Dec. 27, 2007

LOGAN, Utah -

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME 15
Utah State (9-5) vs. Oral Roberts (7-4)
Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007 • 7:05 p.m. (MT) • Logan, Utah
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10.270) • Aggie Radio Network

GAME DAY HEADLINES
• Utah State is in its 103rd season of basketball and has an overall record of 1,355-983 (.580). USU has not had a losing season since the 1992-93 campaign, a span of 14 years, when that team finished with a 10-17 record.

• Utah State has averaged 24.8 wins during the last eight years and is one of just four teams in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of those seasons along with Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse. USU also ranks sixth in the country with a 75.5 (207-67) winning percentage during the last nine years.

• Utah State has won seven straight home games and is the only team in the Western Athletic Conference that has not lost at home this year. Overall, USU has won 22 of its last 23 games in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

• Utah State has won 51 straight regular season non-conference home games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation behind Duke who has won 56 straight. When including postseason play, USU has won 27 straight home games against non-conference opponents and 51 of its last 53 overall. The last time Utah State lost a non-conference home game during the regular season was on Jan. 8, 2000 against BYU, 82-73.

• Utah State is 132-12 (.917) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Coach Morrill, which includes a 64-4 (.941) record against non-league opponents. Overall, USU is 426-105 (.802) in 37 years in the building.

• Utah State is 51-16 (.761) in the month of December under Coach Morrill and has won 45 straight home games during the month. The last time USU lost a home game in December was on Dec. 5, 1999 to Colorado State, 64-61.

• Utah State is 88-33 (.727) in games played on Saturday under Coach Morrill, including a 4-2 record this year. USU is also 17-7 (.708) in known games played on December 29.

• Senior guard Jaycee Carroll is currently leading the WAC with 21.8 points per game. He also ranks first in the WAC in free throw shooting (94.5) and three-point shooting (51.6). Nationally, Carroll is second in free throw shooting, 11th in three-point shooting and tied for 18th in scoring.

UP NEXT
Utah State (9-5) will continue its season-long five-game homestand as it hosts the defending Summit League Champions in Oral Roberts (7-4) on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 7:05 p.m., in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

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.

ON THE INTERNET
All of Utah State's home games are available for fans to listen and watch live via the internet at www.UtahStateAggies.com. Aggie fans will also be able to follow Utah State home games through its web site via GameTracker, a program that documents each play and updates statistics. Fans can also listen to every road game live via USU's web site.

LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
Utah State is 9-5 on the season and has won four straight games after notching a 78-62 home win against Northern Arizona Friday night. USU is led by senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll who is averaging 21.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 51.6 percent from three-point range and 94.5 percent from the free throw line, while junior forward Gary Wilkinson is averaging 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds and shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 85.1 percent from the free throw line. Senior forward Stephen DuCharme is also scoring in double-figures for USU as he is averaging 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds and shooting 61.2 percent from the field and 72.5 percent from the free throw line. As a team, Utah State is averaging 69.9 points and shooting 48.6 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three-point range and 79.8 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents are averaging 66.1 points and shooting 44.5 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 70.5 percent from the free throw line. Overall, USU is in the midst of playing eight of nine games at home during December and January.

UTAH STATE DURING ITS FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK
During its current four-game winning streak, Utah State is averaging 82.5 points and shooting 53.3 percent from the field, 43.5 percent from thee-point range and 89.2 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents are averaging 61.0 points and shooting 40.1 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 65.1 percent from the free throw line.

CARROLL NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jaycee Carroll has been named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week it was announced by the league office on Monday. It is the first time this year and fourth time in his career Carroll has been named WAC Player of the Week. Carroll is the second Aggie this year to be honored by the league as senior forward Stephen DuCharme was named WAC Player of the Week on Nov. 26. Overall, it is the sixth time that a Utah State player has received the weekly honor from the league office in the past three years. Carroll, a 6-2 All-American guard from Evanston, Wyo., (Evanston HS) was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2007 Gossner Classic as he led Utah State to the tournament championship with an 87-65 win against Utah Valley and a 78-62 win against Northern Arizona. Against Utah Valley, Carroll scored a season-high 32 points to go along with six rebounds, as he was 11-of-16 from the field, 6-of-9 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. He also moved over the 2,000-point plateau and into second-place on USU's all-time scoring list against the Wolverines. Twenty-four hours later, Carroll scored a season-high 33 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals against Northern Arizona, as he was 12-of-15 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Carroll, who set a new tournament record with 65 points, averaged 32.5 points and 5.5 rebounds during the two-day event, while shooting an unbelievable 74.2 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from three-point range. He was also a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. On the season, Carroll is averaging 21.8 points and 5.9 rebounds and is shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 51.6 percent from three-point range and 94.5 percent from the free throw line. Thus far this year, he has scored in double-figures in all 14 Utah State games, and has nine 20-point games and three 30-point games. Overall, he ranks first in the WAC in scoring, first in free throw shooting and first in three-point shooting, is seventh in overall shooting and 10th in rebounding.

