With a season mired in mediocrity, it's been a horribly kept secret that Utah State is looking for a few upgrades out of the spring recruiting class.

With that in mind, the Aggies have offered a scholarship to Spencer Butterfield, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard out of Yuba College.

Butterfield is a shooter, and a scorer. He's got a 42 point game under his belt this season, and is capable of creating his own shot off the dribble.

Butterfield would be a junior and have two years of eligibility. Should he choose Utah State, he would compete with the likes of Preston Medlin, Danny Berger, Mitch Bruneel, Adam Thoseby and Riley Bradshaw for playing time.

Bradshaw is an in...

One Utah State assistant coach said it was flat out unfair that Danny Berger is even playing this season.

And he has a point.

Danny Berger started the season at 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds. He's not that anymore. He's now 6-7 and 180 pounds. He's lost weight, the weight he was supposed to gain by redshirting this season after returning from an LDS mission.

Predictably, Berger has had his issues. He's not strong enough to handle some of the bigger and more physical small forwards in the WAC. He sometimes has issues with his stamina.

But, the talent is there. For a guy his size, he can stroke the jumper and he can get to the basket off the dribble, as well as pass. T...

This is becoming a nasty habit.

Utah State has lost each and every game during that was somewhat in doubt during the conference season.

At home against Nevada. On the road against Nevada. On the road against Idaho, and now against New Mexico State at the Spectrum.

NMSU scored 15 of the final 18 points on Saturday afternoon. New Mexico State took over like it seemingly knew it would eventually do. And that's the biggest diss of all, when a team knows it will eventually make enough plays to win the game.

Utah State turned the ball over five times in the last three-minutes. As Stew Morrill said, his Aggies simply couldn't take care of the ball when it counted.

The Salt Lake Tribune has learned that Utah State assistant coach Chris Jones, the lead instate recruiter on the staff, is a finalist for the Idaho State job and could be offered as early as next week.

Jones is scheduled for an interview on Sunday. He has already previously interviewed.

Thing is, the Idaho State job is a dangerous one to take. It's hard to recruit there, and the last few coaches have all been fired.

But Jones has proven to be a great recruiter at Utah State and his alma mater Utah. He is largely responsible for USU's recruitment of Marcel Davis and Quincy Bair for the prized class of 2012.

Tony Jones

A week ago, despite a win over Hawaii at the Spectrum, the Warriors destroyed Utah State in the rebounding department.

It's been like that for a while for the Aggies.

With Morgan Grim hobbled, with Brady Jardine out for the season, and with Kyisean Reed floating in and out of games, it's been hard for USU to hold its own on the boards.

On Thursday night against Nevada, a 53-52 defeat, the Aggies more than held their own. They dominated.

43-28 was the total for Utah State, a plus 15 rebounding advantage. But turnovers at key times, poor shooting in the first half and the lack of being able to get to the free-throw line, did USU in.

This was a season-high...

For Utah State fans, this blog won't contain good news on either front. Brandon Faniaka has officially eliminated Utah State from contention, so the Aggies won't be getting the highly sought after offensive lineman from Pleasant Grove.

The Tribune has learned that Stanford is in the lead for Fanaika's services, the school whom he is verbally committed to. But Utah is coming on strong, and on Tuesday afternoon he sent out a tweet to reporters saying BYU is now in the picture as well.

Fanaika's cousin Hoko, another big offensive lineman, won't be committing to anyone on Wednesday, the Tribune has learned. The Utah State coaching staff is still holding out hope to land him, but...

The Tribune has learned that Palepoi, the coveted defensive end out of Snow College, spoke with Utah State head coach Gary Andersen spoke with Palepoi, and was told that he was leaning towards becoming an Aggie.

According to a source, however, the fight for Palepoi is far from over. Palepoi greatly enjoyed his visit to Utah, and for all intents and purposes it will be a majoe surprise if he goes anywhere other than the two mentioned schools.

