Just when it looked like the Aggies might be at full strength, another hurdle has appeared.
Not that the Utah State men?s basketball team could ever return to full strength this season as three players are out for the rest of the 2017-18 campaign, but of the remaining athletes it was looking good after a week between games. That won?t be the case Wednesday night when USU returns to action at Arena Auditorium. Wyoming hosts the Aggies for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
?We are short-handed once again,? USU head coach Tim Duryea said Tuesday before the team left for the Cowboy State..
Forward Quinn Taylor was not with the team. The official word is he is dealing with a ?medical issue.? The junior had some heart concerns at the Mountain West Tournament last March and had a procedure done in May. Taylor has had no problems until at practice Monday.
There is no word on how long he will be out. Duryea said: ?Quinn?s status down the road is unknown at this point.?
Taylor had 15 points and five rebounds in a 89-80 win against New Mexico last Wednesday.
He had started eight games and saw action in all 24 contests this season ? one of only four Aggies to not miss a contest this season. Taylor was averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds a game, while leading the team in field goal percentage (59.3 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (44.8 percent) and blocked shots (15).
With Taylor out, the Aggies (13-11, 6-5 MW) do get forward Alex Dargenton and guard Julion Pearre back. The seniors will certainly be needed Wednesday night.
?Alex is not 100 percent, but available to play,? Duryea said. ?Julion is probably even more healthy than Alex at this point and ready to play. Other than Quinn (Taylor), we?re as healthy as we?ve been. I was excited yesterday to start practice. We had everybody who is not out for the year, healthy and available for practice. That didn?t last long.?
With seven games left in the regular season, the Aggies are excited to continue the momentum they built before taking a little break. USU comes into the game having won three in a row and is tied for fifth in the league standings.
?We have a lot of momentum going into this game,? said Aggie guard Koby McEwen, the reigning MW Player of the Week. ?Our guys are confident and locked in. I think that?s going to help. We need to be ready for the challenge coming up.?
The Aggies took an early flight to Denver Tuesday, bused to Laramie and practiced in the evening. The coaching staff decided to mix it up a little and try and acclimate to the elevation of 7,250 feet. USU has had some issues in Laramie since joining the MW. Only last year?s game was close, and the Aggies had to have a big second half to make it look better.
?The altitude has an effect,? Duryea said. ?We?re coming from altitude, but when you?re over 7,000 feet, our guys really feel it. It?s not imaginary. That being the case, we?re going to try and play more people in the first half tomorrow. We?re going to try and lengthen our bench a little bit and see where we are at the half and go from there in the second half.?
Wyoming (15-8, 6-4) had been on a roll before last Saturday. The Cowboys had won four in a row, but dropped a rare home game against Fresno State, 80-62, in their last outing. Wyoming has three veteran players and good mix of a supporting cast.
?We?ve got to defend the 3-point line, we?ve got to defend in transition,? Duryea said. ?They shoot the ball very quickly, they play at a fast pace. Like a lot of places when you go on the road, it starts with getting your defense set. ? They?re athletic, they block a lot of shots at the rim and really had us stymied for a good portion of the game in Logan.?
Wyoming built a 22-point lead in the first half several weeks ago in the Spectrum. USU did rally briefly and had the lead late in the second half, but fell, 85-77. The Aggies have not lost since.
?There is nothing they do that we can?t handle,? McEwen said. ?It?s just a matter of throwing the first punch, locking in on the defensive end and everything will take care of itself.?
Getting off to a good start is vital. In past visits to Laramie, the Aggies have struggled at the beginning and had to play catch up.
?We came out flat last year and didn?t have a good start,? McEwen said of a 95-87 loss. ?We?ve got to lock in defensively. We need to know our coverages and come ready to play from the jump.?
One thing the Aggies don?t want is overtime. The Cowboys are perfect in OT this season with six victories, and three of those came in double overtime.
USU will also be trying not to foul. Wyoming has made nearly as many free throws as the Aggies have attempted this season, and USU has played one more game than Wyoming. The Cowboys average 19.1 free throw makes a game. Their 440 made foul shots leads the league and is fifth nationally.
?They do two things: They play fast and they really attack the rims in a lot of ways,? Duryea said. ?They?re not a great offensive rebounding team because that?s not really something they emphasize. But, they do get the ball up the floor quickly and attack you in transition, which causes a lot of fouls.?
Guard Justin James leads the Cowboys with 18.7 points per game and that goes up in just MW contests to 21.1. Hayden Dalton nets 17.4 ppg and leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 an outing. Alan Herndon is the third double-digit scorer for Wyoming at 12.2.
In the first meeting this season, USU held James in check. However, Dalton and Herndon went off for 20 and 21 points, respectively.
McEwen had his first double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He was one of five Aggies to reach double figures in scoring as Sam Merrill led the way with 19.
For the season, Merrill and McEwen lead the team with 15.7 and 15.1 ppg, respectively. McEwen is the top rebounder at 5.4 per contest.
