March 17, 2009

LOGAN, Utah -

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME 35
#11 Utah State (30-4) vs. #6 Marquette (24-9)
Friday, Mar. 20, 2009 • 10:30 a.m. (MT) • Boise, Idaho
Taco Bell Arena (12,380) • Aggie Radio Network • CBS Sports

GAME DAY HEADLINES
• Utah State is in its 104th season of basketball this year and has an overall record of 1,400-993 (.585). USU hasn't had a losing season since the 1992-93 campaign, a span of 16 years, when that team finished with a 10-17 record.

• Utah State is ranked 25th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll with 40 votes and 32nd in the latest AP poll with 28 votes. USU was ranked in the top-25 for three straight weeks during the month of February and climbed as high as 17th in the coaches poll. Prior to this season, USU was last ranked during the 2003-04 campaign.

• Utah State (30-4) has the second-most wins in the country behind Memphis (31-3) and is one of just five teams in the nation with four or fewer losses joining Connecticut (27-4), Memphis, North Carolina (28-4), and Pittsburgh (28-4).

• Utah State, Gonzaga (26-5) and Kansas (25-7) are the only teams in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last 10 years. USU has now recorded 10 straight 20-win seasons, extending its current school record. Overall, it is the 25th time in school history that Utah State has won 20 or more games and its 30 wins this year is a school record.

• Utah State is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history (1939, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009), which is the most by any member of the Western Athletic Conference. Under Coach Morrill, USU is appearing in its sixth NCAA Tournament in the last 10 years, and its first in three seasons. Those six NCAA appearances by Morrill are the most by any coach in USU history.

• Utah State is playing in its 10th straight postseason, which is a school record, and tied for the 15th-longest active streak in the nation. During the last 10 years, USU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament six times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009) and the NIT four times (2002, 2004, 2007, 2008).

• Utah State is 6-19 (.240) all-time in the NCAA Tournament, which includes a 4-13 (.235) record in the first round. USU has lost five straight games in the NCAA Tournament and its last win was in the first round of the 2001 tournament when it defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State, 77-68, in overtime. In its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2006, USU lost to fifth-seeded Washington, 75-61, in the first round.

• Utah State is making its 27th postseason appearance all-time, having qualified for the NCAA Tournament 18 times and the NIT on nine occasions. Utah State's overall postseason record is 8-28 (.222).

UP NEXT
Utah State (30-4, 14-2) is the No. 11 seed in the West Region in Boise, Idaho and will face No. 6 Marquette (24-9, 12-6) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Mar. 20 at 10:30 a.m., at Taco Bell Arena. The Aggies are ranked 25th in the nation in the latest USA Today/Coaches Poll, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 24th. The game will be televised nationally on CBS with Craig Bolerjack (play-by-play) and Bob Wenzel (color) calling the action.

ON THE AIR
Utah State basketball games are broadcast on KVNU (610 AM) and KLZX (95.9 FM) in Logan, Utah, KFAN (1320 AM) or ESPN Radio (1230 AM) in Salt Lake City and KLZX (105.3 FM) in Montpelier, Idaho, as well as on the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Al Lewis serves as the play-by-play announcer while Rod Tueller serves as the analyst during home games.

NCAA TOURNAMENT PRACTICE AND PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES ON THURSDAY
Utah State's press conference at the NCAA Tournament in Boise, Idaho will be on Thursday from 11:20 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and its practice will be from 12:00 to 12:40 p.m. Marquette's press conference will be from 12:50 to 1:30 p.m., and its practice will be from 1:30 to 2:10 p.m. All times listed are Mountain time.

LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 30-4 on the season after defeating Fresno State (85-68), New Mexico State (71-70), and Nevada (72-62) to win the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. USU also won the league's regular season title with a 14-2 record. Utah State is led by senior forward Gary Wilkinson who is averaging 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and is shooting 58.6 percent from the field and 83.0 percent from the free throw line, while junior guard Jared Quayle is averaging 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and is shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three-point range, and 76.4 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Tai Wesley is also scoring in double-figures for USU as he is averaging 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 68.2 percent from the free throw line. As a team, Utah State is scoring 72.9 points per game and shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three-point range, and 73.9 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, USU is allowing 62.1 points and its opponents are shooting 42.0 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range, and 73.8 percent from the free throw line.

UTAH STATE WINS SEVENTH POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Utah State won its seventh postseason tournament championship, and first WAC tournament championship this past weekend. It is also the fifth time under Coach Morrill that USU has won a tournament title (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009) as the other four were when the Aggies were a member of the Big West Conference.

UTAH STATE WINS SECOND-STRAIGHT REGULAR SEASON WAC TITLE, NINTH OVERALL
Utah State won its second-straight Western Athletic Conference regular season championship this year, and its first outright WAC title since joining the league four years ago. USU also snapped Nevada's run of five straight WAC regular season championships. Overall, it is the ninth time in school history that USU has won at least a share of a regular season conference championship (1980, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009), and it is USU's second outright regular season league title under Morrill joining the 1999-2000 team that went 16-0 in the Big West Conference. It is also just the second time in school history that Utah State has won back-to-back regular season league championships joining the 1997 and 1998 teams.

AGGIES LEADING THE NATION IN SHOOTING AND ARE SECOND IN WINNING PERCENTAGE
As of Mar. 15, Utah State leads the nation in field goal shooting (.498), and is second in winning percentage (.882). USU also ranks fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45), and 10th in turnovers per game (11.3). Individually, sophomore guard Tyler Newbold ranks first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.07), and senior forward Gary Wilkinson ranks 24th in field goal shooting (.586).

RANKING UTAH STATE IN THE WAC
As of Mar. 15, Utah State ranks first in the WAC in scoring margin (+10.8), field goal shooting (.498), scoring defense (62.1), rebound margin (+7.0), and assists (16.32). USU also ranks second in scoring (72.9), field goal shooting defense (.420), free throw shooting (.739), and three-point field goal shooting (.398). Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson ranks second in the WAC in scoring (17.1) and free throw shooting (.830), third in field goal shooting (.586), and sixth in rebounding (6.9), while sophomore forward Tai Wesley ranks second in the WAC in field goal shooting (.590) and 11th in rebounding (6.1). Junior guard Jared Quayle ranks third in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.05), sixth in steals (1.44), sixth in assists (3.74), seventh in free throw shooting (.764), 12th in scoring (12.9), and 12th in rebounding (5.9). Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold ranks first in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.07) and ninth in assists (3.24), and junior guard Stavon Williams ranks fourth in three-point shooting (.438).

COMPUTER RANKINGS
As of Mar. 15, Utah State has an RPI of 24 and a strength of schedule of 135, while the WAC is currently ranked 11th out of 32 conferences. USU also has a sagarin rating of 41.

SCOUTING MARQUETTE
Marquette is 24-9 on the season and finished in fifth-place in the Big East Conference with a 12-6 league record. The Golden Eagles, who have lost five of its last six games, fell to Villanova, 76-75, in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament in its last game. Marquette is 8-7 away from home this season and is playing in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles are led by senior guard Jerel McNeal who is averaging 19.7 points and 4.0 assists per game, while fellow senior guard Wesley Matthews is averaging 18.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. Junior forward Lazar Hayward also scores in double-figures for MU and is averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 boards per game. As a team, Marquette scores 78.8 points per game and shoots 45.6 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from three-point range, and 72.0 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, the Golden Eagles are allowing 69.5 points per game and its opponents are shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 35.0 percent from three-point range, and 67.1 percent from the free throw line. Marquette returns four starters from last year's team that went 25-10 on the season and 11-7 in the Big East Conference. The Golden Eagles concluded its season with an 82-81 overtime loss to Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Buzz Williams is in his first season as Marquette's head coach.

UTAH STATE VERSUS MARQUETTE SERIES HISTORY
Utah State and Marquette will be meeting for the first time ever this weekend in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. USU head coach Stew Morrill will also be facing Marquette for the first time ever in his 23 years as a collegiate head coach.

Stew Morrill AND MARQUETTE CONNECTIONS
Marquette head coach Buzz Williams and assistant Dale Layer both spent time as assistant coaches at Colorado State following Stew Morrill's seven-year stint as CSU's head coach.

UTAH STATE AND FLORIDA STATE CONNECTIONS
Florida State Athletics Director Randy Spetman spent four years (2004-2007) as the Director of Athletics at Utah State University.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Utah State is 6-9 (.400) all-time against current members of the Big East Conference as it has a 1-0 record against DePaul, South Florida and Villanova, a 1-1 record against Pittsburgh, a 1-2 record against Providence and Rutgers, an 0-1 record against Connecticut and Seton Hall, and an 0-2 record against Notre Dame. The last time Utah State played a team from the Big East Conference was on Mar. 17, 2000 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as it lost to the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies, 75-67. The game against UCONN is also the only time USU has played a Big East team in the NCAA Tournament. USU's last win against a Big East team was when it defeated Rutgers, 78-70, on Jan. 13, 1992 in Logan.