Palepoi is expected to announce his decision tomorrow afternoon. He and his family are also expected to sit down tonight and come to a decision en masse.

Win or lose, this is the strongest indication that Gary Andersen's program i...

This blog was speaking to a Utah State assistant following Saturday night’s Aggie win over San Jose State concerning Preston Medlin.

This is what the coach had to say about USU’s starting shooting guard.

“To think, we have him for two more years.”

Indeed.

Preston Medlin won the WAC player of the week on Monday. Beyond that, however, is what he has started to become over the past month.

That would be a full-throttle go-to guy. Medlin has made jumpers, he has created off the dribble, he has gotten into transition and thrown do...

The Aggies beat out Washington State, Indiana, Purdue and East Carolina amongst others for Patrick Ward, a 6-5 285 pound lineman out of Glendale Community College.

Ward is the latest in a slew of linemen to commit to the Aggies. The offensive line was a strength last season, and it looks as if that's shaping up again.

Ward is strong, but also quick and powerful. He's known as a great run blocker who can get out and pull for running backs.

Ward committed to Utah State on Thursday night. He visited the Aggies last weekend.

Tony Jones

Currently, Utah State is hosting two football recruits as signing day nears.

With crunchtime in full-effect and everything coming down to the wire, Rashad Rainey is in Logan, a 6-foot-3 185 pound linebacker out of Riverside CA. He's considered to be the best available player left on USU's recruiting board. Two years ago, Utah State did the same thing when it lost out on V.J. Fehoko. That turned out pretty good for the Aggies as Tavaris McMillian is considered one of the mainstays of a stout defense.

Metuisela "Tui" Unga, a 6-4 235 pound tight end from Rancho Cucamonga, is in town also. He's considered very athletic for his size with good hands as well.

Tony Jones

Utah State commit Paul Franklin, a highly touted running back out of Texas, won't be an Aggie, the Tribune has learned.

Franklin, who committed two weeks ago, entertained a home visit from UTEP on Monday. He didn't inform the Utah State coaching staff, which caused Gary Andersen to cancel his scheduled home visit on Wednesday night.

Franklin was expected to come into camp and compete for time at a running back spot that has just one major contributer from last season, Kerwynn Williams, returning.

Andersen has been busy this week, going on in-home visits in Florida to start the week. He will be in Texas tonight, and he will visit Arizona tomorrow, before returning to c...

With a week left until national signing day, the recruiting for Tenny Palepoi, the highly touted defensive lineman out of Snow college, is reaching a fever pitch.

Palepoi has already said that he will sign at either Utah, Utah State or BYU next Wednesday. When this blog caught up with Palepoi, who was working out with his older brother Anton at 24 hour fitness on Tuesday night, Palepoi declared a favorite.

Utah State.

Palepoi still has yet to visit Utah, and will do so this weekend. And the former star out of Skyline High grew up a fan of the Utes. But that has to come as a good sign for Aggie fans, who have followed Palepoi's recruitment for almost two years.

...

Sky View High star Casey Oliverson and Utah State commit is now Sky View High star and a former Utah State commit.

Oliverson, the 6-foot-7 small forward, will now play his basketball at Dixie State, which officially means that he won't be signing or playing for the Aggies.

Oliverson committed to USU as a sophomore along with Marcel Davis and Quincy Bair. But he fell out of favor with Utah State's coaching staff because he didn't play over the summer, and didn't communicate with the staff for most of the summer, even after repeated attempts to contact him.

Oliverson's offer was pulled, so he didn't sign in the fall. But since he was likely to embark on an LDS mission s...

As athleticism goes, Utah State's junior forward Kyisean Reed is one of the best in the Western Athletic Conference. Easily.

His jumping ability is a sight. He throws dunks over people. he catches alley-oops. When he's on, he drops in 18 foot jumpers with ease. He goes by people off the dribble, he blocks shots and makes observers drool over his potential and what he is already.

That's the good news.