CARROLL NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK BY ESPN'S DICK VITALE
Two days after earning WAC Player of the Week honors, Jaycee Carroll received more recognition as he was named the National Player of the Week by ESPN's Dick Vitale. It is the second time in as many years that Carroll has been named National Player of the Week by Vitale, as he also received the honor following a career-high 44 point performance against New Mexico State on Feb. 5, 2007, when he was 12-of-16 from the field, 5-of-7 from three-point range and 15-of-15 from the free throw line.

LOOKING AHEAD
Following its game against Oral Roberts, Utah State will begin WAC play as it hosts Hawai'i (3-6) on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7:05 p.m., in a game televised regionally by KJZZ-TV.

RECAPPING THE NORTHERN ARIZONA GAME
Utah State maintained its unbeaten record in the Gossner Classic with a hard-fought 78-62 win against Northern Arizona in the championship game Friday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum as the Aggies improved to 26-0 in the Gossner Classic. Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll netted a season-high 33 points for his first career back-to-back 30-point games after netting 32 against Utah Valley the previous night. It was Carroll's seventh career 30-point game. Carroll, a native of Evanston, Wyo., also set a new Gossner Classic scoring record as he posted 65 points for the tournament, topping the previous mark of 55 by Jamie Anderson of Buffalo in 1995. For his performance, Carroll was named the Gossner Classic MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Tai Wesley and Gary Wilkinson. Northern Arizona's Kyle Landry, Utah Valley's Ryan Toolson and Furman's Noah States round out the award list. Senior guard Kris Clark also established a new Classic record for assists, dishing out eight Friday to give him 18 for the two games after dropping a career-high 10 dimes Thursday. The previous record was 15 held by two different players. The Aggies won their fourth in a row overall and sixth in the last seven games in improving to 9-5. The Lumberjacks had their five-game winning streak axed and are now 8-5 on the year. By keeping the Lumberjacks under 70, the Aggies improved to 8-0 when keeping the opposition below that mark. Wilkinson (South Jordan, Utah) tallied 14 points while Wesley (Provo, Utah) netted 11 points and snared a team-high seven rebounds. Wilkinson and Wesley also tied their career-high in blocks with three and two, respectively, as USU had a season-high seven swats. Northern Arizona was led by Landry's 20 points and a game-high eight rebounds. The Aggies and Lumberjacks tied in the rebounding category with 29 apiece. USU shot a whopping 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from the field, and were also 4-of-11 (36.4 percent) from three-point range. At the free throw line, Utah State was 18-of-20 (90.0 percent). The Aggie defense limited the Lumberjacks to 39.7 percent (23-of-58) field goal shooting and forced 14 NAU turnovers. Northern Arizona was also 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) in three-point shooting and were 12-of-16 (75.0 percent) at the charity stripe. The Lumberjacks took an early 7-2 lead before the Aggies bounced back to take the lead for good at 12-10 on a baseline jumper from junior guard DeUndrae Spraggins (East St. Louis, Ill.) at the 14:50 mark. A Carroll trey with 3:17 left in the first half gave USU its first double-digit lead of the night at 36-26 before NAU chopped the deficit in half at 36-31 at intermission.

CARROLL NAMED MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF GOSSNER CLASSIC
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll was named the MVP of the 2007 Gossner Classic after averaging 32.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, and shooting 74.2 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from three-point range. He was also a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Joining Carroll on the all-tournament team were Tai Wesley and Gary Wilkinson of Utah State, Noah States of Furman, Kyle Landry of Northern Arizona and Ryan Toolson of Utah Valley.

GOSSNER RECORDS FALL
Several Gossner Classic records were broken during the 2007 tournament, including the scoring record as Utah State's Jaycee Carroll scored 65 points, breaking the old record of 55 points set by Buffalo's Jamie Anderson in 1995. USU's Kris Clark also set a new tournament record with 18 assists, bettering the old mark of 15 held by two players. Clark also set the single-game record with 10 assists against Utah Valley Thursday night. Utah State also set two team records during the first night of competition as it notched 26 assists and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. The previous record for most assists in a game was 24 set by Utah State against Albany during the 2000 tournament. The previous record for free throw percentage was 91.7 (11-12) set by Idaho State against Utah State during the 2002 tournament.