VERSUS THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
Utah State is 1-1 versus teams in the 2009 NCAA Tournament as it defeated Utah, 66-64, at home and lost to Brigham Young, 68-63, at a neutral site in Salt Lake City.

THE WAC VERSUS THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE
Current members of the Western Athletic Conference are a combined 32-67 (.323) against current members of the Big East Conference. WAC teams are also a combined 3-8 (.273) against teams from the Big East Conference in the NCAA Tournament and the last time a WAC member defeated a team from the Big East in the NCAA Tournament was in 2002 when 12th-seeded Tulsa upset fifth-seeded Marquette, 71-69. It is also the second straight year the WAC Tournament champion has played a team from the Big East Conference as 14th-seeded Boise State lost to third-seeded Louisville, 79-61, in the first round last year.

COACH MORRILL IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Utah State head coach Stew Morrill is 1-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, which includes an 0-1 record while the head coach at Montana in 1991 and a 1-5 record at USU.

THE WAC IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Western Athletic Conference has had a team advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament 10 times in the last 12 years. The WAC has also had at least two teams participate in the NCAA Tournament 19 times in the last 23 years. Overall, WAC teams are a combined 35-67 (.343) in the NCAA Tournament.

WILKINSON NAMED MVP OF WAC TOURNAMENT
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Tournament as he led USU to the championship with wins against Fresno State (85-68), New Mexico State (71-70), and Nevada (72-62). He began the tournament by scoring 18 points against the Bulldogs, and then scored 19 points and added five rebounds against NMSU. In the championship game against the Wolf Pack, he scored a game-high 21 points to go along with six boards. Overall, Wilkinson averaged 19.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in the tournament, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field (20-37) and 78.3 percent from the free throw line (18-23).

QUAYLE AND WESLEY NAMED TO WAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Junior guard Jared Quayle and sophomore forward Tai Wesley were both named to the WAC's all-tournament team after helping Utah State wins its first WAC Tournament championship. During the three-day tournament, Quayle averaged 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from the field (13-32), 37.5 percent from three-point range (6-16), and 72.7 percent from the free throw line (8-11). He began the tournament by scoring 18 points to go along with eight rebounds against Fresno State, and then had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Nevada in the championship game. Wesley averaged 10.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field (10-22) and 71.4 percent from the free throw line (10-14). He had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against NMSU in the semifinals and 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists against Nevada in the championship game.

WILKISON NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jared Quayle Named Second-Team All-WAC
After a dominating regular season that saw Utah State finish 27-4 overall and 14-2 in Western Athletic Conference play, the league office announced its postseason honors on Sunday and USU was well represented as Gary Wilkinson was named the WAC's Player of the Year and Jared Quayle was named to the league's second-team and all-newcomer team after Utah State won its second-straight WAC regular season championship, including its first-ever outright WAC title this year. Wilkinson, a 6-9 senior forward from South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS/Salt Lake CC) becomes the fifth player in school history to earn conference player of the year honors joining Dean Hunger (1980), Greg Grant (1986), Eric Franson (1995) and Jaycee Carroll (2008). It is also the first time in school history that USU has had back-to-back conference players of the year. Wilkinson, who was tabbed by the media as the league's preseason player of the year, earned first-team all-WAC honors for the first time after being named second-team all-conference a year ago. He was also named to the league's all-newcomer team last season in his first year at Utah State. Utah State has now had 16 first-team all-conference selections over the last 10 years, and it is the 10th straight year that USU has had at least one first-team all-league selection. Overall, Utah State has had 28 first-team all-conference selections in the last 31 years, as it was a member of the Big West Conference/Pacific Coast Athletic Association for 27 seasons (1979-2005) before joining the WAC prior to the 2005-06 academic year.

MORRILL NAMED WAC COACH OF THE YEAR
Utah State head coach Stew Morrill was named the Don Haskins Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on Sunday, marking the first time he has received the WAC's top coaching honor in his 11 years in the league. Overall, Morrill has now been named coach of the year in his respective conference four times during his illustrious career as he was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 1991 while at Montana, and the Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2002 while at Utah State. Morrill's award this year marks the sixth time in school history that an Aggie coach has been honored as Rod Tueller was named the Big West Conference Coach of the Year in 1980, while Larry Eustachy won the honor in 1995 and 1998.

DID YOU KNOW?
Under head coach Stew Morrill, Utah State has had 11 players earn first-team all-conference honors a total of 16 times, and USU has had at least one first-team all-league player in each of the last 10 seasons, along with the WAC Player of the Year in consecutive years.

QUAYLE, WESLEY AND WILKINSON EARN ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced March 4 its Division I All-District teams, recognizing the nation's best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes, and Utah State's Jared Quayle, Tai Wesley and Gary Wilkinson were all honored. Wilkinson, a senior forward from South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS) was named to the District 6 first-team, along with Idaho's Mac Hopson, New Mexico State's Jahmar Young, and Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson. Quayle, a junior guard from Perry, Utah (Box Elder HS/Western Wyoming CC) was named second-team all-district along with Wesley, a sophomore forward from Provo, Utah (Provo HS). Other members of the District 6 second-team include Weber State's Kellen McCoy, Hawaii's Roderick Flemings and Portland State's Jeremiah Dominguez. The NABC recognized 240 student-athletes, from 24 districts, which were realigned this season. All of these student-athletes are now eligible for the State Farm Coaches' Division I All-America teams that will be announced on Saturday, April 4 as part of the 2009 NABC Convention in Detroit in conjunction with the Final Four.

MORRILL NAMED DISTRICT VIII COACH OF THE YEAR
Wilkinson Named To All-District Team
Veteran Utah State men's basketball coach Stew Morrill continued to be recognized nationally this year and was named the District VIII Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on March 10. Gary Wilkinson was also honored by the organization as the senior forward was one of 10 players named to the all-district team. District VIII is made up of teams from the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. There are nine regions from coast to coast and a player and coach of the year were selected from each. It is the first time Morrill has been named District Coach of the Year by the USBWA. He was also named the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year this year after leading Utah State to a 27-4 record, including a first-place conference finish with a 14-2 league mark. All-time, it is Morrill's fourth conference coach of the year honor as he is 267-90 (.748) in 11 seasons at USU and 485-228 (.680) in 23 years as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson, who was named the WAC's Player of the Year earlier this week, currently ranks second in the conference in scoring with 17.1 points and sixth in rebounding with 6.9 boards per game. Joining Wilkinson on the all-district team are Luke Babbitt (Nevada), Lee Cummard (BYU), Tony Dandridge (New Mexico), Brandon Ewing (Wyoming), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Cory Higgins (Colorado), Mac Hopson (Idaho), Anthony Johnson (Montana), and Luke Nevill (Utah) who was named the District VIII Player of the Year.

MORRILL A FINALIST FOR TWO NATIONAL COACHING HONORS
Utah State veteran men's basketball coach Stew Morrill is one of 10 finalists for the 2009 Henry Iba Award, which is annually given to the nation's coach of the year, and one of 12 finalists for the 2009 Skip Prosser Man of the Year award, which is given annually to a Division I head coach who best represents the high standards of the coaching profession, winning with integrity. The Henry Iba Award is sponsored by the United States Basketball Writer's Association, while the Skip Prosser Award is sponsored by CollegeInsider.com and the Prosser family. Morrill has led Utah State to a 27-4 overall record this year and its second straight Western Athletic Conference regular season championship, including its first outright league title, as USU finished WAC play at 14-2. Utah State was also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation for three straight weeks in February and climbed as high as 17th in the country in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. During Morrill's tenure, Utah State has won at least a share of five regular season league titles to go along with four tournament championships. Utah State also owns the nation's fourth-best winning percentage during the last 10 years (.766), and has posted 10 straight 23-win seasons and advanced to 10 straight postseasons (6-NCAA, 4-NIT), both of which are school records. Morrill, who is in his 11th year at Utah State and 23rd season as a collegiate head coach, has a 267-90 (.748) record with the Aggies and a 485-228 (.680) overall mark. Among active Division I coaches, Morrill ranks 22nd in the nation in wins and 27th in winning percentage. He is also one of just 33 active coaches with 400 career victories and one of just 13 active coaches to post 20 or more wins at least 14 times.

