No fan likes to hear the word ?rebuilding,? but it is safe to say that this has been a very difficult year for Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill and his Aggies.
Hope sprung eternal after the Aggies downed in-state rival BYU in the season opener, but it has been nothing but downhill since.
Utah State lost a key player in senior forward Brady Jardine went down with torn ligaments in his foot just three games into the season that ended Jardine?s basketball career.
?Obviously it was a blow when we lost Brady and that certainly affected our team," Morrill said. "Injuries shouldn't be excuses but they are facts, that's the way I have always looked at it, and that is a fact that we lost him and it was certainly tough for our team.?
The Aggies will close out the 2011-12 home schedule with Senior Night against the Idaho Vandals. Utah State will be honoring three seniors Friday night, including the injured Jardine. His fellow seniors include forward Morgan Grim and guard Brockeith Pane.
?I am very appreciative of what the seniors have done and I think that far to often seniors are judged by what kind of season you are having and they should really be judged for the things that I mentioned, for their effort and trying to do everything they can day in and day out," Morrill said.
Utah State is made a very emotional decision in granting Jardine the opportunity to fully participate in Senior Night.
?Everything he accomplished in his career here and how sad it is that he won't get to have a senior season," Morrill said. "Those are the things that I'm sure will hit him and all of us. (He is a) quality, great young man with a bright future in life, kind of what college basketball should be all about. (He's a) great student, very mature.?
Friday night won?t be all about celebration in the Dee Glen Spectrum, there?s also a basketball game that will take place. The Aggies look to split the season series against the Vandals, but that won?t come easy.
The Vandals are led by junior center Kyle Barone, who leads the team in both points and rebounds averaging 13.1 and 8.2 per game, respectively.
Morrill will have some issues defending Barone due to his size and skill.
"He's playing really well, they have thrown him the ball a lot and I have always thought Kyle Barone was a really good player,? said Morrill. ?He just gets better with experience like a lot of guys do. He can shoot it, he can pass it, he's long and he can hurt you in the block, he can face up and hurt you, he can drive by you, he's an awfully good rebounder averaging eight a game. He gives them a presence inside offensively and defensively. They're definitely going to him a lot and they should be."
Friday may be Senior Night, but Morrill will need big games from sophomore guard Preston Medlin and junior forward Kyisean Reed. Medlin will need to score big-time points and Reed will need to clean up the glass and protect the paint.
This is no gimmie for the Aggies and Utah State is losing time to pull themselves together in time for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in two weeks.
Hope sprung eternal after the Aggies downed in-state rival BYU in the season opener, but it has been nothing but downhill since.
Utah State lost a key player in senior forward Brady Jardine went down with torn ligaments in his foot just three games into the season that ended Jardine?s basketball career.
?Obviously it was a blow when we lost Brady and that certainly affected our team," Morrill said. "Injuries shouldn't be excuses but they are facts, that's the way I have always looked at it, and that is a fact that we lost him and it was certainly tough for our team.?
The Aggies will close out the 2011-12 home schedule with Senior Night against the Idaho Vandals. Utah State will be honoring three seniors Friday night, including the injured Jardine. His fellow seniors include forward Morgan Grim and guard Brockeith Pane.
?I am very appreciative of what the seniors have done and I think that far to often seniors are judged by what kind of season you are having and they should really be judged for the things that I mentioned, for their effort and trying to do everything they can day in and day out," Morrill said.
Utah State is made a very emotional decision in granting Jardine the opportunity to fully participate in Senior Night.
?Everything he accomplished in his career here and how sad it is that he won't get to have a senior season," Morrill said. "Those are the things that I'm sure will hit him and all of us. (He is a) quality, great young man with a bright future in life, kind of what college basketball should be all about. (He's a) great student, very mature.?
Friday night won?t be all about celebration in the Dee Glen Spectrum, there?s also a basketball game that will take place. The Aggies look to split the season series against the Vandals, but that won?t come easy.
The Vandals are led by junior center Kyle Barone, who leads the team in both points and rebounds averaging 13.1 and 8.2 per game, respectively.
Morrill will have some issues defending Barone due to his size and skill.
"He's playing really well, they have thrown him the ball a lot and I have always thought Kyle Barone was a really good player,? said Morrill. ?He just gets better with experience like a lot of guys do. He can shoot it, he can pass it, he's long and he can hurt you in the block, he can face up and hurt you, he can drive by you, he's an awfully good rebounder averaging eight a game. He gives them a presence inside offensively and defensively. They're definitely going to him a lot and they should be."
Friday may be Senior Night, but Morrill will need big games from sophomore guard Preston Medlin and junior forward Kyisean Reed. Medlin will need to score big-time points and Reed will need to clean up the glass and protect the paint.
This is no gimmie for the Aggies and Utah State is losing time to pull themselves together in time for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in two weeks.