CARROLL RECORDS 2,000TH CAREER POINT
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll recorded his 2,000th career point against Utah Valley Thursday night, becoming just the third player in school history to reach that milestone along with Greg Grant (2,127) and Wayne Estes (2,001). Carroll is also just one of 436 players in Division I history to score 2,000 career points. The first was Jim Lacy of Loyola (Md.) with 2,154 points over four seasons ending in 1949. The first to reach 2,000 points in a three-year career was Furman's Frank Selvy who scored 2,538 points and finished his collegiate career in 1954. The 436 players come from 214 different colleges, while Duke has the most 2,000 point scorers with nine.

CARROLL ONE OF THE TOP SHOOTERS IN THE COUNTRY
Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll is without a doubt one of the best shooters in the nation as he is making 53.6 percent of his field goals (103-192), 51.6 percent of his three-pointers (47-91) and 94.5 percent of his free throws (52-55). Overall, Carroll is one of just two players in the nation to shoot over 50 percent from both the field and three-point range, and over 90 percent from three-point range, along with Josh Mayo of Illinois-Chicago. Mayo, a 5-10 junior guard, is shooting 54.8 percent from the field (69-126), 60.6 percent from three-point range (40-66) and 90.9 percent from the free throw line (50-55), and averaging 19.0 points.

KEEPING TRACK OF COACH MORRILL
With nine wins thus far this year, Utah State head coach Stew Morrill is now 222-80 (.735) in his 10th year at USU and is just three wins shy of tying legendary coach E. Lowell Romney (1920-41) for the most wins in school history with 225. Coach Morrill is also second all-time in school history in games coached with 302.

SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS
Oral Roberts is 7-4 on the season following a 74-59 win against Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City in its last game. The Golden Eagles, who are 1-3 on the road this year, have won six of its last eight games after starting the season with a 1-2 record. Oral Roberts is led by junior guard Robert Jarvis who is averaging 16.5 points, while junior forward Marcus Lewis is averaging 11.0 points. Two other players are scoring in double-figures for ORU as senior center Shawn King is averaging 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds, while senior forward Moses Ehambe is averaging 10.3 points per game. As a team, the Golden Eagles are scoring 69.0 points and shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 40.3 percent from three-point range and 67.2 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents are scoring 62.5 points and shooting 39.3 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three-point range and 73.0 percent from the free throw line. Oral Roberts returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team that went 23-11, finished in first-place in the Summit League with an 11-2 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to Washington State, 70-54, in the first round. Scott Sutton is in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach at Oral Roberts and has an overall record of 151-113.

UTAH STATE-ORAL ROBERTS SERIES HISTORY
Utah State and Oral Roberts will be meeting for the seventh time ever this weekend, with the Aggies owning a 5-1 all-time advantage. The first game played in the series was on Feb. 18, 1975 in Logan, with the Aggies posting a 91-83 win. The last time the two teams met was on Feb. 17, 2007 in Tulsa with USU recording a 71-65 win. The last time the two teams played in Logan was on Dec. 20, 2005 with Utah State recording a 65-64 win. Utah State is 2-0 all-time against Oral Roberts in games played in Logan and has won four straight games in the series. The only time ORU has defeated Utah State was on Feb. 21, 1976 in Tulsa by a final score of 82-63.

VERSUS THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
Utah State is 15-3 all-time against current members of The Summit League with a 5-1 record against Oral Roberts, a 4-0 record against South Dakota State, a 3-1 record against Centenary, a 1-1 record against IPFW and a 2-0 record against Southern Utah. USU head coach Stew Morrill is 9-0 all-time against The Summit League as he is 3-0 against Oral Roberts, 2-0 against both Centenary and South Dakota State and 1-0 against North Dakota State and Southern Utah.

AGAINST THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
Utah State is 7-4 all-time against teams from the state of Oklahoma as it is 2-0 against Oklahoma City University, 5-1 against Oral Roberts, 0-1 against Oklahoma and 0-2 against Tulsa.