UTAH STATE VS. MARQUETTE ONE OF TWO TOP-25 MATCHUPS
Utah State's first round game against Marquette is one of two first round matchups that have top-25 teams playing one another as the Golden Eagles are ranked 24th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and the Aggies are ranked 25th. The other first round matchup with top-25 teams is an eight vs. nine game as No. 20 LSU will face No. 23 Butler on Thursday.

UTAH STATE RANKS AMONG TOP 16 NATIONALLY IN NINE CATEGORIES
Entering the 2009 NCAA Tournament, Utah State ranks among the top-16 teams in the nation in nine different statistical categories. As of March 15, Utah State is leading the nation in field goals shooting (.498) and ranks second in winning percentage (.882). USU also ranks fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45), 10th in fewest turnovers per game (11.3), 13th in fewest personal fouls committed per game (15.2), 13th in rebounding margin (+7.0), 15th in assists per game (16.3), 16th in scoring margin (+10.8), and 16th in three-point shooting (.398).

AGGIES TOP FIELD GOAL AND FREE THROW SHOOTING TEAM IN 2008
Utah State finished the 2007-08 season as the top shooting team in the nation as it ranked first in both field goal and free throw shooting. On the season, USU shot 51.4 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the free throw line. Overall, there have been only four teams in the history of the NCAA (Auburn, 1960; Ohio State, 1970; Michigan State, 1986; and Utah State, 2008) to lead the nation in both field goal and free throw shooting and only one team to lead the nation in both field goal and three-point shooting (Northern Arizona, 1999).

UTAH STATE VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Utah State is 11-54 (.169) all-time against ranked opponents, which includes a 5-11 (.313) record under head coach Stew Morrill. The last time USU played a ranked opponent was when it defeated No. 9 Nevada, 79-77, in the semifinals of the 2007 WAC Tournament.

UTAH STATE IN TACO BELL ARENA
Utah State is 5-6 (.455) all-time in Taco Bell Arena, which includes a 5-5 record against Boise State and an 0-1 record against Arizona in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Utah State has already played one game in Taco Bell Arena this year, losing to Boise State, 66-56, on Feb. 14, 2009.

WINNING STREAKS COME TO AN END AT TACO BELL ARENA
Utah State had all of its winning streaks come to an end at Taco Bell Arena to Boise State on Feb. 14, 2009 as it lost to the Broncos, 66-56. USU had won 19 straight games, which was the longest winning streak by any team in the nation at the time and tied with the 1999-2000 USU team for the longest winning streak in school history. USU had also won 16 straight WAC games, which was the longest winning streak since Utah won 19 straight WAC games from the 1998 to 1999 seasons. USU also had its 10-game road winning streak this year and 12-game regular season road winning streak snapped. USU's 12-0 WAC record was also tied for its second-best start to a conference season in school history and the longest by a WAC school since Utah went 14-0 in the WAC during the 1998-99 season.

UTAH STATE IN IDAHO
Utah State is 26-18 (.591) all-time in known games played in the state of Idaho as it is 14-6 versus the University of Idaho, 6-4 versus Idaho State University, and 6-7 against Boise State University, along with its loss to Arizona in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Boise.

UTAH STATE AS AN 11TH SEED
Utah State is an 11th-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second time as it was also an 11th-seed in 1980 when it lost to Clemson, 76-73, in the first round in Ogden, Utah. USU's seed this year is its highest since it was a 10th-seed in the 1988 NCAA Tournament, losing to Vanderbilt, 80-77, in Lincoln, Neb.

11TH SEEDS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Since the NCAA went to a 64-team format in 1985, 11th seeds in the NCAA Tournament have an overall record of 47-95 (.331), including a 30-66 (.313) record in the first round, an 11-19 (.367) record in the second round, a 4-7 (.364) record in the regional semifinals, a 2-2 (.500) record in the regional finals, and an 0-2 (.000) record in national semifinals. The last 11th-seed to reach the Final Four was George Mason in 2006.

TRAVEL COMPARISON FOR UTAH STATE AND MARQUETTE
Utah State will travel 291 miles via bus from Logan, Utah to Boise, Idaho on Wednesday. Marquette will travel approximately 1,700 miles via airplane and bus from Milwaukee, Wis.

AGGIES WITH NCAA TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
Utah State does not have a single player on its current roster with NCAA Tournament experience, but it does have two players who have been to an NCAA Tournament in sophomore forwards Matt Formisano and Tai Wesley. Both Formisano and Wesley redshirted during the 2004-05 season when Utah State played Arizona in the NCAA Tournament at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho.

AGGIES FROM THE STATE OF IDAHO
Utah State has one player on its current roster who is from the state of Idaho in freshman forward Brady Jardine. Jardine prepped at Twin Falls HS and was named the Idaho Gatorade and 5A Player of the Year as a senior in 2005 as he averaged 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in leading them to a 24-2 record and the school's first state championship in 32 years.

UTAH STATE WINS 1,400TH GAME ALL-TIME IN WAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Utah State won its 1,400th game when it defeated Nevada, 72-62, in the championship game of the WAC Tournament. All-time, USU is 1,400-993 (.585) in 103 seasons. Marquette's all-time record in basketball is 1,422-876 (.619), which ranks as the 50th most wins in Division I history.

UTAH STATE DURING ITS FOUR GAME WINNING STREAK
Utah State has won four straight games heading into the NCAA Tournament and five of its last six games overall. During its last four games, Utah State is averaging 79.2 points and shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 46.5 percent from three-point range, and 76.9 percent from the free throw line, and out-rebounding its opponents by 7.8 boards per game. Defensively, USU is allowing 69.2 points during its last four games and its opponents are shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from three-point range, and 73.2 percent from the free throw line.

UTAH STATE HAS PLAYED GREAT DEFENSE IN ITS LAST THREE HALVES
Utah State has played perhaps its best defense of the season in its last game and a half as it held New Mexico State to 33.3 percent shooting from the field (10-30) in the second-half of its game and then limited Nevada to 30.6 percent shooting (22-72). During its last three halves, Utah State is allowing its opponents to shoot just 31.4 percent from the field (32-102).

UTAH STATE HAS STARTED VERY FAST IN ITS LAST FOUR GAMES
Utah State has started each of its last four games very fast building double-digit leads in each contest. In its regular season finale against San Jose State, USU made seven of its first eight shots as it built a 27-7 advantage. Against Fresno State in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, Utah State made its first five shots as it built a 16-2 advantage. Versus New Mexico State in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament, USU made its first seven shots as it built a 17-7 lead. And against Nevada in the championship game of the WAC Tournament, USU made six of its first eight shots as it raced out to a 21-4 advantage.

AGGIES HAVE WON 57 STRAIGHT WHEN ALLOWING LESS THAN 60 POINTS
Utah State is 13-0 this year when holding its opponents under 60 points and has won 57 straight games when allowing less than 60 points. On the season, Utah State's opponents are averaging 62.1 points per game which ranks 43rd in the nation.

UTAH STATE WINNING THE CLOSE GAMES
Utah State is 10-2 in its last 12 games decided by two or fewer points, including five straight wins in games decided by a single point. USU is also 5-0 this year in games decided by four or less points and 2-0 in overtime.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State appeared in the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Boise, Idaho and lost to third-seeded Arizona, 66-53, in the first round.

UTAH STATE RANKED FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2004
Utah State's men's basketball team was ranked among the top 25 in the nation for three straight weeks earlier this year and is currently ranked No. 25 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and 32nd in the nation in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll. Utah State's national ranking this year was just its second in the last 31 years as the last time a USU team was ranked was during the 2003-04 season when it was ranked for six straight weeks. Prior to that, USU's last national ranking was during the 1977-78 season when it finished the year ranked 17th in the United Press International poll.

UTAH STATE BY THE NUMBERS
Utah State has four players on its roster who are averaging at least 9.0 points per game, and six players who are averaging at least 18 minutes per game. Utah State has had five different players score at least 20 points in a game this year and nine different players have scored in double-figures.

QUAYLE IS THE FOURTH-BEST REBOUNDING POINT GUARD IN THE NATION
Junior point guard Jared Quayle is averaging 5.9 rebounds per game, which ranks third on the team and 12th in the WAC. He also ranks as the fourth-best rebounding point guard in the nation behind Michigan's Manny Harris (6.9), Belmont's Alex Renfroe (7.0), and St. Bonaventure's Jonathan Hall (6.3).