Not that the Utah State men?s basketball team could ever return to full strength this season as three players are out for the rest of the 2017-18 campaign, but of the remaining athletes it was looking good after a week between games. That won?t be the case Wednesday night when USU returns to action at Arena Auditorium. Wyoming hosts the Aggies for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
?We are short-handed once again,? USU head coach Tim Duryea said Tuesday before the team left for the Cowboy State..
Forward Quinn Taylor was not with the team. The official word is he is dealing with a ?medical issue.? The junior had some heart concerns at the Mountain West Tournament last March and had a procedure done in May. Taylor has had no problems until at practice Monday.
There is no word on how long he will be out. Duryea said: ?Quinn?s status down the road is unknown at this point.?
Taylor had 15 points and five rebounds in a 89-80 win against New Mexico last Wednesday.
He had started eight games and saw action in all 24 contests this season ? one of only four Aggies to not miss a contest this season. Taylor was averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds a game, while leading the team in field goal percentage (59.3 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (44.8 percent) and blocked shots (15).
With Taylor out, the Aggies (13-11, 6-5 MW) do get forward Alex Dargenton and guard Julion Pearre back. The seniors will certainly be needed Wednesday night.
?Alex is not 100 percent, but available to play,? Duryea said. ?Julion is probably even more healthy than Alex at this point and ready to play. Other than Quinn (Taylor), we?re as healthy as we?ve been. I was excited yesterday to start practice. We had everybody who is not out for the year, healthy and available for practice. That didn?t last long.?
With seven games left in the regular season, the Aggies are excited to continue the momentum they built before taking a little break. USU comes into the game having won three in a row and is tied for fifth in the league standings.
?We have a lot of momentum going into this game,? said Aggie guard Koby McEwen, the reigning MW Player of the Week. ?Our guys are confident and locked in. I think that?s going to help. We need to be ready for the challenge coming up.?
The Aggies took an early flight to Denver Tuesday, bused to Laramie and practiced in the evening. The coaching staff decided to mix it up a little and try and acclimate to the elevation of 7,250 feet. USU has had some issues in Laramie since joining the MW. Only last year?s game was close, and the Aggies had to have a big second half to make it look better.
?The altitude has an effect,? Duryea said. ?We?re coming from altitude, but when you?re over 7,000 feet, our guys really feel it. It?s not imaginary. That being the case, we?re going to try and play more people in the first half tomorrow. We?re going to try and lengthen our bench a little bit and see where we are at the half and go from there in the second half.?
Wyoming (15-8, 6-4) had been on a roll before last Saturday. The Cowboys had won four in a row, but dropped a rare home game against Fresno State, 80-62, in their last outing. Wyoming has three veteran players and good mix of a supporting cast.
?We?ve got to defend the 3-point line, we?ve got to defend in transition,? Duryea said. ?They shoot the ball very quickly, they play at a fast pace. Like a lot of places when you go on the road, it starts with getting your defense set. ? They?re athletic, they block a lot of shots at the rim and really had us stymied for a good portion of the game in Logan.?
Wyoming built a 22-point lead in the first half several weeks ago in the Spectrum. USU did rally briefly and had the lead late in the second half, but fell, 85-77. The Aggies have not lost since.
?There is nothing they do that we can?t handle,? McEwen said. ?It?s just a matter of throwing the first punch, locking in on the defensive end and everything will take care of itself.?
Getting off to a good start is vital. In past visits to Laramie, the Aggies have struggled at the beginning and had to play catch up.
?We came out flat last year and didn?t have a good start,? McEwen said of a 95-87 loss. ?We?ve got to lock in defensively. We need to know our coverages and come ready to play from the jump.?
One thing the Aggies don?t want is overtime. The Cowboys are perfect in OT this season with six victories, and three of those came in double overtime.
USU will also be trying not to foul. Wyoming has made nearly as many free throws as the Aggies have attempted this season, and USU has played one more game than Wyoming. The Cowboys average 19.1 free throw makes a game. Their 440 made foul shots leads the league and is fifth nationally.
?They do two things: They play fast and they really attack the rims in a lot of ways,? Duryea said. ?They?re not a great offensive rebounding team because that?s not really something they emphasize. But, they do get the ball up the floor quickly and attack you in transition, which causes a lot of fouls.?
Guard Justin James leads the Cowboys with 18.7 points per game and that goes up in just MW contests to 21.1. Hayden Dalton nets 17.4 ppg and leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 an outing. Alan Herndon is the third double-digit scorer for Wyoming at 12.2.
In the first meeting this season, USU held James in check. However, Dalton and Herndon went off for 20 and 21 points, respectively.
McEwen had his first double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He was one of five Aggies to reach double figures in scoring as Sam Merrill led the way with 19.
For the season, Merrill and McEwen lead the team with 15.7 and 15.1 ppg, respectively. McEwen is the top rebounder at 5.4 per contest.
