Heartbreak in the Spectrum

I probably have said this a million times, but I will say it again. I LOVE THIS TEAM!

I don't know what else to say. I have started 25 different times, and all I can say is that in the near future this new Aggie team will fire on all cylinders and get a W. I know these players know how to play basketball, they wouldn't be here if they didn't. So I know that wins will come, most of these guys are having to adjust to playing significant minutes and that takes time I suspect. I would guess that there is a different mental toughness that is involved in getting prepared for the game. During my own basketball career I was told to shoot, shoot, shoot because that is the only way you will score a basket. This team lost last night because shots just wouldn't fall. I guarantee that these guys will get there shots to fall. 

Game Points:

• Once again, Jarred Shaw is getting my praise. He played out of his mind last night. Very impressed. He mentioned on the radio after the game that his family told him to just "Play Basketball". Sometimes is is easy to get caught up in the complexities of the game and forget the simplicity. As Jared Quayle once said, "Put the ball in the hole and play defense" (or something close to that)
• SPENCER BUTTERFIELD! Holy Cow. 15 rebounds. 15! That is almost half of the entire La Tech teams total rebounds. Every game he is becoming more and more of a Stew Morrill basketball player. Love it.
• Ben Clifford, is probably my favorite player right now. It is crazy to say that he is the "veteran" player for the healthy guys as a sophomore. This guy works his tail off. I am really liking the almost out side threat that he brings to the team. I say "almost" because he has only taken a few 3 pointers and there is an opportunity for it. Does anyone remember when Gary Wilkinson would shoot the 3? 
• La Tech's coach, Micheal White is really annoying. Don't like him much. Wish the front row could half hassled him a little more.
• The refs were really really slow. 
• The injured Aggies on the end of the bench make me laugh. Especially when they whip their towels. I don't know if it has to do anything with Ben Clifford starting now, but I do know that he would whip his towel all the time. 
• In the annual Coaches vs Cancer game Coach Morrill sported sleek black tennis shoes. Why you may ask would I mention this? Well, because I am crazy observant and this is the first time I noticed him in something other than the white and blue ones that his assistants wear. 
• Ok, probably after that last point I should stop because I am starting to sound like a crazy person.

This team last night came together and played hard basketball. Coach said because of the effort he will take the result. I mean we should too, we took the number 1 team in the WAC and only lost by 3!

Ags, head out on the road for a 3 game road trip. Here is to hoping for a couple of wins!

GO AGGIES!

The season is not over.

I can bet most Aggie fans have thrown in the towel on this 2012-2013 season. As easy as it may be to do that I have decided to just enjoy the moment. This is Aggie Basketball! This is the one thing that keeps people in Cache Valley sane during the long inversion season! I know it hurts to loose games. Especially when this is a program that wins a lot of games. But are you really only an Aggie fan when they are winning 20+ games a season, going undefeated at home, and win conference championships? If you are, I am ashamed. You sound like a cougar. I am known for being harsh, but I thought Aggie fans were more than that. I thought Aggie fans were the ones that stick with it through the think and thin. Now more than ever Coach Morrill and Co. need support of "Aggie Nation". This is especially needed for Saturday nights when the Aggies host the top seed Louisiana Tech in the Spectrum.

Game Thoughts:

• Jarred Shaw in fact knows how to do a move TOWARDS the basket. It was a miracle. Now, if he can only finish them. Kudos to Jarred.
• Ben Clifford step-up his game. Very impressed with this points and rebounds, but more importantly his 110% effort for the entire game. There at the end when he was playing defense on the inbound pass that was crazy!! I hope he keeps the intensity and continues to improve. 
• Marvin Jean, the Jean Machine. Great scorer, just hoping he can become more consistant. 
• Biggest enemy for the Aggies the remainder of the season are FOULS. We were OK in the first half keeping them under control. They kinda caught up to us in the second, which could have caused some serious trouble. Coach has said that he will put 4 guys on the court if need be. I hope that he never has too.
• Jordan Stone, hustles. Coach has mentioned that he is not as "polished" on offense but he will work 100% the whole time. 
• Marcel Davis has hit the "freshman wall" I hoped that it wouldn't happen, but it has. I hope it passes quickly and he gets his shot back. 
• The point guard is KEY to a Coach Morrill basketball system. We need a point guard to step up and direct this team.