WILKINSON RANKS 16TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE FOR SCORING IN A SEASON
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson has now scored 583 points during his senior season, which ranks as the 16th-most points scored at USU in a single-season. With Wilkinson scoring 500 points this year, Utah State has now had a player score at least 500 points in each of the last five seasons joining Jaycee Carroll who scored 785 points in 2008 and 746 points in 2007, Nate Harris and Carroll who scored 553 and 521 points, respectively in 2006, and Spencer Nelson who scored 513 points in 2005.

WILKINSON RANKS 29TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN SCORING
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson has scored 1,050 points in his Utah State career to rank 29th all-time in school history. Wilkinson, who is the 33rd player in USU history to score 1,000 career points, is now just one point shy of tying Desmond Penigar (1,051) for 28th-place all-time. Wilkinson is one of just seven two-year players in school history to score 1,000 points joining Shaler Halimon (1967-68) who scored 1,284 points, Troy Collier (1963-64) who scored 1,109 points, Nate Williams (1970-71) who scored 1,080 points, Desmond Penigar (2002-03) who scored 1,051 points, Vince Washington (1984-85) who scored 1,049 points, and Bob Ipsen (1958-59) who scored 1,001 points.

WILKINSON RANKS SIXTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE FOR FREE THROWS MADE IN A SEASON
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson has made 161 free throws this year to ranks sixth all-time in school history. He is now nine made free throws away from tyinig Dan Conway (1987-88) for fifth all-time with 170 made free throws.

Pooh Williams HAS GREAT SECOND HALVES IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES
Sophomore guard Pooh Williams has played extremely well in the second-half of Utah State's last two games against New Mexico State and Nevada in the 2009 WAC Tournament. In the semifinals against NMSU, Williams scored all 13 of his points in the final 20 minutes as he was 4-of-5 from the field, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. In the championship game against UN, he scored all 12 of his points in the second-half as he was 3-of-4 from the field, 1-of-1 from three-point range, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.

Pooh Williams FINISHING THE SEASON STRONG
Sophomore guard Pooh Williams is playing very well at the end of the season and has scored in double-figures three times in his last four games. During his last five games, he is averaging 11.6 points and 3.4 assists, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range, and is a perfect 11-of-11 at the free throw line.

NEWBOLD AND WILKINSON RANK AMONG TOP 10 ALL-TIME IN MINUTES PLAYED
Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold has played 1,100 minutes this season to rank ninth all-time in school history for a single season, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson has played 1,084 minutes to rank 10th all-time.

AGGIE PLAYERS WILL TIE SCHOOL RECORD FOR GAMES PLAYED AND STARTED
Utah State will be playing its 35th game of the season on Friday to tie a school record, while USU's starting five will all play in its 35th game which will also tie a school record. Senior forward Gary Wilkinson, sophomore guard Tyler Newbold and sophomore forward Tai Wesley will also start their 35th game of the season to tie a school record.

UTAH STATE HAS TWO OF THE TOP THREE SHOOTERS IN THE WAC
Utah State has two of the top three shooters in the WAC this year as sophomore forward Tai Wesley is shooting 59.0 percent (151-256) and ranks second in the WAC, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson is shooting 58.6 percent (208-355) and ranks third in the WAC. Wesley's shooting percentage also ranks 14th all-time at USU for a single-season, while Wilkinson's ranks 17th.

WILKINSON RANKS AMONG TOP 10 ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN FG AND FT SHOOTING
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson is shooting 58.5 percent from the field (382-653) during his USU career, which ranks fifth all-time in school history. He is also shooting 82.4 percent from the free throw line (271-329), which ranks eighth all-time in school history.

WESLEY RANKS FOURTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN FIELD GOAL SHOOTING
Sophomore forward Tai Wesley is shooting 61.0 percent from the field (283-464) during his USU career, which ranks fourth all-time behind Nate Harris (2003-06) who shot 64.1 percent, Greg Houskeeper (1988-89) who shot 62.2 percent, and Spencer Nelson (1999, 2003-05) who shot 61.7 percent from the field.

WILKINSON RANKS 19TH ALL-TIME IN THE WAC IN FREE THROW SHOOTING
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson is shooting 82.4 percent from the free throw line (271-329) during his Utah State career, which ranks 19th all-time in the history of the WAC.

WESLEY RANKS EIGHTH ALL-TIME IN BLOCKED SHOTS
In just 68 career games, sophomore forward Tai Wesley already ranks eighth all-time at Utah State with 61 career blocks. Wesley is now just one block shy of tying Spencer Nelson (1999, 03-05) for seventh-place all-time at USU with 62 career blocks.

NEWBOLD RANKS FOURTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN THREE-POINT SHOOTING
Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold is shooting 43.7 percent (93-213) from three-point range during his career, which ranks fourth all-time at Utah State behind Jaycee Carroll (2005-08) who shot 46.5 percent, Justin Jones (1996-98) who shot 44.9 percent, and Kendall Youngblood (1989-92) who shot 44.8 percent.

NEWBOLD RANKS NINTH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN THREE-POINTERS MADE
Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold has made 93 three-pointers in his Utah State career, which ranks ninth all-time in school history. Newbold is now just one made three-pointer away from tying Curtis Bobb (2000-01) for eighth all-time with 94.

NEWBOLD HAS BEST ASSIST-TO-TURNOVER RATIO IN USU HISTORY, RANKS FIRST IN THE NATION
Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.07-to-1.00, which ranks first in the nation. It is also the best assist-to-turnover ratio in school history as Kris Clark set the current single-season record last year at 2.38-to-1.00.

QUAYLE SCORES IN DOUBLE-FIGURES IN 23 OF HIS LAST 27 GAMES
Junior guard Jared Quayle has scored in double-figures in 23 of his last 27 games after beginning the season by scoring in double-figures just once in his first seven games. In his last 27 games, Quayle is averaging 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three-point range, and 75.7 percent from the free throw line. During his first seven games of the season, Quayle averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds, and shot 38.1 percent from the field.

WESLEY SCORES IN DOUBLE-FIGURES IN FIVE OF HIS LAST SIX GAMES
Sophomore forward Tai Wesley has been playing very well as of late and has scored in double-figures five times in his last six games. During his last six games, he is averaging 11.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 72.4 percent from three-point range.

WILKINSON SCORES IN DOUBLE-FIGURES IN EACH OF HIS LAST EIGHT GAMES
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson has scored in double-figures in eight straight games and in 13 of his last 14 games overall. On the season he has scored in double-figures a team-leading 30 times. He has also scored 20-plus points in two of his last six games and in 10 games this year. During his career, he has scored 20 or more points 14 times and USU is 12-2 in those games.

UTAH STATE PLAYING LATE IN MARCH
Utah State has played on March 20 once before, losing to Kansas, 64-61, in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. The game against the Jayhawks is the latest a USU team has ever played a basketball game and that will be matched this Friday against Marquette.

UTAH STATE ON NEUTRAL COURTS
Utah State is 2-1 this season on neutral courts as it lost to Brigham Young, 68-63, on Dec. 6, 2008 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah and defeated Fresno State, 85-68, and New Mexico State, 71-70, in the WAC Tournament. Under head coach Stew Morrill, USU is 32-15 (.681) when it plays on a neutral court.

AGGIES IN MARCH
Utah State is 37-18 (.673) in the month of March under Coach Morrill, which includes a 20-6 (.769) record on neutral courts. Thus far this year, USU is 4-0 in March. USU is also 25-5 (.833) in games played on Friday under Morrill, which includes a 2-0 record this year.

UTAH STATE CLOSING IN ON SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
Utah State is closing in on several single-season team records this year as it currently ranks second in assists (555), second in three-point field goals made (215), third in three-point field goals attempted (540), fifth in free throw shooting (.739), sixth in points scored (2,477), and seventh in three-point shooting (.398).

COACH MORRILL WINNINGEST COACH IN UTAH STATE HISTORY
Stew Morrill (267-90) is the winningest coach in Utah State history and is second all-time in games coached (357) behind E. Lowell Romney (382). Morrill is also the longest tenured coach at Utah State (entering 11th season) since the H. Cecil Baker era (1951-61).

AGGIES THRIVING IN THE CLASSROOM
Along with all of its success on the court, Utah State has also excelled in the classroom this year. During the Fall, 2008 semester, Utah State's men's basketball team had a 3.143 grade-point average, and its cumulative GPA is a 3.029. Overall, Utah State has four players on its current roster who earned academic all-WAC honors last year in Matt Formisano, Tyler Newbold, Modou Niang and Gary Wilkinson.

UTAH STATE IN THE DEE GLEN SMITH SPECTRUM
Utah State is 159-12 (.930) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under head coach Stew Morrill, which includes an 84-8 (.913) record against conference opponents and a 29-3 (.906) record against WAC teams. Overall, USU is 453-105 (.812) in 39 years in the building.

