Continued from page 8 ard Sirju and Stavon Williams. Sirju earned second-team all-conference honors twice at Daytona Beach (Fla.) Community College. During his sophomore season, he scored in double-figures 23 times, had 12 20-point games and finished the year averaging 19.5 points per game. Williams earned all-region honors as a sophomore at San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College after averaging 15.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. The remainingfivenewcomers to the program include junior college transfer Clint Lee and a talented group of freshmen in Dominique Cooks, Deremy Geiger, Skyler Halford and Brady Jardine. Included in this group is the Idaho Gatorade and 5A Player of the Year in Jardine, the Sunrise Region Most Valuable Player in Geiger, the Illawarra Basketball Association Player of the Year in 2008 in Cooks, and two in-state walk-ons in Halford and Lee. Halford was the second-leading scorer in 5A in 2008 at 23.6 points per game as he earned second-team all-state honors, while Lee averaged 13.0 points and 5.7 rebounds as a prep senior at Sky View High School. Schedule Utah State will play a total of 31 games during the regular season, which includesfivecontests against in-state opponents and at least seven games against postseason teams from a year ago. For the second year in a row, Utah State will play 17 games in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum as it went undefeated at home during the 2007-08 season. Overall, the Aggies have posted an incredible 142-12 (.922) home record during the last 10 years. USU's five in-state games are also the most since it went 5-0 against teams from the state of Utah during the 2006-07 season. Overall, it will be the first time in school history that USU will play five different in-state teams during the same season. Highlighting Utah State's non-conference schedule will be games against in-state rivals Brigham Young and Utah as the Aggies play the Cougars in Salt Lake City at Energy Solutions Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6 and host the Utes on Monday, Dec. 22. BYU has played in the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years, while Utah advanced to the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational last year. Other postseason teams from a year ago on Utah Statexs schedule include UC Santa Barbara (NIT), Boise State (NCAA) and Nevada (CBI). "We are excited about our 2008-09 schedule and hope our team understands the challenges it presents," said Morrill. "Our nonconference schedule features five in-state games which I believe is extremely positive. Those games are always special and should mean a lot to our fans and players. With our remaining non-conference schedule we have a nice mix of games against familiar teams and leagues that should prepare us for WAC play. .In addition, our tournament is now a threenight, three-game event that leads us right into the opening weekend of conference competition." After playing exhibition games against Northwest Nazarene and Concordia University on Oct. 31 and Nov. 8, Utah State will open the season at home against Montana State-Northern on Friday, Nov. 14. USU will then play at UC Santa Barbara in its first road game of the year on Monday, Nov. 17 before returning home for three straight contests. The Aggies will begin their homestand against in-state rival Weber State on Tuesday, Nov. 25, followed by games against Cal Poly and UC Irvine on Saturday, Nov. 29 and Tuesday, Dec. 2, respectively. Utah State will then play four consecutive games on the road, including three straight against in-state opponents, beginning with its matchup against BYU on Utah State big man Gary Wilkinson confers with Tyler Newbold during '07- '06 Spectrum contest Cameron Peterson photo Saturday, Dec. 6. USU will also play at Utah Valley on 2009 WAC Tournament will be held in Reno, Saturday, Dec. 13, followed by its first-ever Nev., from Mar. 10-14. Note-able home games game at Southern Utah on Wednesday, Dec. during conference play includes matchups 17. The Aggies will conclude their four-game with defending WAC Tournament Champion road swing at Idaho State on Saturday, Dec. 20 Boise State on Saturday, Jan. 17, while Nevada Following its season-long four-game road visits the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Thursswing, Utah State will return home for the day, Jan. 29 and New Mexico State comes to remainder of its non-conference schedule town on Thursday, Feb. 5. with four more games in the Dee Glen Smith "As far as the WAC goes, the annual chalSpectrum, including its final in-state matchup lenges are always there with lots of optimism of the year against Utah on Monday, Dec. from all the members," Morrill stated. "Pm al22. During the last eight years, Utah State ways concerned about how we will stack up as has posted an impressive 20-8 (.714) record every year is unique and very unpredictable. It against in-state schools. USU will also host should be fun." . Houston Baptist, Howard and Wyoming in the Duel In The Desert, sponsored by Gossner Foods, on Monday, Dec. 29 through Wednesday, Dec. 31, with each team playing three games. For the fourth straight year, Utah State will participate in the annual ESPN BracketBusters which will be played on Saturday, Feb. 21. In its previous three BracketBuster games, USU recorded home wins against Northwestern State in 2006 and UC Santa Barbara in 2008, along with a road win at Oral Roberts in 2007. After claiming a share of itsfirst-everWestern Athletic Conference regular season championship last season, Utah State will begin defense of its title at home against Idaho on Monday, Jan. 5 and will conclude league play on Saturday, Mar. 7 at home against Utah State forward Tal Wesley reaches for a pass in the key in a WAC San Jose State, while the contest with Boise State. Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman photo I I |