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Show Basketball Preview special, Fall 2009 Page 6 OUTLOOK: USU wants Big Dance again “As always, we expect to execute offensively. We don’t ever take it for granted, but that has been something that has been very consistent through the years in our program, and this group has the potential to be a very good offensive executing team. I think we’ll be balanced scoring wise, I think we’ll have good passers, guys who are used to winning, and guys who understand the system. All of those things should be solid. We’ve also made some strides on the defensive end and rebounding against the athletic teams we see in the WAC, and that was the biggest change from the Big West to the WAC was the size and quickness of the players. We’ve done a better job of handling that and those areas will really be stressed again this year as always.” --- USU head coach Stew Morrill With four starters returning who have a combined 186 career starts and 239 games played, and four more reserves with a combined 136 games played, expectations for Utah State may be even higher than normal heading into the 2009-10 season. But expectations have become the norm for Aggie basketball under veteran head coach Stew Morrill, and this year’s team will be no different after winning a school record 30 games last year and notching its second-straight Western Athletic Conference Championship. “We always have expectations at Utah State,” said Morrill. “That’s something that we’ve learned to live with and understand through the years. When you are fortunate enough to go to 10-straight postseasons, fans expect you to have a quality basketball team, and we expect to compete for a WAC championship every year. Obviously you would like to grow, and in a perfect world, make some strides in terms of postseason play, but all of that is kind of ludicrous to talk about because it is challenging enough to try and get to postseason.” Despite the challenge of advancing to postseason play from a non-BCS league, Utah State has thrived under Coach Morrill as it has advanced to 10 straight postseasons (6-NCAA, 4-NIT), which is a school record. USU is also one of just three programs in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last 10 years along with Gonzaga and Kansas, and has the fourth-best winning percentage in the country during that time period at 76.4 percent (252-78). USU has also averaged 25.2 wins in each of the last 10 years and its streak of 10 straight postseasons ranks tied for the 15th-longest active streak in the nation. The reason Utah State has been so dominate during the past decade has been the approach, discipline and leadership established and maintained by Coach Morrill, who is the second-longest tenured and the winningest coach in 106 years of Aggie basketball. Entering his 12th season at the helm of the Aggie program, Morrill owns a gaudy 267-91 (.746) record, which includes a 138-46 (.750) conference mark and a 21-6 (.778) record in conference tournament play. He has also been awarded conference coach of the year honors on three separate occasions during his time at USU, including being named the 2009 WAC and United States Basketball Writers Association District VIII Coach of the Year. “Honestly, when I hear those numbers it kind of overwhelms me to believe it’s happened, how many things have had to go right for it to happen, and the contributions of so many people in our program,” said Morrill. “If I was to point to one thing that has been the key to all of our success I would say it is the quality of the Jared Quayle will be expected to lead the USU team in many respects. individuals we have had playing Here he scores two against Weber State last season. Statesman photo in this program, along with their character and ability.” points and 1.9 rebounds per game started the first six games of the Character and ability shouldn’t while starting 31 contests during year at the point and finished the be a concern for Coach Morrill the season. season by averaging 3.6 points heading into the 2009-10 season Along with its four returnand 1.0 assists per game. as USU returns a quartet of starting starters, Utah State will also “The experience we have reers in senior point guard Jared have the services of four more turning is extremely positive, but Quayle, junior forward Tai Wesley, lettermen in junior forward Matt you temper that a bit with how and junior guards Tyler NewFormisano, redshirt sophomore much experience returns in the bold and Pooh Williams. Quayle center Modou Niang, and sophoWAC and the loss of Gary Wilkinearned second-team all-WAC mores Brady Jardine (forward) son, who was not only the MVP honors and was named to the and Jaxon Myaer (guard). Formiof the regular season, but the league’s all-newcomer team in sano, who has played in 56 games postseason tournament as well,” 2009 as he averaged 13.1 points, during his career, averaged 3.2 Morrill added. 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per points and 2.2 rebounds a year Even with all the experience game, while Wesley averaged 12.0 ago, while Niang was averaging and depth returning for Utah points and 6.0 rebounds in his 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in State this year, Morrill and the second year as a starter and was 2009 before breaking his hand Aggies will have to find a qualnamed to the National Associawhich forced him to miss the ity replacement for the reigning tion of Basketball Coaches (NABC) remainder of the season. Jardine, WAC Player of the Year in Gary second-team. Newbold averaged whose redshirt was pulled folWilkinson, who averaged 17.1 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 lowing Niang’s injury, appeared points and 6.8 rebounds durassists in his second year as a in 22 games as a true freshman ing his senior campaign, and starter, and led the nation with an and averaged 1.8 points and 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.96-toZContinued on pg. 8 rebounds per game, while Myaer 1.00, and Williams averaged 5.9 |