UTAH STATE OWNS NATIONS SECOND-LONGEST HOME WINNING STREAK
Utah State has won 34 straight home games which is the second-longest active winning streak in the nation behind Kansas who has won 41 straight at home. Those 34 straight home wins are also a school record, breaking the previous mark of 31 straight home wins set from the 2000 to 2002 seasons. Overall, USU has gone undefeated at home five times in school history and it is the first time in school history that USU has gone undefeated at home in back-to-back seasons.

AGGIES 14 LEAGUE WINS ARE TIED FOR THIRD-MOST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Utah State's 14 conference wins this year, are its most-ever in the WAC and tied for the third-most in school history. Overall, USU has now won at least 10 conference games in 14 of the last 16 seasons and has averaged 13.0 conference wins during the last 10 seasons.

UTAH STATE FOLLOWING A LOSS
Utah State is 4-0 this year and 52-16 (.765) during the last 10 years following a loss, and has loss back-to-back games just 13 times.

UTAH STATE ON THE ROAD
Utah State is 76-62 (.551) on the road under Coach Morrill, which includes a 55-38 (.591) record against conference opponents and a 17-15 (.531) WAC record. USU is also 136-46 (.747) in conference play under Coach Morrill, which includes a 45-18 (.714) WAC record.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State has averaged 25.1 wins during the last 10 years and has the fourth-best winning percentage in the nation during that time at 76.6 percent (252-77).

UTAH STATE HAS 15TH-LONGEST ACTIVE POSTSEASON STREAK
Utah State has advanced to postseason play in each of the last 10 season as it has played in six NCAA Tournaments and four NIT's. That streak of 10 straight postseasons is tied with Notre Dame for the 15th-longest active streak in the nation. Arizona owns the longest active postseason streak in the nation as it has advanced to 25 straight NCAA Tournaments, while Michigan State has the second-longest streak at 21 with 17 NCAA and 4 NIT appearances. Kansas is third with 20 straight NCAA trips, while Kentucky is fourth with at 18 with 17 NCAA bids and one NIT appearance. Maryland (13-NCAA, 3-NIT), Stanford (13-NCAA, 2-NIT, 1-CBI) and Syracuse (12-NCAA, 4-NIT) are all tied for fifth with 16 straight postseason appearances. Duke ranks eighth with 14 straight NCAA trips, while Oklahoma State is ninth with 13 straight (9-NCAA, 4-NIT), and Creighton (7-NCAA, 5-NIT) and Gonzaga (11-NCAA, 1-NIT) are tied for 10th with 12 straight postseason trips. Florida (9-NCAA, 2-NIT), Texas (11 NCAA) and Wisconsin (11-NCAA) are all tied for 12th with 11 straight postseason bids, followed by USU and Notre Dame (5-NCAA, 5-NIT).

UTAH STATE HAS SECOND-BEST ROAD RECORD IN THE NATION
Utah State's 11-3 road record this year is tied with Butler (11-3) for the second-best in the nation behind Connecticut (9-1) , while its 11 road wins are tied for the most in the nation. USU's 11 road wins this year are also tied with the 1959-60 team (11-3) for the most in school history.

QUAYLE NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior guard Jared Quayle was named the WAC Player of the Week on Monday, Jan. 5 after being named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Duel in the Desert hosted by Utah State as he led the Aggies to the tournament championship with wins against Howard (85-45), Houston Baptist (94-77), and Wyoming (90-85 ot). Against Howard, he posted his first double-double of the year with 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, while adding a season-high seven assists. Against Houston Baptist, he scored 15 points to go along with six rebounds, five assists and two steals. And against Wyoming, he notched his second double-double of the tournament with a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds. For the week, Quayle averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists, while shooting 53.8 percent from the field (21-39), 41.2 percent from three-point range (7-17), and 87.5 percent from the free throw line (7-8).

UTAH STATE TRENDS
Utah State is 23-0 on the season when leading at the half... USU is 25-0 when it shoots better from the field than its opponent... USU is 23-0 when it commits fewer fouls than its opponent... USU is 20-0 when its starting backcourt outscores its opponent's starting backcourt... USU is 15-0 when it has more steals than its opponent... USU is 13-0 when it commits fewer turnovers than its opponent... USU is 10-0 when it blocks more shots than its opponent.

UTAH STATE ALUMNI
• Merlin Olsen, Football, 1961 Outland Trophy Winner, NFL Hall of Fame.
• Wayne Estes, Basketball, First player ever to be named AP All-America before the end of the regular season as he was electrocuted and killed less than two hours after scoring a Nelson Fieldhouse record 48 points against Denver on Feb. 8, 1965.
• Jay Don Blake, Golf, 1980 NCAA Individual Champion, former member of the PGA Tour.
• Cornell Green, Basketball, Two-time All-American and school's career rebound leader, who went on to an NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys where he was named to the Pro Bowl seven times.

UTAH STATE AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
Over the last 10 years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, recording a 252-77 (.766) record. Those 252 wins are the fifth-most in the country, while the 76.6 percent winning percentage is fourth-best behind Duke (.830), Kansas (.802), and Gonzaga (801). USU has also been among the top teams in the country in field goal and free throw shooting as it led the nation in both categories during the 2007-08 season, and is leading the nation in field goal shooting again this year.

UTAH STATE ONE OF THE TOP WAC TEAMS DURING THE LAST FOUR YEARS
Since joining the Western Athletic Conference prior to the 2005-06 season, Utah State has established itself as one of the most consistent teams in the league as it has posted a 46-18 (.719) WAC record during the last four seasons to rank second in the conference behind Nevada (50-14). During the 2008-09 season, Utah State won its second straight WAC regular season championship as it posted a 14-2 record. USU has also fared well in the WAC Tournament as it won its first WAC Tournament championship and now has an overall postseason WAC record of 8-3.

VERSUS THE WAC
Utah State is 196-102 (.658) all-time against current members of the WAC and the Aggies have a winning record against every team in the league. In 2006, USU finished in a tie for second-place with an 11-5 league record and advanced to the conference's championship game. In 2007, USU finished in fourth-place with a 9-7 mark and advanced to the WAC Tournament championship game for the second straight year. In 2008, Utah State won a share of its first-ever WAC regular season championship as it went 12-4 during the year, and in 2009 Utah State won the regular season championship with a 14-2 record and also won the league's tournament championship.

Stew Morrill VERSUS THE WAC
Stew Morrill is 108-75 (.590) all-time in WAC games, which includes a 46-18 (.719) record at Utah State and a 62-57 (.521) record at Colorado State. Morrill is 111-67 (.624) all-time against current members of the WAC, which includes a 82-29 (.739) record at USU.

HOW THE AGGIES GOT TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Utah State earned the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as it defeated Fresno State (85-68), New Mexico State (71-70), and Nevada (72-62) to win the WAC Tournament. USU also won the league's regular season crown as it went 14-2 finishing three games ahead of second-place Nevada who went 11-5.

AGGIES AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Utah State is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in three years, but its sixth in the last 10 years under head coach Stew Morrill, and its seventh in the last 12 years. It is the 18th time in school history that USU has qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies are 6-19 all-time at the NCAA Tournament and broke a nine-game losing streak in 2001 when it defeated Ohio State, 77-68, in overtime in the first round. In its last game in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, USU lost to fifth-seeded Washington, 75-61, in the first round. Utah State played in the first NCAA Tournament in 1939 and lost to Oklahoma, 50-39. Utah State has played in the NCAA Tournament nine times since seedings started in 1980 and the Aggies were listed as the 11th seed in the west in 1980, 10th in the midwest in 1983, 10th in the midwest in 1988, 12th in the west in 1998, 12th in the south in 2000, 12th in the east in 2001, 15th in the west in 2003, 14th in the Chicago Region in 2005, 12th in the Washington, D.C. Region in 2006, and 11th in the west in 2009.

UTAH STATE WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EIGHT
Utah State was one of eight schools that participated in the first NCAA Tournament in 1939. The other teams were Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Villanova, Brown, Wake Forest and Ohio State. Of those eight teams, Utah State, Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Villanova and Wake Forest are in this year's field.

