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Show Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 Page 9 StatesmanSpOrtS Jazz have work to do to compete at the next level tra A ‘ JUNIOR JARRED SHAW FIGHTS OFF a pair of Illinois State defenders during the Aggies' win Saturday in an ESPN Bracketbuster matchup. DELAYNE LOCKE photo AGGIES: Underdogs on the road )From page 7 points per game. They're also tops in the WAC in scoring offense with 70.8 points per game. Morrill said the Aggies will need a strong start being on the road. "The reason we didn't start very well against LA Tech at our place is because they're good. They caught us off-guard," Morrill said. "We were in the first weekend of trying to adjust to our limited roster. I think we've gotten better since then. We're quite a bit better offensively, but they're on their home court and they're going to play better than they did here. It's going to take an awfully good effort to keep ourselves in the ball game." Tipoff in Ruston, La. is scheduled for 6 p.m. - curtislundstrom@gmaiL com Twitter: @CurtisLundstrom State your case: Though I'm not the biggest gamer, I found my nitch in the arena of sports. Other than just demolishing all corners game by game, I discovered an often overlooked talent: running dominant dynasties. At the pro and college levels and in any sport, I could reel off championship after championship. For those naysayers calling these successes a "virtual world," well, you may be right. But I believe it can also transfer to real life. So if I can get ten straight national championships with Utah State football, who's to say we can't help out the Utah Jazz front office a little? In the past few years, the Jazz have begun to rebuild themselves piece by piece into a contender. Bad contracts and relationships ended the D-Will/Boozer/Sloan days, but it's safe to say they weren't winning championships back then either. Though a jaw drop- per at the moment, picking up Derrick Favors in exchange for Deron "Coach-slayer" Williams isn't looking too bad, and the trade for Al Jefferson has worked out nicely, but the attitude of "staying put" and "patiently waiting" has long been a curse the Jazz need to get over. The needs for Utah are pretty basic. Move some pieces in the loaded frontcourt, pick up a point guard and rely on a young core of Favors, Enes Kanter and Gordon Hayward. I was slightly bummed when nothing happened at the trade deadline. A Paul Millsap for Eric Bledose trade was in the works with the Clippers, but nothing happened. Bledsoe is a young point guard with loads of potential who would've fit in nicely, and it could have solved some unloading needs with the big men. The problem isn't that the Jazz didn't do anything this once: It's what they're going to do now. Both Jefferson and Millsap will be free agents, which means the Jazz won't get anything for them if they walk. My recommendation would be to resign Al and, though it does hurt, let Millsap go. Jefferson is a shotmaker Utah can build around, while Millsap is hitting his potential as an off-the-ball workhorse. The next decision comes in the draft. Trey Burke of Michigan would be an excellent selection with his scoring abilities from the point. He should go high in the draft, but are the Jazz willing to do what it takes to win, A.K.A. trade up? If nothing comes up, there are a few possible free agents too. Mo Williams, with his status as a "chucker," just isn't going to win a lot of games, even if he does get healthy. The basic issue for the Jazz is this: Where do they want to be in the playoffs? If just making it is the goal, then staying with this status quo will work, picking up anywhere from a six to an eight seed every year along with a first-round exit. If they want to move up, they need to take some risks and move on to the new core. There's definitely potential with the right moves. - Mark is an obsessive Aggie fan who moonlights as an almost unbiased Statesman writer. He is majoring in business administration and preparing for medical school. Comment at m.hop@aggiemail. usu. edu or his blog, www. spectrumagic.blogspot. com. CAUTION! CAUTION! EXTREMELY GOOD PIZZA Who is the better overall draft pick? Kerwynn Williams or Will Davis? EXTREMELY GOOD PIZZA CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL! VALID UNTIL THE CONTSTRUCTION ENDS NEXT TO US THURSDAY" NIGHTS ARE , LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR KARAOKE BUFFE NIGHTS! 9PM$ TWO GREAT TIMES. ONE LOW PRIC GETS YOU IN THE DOOR & A CHANCE TO SING YOUR HEART 12IM OUT! (435) 753.5590 25 E 1400 N, Logan (Next to Harbor Freight) BY MARK HOPKINS sports senior writer This pick is an easy one: Will Davis. While I'll admit to being a bigger Kerwynn Williams fan while they were Aggies, Davis has the potential to be an NFL starter while Kerwynn can be happy seeing his name on "Madden." Though sometimes lost and often not too impressive during Utah State career, Davis put himself on the map with five interceptions in five games his senior year and was named a third-team All-American. With only two years at the Division I level, most teams are looking at him based on physical potential, of which he appears to have quite a bit. At the recent NFL Draft Combine, Davis ran a 4.51 second 40-yard dash, won the cone drill among cornerbacks and placed third in the 20-yard shuffle. One of the few knocks he received was on strength, but that is by far the easiest problem to fix at the pro level. Besides, the cornerback position is much easier to gain playing time at than running back with options such as nickel packages. Best case for Davis? Full-time starter. Best case for Kerwynn? Third-down back. I hope the best for both players and know they'll both carry the Aggie name proudly. - m.hop@aggiemail. usu.edu Twitter: Megendarymhops BY ERIC JUNGBLUT copy editor Unless you played running back for an SEC school, you should prepare yourself for a career of making tackles at kickoff. Kerwynn Williams, however, will not have a career relegated to special teams duty. He is the better draft pick, and here's why. Williams impressed at the NFL Combine with a 40-yard dash time of 4.48, good for third best out of a field of 15 running backs. While not very imposing at a towering 5'8" and 195 pounds, Williams is quick on his feet and will have safeties wondering what happened if he gets up to full speed. Williams also scored in the top-tier with his vertical jump of 35 inches and his 20-yard shuttle of 4.15. He is a deadly dual-threat, and his WAC record in allpurpose yards should have NFL offensive coordinators salivating. Let's be honest: Kerwynn will most likely spend his first few NFL seasons at third string while Will Davis will most likely get starting time. Davis will also be a higher pick. Still, a higher pick does not always guarantee success, and JaMarcus Russell is the only example I need to prove that. Both will go to the NFL and do our school proud. Kerwynn, however, is the better pick. He will join the ranks of elite Las Vegas-native sports stars like Andre Agassi and Greg Maddux, and he won't need a high draft pick to do it. - ej.jungblut@gmail.com Twitter: @TheJungleButt Happy Hour: Late Night: 2-4 em Weekdays 2 hours before do ANNUAL SPRI \G BOOK SALE From beach reading to scholarly texts, there's something for everyone. All books only 250 Weak IV Ar 6—fri, Mar 8 A4-riftm of -1-ke. Library Sae. s4-arks 01- 41 Am, Gorl-fritue's -14troa91& library kokvs, AAA eeruks A-1- 3 pm UtahStateUniversity MERRILL-CAZIER LIBRARY Continually re-stocked! |