LAST MEETING AGAINST THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Jaycee Carroll scored a game-high 25 points and Utah State rallied from a 22-4 deficit to defeat Oral Roberts 71-65 in Tulsa on Feb. 17, 2007 in the annual ESPN BracketBuster game. The Golden Eagles entered the game with a 12-1 home record, and had won 13 of its last 14 games. Durrall Peterson added 11 points and seven rebounds for Utah State, while Kris Clark tied his season-high with nine points to go along with five assists and no turnovers. Carroll added a team-high eight rebounds, while Arvydas Vaitiekus came off the bench to score eight points on 4-of-4 shooting. Caleb Green led Oral Roberts with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Ken Tutt scored 16 points. Oral Roberts scored the first 14 points of the game and lead 22-4 before Utah State began its comeback by scoring seven straight points to cut the lead in half. ORU increased its lead back to 14 at 27-13 only to see Utah State go on a 13-2 run to cut the lead to three at 29-26, and trailed by just three at the break 31-28. In the first-half, Utah State shot 48.1 percent from the field and held Oral Roberts to just 36.4 percent. ORU dominated the boards in the first-half, 21-14, including seven on the offensive end. Carroll had nine points for USU at the break, while Green had 16 for ORU as he was 6-of-10 from the field. Utah State continued its run in the second-half by scoring seven of the first nine points and took its first lead of the game on a lay-up by Carroll to make the score 35-33. Oral Roberts tied it at 35 on a lay-up by Shawn King, but Utah State answered with a lay-up by Stephen DuCharme with 17:26 remaining. USU never trailed again and led by as many as 10 points at 64-54 with 53 seconds remaining before winning by six points. Utah State sealed the game by making 9-of-12 free throws in the final 53 seconds. Overall, USU shot 52.8 percent from the field and held Oral Roberts to 40.0 percent shooting, including 34.8 percent from three-point range (8-23). ORU did out-rebound the Aggies, 36-33, while USU had two more assists (14-12) and one less turnover (11-12).

UTAH STATE MUCH IMPROVED DURING ITS LAST SEVEN GAMES
After starting the season with a 3-4 record, Utah State has won six of its last seven games and is averaging 74.9 points and shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from three-point range and 81.1 percent from the free throw line during that stretch.

UTAH STATE DEFENDING MUCH BETTER
After allowing nine straight opponents to shoot 42 percent or better from the field, Utah State has held three of its last four opponents under 40 percent shooting. USU has also held each of its last three opponents to less than 36 percent shooting from three-point range.

UTAH STATE OFF TO A FAST START AS OF LATE
Utah State has played very well in the first-half of each of its last four games as it is averaging 44.8 points, while its opponents are scoring just 33.0 first-half points.

UTAH STATE SECOND IN THE NATION IN FREE THROW SHOOTING
As of December 23, Utah State ranks second in the nation in free throw shooting at 79.8 percent behind IUPUI who is shooting 81.8 percent. USU ended the 2006-07 season second in the nation in free throw shooting at 78.0 percent.

CARROLL SECOND IN THE NATION IN FREE THROW SHOOTING
As of December 23, senior guard Jaycee Carroll ranks second in the nation in free throw shooting at 94.5 percent behind Utah Valley's Ryan Toolson who is shooting 95.2 percent. Carroll also ranks 11th in the nation in three-point shooting (.516) and is tied for 18th in scoring (21.8).

CLARK 26TH IN THE NATION IN ASSISTS
As of December 23, senior point guard Kris Clark ranks second in the WAC and 26th in the nation with 6.1 assists per game. Clark also ranks first in the WAC with a 3.15-to-1.00 assist-to-turnover ratio.

CLARK CONTINUES TO TAKE CARE OF THE BALL
Senior point guard Kris Clark continues to take care of the ball for Utah State as he has recorded 51 assists and just eight turnovers in his last seven games. Overall, Clark ranks second in the WAC in assists (6.07) and first in assist-to-turnover ration (3.15).

CLARK 19TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN ASSISTS
Senior point guard Kris Clark has 85 assists this year and 231 in his Utah State career, to rank 19th all-time in school history. Clark also has a career average of 4.7 assists per game, which ranks tied for second all-time in school history with Mark Brown (2003-04).

WHO WILL BLINK FIRST?
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll and junior forward Gary Wilkinson are both riding impressive free throw streaks as Carroll has made 20 straight free throws and Wilkinson has made 17 in a row. The last time the two missed a free was during the Santa Clara game, as Carroll missed his in the first half and Wilkinson missed his in the second half.

CARROLL SCORES 30 IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES FOR FIRST TIME EVER
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll has scored 30-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career as he had 32 against Utah Valley and 33 against Northern Arizona. The last Aggie to accomplish this feat was Eric Franson during the 1994-95 season as he had 32 points against Boise State and 31 against San Jose State in early January.

AGGIES NEED TO KEEP THEIR OPPONENT UNDER 70 POINTS
Utah State's magic number, defensively, seems to be 70 points thus far this year as it is 9-0 on the season when allowing fewer than 70 points, but is 0-5 when its opponent scores 70 or more points in a game.

AGGIES TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
After averaging 18.3 turnovers during the first seven games of the year, Utah State is starting to value the basketball and is averaging just 10.4 turnovers during its last seven games.

UTAH STATE EXCELS IN CLOSE GAMES
Utah State has played well in close games as it has won 19 of its last 26 games decided by six or fewer points, including four straight wins in games decided by a single point.