LOOKING BACK AT USU'S LAST NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME
Behind 28 points by Brandon Roy, fifth-seeded Washington defeated Utah State, 75-61, in the first round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. Jamaal Williams added 15 points and Justin Dentmon and Bobby Jones had 11 each for the Huskies, who tied a season-high with 12 3-pointers including nine in the second half. Jaycee Carroll scored 21 points and Nate Harris had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Utah State, which had 22 turnovers. Washington built its largest lead of 16 points midway through the second half after a spurt in which Roy scored seven points and Jones six. Then the Aggies ran off nine unanswered points capped by Chaz Spicer's steal and fast-break layin to get to 53-46. That was as close as Utah State got over the final 7 1/2 minutes, when the Huskies reeled off four 3-pointers, including two by Roy. Both teams shot horrendously to open the game, with each taking nearly five minutes to score their first basket. Utah State missed its first six shots before eaking out a 5-4 lead. The Huskies finally got it going on a 3-pointer by Dentmon. That keyed a 13-2 run, including six by Williams and four by Roy, that resulted in a 17-7 lead. The Aggies, whose 14 turnovers led to 17 points by the Huskies, closed to six with a 9-2 spurt before Washington outscored them 10-4 to end the half ahead 29-20.

LOOKING BACK AT USU'S LAST NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME IN BOISE
Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire each scored 17 points to lead third-seeded Arizona to a 66-53 win against 14th-seeded Utah State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Boise, Idaho. Utah State was led by Jaycee Carroll who had a game-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, while Nate Harris had 12 points. Arizona overcame a sluggish start and a three-point half-time deficit by starting the second half with a 16-2 run to turn a 29-26 Utah State lead into a 42-31 Wildcat advantage early in the second half. Frye, who scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half, began the 16-2 run with a three-point play. He tied it at 29 with a jump-hook and Stoudamire hit a three-pointer from the left wing to put Arizona ahead. Hassan Adams and Chris Rodgers also scored in double-figures for Arizona with 10 points each. The Wildcats tightened their defense to start the second half and frazzled the Aggies, who had just one field goal in the first 7:34 of the second half. Carroll ended Utah State's scoring drought with back-to-back three-pointers and Spencer Nelson added two free throws to make it 42-39, but the Wildcats took off again with eight straight points, a run Rodgers started with a three-pointer. Arizona was in control the rest of the way and added some emphasis with an alley-oop from Mustafa Shakur to Adams to make it 56-43 - one of Shakur's seven assists. Utah State led 29-26 at halftime as it shot 48.0 percent from the field and held Arizona to 40.7 percent shooting. The Wildcats, however, held USU to just 26.7 percent in the second half, while converting on 54.5 percent of its shots after the half.

RECAPPING THE 2009 WAC TOURNAMENT
Championship Game Versus Nevada
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson scored a game-high 21 points, including 13 in the second-half to lead top-seeded Utah State to a convincing 72-62 win against second-seeded and host Nevada in the WAC Tournament championship game Saturday night. With the victory, Utah State secured its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and its sixth in the last 10 years under head coach Stew Morrill. Those 18 tournament appearances are the most by any school in the Western Athletic Conference. Wilkinson, the league's Player of the Year, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player as Utah State won its first WAC postseason crown in its third title game in its four years in the league. USU also improved to 30-4 on the season with the victory, while Nevada fell to 21-12 with the loss. Joining Wilkinson on the all-tournament team was junior guard Jared Quayle and sophomore forward Tai Wesley as the duo each posted double-doubles in the championship game as Quayle had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Wesley finished with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 boards. Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson were also named all-tournament. As it did in each of its first two games in the WAC Tournament, Utah State dominated the early stage of the game and built a quick 21-4 advantage as Nevada missed its first 10 shots, while the Aggies made six of its first eight attempts. The Wolf Pack did battle back to within four points at 25-21 late in the first-half and went into the locker room down five at 28-23. In the first-half, Utah State limited Nevada to just 21.1 percent shooting on 8-of-38 attempts, but the Wolf Pack had 12 offensive rebounds and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line to keep the game close. USU shot 43.3 percent (13-30) in the first-half. Nevada got back within four early in the second-half following a dunk from Johnson to make the score 29-25, but USU responded with a 13-4 run over the next five-plus minutes to give the Aggies a double-digit lead it would not surrender for the remainder of the game. Utah State continued to pour it on and took its biggest lead of the game at 54-35 with 7:39 to play on a layup by Wesley. The Wolf Pack did end the game on a 15-7 run during the final 2:07 of the game to make the final score much closer than it actually was. Utah State, who entered the game as the nation's top shooting team at 49.9 percent, finished the game by shooting an even 50 percent (25-50), including 36.4 percent from three-point range (4-11), and 69.2 percent from the free throw line (18-26). Nevada shot a season-low 30.6 percent overall (22-72), including 42.1 percent from behind the arc (8-19), and was a perfect 10-of-10 at the charity stripe. Utah State also limited the Wolf Pack to just four offensive rebounds in the second-half and the Aggies finished the game by out-rebounding Nevada, 44-34.

Semifinal Game Versus New Mexico State
Sophomore guard Tyler Newbold hit a 12-foot baseline jumper with 3.1 seconds remaining to complete Utah State's improbable comeback from a 13-point halftime deficit to upend New Mexico State, 71-70, in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament. Trailing 70-69 with eight seconds to play, sophomore guard Pooh Williams inbounded the ball to sophomore forward Tai Wesley who drove to the basket and passed it to a wide-open Newbold whose shot hit the rim and the backboard before dropping in with just over three seconds remaining. NMSU's Jahmar Young's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer didn't even hit the rim to preserve the comeback win for USU. Senior forward and WAC Player of the Year Gary Wilkinson scored a game-high 19 points for Utah State, while Wesley had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Williams also scored in double-figures for USU as he had all 13 of his points after the first 20 minutes. Jonathan Gibson scored 16 points to lead New Mexico State, but had just two in the second-half as he was 5-of-7 from the field in the first 20 minutes and 1-of-6 in the second 20 minutes. Jahmar Young added 15 points and Troy Gillenwater scored 12. Utah State began the game much like it did in the quarterfinals as it made its first seven shots and scored on its first eight possessions to build a quick 17-7 advantage. USU maintained its advantage and led 23-14 following a jumper from sophomore forward Matt Formisano with 10:25 play. That, however, is when NSMU caught fire from three-point range and made eight straight three-pointers and out-scored USU 33-11 over the final 9:16 of the first-half to take a 47-34 lead into the break. In the first-half, New Mexico State shot a blistering 60.7 percent from the field (17-28) and 72.7 percent from the three-point range (8-11). USU shot 44.8 percent (13-29), including 33.3 percent from behind the arc (3-9) as Wesley had nine points at the break and Wilkinson eight. Utah State charged out of the locker room in the second-half as it used a 13-3 run to cut the lead to three at 50-47 with 15:17 to play. NMSU, however, kept USU at bay for much of the half as its lead fluctuated back and forth from eight to two points over the next 10 minutes. Utah State closed to within two points at 61-59 on a layup from Formisano, but New Mexico State answered with a 7-1 run that Young capped with a three-pointer to give the fifth-seed a 68-60 lead with 5:17 to play. USU then clamped down on defensive and allowed just one basket during the final 5:17 as it finished the game on an 11-2 run to notch the win. During that stretch, NMSU was 1-of-6 from the field, including 0-of-1 from the free throw line as Hernst Laroche missed the front-end of a one-and-one with 32 seconds to play. Following the missed free throw, NMSU's Gibson grabbed the offensive rebound, but Newbold tied him up and the possession arrow gave the ball to USU for the final shot. Utah State finished the game by shooting 46.3 percent from the field (25-54), 31.3 percent from three-point range (5-16), and 84.2 percent from the free throw line (16-19). New Mexico State shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the second-half (10-30), including just 1-of-8 (.125) from behind the arc and finished the game by shooting 46.6 percent overall (27-58) and 47.4 percent from three (9-19). USU also out-rebounded NMSU, 35-29.

Quarterfinal Game Versus Fresno State
Junior reserve guard Stavon Williams scored a career-high 22 points and Utah State made a season-high 13 three-pointers to run past Fresno State, 85-68, in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Western Athletic Conference Tournament. Junior guard Jared Quayle added 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals, while senior forward Gary Wilkinson also scored 18 points for Utah State and became the 33rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points on a pair of free throws early in the second-half. Freshman Paul George had 16 points and five steals to pace Fresno State, while senior Dwight O'Neil had 14 points. Utah State scored the first five points of the game and made its first five shots to build a quick 16-2 advantage. Fresno State then scored six straight points to get within eight, but USU quickly answered with an 11-4 run to lead 27-12 midway through the first-half. USU maintained its double-digit lead for the rest of the half and took a 45-31 lead into the locker room. In the first-half, Utah State made eight of its first 10 three-pointers and finished the half 9-of-13 from behind the arc as Williams was 3-of-4, Quayle was 3-of-6 and sophomore guard Tyler Newbold was 2-of-2. Quayle had a team-high 11 points at the break, while Williams had nine. Utah State maintained its double-digit lead for the first 10 minutes of the second-half before Fresno State finally cut it to nine at 57-48 with 10:24 to play on a pair of free throws from Mychal Ladd. The Aggies then went on a 14-4 run over the next four-plus minutes to take its biggest lead of the game at 71-52 with 6:57 to play on a layup from Wilkinson. Fresno State did make one last run at the top-seed and got within 73-61 with 4:23 to play but Utah State scored eight of the next 11 points to put the game away. Overall, Utah State finished the contest by shooting 53.1 percent from the field (26-49), including 61.9 percent from three-point range (13-21) and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (20-25). Those 13 made three-pointers are tied for the second-most in a single-game in school history. USU also dominated the glass and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 35-22. Fresno State shot 46.3 percent overall (25-54), 36.4 percent from three-point range (8-22), and 58.8 percent from the free throw line (10-17).

