Utah State Aggies men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Utah State Aggies are a Division I men's college basketball team that plays in the Western Athletic Conference
, representing Utah State University
. The Aggies have enjoyed an extremely high amount of success in recent years under head coach Stew Morrill
. In the eleven years that Morrill has been at the helm, Utah State has the 4th highest winning percentage in the nation, behind only Duke, Kansas
, and Gonzaga
. As of the end of the 2010-2011 season, the Aggies have an all-time record of 1,458-1,006 (.592).
The Aggies enjoyed mixed success early in their history, notching sporadic NCAA tournament
appearances and alternating winning in the then-smaller postseason bracket with not winning much at all. Perhaps the most notable event in Utah State basketball history occurred on February 8, 1965, with the tragic death of Wayne Estes
. Estes was a 6'6" forward for the Aggies, and was the nation's second leading scorer in 1965, behind only Rick Barry
, at 33.7 ppg. He had just amassed 2,000 career points with a 48-point showing in a home victory over the University of Denver, when he stopped at the scene of a car accident in Logan. While crossing the street, Estes accidentally clipped a downed power line with his head and was electrocuted. His full potential remains unrealized. The Los Angeles Lakers
had planned on drafting him in the 1st round of the NBA Draft, where he likely would have gone on to with several championships with the team. Following Estes's death, he was posthumously awarded 1st team All-American honors.
The men's basketball team wasn't adversely affected by the constant shuffling of conference affiliations and independent status that blighted the USU football program throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. The program, however, did endure a lengthy stint as an independent program, from 1937 to 1978—although in that period, basketball independence was not the financial and competitive obstacle that it would become in the ESPN
era. All the while, it remained the most resilient and popular sport at USU, enjoying steady success for decades. During the 1960s and '70s, the Aggies spent a great deal of time in both major national polls, finishing the season in the AP Top 25 three times and in the Coaches' Poll Top 25 seven times during those two decades. USU reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1962, and the Elite 8 in 1970.
The Aggies haven't performed well in the postseason recently, though their success at the regional level and during the regular season is virtually unmatched. They enjoy a particularly strong home-court advantage at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, where they are 159-12 in the Morrill era. The Aggies have a difficult time scheduling high-profile opponents, which rarely emerge from the Smith Spectrum victorious.
Due to the mid-major conference and relatively weak schedule that USU plays each year, the Aggies are often left out of the national spotlight. That being said, their fame continues to grow and spread throughout the country, aided by ESPN
appearances, often-epic win streaks, the boisterous Aggie faithful, and the team's statistical rankings. During the 2008-09 season, USU led the nation in field goal percentage with 49.8%. In addition, they were 2nd in win/loss percentage and 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio. Thus far in 2009-10, the Aggies lead the nation in 3-point percentage with an incredible 42.5%.
The Aggies have spent time in the national rankings in two of the last six seasons, reaching as high as #19 in the Coaches' Poll in 2003-04, and #17 in 2008-09. During the 2009-2010, the Aggies reached as high as #26, one spot out of the actual rankings, before falling back to #31 for the postseason poll.
Utah State has also won the Old Oquirrh Bucket
nine times, including both of the last two seasons. The Bucket is the award given each year to the best college basketball team in Utah, based on records against in-state opponents.
history. Its 19 appearances are the most of any member of the Western Athletic Conference
. In recent years, the team has won invitations to the tournament in 1998 (under coach Larry Eustachy
), 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010 (all under Morrill
). Prior to 2006, all of these invitations were a result of winning the Big West Conference tournament. In both 2006 and 2010, the Aggies received an at-large bid to the tournament after losing in the WAC tournament championship game. Despite a stellar season in 2003–2004 and a national top-25 ranking toward the end of the season, the Aggies did not receive an at-large tournament bid after being upset in the conference tournament, making them the first top-25 team in college basketball history to be snubbed from the tournament. This decision earned the derision of coach Morrill, as the Aggies held a 25-3 record along with their ranking.
In 2009, USU won the WAC tournament championship game, defeating Nevada in Reno. The team went on to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Marquette
, 58-57. The most recent NCAA Tournament success was a first-round upset over fifth-seeded Ohio State University
in 2001
.
The 2010 team received an at-large bid from the selection committee after losing in the WAC tournament final to New Mexico State
. The 12th-seeded Aggies then lost their opening round game to Texas A&M
.
Utah State plays its home games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, a 10,270-seat arena on the campus of Utah State University
. The Aggies are 453-105 (.812) at the Smith Spectrum, which has housed basketball since 1970. Previous to the building of the Spectrum, Utah State's basketball teams played at the George Nelson Fieldhouse
on campus. Under head coach Stew Morrill
, USU is 194-13 (.937) at home. Until a surprising early-season loss in 2009, USU boasted the second-longest home win streak in the nation, behind Kansas
.