Problem is, Kyisean Reed is on about once every four games. The other three? He sleepwalks his way through. His tendency to disappear at crucial times is one of the most frustrating aspects of Utah State's season, and an aspect that needs to reverse itself if the Aggies w...

Now, Utah State is a desperate team.

The Aggies lost to Idaho on Saturday night, 57-54, in a game they should've won. It's a game that USU will regret, and an outcome that leaves the Aggies searching for a win. Any win.

Utah State led 39-30, after Preston Medlin hit a lay-up and converted a three-point play. At that point, USU looked well on its way to an important WAC win, a 3-2 conference record, and hope with winnable home games against Hawaii and San Jose State on the horizon.

Instead, the Aggies are wondering how it all went wrong.

Here are some clues:

There was a Ben Clifford turnover. An E.J. Farris turnover. A Brockeith Pane turnover. A missed fr...

Five USU football recruits descended on campus this weekend.

By Saturday night, the Aggies received commitments from four of them.

The new commits are Paul Franklin, Alex Wheat, Devonte Glover and Marquan Ellison.

The four are added to the slew of commitments Utah State received two weeks ago.

The coaching staff is reportedly happy about all four. Wheat's addition is a big one, as he's a big wide receiver with speed to stretch a secondary.

Tony Jones

Three weeks ago, Matt Wells was crowned Utah State's offensive coordinator after Dave Baldwin bolted for Colorado State.

Just like recruiting, however, no commitment is safe, as schools continue to cherry pick the brightest prospects. Coaching is no different.

Gary Andersen, USU's head coach, told the Tribune on Friday that Wells interviewed at Boise State a few weeks ago for the job of passing game coordinator.

"I know that he interviewed for the job," Andersen said.

Was he offered the job?

"No," was the answer from Andersen.

Was Andersen angry that his newly minted offensive coordinator took an interview?

"No, I'm not mad at all," Anderse...

Utah State will be hosting a fresh crop of football recruits this weekend, as we're closing in on signing day. In all, five players will be on campus, beginning on Friday. They will all leave on Sunday afternoon.

Here is the list:

Paul Franklin, a running back out of South Oak Cliff High in Texas.

Wide Receiver Alex Wheat

Cornerback Devonta Glover

Offensive lineman Patrick Ward

Cornerback Marquan Ellison

Tony Jones

Gary Andersen has put more time into Tenny Palepoi's recruitment than almost any other player that he's wooed or tried to woo to Utah State.

It's been an almost three year courtship for the defensive end for Snow College, and one time star at Skyline High. It will end soon, one way or another, as signing day is just a mere few weeks away. And while Utah State is squarely in the thick of his wish list, the Aggies are fighting a battle with heavyweights.

BYU, Utah and Oregon State are all trying to obtain Palepoi's services. And for good reason. He's big, quick, powerful and a potential game-changer. He's the younger brother of Anton Palepoi, the former UNLV star and NFL veter...

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Utah State officially has a new defensive coordinator.

The Aggies named Dave Aranda to the job on Tuesday, hiring him out of Hawaii and bringing him to Logan to take Gary Andersen's spot on the staff, so Andersen can focus more on his head coaching duties.

Aranda, who manned one of the most aggressive defenses in the Western Athletic Conference this past season, was on campus early last week and introduc...

Good night around the conference.

Nevada defeating Hawaii is easily the game of the night. 77-74 was the final, as Olek Czyz led the Wolf Pack with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Deonte Burton, probably the best player in the league, scored a game-high 25 points on 8-16 shooting. That was enough for Nevada to hold off the Warriors.

The Wolf Pack are now 4-0, unbeaten with New Mexico State and looking very much like the class of the league. It would've been big for Utah State if the Aggies were able to get that win last Saturday night.

Speaking of New Mexico State, the Southern Aggies pulled away from Idaho, much in the manner that they pulled away from USU on Thurs...

This is the Brockeith Pane that coaches have wanted to see all season.