Aggie fans. This team needs our support. Cheer them on. Don't be a cougar and only be a fan when the team is wining.



Read All About It:
First a great Thank You letter from Mrs. Diane Berger, read here.
Second, an article from the Cache Valley Daily written by Tim Olsen, read here.

Aggie Basketball

I will only say this on this past weekends games: You win some, and loose some.The End.

Ok, not the end.

I went to the women's game on Saturday night and what I saw was pretty impressive. Night and day difference from last years team, tempo wise. This system gets up and down the court like nobody's business. Holy Cow. That was some fun basketball to watch. IF you haven't been to a game yet, you have to go. If for only one reason make that reason to see Devyn Christensen play. That girl knows how to put the ball in the hole! WOW! 23 Points in the first half! 23! I also loved the play of Franny Vaaulu. She knows how to be physical down in the low post. She had some great post moves and beautiful baskets. However the thing that made me most impressed was after the final buzzer had sounded. After the teams shook hands Coach Finkbeiner has his team do a quick talk on the court and then all of a sudden the team is in the stands. They all go different directions and start saying thank you to those in attendance. They give hi-fives and say hi. I was so impressed. That is so cool. Someday, soon I hope, there will be more that 200 people in attendance to these games. They are so much fun to watch. The Lady Aggies won handily 85-69. (That is one high scoring game!)

P.S. Coach Fink is also pretty awesome because he gives his team every Sunday off. I am really starting to like this coach.

A 2nd Spectrum Miracle.

You might ask what the first Spectrum Miracle was, well in my book it was the miracle that took place on December 4th when Danny went down but is now making an impressive recovery. So Saturday it was nice to see a "Spectrum Miracle" in the basketball form.

Saturday's game was one for the ages. That was a pretty impressive comeback by the boys. Thank goodness that the crowed was just loud enough to help squeak out a win.

The biggest thing from that game is the glimpse of the Spectrum that I knew of from years gone by. I was very happy to see more students and more Cache Valley citizens come and get loud. Probably the most gratifying thing as a avid Aggie fan is watching the paying fans stand on their feet to cheer.

Sadly I don't have much to say on the rest of the game because it was so long ago. But I will say this. It does not matter what the shooting percentage from behind the arc is (the Ags were shooting 9.3%) when you have a guy like Preston Medlin on your team.

I have said it once, and I will say it again. I LOVE THIS TEAM!

I have two great links for you guys to check out.

First a blog post by Danny on the Utah State Aggies Basketball Blog, it can be found here. This is the first blog post since he collapsed at practice. A little history on this blog. It was started 3 years ago by Tyler Newbold(Journalism Major) as a way to inform fans from a players perspective on the season and specific games. Last year Morgan Grimm took over the blog and then this year Danny has taken those responsibilities. They don't post very often, but that is a good thing they should be focused on other things. Haha. Do you think they would let me be the blog author? I would love that job!!

Second a pod cast interview with Coach Tim Dureya. This podcast can be found on iTunes just type in "Front Row Show" or you can go to www.usufans.com scroll through the front "News" pages till you find the link. The "Front Row Show" is a podcast put on by Matt Sonnenberg and two of his buddies. This is the guy that created and wrote the Refraction. This podcast is pretty good and I loved it.

Next game is Friday at home against San Jose St. This is the last of this 3 game home stand for the Aggies. Next Thursday the Aggies will be at New Mexico State and then at Denver. Returning home on the 24th against UT Arlington.

Oh and don't forget the "BEARD OUT!"

GO AGGIES!