UTAH STATE STRUGGLES WHEN CARROLL DOES NOT LEAD THE TEAM IN SCORING
Utah State is 9-1 on the season when senior guard Jaycee Carroll leads the team in scoring, but 0-4 when someone other than Carroll is the team's leading scorer.

WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
Utah State scored a season-low 48 points at Utah on December 5 in a 72-48 loss. The last time Utah State scored less than 50 points in a game was on Dec. 3, 2003 when it lost at Utah, 56-45. That USU team went on to win 17 straight games following that loss and ended the regular season with a 25-2 record and a 17-1 mark in the Big West Conference. Since its loss at Utah this year, Utah State has won each of its last four game.

CARROLL SECOND ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN SCORING
Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll ranks second all-time at Utah State in scoring with 2,042 points and is now 85 points shy of tying Greg Grant (1983-86) for first all-time with 2,127 points. All-time, Carroll is one of just three players in school history to score 2,000 points along with Grant and Wayne Estes (1963-65) who scored 2,001 career points.

CARROLL CURRENTLY SEVENTH ALL-TIME IN SCORING IN THE STATE OF UTAH
With his 2,042 career points, senior guard Jaycee Carroll currently ranks seventh all-time in the history of basketball in the state of Utah in scoring. In fact, Carroll is one of just 10 collegiate players in the "Beehive State" to ever score 2,000 points. Utah's Keith Van Horn holds the state's scoring record with 2,542 points, followed by BYU's Danny Ainge (2,467), Utah's Billy McGill (2,321), BYU's Michael Smith (2,319), BYU's Devin Durrant (2,285) and Utah State's Greg Grant (2,127). Other in-state players to hit the 2,000-point plateau other than Carroll are Weber State's Bruce Collins (2,019), USU's Wayne Estes (2,001) and Utah's Josh Grant (2,000).

CARROLL FIRST ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN THREE-POINTERS MADE AND THREE-POINT SHOOTING
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll ranks first all-time in school history with 302 made three-pointers. He also ranks first in three-point shooting at 46.1 percent (302-655) and is second all-time in three-pointers attempted with 655.

CARROLL CLOSING IN ON SEVERAL SCHOOL RECORDS
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll is closing in on several Utah State career records, as he ranks second all-time in both three-pointers attempted (655) and 10-point games (100). He is also third in games started (111), fourth in field goals made (716), fourth in free throw percentage (.851), fourth in total minutes played (3,789), fifth in minutes per game (33.5), and fifth in field goals attempted (1,405). Carroll also ranks eighth all-time in steals (105), is ninth all-time in points per game (18.1), 12th all-time in games played (113) and 20th all-time in assists (225).

CARROLL RANKS SIXTH IN NCAA HISTORY IN THREE-POINT SHOOTING
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll has a career shooting percentage of 46.1 percent from three-point range, which is tied for sixth all-time in the history of the NCAA at the Division I level. Carroll is also 46 made three-pointers shy of ranking 25th all-time in NCAA history in that category.

CARROLL 19TH ALL-TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN REBOUNDING
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll has 554 rebounds to rank 19th on USU's all-time rebounding list. Carroll is now one rebound shy of tying Harold Theus (1957-59) for 18th-place with 555 career rebounds. Carroll is also one of just two guards in USU history to rank among the top-20 rebounders all-time, joining Kendall Youngblood (1989-92) who is 12th all-time with 674 career rebounds.

RANKING CARROLL IN THE WAC
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll ranks fourth all-time in the Western Athletic Conference in free-throw percentage at 87.4 percent (263-301). He also ranks second all-time in three-point shooting at 45.6 percent (223-489) and 13th in three-pointers made (223). If Utah State had joined the WAC a year earlier so Carroll's freshman stats could be included in the WAC records, he would rank 10th all-time in scoring (2,042), fifth in free throw percentage (.851), second in three-point shooting (.461), first in three-pointers made (302) and seventh in three-pointers attempted (655).

CARROLL IN SELECT COMPANY
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll is one of just three players in Utah State history to score 1,000 points, and record 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals joining Greg Grant (1983-86) and Kendall Youngblood (1989-92).

CARROLL SECOND IN THE NATION AMONG ACTIVE PLAYERS IN SCORING
Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll ranks second in the nation among active players at the Division I level with 2,042 points, trailing Bo McCalebb of New Orleans who has 2,126 career points. Carroll also ranks first in the nation among active players in career three-point shooting at 46.1 percent, is third in career scoring average at 18.1 points, seventh in three-pointers made with 302 and seventh in free throw percentage at 85.1 percent.

CARROLL HAS 43 CAREER 20-POINT GAMES
Jaycee Carroll has scored 20 or more points in a game 43 times during his Utah State career, including nine times thus far this year. He also has seven career 30-point games and one career 40-point game as he scored 44 points against New Mexico State on Feb. 5, 2007. Overall, Carroll ranks second all-time at Utah State with 100 career double-figure scoring games.

