Feb. 7, 2006

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's men's basketball team is second in the nation in both field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage according to the latest NCAA statistics released on Tuesday.

Utah State is shooting 50.8 percent from the field this year, trailing only Florida who is shooting 52.5 percent from the field. USU is also shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range, trailing Indiana who is shooting 43.1 percent from behind the arc.

As a team, Utah State also ranks fifth in the nation in assists per game (18.4), 14th in fewest personal fouls committed per game (15.4), 30th in scoring margin (+10.2), and 30th in winning percentage (76.2).

Individually, sophomore guard Jaycee Carroll (Evanston, Wyo.) ranks third in the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 49.3 percent, trailing J. Robert Merritt of Samford who is shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range, and Je'Kel Foster of Ohio State who is shooting 49.5 percent from behind the arc. Carroll, who set a new school and WAC record with 10 made three-pointers against New Mexico State last Thursday, is also 18th in the nation in three-point field goals made per game at 3.3. Those 10 made three-pointers by Carroll are the second-most made in a single-game in college basketball this year, behind Josh Goodwin of Belmont who made 11 three's against East Tennessee State on Dec. 1, 2005.

Other Aggies to be ranked among the national leaders include senior forward Nate Harris (Smithfield, Utah), who is seventh in the nation in field goal percentage at 62.2 percent, and senior guard David Pak (Orange, Calif.), who ranks 49th in assists per game (5.0).

Utah State is 16-5 on the season and tied with Nevada and Louisiana Tech for first-place in the Western Athletic Conference with identical 7-3 league records. USU returns to action this Sat., Feb. 11 when it hosts New Mexico State at 7:05 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.