Well, the Brockeith Pane that's showed up for the last three games.

Early on, Pane was shooting too much, taking too many three-pointers and looking for his offense at the expense of others.

On Saturday night, Pane scored a career-high 24 points. Better than that, he picked his spots. He knew when to defer. He knew when to take over the offense. As a result, he took over the game, causing major issues for Louisiana Tech's defense, getting to the free-throw line at will and scoring from mid-range.

He was unguardable off the dribble against the Bulldogs, a huge thing because Louisiana Tech wa...

Utah State football came out of a big recruiting weekend with six commitments.

Dwayne Lorick and Jordan Jenkins both committed to Gary Andersen's program on Saturday, the Tribune reported. They are wide receivers.

Bill Vavau, the offensive lineman out of Snow College had previously committed to USU before coming on his visit.

Offensive lineman Andrew Chen committed on Sunday morning. He is a greyshirt and will enroll at Utah State in January of 2013.

Offensive lineman Jake Simonich committed to USU, along with Logan Malohifoou, a former standout at Copper Hills who is a return missionary and will be a freshman.

Junior Salt, a Florida commit and an offens...

The recruiting weekend still has a basketball game to go against Nevada, but Gary Andersen has already garnered two pledges.

The commits are Dwayne Lorick and Jordan Jenkins, both wide receivers.

The recruiting weekend is dominanted by linemen, amongst them Stanford commit Brandon Fanaika and Florida commit Junior Salt, both Utahns.

Tony Jones

On Monday, the Tribune broke the news of Dave Baldwin leaving his offensive coordinator post at Utah State for the same job at Colorado State, and the subsequent hiring of Matt Wells to succeed Baldwin.

A new defensive coordinator may be on the horizon as well.

Head coach Gary Andersen, who handled those duties this past season, is likely to hire a new one, barring a change of heart. He handed more and more of the defensive coordinator duties off to Billy Busch as this season wore on, and is pretty much ready to hand it off fulltime, as he wants to focus more on his duties as a head coach.

Andersen still wants say in how the defense is constructed. But the day-to-day ...

Headlined by Brandon Faniaka and Tenny Palepoi, USU is setting up for one of the bigger recruiting weekends in school history.

Why? Because the Aggies, led by Gary Andersen, are trying to rumble with the big boys for line talent that could make them dangerous next season.

Fanaika, a 6-foot-4, 315 lineman out of Pleasant Grove is already committed to Stanford. He is brothers with linebacker Jason Fanaika and their cousin Hoko, a 6-4 340 pound offensive lineman, will also be visiting.

Former Brighton High star Junior Salt, a 6-3 330 pound lineman, is visiting as well. He is committed to the University of Florida for next season.

The recruits are expected to atte...

Aggie nation is alive with the perspective of Matt Lopez, a seven-footer who played at LaSalle previously, transferring to Logan.

Lopez, described as a pure scorer in the paint, was on campus for the previous few days.

At this time, however, he is not enrolled in classes for the spring semester, which will start next week. He has left campus, and whether he will commit to Utah State is very much in question.

If he were to play for the Aggies, he would be eligible around the winter break next season. USU already is stacked in its frontcourt for next year, with Oklahoma State transfer Jarred Shaw becoming eligible and Brady Jardine coming back into the fold.

If ...

It has yet to be determined whether Matt Austin, Utah State's terrific wide receiver, will return to Logan for one more season.

The Aggie coaching staff is waiting for the NCAA to rule on his application for a medical hardship waiver and the sixth year of eligibility that comes with it.

Austin has missed two years due to injury, which is usually the requirement. He missed all of the 2009 season with a broken foot, and then tore his knee up against Oklahoma in the first game of the 2010 season.

"We believe that it's a slam dunk that he should get another year," USU head coach Gary Andersen said.

But that's still to be determined. There is no timetable on the rul...