WHEN CARROLL SCORES 20 POINTS, UTAH STATE USUALLY WINS
When Jaycee Carroll scores 20 or more points in a game, Utah State usually wins. Thus far this year, USU is 8-1 when Carroll scores 20-plus points and the Aggies are 36-7 overall when the senior guard scores 20 or more points in a game.

CARROLL CONTINUES DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING STREAK
Senior guard Jaycee Carroll has scored in double-figures in all 14 games this year and in 18 straight games dating back to last season. Overall, Carroll has scored in double-figures in 48 of his last 49 games and in 100 games during his Utah State career.

DID YOU KNOW?
Senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll has made at least one three-point basket in 35 straight games and in 102 of his 113 career games at Utah State.

UTAH STATE PLAYER NOTES
#5 Pooh Williams - Averaging 2.4 points and 1.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 27.3 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three-point range and 85.7 percent from the free throw line... Scored a season-high eight points against Montana-Western... Has scored just five points in his last seven games.

#10 Kris Clark - Has started 46 games in his career at Utah State... Recorded a career-high 10 assists against Utah Valley... Averaging 4.5 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 37.7 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from three-point range and 78.6 percent from the free throw line... Has recorded at least four assists in 13 of USU's 14 games this year... Ranks second in the WAC in assists and is first in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.15).

#11 DeUndrae Spraggins - Scored a season-high 14 points against Iowa and had a season-high five assists against Vanderbilt... Averaging 4.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 32.0 percent from three-point range and 66.7 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 3.6 points during his last five games.

#15 Desmond Stephens - Scored a season-high nine points against Santa Clara... Averaging 3.6 points and 1.7 assists, while shooting 25.0 percent from the field, 25.0 percent from three-point range and 81.8 percent from the free throw line... Is averaging 4.8 points during his last five games.

#20 Jaycee Carroll - Scored a season-high 33 points against Northern Arizona... Averaging 21.8 points and 5.9 rebounds on the season, while shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 51.6 percent from three-point range and 94.5 percent from the free throw line... Is playing a team-high 35.5 minutes per game... Has scored in double-figures in all 14 games this year, including eight 20-point games... Tied his career-high with eight assists against Austin Peay... Ranks first in the WAC in scoring, three-point shooting and free throw shooting... Averaging 24.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his last five games, while shooting 59.7 percent from the field, 55.9 percent from three-point range and 1.000 percent from the free throw line.

#21 Brayden Bell - Scored a season-high four points against Utah... Averaging 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds and is shooting 27.8 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.

#24 Tyler Newbold - Averaging 2.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range... Started his first career game at CS Bakersfield and recorded season-highs with nine points and six rebounds in 29 minutes... Averaging 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds as a starter.

#34 Modou Niang - Had season-highs in points (4), rebounds (3), blocked shots (3) and minutes played (17) against Cal Poly... Averaging 0.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game.

#40 Stephen DuCharme - Tied his career-high with 22 points at Cal Poly and had a season-high 11 rebounds at UC Irvine... Recorded his fifth career double-double against Santa Clara as he had 12 points and 10 rebounds... Has scored in double-figures eight times this season and 26 times in his career... In his career, he has five 20-point games, six double-figure rebounding games and five double-doubles... This season he is averaging 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 61.2 percent from the field and 72.5 percent from the free throw line... Ranks third in the WAC in field goal shooting... During his last five games he is averaging 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds.

#42 Tai Wesley - Recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Prairie View A&M... Started his first career game at CS Bakersfield and tied his season-high with 12 points, while recording a then season-high six rebounds... Had a season-high six assists against Utah Valley... Averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and shooting 65.0 percent from the field and 70.3 percent from the free throw line... Averaging 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds during his last five games, while shooting 68.8 percent from the field.

#44 Matt Formisano - Recorded season-highs with three points and five rebounds against Prairie View A&M... Averaging 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

#55 Gary Wilkinson - Tied his season-high with 21 points at CS Bakersfield... Recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and a season-high 10 rebounds at Utah... Averaging 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 85.1 percent from the free throw line... Also had 21 points at Weber State... Ranks third in the WAC in free throw shooting, is eighth in overall shooting and 10th in blocked shots (0.86)... Averaging 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds during his last five games, while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 1.000 percent from the charity stripe.

UTAH STATE AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
Over the last nine years, Utah State has been one of the best basketball programs in the country, recording a 207-67 (.755) record. Those 207 wins are the ninth-most in the country, while the 75.5 percent winning percentage is sixth-best behind Duke (.835), Gonzaga (.800), Kansas (.799), Florida (.777) and Illinois (.768). USU has also been among the top-13 teams in the country in points allowed in six of the last eight years and among the top-35 teams in the country in winning percentage in six of the last eight seasons.

