This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • Last season, Utah State was able to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, largely because the Western Athletic Conference was one of the strongest mid-major leagues in the country.
The Aggies likely won't have that luxury this time around.
Utah State opens WAC play Wednesday against Hawaii and Friday against San Jose State at the Smith Spectrum. This time, though, the Aggies are in a conference that, with few exceptions, hasn't performed well in nonleague play.
Utah State is the only team in the WAC that will enter conference play with 10 or more wins. Nevada, a traditional power, is 3-10 this season. Another power, New Mexico State, is 6-8, and missing Wendell McKines, one of the best power forwards in the league, to a foot injury.
It all adds up to a classic good news/bad news scenario for USU.
On paper, the Aggies are by far the best team in the conference and should walk away with at least a piece of a fourth consecutive WAC title. That's the good news.
However, the WAC is 15th in the country amongst Division I conferences, according to Realtime RPI. That essentially means the WAC is a one-bid league for the NCAA Tournament.
In other words, the Aggies have a slim margin for error.
"It's disappointing to see the conference perform the way it did in the nonconference," USU senior forward Tai Wesley said. "We all want the WAC to do well and be well-represented. It's been a little inconsistent this year, but at the same time we can't overlook anyone."
Gone from the conference is a lot of star power. Nevada's Luke Babbitt and Fresno State's Paul George ended up first-round NBA draft picks, with George landing in the lottery. Nevada's Armon Johnson and Louisiana Tech's Magnum Rolle became second-round picks and both are currently in the league.
There are no such recognizable names this season, other than Fresno's sophomore center Greg Smith, who is thought to be a draft pick whenever he decides to declare for the draft. Utah State has the highest RPI in the conference at 56. But the Aggies strength of schedule is 218 and steadily will drop as they make their way through the league.
"There is kind of a question mark about the entire league this season," Utah State senior guard Tyler Newbold said. "A lot of teams lost a lot of great players. But a lot of people don't think we have any star power. We just come out and try to execute as a team."
The Bracketbuster game, in February, is one thing that can help USU. The Aggies are expected to be one of the elite road teams in the field this season. They are expected to draw a high-powered mid-major team, perhaps St. Mary's or Old Dominion, and a win there would greatly enhance their at-large chances.
"The big thing is focusing on us," Newbold said. "Teams are going to know us and they're going to give us their best shot. We have to be ready."
Oddly enough, Hawaii is one of the few teams that has played well to this point. Picked ninth in the preseason polls, the Warriors are 9-3 and have wins over Utah and Mississippi State. Hawaii also played BYU tough for a half before the Cougars pulled away in the second 20 minutes.
The Warriors struggled mightily last season. But an infusion of new talent, plus bringing Gib Arnold in as the new head coach, has given Hawaii a jolt of confidence.
"That team is not going to finish ninth in the league," USU coach Stew Morrill said. "They are athletic, they shoot the ball well and they have a lot of weapons. They have a lot of energy and I love how hard they're playing. They're impressive to watch and they're going to be a challenge for us."
Scouting the WAC
Utah State (11-2) • Only defeats are to Georgetown and BYU, both nationally ranked programs. Other than that, the Aggies have taken care of business. A win over Long Beach State could look good at the end of the season.
Hawaii (9-3) • A new coach and a new attitude. The Rainbows have only played one true road game this season, but have wins over Mississippi State and Utah. USU should pose a huge test for them.
Louisiana Tech (9-5) • A loss to Texas is one thing. A loss to Iowa is another. But losses to Northwestern State and McNeese State are exactly what the conference doesn't need.
San Jose State (8-3) • Still has an elite scorer in Adrian Oliver, but lost several big men from last season. They have beaten Oregon on the road, and are another team that's played reasonably well. Former SLCC star Wil Carter has been a man in the paint.
Boise State (7-5) • Started well, but then the bottom fell out. Boise lost to Long Beach State, then lost to Utah and UNLV. None of them are terrible, but Leon Rice's crew could've used one signature win.
Idaho (6-5) • Former Stew Morrill assistant Don Verlin has struggled since leading his Vandals to an upper division finish two years ago. Former Aggie point guard Deremy Geiger has played exceptionally well. But he's been one of the few bright spots.
New Mexico State (6-8) • Even with the pedestrian record, NMSU figures to be Utah State's main challenger. Troy Gillenwater may be the best player in the conference. But the Southern Aggies may not get Wendell McKines back this season.
Fresno State (4-6) • Former Lone Peak star Bracken Funk is playing well in his first season following a mission. Greg Smith is an elite talent in the conference. But Fresno State is coached by Steve Cleveland. Disadvantage Fresno State.
Nevada (3-10) • Overturned most of its roster from last season, but people like Dario Hunt, Olek Cyz and Malik Story dictate that it shouldn't be THIS bad for Nevada. There's talent here. Why all the losses? —
3 things we've learned about USU
1 • The Aggies are the deepest team in the WAC. Brady Jardine would start for any other team in the conference. Brian Green, too. Both are coming off the bench for Stew Morrill.
2 • The Aggies are overly dependent on Tai Wesley. With him, USU played Georgetown to a draw in the first half. Without him, the Aggies got crushed by the Hoyas.
3 • USU has all but solved its point guard issues. Brockeith Pane has become much more patient in running the offense and has stopped looking for his own shot with such regularity. —
Hawaii at USU
P Wednesday
7 p.m.