Here is what Morrill had to say after USU's win over UT-Arlington

Utah State Head Coach Stew Morrill…

“We’ll take it and move on to tomorrow. Any win for our team right now, we’re going to be happy about. The end leaves a little bit of a sour taste in your mouth, but I was pretty pleased with our second half performance. Obviously, we need to turn the ball over less, but the other team did a good job. They’re hard to play. They throw that zone at you, then switch and press you. They do a good job of forcing turnovers. It’s a credit to them for that. Obviously, if they’re going to play that much zone it helps if you have some guys to shoot it in. Preston (Medlin) had a hug...

Chuckie Keeton will enter spring football as the starting quarterback, Gary Andersen said on Monday.

The freshman, who lost his job when he was injured in the Hawaii game, will enter his sophomore season as the man behind center, while Adam Kennedy will be allowed to compete for the spot.

"Obviously we want to create competition," Andersen said. "But in my mind, Chuckie has the edge. You never want a starter to lose his job because of injury."

Kennedy, who led USU to a comeback win over the Warriors, went 5-1 as the starter. His only loss has been to Ohio, in Saturday's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Kennedy is considered the better passer, while Keeton is considered the b...

USU fans should expect sohomore forward Danny Berger to receive his first career start on Tuesday in the first game of the Gossner Tournament.

Stew Morrill wouldn't fully commit to Berger starting in Monday's press conference, but it's highly likely.

"It looks that way," Morrill said. "If practice goes the way it has been, then it's safe to say that Danny could be starting."

Berger's play, simply put, has been too much to ignore. Since coming off his mission, and having his redshirt pulled, Berger has been a missing offensive piece. At 6-foot-7, he has given Utah State perimeter length. He has given the Aggies shooting and the ability to score.

More surprisingl...

Here are some of the things the Utah State head coach had to say about his team, heading into the Aggies matchup on Saturday night against Seattle.

Opening Comments:
"It is going to be interesting tomorrow with the bowl game and all of the excitement there. It is going to be a game where we are going to have to create our own enthusiasm and that will be good for us. We have been trying to work on having a little more pep, a little more energy,more enthusiasm during practice and getting the guys talking to each other more and that sort of thing. You have heard me mention that they are kind of a quite team, but in practice this week we have made some progress in terms of themtryi...

With 8-10,000 Aggie fans expected to be in Boise rooting on the football team, the Spectrum is expected to be a relatively lonely place on Saturday night, when USU faces Seattle.

That means, the Aggies are going to have to generate their own energy, without their legendary home crowd cheering them on. That's a big issue for USU, as they have struggled and seem to need all the help they can get, especially after playing a large chunk of the preseason away from home.

"What we have talked about is the need to have a little bit more pep, energy and enthusiasm and all that on a daily basis inpractice," USU head coach Stew Morrill said.

"Sometimes in the past we have relie...

Here are some of the things the Ohio Bobcats had to say following practice in Boise

Travis Carrie – Junior Cornerback

On Bowl Week

It’s an exciting week. It’s definitely more of a mental week than usual because you have a lot of time to focus on just football. You can get pretty focused. They give us the first day to relax but as the week goes on it gets serious.



On what it would mean if Ohio could pick up the first bowl win in school history

It would mean everything. It’s great to be a part of history. There’s only a few times that players get a chance to be a part of history, so this would be a big deal for everybody.

Controlling the defensive front is critical for Utah State on Saturday against Ohio in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Doing so, can allow them to put pressure on Tyler Tettleton, and take pressure off a secondary that's struggled with the pass this season.

Doing so, and containing Tettleton, will help the linebackers fly around and make plays when it matters.

"We have to stay true to our gaps," Levi Koskan said. "We know that we have to play well. We know that we're a key"

Tony Jones

After two days off to take care of exams, USU is back to practice and preparing for Seattle on Saturday.

They are doing it with an air of confidence that didn't previously exist last week. Utah State lost to Wichita State on Saturday, but in doing so the Aggies scored over 50 points in the second half. For the first time all season, USU looked cohesive with the ball.