WAC TOURNAMENT NOTE-ABLES
Utah State played in its third WAC Tournament championship game in its four years in the league, winning the tournament championship for the first time. In each of its three championship game appearances, USU has played the host school on its home court... Utah State has played in the championship game of its conference tournament eight times in the last 10 years... Utah State is now 8-3 (.727) in the WAC Tournament and 21-6 (.778) in conference tournaments under head coach Stew Morrill.

UTAH STATE'S PROBABLE STARTERS
F #42 Tai Wesley (6-7, 240, So., Provo, Utah) - Has started all 34 games for Utah State this year and 58 games in his career... Named second-team All-District 6 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches... Named to the WAC's all-tournament team after averaging 10.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game... Has scored in double-figures 25 times this year and 43 times in his career... Also has two 20-point games this year and five in his career, and four double-doubles this year and six in his career... Has scored in double-figures in five of his last six games... Ranks fourth on the team in minutes played (28.9)... Leads the team in field goal shooting (.590) and blocks (28), and is second in steals (40)... Has made 19 of his last 25 free throws (.760).

F #55 Gary Wilkinson (6-9, 240, Sr., South Jordan, Utah) - Named the 2009 WAC Player of the Year and the WAC Tournament Most Valuable Player as he averaged 19.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, and shot 54.1 percent from the field and 78.3 percent from the free throw line... Earned first-team All-District 6 honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and All-District VIII honors by the United States Basketball Writers Assocation... Has started all 69 games in his Utah State career... Has scored in double-figures 30 times this year to lead the team and 58 times in his career... Also has scored 20-plus points 10 times this season and 14 times in his career... Had six double-doubles this year and 13 in his career... Has led the team in scoring 18 times this year and has been the team's top rebounder 14 times... Has scored in double-figures in seven straight games and in 12 of his last 13 overall... Leads the team in scoring (17.1) and rebounding (6.9)... Ranks second on the team in minutes played (31.9), free throw shooting (.830) and field goal shooting (.586).

G #5 Pooh Williams (6-3, 200, So., Federal Way, Wash.) - Has started 30 games this year, including 28 straight... Has scored in double-figures seven times this year and eight times in his career... In WAC only games, he shot 49.4 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point range, and 78.6 percent from the free throw line... Ranks fifth on the team in minutes played (24.4)... Has made 11 straight free throws... Has scored in double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career as he has 13 and 12 points in his last two games.

G #21 Jared Quayle (6-1, 180, Jr., Perry, Utah) - Earned second-team all-WAC honors and was named to the league's all-newcomer team... Named to the WAC's all-tournament team after averaging 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, and shooting 40.6 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range, and 72.7 percent from the free throw line... Named second-team All-District 6 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches... Has started 32 games in his first year at Utah State, including 28 straight at the point... Has scored in double-figures in eight of his last 10 games overall... Has led the team in assists 13 times this year, in scoring seven times, and in rebounding seven times... Ranks first on the team in assists (127) and steals (49), and is third in minutes played (30.1).

G #24 Tyler Newbold (6-4, 200, So., Payson, Utah) - Has started every game this year and 59 straight games overall... Has scored in double-figures 14 times this year and 20 times in his career... Also has two career 20-point games... Ranks first on the team in minutes played (32.4) and is second in assists (110)... Also leads the team in three-pointers made (59) and attempted (147)... Ranks first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.07)... Had 11 assists and two turnovers in the WAC Tournament and has 34 assists and just six turnovers in his last eight games.

OFF THE BENCH
G #14 Stavon Williams (6-3, 180, Jr., Minneapolis, Minn.) - Is Utah State's top three-point shooter at 43.8 percent and the team's top free throw shooter at 84.0 percent... Ranks third on the team in three-pointers made (46) and attempted (105)... Scored a career-high 22 points agaisnt Fresno State in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament as he was 8-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from thre-point range... Those six made treys are the most by any USU player this year... Averages 18.4 minutes per game.

F #22 Brady Jardine (6-7, 220, Fr., Twin Falls, Idaho) - Planned on redshirting this season and didn't play in Utah State's first 11 games of the year... Ranks third on the team with 11 blocked shots.

G #25 Jaxon Myaer (5-9, 165, R-Fr., Salt Lake City, Utah) - Started the first six games of the year at the point... Had scored in 14 straight games prior to the WAC Championship game against Nevada... Has made four straight free throws.

F #44 Matt Formisano (6-8, 235, So., Centennial, Colo.) - Averaging 13.0 minutes per game off the bench.

WILKINSON NAMED A FINALIST FOR LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Gary Wilkinson has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2008-09 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year. Wilkinson is the only played from the state of Utah and the only player from the WAC to be selected for this award. The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the `Four C's' of classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings. Now in its eighth year for basketball, the award has developed into the nation's premier tribute for college seniors. From the list of 30 nominees, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in February 2009. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. In addition to voting by Division I head basketball coaches and national media, college basketball fans will also be able to submit ballots by text voting or on-line at www.seniorclassaward.com. Previous winners of the men's award include Juan Dixon of Maryland (2002), David West of Xavier (2003), Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph's (2004), Wayne Simien of Kansas (2005), J.J. Reddick of Duke (2006), Alando Tucker of Wisconsin (2007), and Shan Foster of Vanderbilt (2008).

WILKINSON NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST
Gary Wilkinson is named to the early season watch list for the 2008-09 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. The Naismith Trophy watch list, which consists of 50 players, was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selector's, which based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2008-09 season. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball's player of the year. For the sixth consecutive season, presenting sponsor AT&T will once again set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year's winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25% of the final results - more than any other national college basketball award. At the beginning of February, CBS' "AT&T at the Half" will feature a weekly Naismith Trophy update highlighting the players in contention. Wilkinson is the only player from the Western Athletic Conference selected for this award and one of just two players from the state of Utah joining BYU's Lee Cummard. In February, the Naismith Trophy voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, will narrow its early season list to the Top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

WILKINSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Gary Wilkinson has been named a preseason high-major All-American by CollegeHoops.net it was announced on Oct. 23. Wilkinson, who was named to the honorable-mention team, is one of 33 players recognized. Wilkinson is one of just two players from the Western Athletic Conference to be named preseason All-American by CollegeHoops.net along with Nevada's Armon Johnson. Wilkinson is also one of four players from the state of Utah to be honored joining BYU's Lee Cummard and Jonathan Tavernari, and Utah's Luke Nevill. Wilkinson, who was named the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year by the media this fall, earned second-team all-conference honors as a junior and was also named to the WAC's all-newcomer team as he averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Gary Wilkinson NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK THREE TIMES THIS YEAR
Senior forward Gary Wilkinson has been named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week three times during the season with the last occurring on Feb. 9 after leading USU to a pair of home wins against New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech. Wilkinson's first POW was on Nov. 17 after scoring a career-high 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in USU's 71-50 home win against Montana State-Northern. His second honor came on Dec. 1 as he led Utah State to a 75-49 win against Weber State and a 97-57 win against Cal Poly. Against the Wildcats, Wilkinson scored a game-high 18 points and added six rebounds as he was 6-of-8 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Against the Mustangs, he had game-highs with 21 points and nine rebounds in just 21 minutes as he was 6-of-8 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. He also had career-highs with four assists and two steals against Cal Poly. His third POW honor came after a pair of wins against New Mexico State (78-59) and Louisiana Tech (60-52), as he recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds against NMSU and had 16 points and five rebounds against LTU.

UTAH STATE PLAYER NOTES
#4 Clint Lee - Has played in nine games this year... Scored two points against Hawai'i... Had two rebounds, one point and one assist against Cal Poly.