The Smith Spectrum features seats at court level, extremely close to the players. The university also reserves an unusually high percentage of seats, including at court level, for its students. This has aided the USU student section in becoming one of the most notoriously loud and raucous (and clever) in the nation, with major publicity in recent years. Various sources have called the Smith Spectrum among the hardest places in the nation for opposing teams to play. In the '90s, when his teams were reaching the Final Four and competing at the highest echelons of college basketball, University of Utah
coach Rick Majerus
called the Smith Spectrum the toughest place in the country for his teams to play. After a February 2010 game at the Smith Spectrum, Wichita State
head coach Gregg Marshall
said “Utah State has 4000 student tickets and they make some type of impression on the visiting team and it's just a party. It is one heck of a party. It's the best I've ever seen. In many, many years I've been at Duke and Kentucky and UConn and Syracuse and it's clearly the best I've ever seen in terms of atmosphere."
The student section's arsenal owes much to an unofficial pre-game publication called "The Refraction", which includes dirt on opposing players and coaches, and contains instructions for cheers and chants. One student fan, known as "Wild Bill", has also gained much renown as of late for his unique techniques to distract opposing free throw shooters.
Another Utah State tradition is their "Winning team, losing team" chant that mocks the away losing team in the last seconds of a game.
USU fans also appear in solid (and loud) numbers at away games, and especially conference tournaments, referring to themselves as the "Spectrum on Wheels".
|- align=center bgcolor=#003366
| Season || Head Coach || Conference || Overall || Postseason
|-
| 1993-94 || Larry Eustachy
|| 11-7 (T-2nd) || 14-13 ||
|-
| 1994-95 || Larry Eustachy || 14-4 (1st) || 21-8 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 1995-96 || Larry Eustachy || 10-8 (4th) || 18-15 ||
|-
| 1996-97 || Larry Eustachy || 12-4 (T-1st) || 20-9||
|-
| 1997-98 || Larry Eustachy || 13-3 (1st) || 25-8 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 1998-99 || Stew Morrill
|| 8-8 (4th) || 15-13 ||
|-
| 1999-00 || Stew Morrill || 16-0 (1st) || 28-6 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2000-01 || Stew Morrill || 13-3 (2nd) || 28-6 || NCAA, Second Round
|-
| 2001-02 || Stew Morrill || 13-5 (T-1st) || 23-8 || NIT, Opening Round
|-
| 2002-03 || Stew Morrill || 12-6 (3rd) || 24-9 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2003-04 || Stew Morrill || 17-1 (T-1st) || 25-4 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 2004-05 || Stew Morrill || 13-5 (2nd) || 24-8 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2005-06 || Stew Morrill || 11-5 (T-2nd) || 23-9 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2006-07 || Stew Morrill || 9-7 (4th) || 23-12 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 2007-08 || Stew Morrill || 12-4 (T-1st) || 21-11 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 2008-09 || Stew Morrill || 14-2 (1st) || 30-5 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2009-10
|| Stew Morrill || 14-2 (1st) || 27-8 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2010-11
|| Stew Morrill || 15-1 (1st) || 30-3 || NCAA, First Round
|}
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, representing Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
. The Aggies have enjoyed an extremely high amount of success in recent years under head coach Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Utah State University men's basketball team. Morrill was an All-American at Ricks College and a two-time All-Big Sky selection for Gonzaga University...
. In the eleven years that Morrill has been at the helm, Utah State has the 4th highest winning percentage in the nation, behind only Duke, Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks Basketball
The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks and is one of the most successful and prestigious programs in the history of college basketball...
, and Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. As of the end of the 2010-2011 season, the Aggies have an all-time record of 1,458-1,006 (.592).
Background
The first basketball team on Utah State's campus was organized in 1902 and consisted of only women. A men's team was organized in 1904, at which point the women's club fell into obscurity.The Aggies enjoyed mixed success early in their history, notching sporadic NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances and alternating winning in the then-smaller postseason bracket with not winning much at all. Perhaps the most notable event in Utah State basketball history occurred on February 8, 1965, with the tragic death of Wayne Estes
Wayne Estes
Wayne Vernon Estes was a 6'6" forward All-American basketball player for Utah State University from 1963 to 1965. Wayne is the third-leading scorer in Utah State history with 2,001 points and the fourth-leading rebounder...
. Estes was a 6'6" forward for the Aggies, and was the nation's second leading scorer in 1965, behind only Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
, at 33.7 ppg. He had just amassed 2,000 career points with a 48-point showing in a home victory over the University of Denver, when he stopped at the scene of a car accident in Logan. While crossing the street, Estes accidentally clipped a downed power line with his head and was electrocuted. His full potential remains unrealized. The Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
had planned on drafting him in the 1st round of the NBA Draft, where he likely would have gone on to with several championships with the team. Following Estes's death, he was posthumously awarded 1st team All-American honors.