Shots were falling, and more importantly, Utah State found itself getting good shots. That could bode well for the rest of the season, as the WAC portion of the schedule is rapidly approaching.

"It's definitely a confidence boost," Danny Berger said. "We were able to score and play with a very good team. ...

Bobcats quarterback Tyler Tettleton will be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks that the Aggies see this season. He can throw the ball, he runs it well and he has a very good command of Ohio's pistol-spread type offense.

"He's a very shifty guy," defensive end Connor Williams said. "We're going to have to eliminate his ability to run."

Keeping Tettleton in the pocket won't be easy. He has the arm to make defenses pay, as he's thrown for over 3,000 yards this season.

That means the Aggies are going to have to be honest, yet be good enough to put pressure on him and keep him in the pocket. Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz is the closest player to Tettleton's talents tha...

It's looking increasingly like junior safety McKade Brady will be back for Utah State's game against Ohio in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Brady, who separated a shoulder against New Mexico State, missed most of that game against the Southern Aggies. He's practicing this week, and that probably means he will play.

"I tore the AC joint in the shoulder," Brady said. "It hurt, but it's nothing serious. The doctors have done a great job with it."

Brady has quietly become the heart of Utah State's secondary, and his presence was missed against New Mexico State.

Tony Jones

Ohio head coach Frank Solich had quite a few nice things to say about Utah State and playing the Aggies. Here are the highlights of his press conference from Tuesday:

On having the opportunity to play in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
“We’re really anxious to get there. We have had two MAC schools that have played in Boise before us and they have come back with just great remarks about the bowl itself and the people that surround the bowl.”

On Utah State
“It’s going to be big challenge for us. Utah State is a very physical football team on both sides of the field and as I look at them they are a very complete football team.”

On Utah State’s running a...

Gordon Hayward sat on a stool deep against the backdrop of the Utah Jazz logo, calmly fielding questions about practice, the end of the NBA lockout, the start of training camp and the upcoming season.

There was something different about him, something more refined about the man who could well be Utah's starting small forward this season.

Hayward was comfortable. At ease. Like he knew what to expect. That's what happens when rookies become sophomores. The element of surprise is no longer there. Nobody has to explain the game to him anymore. He's already played it.

"I guess I kind of know what's going to happen now," Hayward said. "The season is going to be fun."

Utah State freshman forward Steven Thornton is no longer an Aggie.

USU announced in a press release on Friday afternoon that Thornton has left the team to move closer to home. That's a blow to USU and its young talent.

Thornton started in the beginning of the season and excited fans with his athleticism. He has struggled of late, though. I a win over Utah Valley University on Tuesday night, Thornton never moved from the bench, as it became clear that sophomore forward Danny Berger had taken his spot in the rotation.

Thornton also had a run-in with the coaching staff, openly arguing with assistant Tarvish Felton on the USU bench in the second half of a win over Idaho S...

Danny Berger, for one night, was an answer to Utah State's woes when it comes to perimeter scoring.

The 6-foot-7 small forward/shooting guard, scored 10 points in Tuesday night's win over Utah Valley University. He made two three-pointers, he drove to the basket and he made himself a threat, which is something that Mitch Bruneel and Steven Thornton haven't been doing.

Berger played 18 minutes against the Wolverines. And while he's still trying to get his legs back from his LDS mission, he's got what it takes to help this basketball team.

"He's a big part of our rotation," Morrill said. "He's going to be a big part of our team in the future."

Tony Jones

Via his facebook page, USU senior forward Brady Jardine has confirmed that torn ligaments in his foot will keep him out for the season.

Jardine will seek a medical redshirt, which he should be granted, and will return for a fifth season. He will graduate this spring with two degrees.

Jardine hurt himself against Southern Utah in the opening moments. It was thought that he would be back within a month. On Monday, however, Stew Morrill said he would be out for the forseeable future, although stopping short of declaring him out for the season.