#5 Pooh Williams - Scored a career-high 17 points against San Jose State and tied his career-high with six assists against the Spartans... Had a career-high six rebounds at Louisiana Tech... Averaging 6.0 points and 1.9 rebounds, while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range... Played a career-high 37 minutes against Wyoming... Averaging 11.6 points and 3.4 assists during his last five games, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range.

#12 Deremy Geiger - Scored a season-high 14 points against UC Irvine and added a season-high three rebounds... Tied his season-high with four assists against Howard... Averaging 2.1 points and is shooting 44.8 percent from the field... Has scored three points in his last five games... Has played just twice in USU's last 15 games.

#14 Stavon Williams - Scored a season-high 22 points against Fresno State in the WAC Tournament... Tied his season-high with four assists at San Jose State... Averaging 6.2 points and is shooting 43.0 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from three-point range, and 84.0 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 8.0 points during his last five games and is shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from three-point range... Ranks fourth in the WAC in three-point shooting.

#15 Modou Niang - Has missed the last 23 games due to injury... Recorded career-highs with eight points and six rebounds against Cal Poly... Had a season-high two blocked shots against Montana State-Northern... Averaging 2.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game, and is shooting 66.7 percent.

#21 Jared Quayle - Recorded his third double-double of the season against Nevada in the championship game of the WAC Tournament with 15 points and 10 rebounds... Scored a career-high 24 points against Wyoming and added 10 rebounds... His first double-double was against Howard as he had 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds... Tied his season-high with eight assists against Hawai'i... Averaging 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and is shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three-point range, and 76.4 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists during his last five games... Ranks third in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.05), sixth in steals (1.44), sixth in assists, seventh in free throw shooting, 11th in scoring and 12th in rebounding... Was named the WAC Player of the Week on Jan. 5.

#22 Brady Jardine - Scored a season-high seven points against Cal State Bakersfield.... Had a season-high 10 rebounds at Hawai'i... Had a season-high three blocks against Hawai'i... Averaging 1.9 points and 3.0 rebounds... During his last five games, he is averaging 1.0 points and 2.8 rebounds.

#24 Tyler Newbold - Scored a career-high 21 points against UC Irvine... Tied his career-high with nine rebounds against Hawai'i and a career-high eight assists at New Mexico State... Has started 59 straight games... Averaging 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists, while shooting 43.6 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from three-point range, and 76.2 percent from the free throw line... Has scored in double-figures 20 times in his career and has two 20-point games... Averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 assists during his last five games... Ranks first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.07) and ninth in the WAC in assists.

#25 Jaxon Myaer - Averaging 3.6 points and 1.1 assists, while shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from three-point range, and 76.5 percent from the free throw line.... Scored a season-high 13 points against Weber State and had 11 points at UC Santa Barbara... Dished out a season-high five assists against UC Irvine and Montana State-Northern... Averaging 3.4 points during his last five games.

#42 Tai Wesley - Recorded his fourth double-double of the season at Nevada in the championship game of the WAC Tournament with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds... Scored a season-high 26 points against Boise State.... Also had a career-high five steals against the Broncos... Has started 58 games in his career... Averaging 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, while shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 68.2 percent from the free throw line... Had a career-high nine assists against Weber State... Ranks second in the WAC in field goal shooting and 11th in rebounding... Averaging 10.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists during his last five games.

#44 Matt Formisano - Tied his season-high with six rebounds at Boise State... Scored a career-high 10 points against Houston Baptist... Had a career-high six rebounds against Cal Poly and Utah Valley... Scored the game-winning basket with three seconds to play at UC Santa Barbara... Averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds, while shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds during his last five games.

#55 Gary Wilkinson - Scored a career-high 33 points at Fresno State... Recorded his 13th career double-double against Idaho with 18 points and 10 rebounds... Averaging 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, while shooting 58.6 percent from the field and 83.0 percent from the free throw line... Had a career-high 14 rebounds at New Mexico State... Has scored in double-figures in 58 games in his career and has 14 career 20-point games... Ranks second in the WAC in scoring and free throw shooting, third in field goal shooting, and sixth in rebounding... Has started all 69 games in his Utah State career... Averaging 17.4 points and 4.0 rebounds during his last five games, while shooting 56.6 percent.

HEAD COACH Stew Morrill
In 23 seasons as a collegiate head coach and 11 years at Utah State, Stew Morrill has taken the Aggie Basketball program to unprecedented heights leading it to an incredible 267-90 (.748) record, including a 138-46 (.750) conference mark in the Big West and WAC. Morrill became the winningest coach in school history on Jan. 17, 2008 in the Aggies' 82-78 win against Boise State, passing E. Lowell Romney (1920-41) who won 225 games in 22 seasons. In his first 11 years at USU, Morrill has guided the Aggies to 10 straight 23-win seasons and 10 straight postseason appearances (NCAA-6, NIT-4), both of which are school records. Morrill has also led Utah State to the fourth-best winning percentage in the nation during the last 10 years at 76.6 percent with an overall record of 252-77. Against conference opponents, Utah State has a 159-52 record with five regular season league championships and five tournament titles during that time, including appearances in its league's tournament championship game eight times in the last 10 years. Under Morrill, Utah State has notched nine of the top 11 seasons in school history during the last 10 years as the Aggies set a school record with 28 wins during the 2000 season, tied that record with 28 wins during the 2001 season and has 30 wins this year to set a new school record. During the 2008-09 season, Morrill guided Utah State to its second straight Western Athletic Conference regular season championship. The 2007-08 Aggie basketball team set a school record by shooting 79.2 percent from the free throw line, which led the nation. USU also led the nation in field goal shooting at 51.4 percent in 2008 and became just the fourth team in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in both field goal and free throw shooting in the same year. For the 10th straight year, USU had at least one player earn first-team all-league accolades as Gary Wilkinson was named the WAC Player of the Year in 2009, while Jaycee Carroll was named the league's MVP in 2008. Overall, Morrill has coached 11 first-team all-league players at Utah State who have won the award a total of 16 times. Morrill has also taken full advantage of the home court at USU, the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. In Morrill's 11 years, USU is an amazing 159-12 (.930) at home, which includes an 84-8 (.913) record in league play. As for Morrill, he has won 20 or more games on 14 different occasions during his career, and he has won at least 17 games 20 times. Overall, Morrill ranks 23rd in the nation among active coaches and 96th all-time with his 485 career wins, while his career winning percentage of 68.0 percent ranks 28th among active coaches and 100th all-time. He is also one of 27 active coaches with 400 career wins at the Division I level and one of just 13 active coaches to notch at least 14 20-win seasons. His current streak of 10 straight 20-win seasons ranks ninth among active coaches and is tied for the 13th-longest streak ever at the Division I level. Morrill has also been named Coach of the Year (2000 BWC, 2002 BWC, 2009 WAC) three times in his 11 years at USU, along with winning the Big Sky award while the head coach at Montana in 1991. His overall coaching record is 485-228 (.680).

• Head coach Stew Morrill (267-90) is the winningest coach in school history and is second all-time in games coached (357) behind the legendary E. Lowell Romney (382). Morrill is also the longest tenured coach at Utah State (entering 11th season) since the H. Cecil Baker era (1951-61).

• In his 11th season with the Aggies, Morrill has a 267-90 (.748) overall record, a 138-46 (.750) conference record and a 21-6 (.778) record in conference postseason play. Overall, Morrill owns a 485-228 (.680) record in 23 years as a collegiate head coach.

• Among active coaches at the Division I level, Morrill ranks 22nd in the nation with his 485 career wins and 27th in winning percentage at 68.0 percent.

• Morrill is one of just 33 active coaches with 400 career wins at the Division I level and one of just 13 active coaches to notch 14 20-win seasons, while his current streak of 10 straight 20-win seasons is tied for the eighth-longest in the nation.

• Morrill has been named conference coach of the year four times during his career, winning the award in 1991 while at Montana, and in 2000, 2002 and 2009 while at Utah State.

• Morrill has coached 11 first-team all-league players who have won the award a total of 16 times. Those players are Shawn Daniels (twice), Troy Rolle, Bernard Rock, Tony Brown, Desmond Penigar (twice), Mark Brown, Cardell Butler, Nate Harris (three times), Spencer Nelson, Jaycee Carroll (twice) and Gary Wilkinson.

• Utah State is 159-12 (.930) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Morrill.

• Morrill has led Utah State to 10 straight 20-win seasons and 10 straight postseason appearances, both of which are school records.

• Morrill led Utah State to its first NCAA Tournament win in 31 years when USU defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State 77-68 in overtime during the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

• Morrill has been involved in postseason action 13 times in his career, including the NCAA Tournament at Utah State in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2009, and the National Invitation Tournament in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008.