The men's basketball team wasn't adversely affected by the constant shuffling of conference affiliations and independent status that blighted the USU football program throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. The program, however, did endure a lengthy stint as an independent program, from 1937 to 1978—although in that period, basketball independence was not the financial and competitive obstacle that it would become in the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
era. All the while, it remained the most resilient and popular sport at USU, enjoying steady success for decades. During the 1960s and '70s, the Aggies spent a great deal of time in both major national polls, finishing the season in the AP Top 25 three times and in the Coaches' Poll Top 25 seven times during those two decades. USU reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1962, and the Elite 8 in 1970.
The Aggies haven't performed well in the postseason recently, though their success at the regional level and during the regular season is virtually unmatched. They enjoy a particularly strong home-court advantage at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, where they are 159-12 in the Morrill era. The Aggies have a difficult time scheduling high-profile opponents, which rarely emerge from the Smith Spectrum victorious.
Due to the mid-major conference and relatively weak schedule that USU plays each year, the Aggies are often left out of the national spotlight. That being said, their fame continues to grow and spread throughout the country, aided by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
appearances, often-epic win streaks, the boisterous Aggie faithful, and the team's statistical rankings. During the 2008-09 season, USU led the nation in field goal percentage with 49.8%. In addition, they were 2nd in win/loss percentage and 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio. Thus far in 2009-10, the Aggies lead the nation in 3-point percentage with an incredible 42.5%.
The Aggies have spent time in the national rankings in two of the last six seasons, reaching as high as #19 in the Coaches' Poll in 2003-04, and #17 in 2008-09. During the 2009-2010, the Aggies reached as high as #26, one spot out of the actual rankings, before falling back to #31 for the postseason poll.
Utah State has also won the Old Oquirrh Bucket
Old Oquirrh Bucket
The Old Oquirrh Bucket is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah...
nine times, including both of the last two seasons. The Bucket is the award given each year to the best college basketball team in Utah, based on records against in-state opponents.
NCAA tournament
Utah State is 6-21 (.222) in its NCAA tournamentNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
history. Its 19 appearances are the most of any member of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. In recent years, the team has won invitations to the tournament in 1998 (under coach Larry Eustachy
Larry Eustachy
Larry Eustachy is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of The University of Southern Mississippi's men's basketball team. He was hired as head coach on March 25, 2004. He had previously been head coach of the men's basketball teams at Idaho , Utah State and Iowa State...
), 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010 (all under Morrill
Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Utah State University men's basketball team. Morrill was an All-American at Ricks College and a two-time All-Big Sky selection for Gonzaga University...
). Prior to 2006, all of these invitations were a result of winning the Big West Conference tournament. In both 2006 and 2010, the Aggies received an at-large bid to the tournament after losing in the WAC tournament championship game. Despite a stellar season in 2003–2004 and a national top-25 ranking toward the end of the season, the Aggies did not receive an at-large tournament bid after being upset in the conference tournament, making them the first top-25 team in college basketball history to be snubbed from the tournament. This decision earned the derision of coach Morrill, as the Aggies held a 25-3 record along with their ranking.
In 2009, USU won the WAC tournament championship game, defeating Nevada in Reno. The team went on to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, 58-57. The most recent NCAA Tournament success was a first-round upset over fifth-seeded Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 2001
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
.
The 2010 team received an at-large bid from the selection committee after losing in the WAC tournament final to New Mexico State
New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball
The New Mexico State Aggies Basketball team is the basketball team that represents New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1904, the Aggies currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference and last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2010...
. The 12th-seeded Aggies then lost their opening round game to Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
.
Home-court advantage
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
. The Aggies are 453-105 (.812) at the Smith Spectrum, which has housed basketball since 1970. Previous to the building of the Spectrum, Utah State's basketball teams played at the George Nelson Fieldhouse
George Nelson Fieldhouse
The George Nelson Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, Utah. As a 6,500-seat arena, it was home to the Utah State University men's basketball team until the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum opened in 1970....
on campus. Under head coach Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Utah State University men's basketball team. Morrill was an All-American at Ricks College and a two-time All-Big Sky selection for Gonzaga University...
, USU is 194-13 (.937) at home. Until a surprising early-season loss in 2009, USU boasted the second-longest home win streak in the nation, behind Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks Basketball
The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks and is one of the most successful and prestigious programs in the history of college basketball...
.