Tony Jones

The news came down on Tuesday afternoon: Boise State and San Diego State are leaving the Mountain West to join the Big East.

If the Mountain West chooses to expand, will that open the door for Utah State?

That's an interesting question.

Here's what we know:The Tribune learned on Tuesday afternoon that Boise State is likely to come back to the Western Athletic Conference for its non-football sports. San Diego State is likely to park its other sports in the Big West.

With that, all eyes are on the Mountain West and whether or not it will expand. The Tribune has previously reported that USU will likely receive an invite along with San Jose State, with Boise State ...

Morgan Grim, the 6-foot-8 senior center, may not be well enough to play against Utah Valley University on Tuesday night, Stew Morrill said on Monday.

A nasty flu bug is the blame, as is a rolled ankle that hasn't completely healed. Grim, who has started every game this season for the Aggies, played just 11 minutes in USU's loss to Pacific on Saturday. He's expected to practice on Monday, and he may well be a gametime decision on Tuesday night.

If Grim can't go, expect freshman center Jordan Stone to receive his first career start. Stone played well in 23 minutes on Saturday night. He's made a positive impact in every game this season. He's still learning, and still raw, but ...

Most of the assistant coaches will be on the road recruiting for the first few days of this week, Gary Andersen said on Sunday night.

The Aggies will practice from Monday through Saturday, but there will be a heavy emphasis on getting reps for the redshirt guys and the scout team.

"We want to let the older guys rest and heal up a little bit," Andersen said.

With that, expect the redshirt players to scrimmage a lot this week and to get some special attention from the coaching staff. The advantage of being in a bowl game is the extra practice time that allows for more development.

Tony Jones

Aside from Preston Medlin, Utah State is desperate for perimeter scoring, as Steven Thornton, Mitch Bruneel and Adam Thoseby have each struggled to put the ball in the basket.

Enter Danny Berger. Maybe.

The 6-foot-7 shooting guard/small forward suited up on Wednesday at Denver, without playing a minute. But he's tall, can put the ball on the floor and he is one of the best three-point shooters on the team.

Problem is, Berger is three months removed from a mission. Stew Morrill typically redshirts his return missionaries, so they can acclimate themselves to the college game. But Berger is a special case.

Medlin has proven to be the only shooter on the team consi...

With the success of the football team, Scott Barnes has told the Tribune that he is working on a raise for head coach Gary Andersen and he expects the final details to be completed soon.

No specific dollar amount was discussed. But Andersen made a little over $300,000 dollars this season, and that could be doubled as Barnes said he wants to do his best to keep Andersen in Logan over a long period of time.

Andersen's contract, last season, was extended until 2016.

"We thought this day would come," Barnes said. "As his performance as a head coach has warranted, the time is right to offer a raise."

Andersen's Aggies are currently 6-5 on the season. USU, on Monday,...

The USU administration had been seeking to move Utah State's basketball matchup against Seattle from Saturday December 17th to Friday December 16th to accomodate that football team's appearance in the Idaho Potato Bowl and to not make the fan base choose which game to go to.

That was unsuccessful, Scott Barnes told the Tribune on Thursday.

Costs, and time commitment on the part of both parties made the chance impossible, as Seattle would've been forced to eat a lot of money in travel.

So, what the Aggies will potentially see is an empty Spectrum a little over two weeks from now, as most of the fan base is expected to be in Boise with the football team.

"We trie...

There is the possibility that freshman Chuckie Keeton can receive playing time on Saturday, when Utah State takes on New Mexico State.

Keeton hasn't seen playing time since he was hurt against Hawaii. He has suited up the last two weeks, but hasn't received any snaps, as Adam Kennedy has taken all the reps, with a little Stanley Morrison sprinkled here and there.

The reason hasn't all been tied to Kennedy's success. Rather, Keeton hasn't looked ready in practice. That's changed.

"This week is the first week that me and (quarterbacks coach) Matt Wells thought that he's looked like he can play," offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin said. "Last week we thought we could pla...