UTAH STATE HAS DOMINATED CONFERENCE PLAY SINCE 2000
Utah State has had tremendous success in league play over the last eight years recording a 104-32 (.765) record, which includes an 84-20 record in the Big West Conference as it won three regular season championships and four tournament titles and a 20-12 record in the WAC. Here is a look at how the current members of the Western Athletic Conference has done in league play dating back to the 1999-2000 season. Note: Utah State and Idaho's league record includes six years in the Big West Conference (2000-2005); Boise State's record includes two years in the Big West (2000-2001); Nevada's record includes one year in the Big West (2000); Louisiana Tech's record includes two years in the Sun Belt Conference (2000-01); and New Mexico State's record includes one year in the Big West (2000) and five years in the Sun Belt (2001-05).

UTAH STATE TRENDS DURING THE LAST NINE YEARS

• USU is 87-6 when holding its opponents below 60 points.

• USU is 170-20 when leading at the half.

• USU is 182-17 when shooting better from the field than its opponent.

• USU is 150-31 when out-rebounding its opponent.

• USU is 142-15 when shooting better from three-point range than its opponent.

• USU is 109-17 when blocking more shots than its opponent.

• USU is 81-16 when scoring 70-plus points in a game.

DID YOU KNOW?
Utah State has seven freshmen on its 2007-08 roster, which is the most-ever on a USU team dating back to the 1957-58 season.

UTAH STATE PICKED TO WIN THE WAC ACCORDING TO LEAGUE COACHES
Utah State is picked to finish first in the Western Athletic Conference according to the league's coaches and second by the media in the preseason polls, while senior All-American guard Jaycee Carroll was named the preseason Player of the Year by both groups.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Utah State has out-rebounded eight of its 14 opponents this year... USU recorded season-highs in rebounds (46) and steals (14) against Prairie View A&M and then had a season-high 26 assists in its next game against Utah Valley... USU has shot 60 percent or better three times this year and 50 percent or better five times... USU has also shot 40 percent or better from three-point range seven times this season... USU made a season-high 11 three-pointers against Utah Valley... USU has limited its opponents to just 12.9 assists per game this year... USU had at least three blocks in each of its first five games, then had a total of just 15 blocks during an eight game stretch before blocking a season-high seven shots against Northern Arizona... USU has won all nine of its games where it held its opponent under 70 points and has lost all five of its games where its opponent scored 70-plus points... USU has one player averaging over 30 minutes per game, four averaging over 20 minutes per game and nine averaging over 11 minutes per game.

MORRILL STARTS TWO FRESHMEN FOR THIRD STRAIGHT GAME
Utah State head coach Stew Morrill started two freshmen in the same game for the first time in his 10 years at USU as Tyler Newbold and Tai Wesley both started against Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 8. Prior to the Cal State Bakersfield game, Morrill had started a total of three freshmen in his first nine-plus years in Logan in Tony Brown, Nate Harris and Jaycee Carroll. Brown started 14 games as a freshman in 1999, while Harris started one game as a freshman in 2003 and Carroll started 31 games as a freshman in 2005. The last time Utah State started two freshmen in the same year was during the 1993-94 season when Jarobi Kemp started 20 games and Tony Schumacher started one game for then head coach Larry Eustachy.

AGGIES TRADITIONALLY BOUNCE BACK WELL FROM A LOSS
Over the last nine years, Utah State is 46-13 (.780) following a loss and 9-0 following consecutive losses. The last time USU lost three straight games was at the end of the 1998-99 season, a span of 269 games. When Utah State plays at home following a loss under Coach Morrill, its record is 32-1 (.970), with its lone loss coming against Idaho (52-51) on Mar. 1, 2003.

DuCHARME NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah State's Stephen DuCharme has been named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week it was announced by the league office on Monday, Nov. 26. It is the first time DuCharme has been named WAC Player of the Week and the fifth time a Utah State player has received the weekly honor from the league office during the past three years. DuCharme, a 6-8 forward from Andover, Kan., (Andover HS/Hutchinson CC) helped Utah State record a 2-1 record and finish in third-place at the 2007 South Padre Island Invitational with wins against Austin Peay (71-68) and Iowa (75-62) and a loss to Vanderbilt (77-56). DuCharme began the week by scoring 10 points and adding four rebounds against the Governors. He then scored 20 points to go along with six rebounds against the Commodores, followed by 20 points and three rebounds against the Hawkeyes in the consolation finals of the tournament. During the two-day tournament in South Padre Island, Texas, DuCharme was named to the all-tournament team as he averaged 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 64.3 percent from the field (18-28). For the week, DuCharme averaged 16.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 64.7 percent from the field (22-34), 50.0 percent from three-point range (1-2) and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (5-6).