The Smith Spectrum features seats at court level, extremely close to the players. The university also reserves an unusually high percentage of seats, including at court level, for its students. This has aided the USU student section in becoming one of the most notoriously loud and raucous (and clever) in the nation, with major publicity in recent years. Various sources have called the Smith Spectrum among the hardest places in the nation for opposing teams to play. In the '90s, when his teams were reaching the Final Four and competing at the highest echelons of college basketball, University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
coach Rick Majerus
Rick Majerus
Rick Majerus is an American college basketball coach, and the men's basketball head coach at Saint Louis University. He coached previously at Marquette University , Ball State University , and the University of Utah .-Biography:Majerus graduated from Marquette University High School in 1966 and...
called the Smith Spectrum the toughest place in the country for his teams to play. After a February 2010 game at the Smith Spectrum, Wichita State
Wichita State Shockers
The Shockers are the athletic teams at Wichita State University, who compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. Wichita State is well known for its fan support and its baseball program, which has the highest winning percentange of any college baseball team over the past 31 years...
head coach Gregg Marshall
Gregg Marshall
Gregg Marshall is the current head basketball coach at Wichita State University.-Education:Gregg Marshall graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a B.A. degree in Economics/Business in 1985...
said “Utah State has 4000 student tickets and they make some type of impression on the visiting team and it's just a party. It is one heck of a party. It's the best I've ever seen. In many, many years I've been at Duke and Kentucky and UConn and Syracuse and it's clearly the best I've ever seen in terms of atmosphere."
The student section's arsenal owes much to an unofficial pre-game publication called "The Refraction", which includes dirt on opposing players and coaches, and contains instructions for cheers and chants. One student fan, known as "Wild Bill", has also gained much renown as of late for his unique techniques to distract opposing free throw shooters.
Another Utah State tradition is their "Winning team, losing team" chant that mocks the away losing team in the last seconds of a game.
USU fans also appear in solid (and loud) numbers at away games, and especially conference tournaments, referring to themselves as the "Spectrum on Wheels".
Notable former players
- F – Wayne EstesWayne EstesWayne Vernon Estes was a 6'6" forward All-American basketball player for Utah State University from 1963 to 1965. Wayne is the third-leading scorer in Utah State history with 2,001 points and the fourth-leading rebounder...
(1963–1965) 1st Team AP All American (1965) - G – Jaycee CarrollJaycee CarrollJaycee Don Carroll is an American professional basketball player. While playing for the Utah State University Aggies, he was best known for his scoring prowess, shooting ability, range, and endurance. He has the 4th highest 3 point field goal percentage, 14th most 3 pointers made, and 52nd most...
(2004–2008) All-Time Leading Scorer
Recent results and current standings
{| class="wikitable sortable"|- align=center bgcolor=#003366
| Season || Head Coach || Conference || Overall || Postseason
|-
| 1993-94 || Larry Eustachy
Larry Eustachy
Larry Eustachy is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of The University of Southern Mississippi's men's basketball team. He was hired as head coach on March 25, 2004. He had previously been head coach of the men's basketball teams at Idaho , Utah State and Iowa State...
|| 11-7 (T-2nd) || 14-13 ||
|-
| 1994-95 || Larry Eustachy || 14-4 (1st) || 21-8 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 1995-96 || Larry Eustachy || 10-8 (4th) || 18-15 ||
|-
| 1996-97 || Larry Eustachy || 12-4 (T-1st) || 20-9||
|-
| 1997-98 || Larry Eustachy || 13-3 (1st) || 25-8 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 1998-99 || Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill
Stew Morrill is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Utah State University men's basketball team. Morrill was an All-American at Ricks College and a two-time All-Big Sky selection for Gonzaga University...
|| 8-8 (4th) || 15-13 ||
|-
| 1999-00 || Stew Morrill || 16-0 (1st) || 28-6 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2000-01 || Stew Morrill || 13-3 (2nd) || 28-6 || NCAA, Second Round
|-
| 2001-02 || Stew Morrill || 13-5 (T-1st) || 23-8 || NIT, Opening Round
|-
| 2002-03 || Stew Morrill || 12-6 (3rd) || 24-9 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2003-04 || Stew Morrill || 17-1 (T-1st) || 25-4 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 2004-05 || Stew Morrill || 13-5 (2nd) || 24-8 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2005-06 || Stew Morrill || 11-5 (T-2nd) || 23-9 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2006-07 || Stew Morrill || 9-7 (4th) || 23-12 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 2007-08 || Stew Morrill || 12-4 (T-1st) || 21-11 || NIT, First Round
|-
| 2008-09 || Stew Morrill || 14-2 (1st) || 30-5 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2009-10
2009–10 Utah State Aggies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Utah State Aggies men's basketball team represented Utah State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Stew Morrill's 12th season at Utah State. The Aggies played their home games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and are members of the Western Athletic...
|| Stew Morrill || 14-2 (1st) || 27-8 || NCAA, First Round
|-
| 2010-11
2010–11 Utah State Aggies men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Utah State Aggies men's basketball team represented Utah State University during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Aggies, led by thirteenth year head coach Stew Morrill, played their home games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and are members of the Western...
|| Stew Morrill || 15-1 (1st) || 30-3 || NCAA, First Round
|}