UTAH STATE WILL PLAY 32 GAMES DURING THE REGULAR SEASON
Utah State will play 32 games during the 2007-08 regular season, which is the most games by any single team in Division I college basketball. The reason Utah State is able to schedule 32 games this year is because it played in an exempt tournament in the South Padre Island Invitational, which allows you to play four games in a 14-day span, plus its game at Hawai'i does not count toward the 27 initial games, allowing USU to schedule an extra contest. All Division I teams can schedule 27 games during the regular season.

FROM THE STATE OF UTAH
Utah State has five players from the state of Utah on its 2007-08 roster which is the most since the 1997-98 squad also had five in-state players on its roster. Current USU players from Utah include junior forward Gary Wilkinson (South Jordan/Bingham), sophomore center Brayden Bell (Brighton/Brighton HS), freshman guard Jaxon Myaer (Salt Lake City/Judge Memorial HS), freshman guard Tyler Newbold (Payson/Payson HS), and freshman forward Tai Wesley (Provo/Provo HS).

DID YOU KNOW?
Stew Morrill has coached 10 players at Utah State who have earned first-team all-conference honors a total of 14 times.

HEAD COACH Stew Morrill
In his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach and 10th year at Utah State, Stew Morrill is on the door-steep of coaching immortality as he is just four wins shy of passing E. Lowell Romney (225-157) to become the winningest coach in school history. In his 10th year at USU, Morrill has taken the Aggie Basketball program to unprecedented heights leading it to an incredible 222-80 (.735) record, including a 112-40 (.737) conference mark in the Big West and WAC. While at Utah State, he has guided the Aggies to eight straight 23-win seasons and eight straight postseason appearances (NCAA-5, NIT-3), both of which are school records. Morrill has also led Utah State to the sixth-best winning percentage in the nation during the last nine years at 75.5 percent with an overall record of 207-67. Against conference opponents, Utah State has a 129-45 record with three regular season league championships and four tournament titles during that time, including appearances in its league's tournament championship game seven times in the last eight years. Under Morrill, Utah State has notched eight of the top 10 seasons in school history during the last eight 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 notched the eighth-most wins in school history during the 2007 season with 23 victories. During the 2006-07 season, Morrill guided Utah State to a fourth-place finish in the WAC during the regular season, followed by its second straight appearance in the WAC Tournament championship game. The 2006-07 Aggie basketball team also set a school record by shooting 78.0 percent from the free throw line, which ranked second in the nation. For the eighth straight year, USU had at least one player earn first-team all-league accolades as Jaycee Carroll received the honor. Overall, Morrill has coached 10 first-team all-league players at Utah State who have won the award a total of 14 times. Morrill has also taken full advantage of the home court at USU, the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. In Morrill's 10 years, USU is an amazing 132-12 (.917) at home, which includes a 68-8 (.895) record in league play. As for Morrill, he has won 20 or more games on 12 different occasions during his career, and he has won at least 17 games 18 times. Overall, Morrill ranks 23rd in the nation among active coaches and 96th all-time with his 440 career wins, while his career winning percentage of 66.9 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 12 20-win seasons. His current streak of eight 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) twice in his eight years at USU, along with winning the Big Sky award while the head coach at Montana in 1991.

• Head coach Stew Morrill (222-80) is four wins shy of passing E. Lowell Romney (225-157) to become the winningest coach in school history. Morrill is also second all-time in games coached (302) at USU and is the longest tenured coach at Utah State (entering 10th season) since the Ladell Andersen era (1962-71).

• Entering his 10th season with the Aggies, Morrill has a 222-80 (.735) overall record, a 112-40 (.737) conference record and a 17-5 (.773) record in conference postseason play. Overall, Morrill owns a 440-218 (.669) record in 22 years as a collegiate head coach.

• Among active coaches at the Division I level, Morrill ranks 23rd in the nation with his 440 career wins and 28th in winning percentage at 66.9 percent.

• Morrill is one of just 27 active coaches with 400 career wins at the Division I level and one of just 13 active coaches to notch 12 20-win seasons, while his current streak of eight straight 20-win seasons is tied for the ninth-longest active streak in the nation.

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

• Morrill has coached 10 first-team all-league players who have won the award a total of 14 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 and Jaycee Carroll,

• Utah State is 132-12 (.917) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum under Morrill.

• Morrill has led Utah State to eight straight 20-win seasons and eight 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 11 times in his career, including the NCAA Tournament at Utah State in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 and the National Invitation Tournament in 2002, 2004 and 2007.