LOGAN — Yeah, Logan. Home.
Utah State hasn't been there much lately. But in this cup-over-tea-kettle of a Big West Conference schedule, the Aggies and their six-game winning streak are back in the Smith Spectrum for three in a row after going 4-0 on a two-week road swing to wrest control of the league's Eastern Division.
But, as fate would have it, the teams closest to Utah State (15-5, 6-0) in the standings, North Texas (4-2) and New Mexico State (4-2), are here starting Thursday night (North Texas at 7 p.m.) to try and balance out the standings.
It gives Aggie coach Stew Morrill sleepless nights, even though his team is already in elite company, as far as USU history is concerned. Only two Aggie teams have ever had better January records than the 7-1 Morrill's team just posted, and every Aggie team that was 6-1 or better in January went to the NCAA Tournament so far. USU has also won 25 of its last 26 home BWC games.
Morrill takes no comfort in yesterday. "You look at the two teams coming in, and it immediately scared me," he said. "They are both 4-2 in league. North Texas is unbelievably explosive offensively. I watched (film of) them against New Mexico State, and sometimes they would score on the other end before New Mexico State could even get back," Morrill said. Now, that's fast. NMSU is hardly lumbering.
"They've got to guys averaging 22 and 19," Morrill adds "(Freshman guard) Chris Davis is (league) player of the week again. (Sophomore forward Deginald) Erskin had 35 against us last year.
"Then," Morrill whistles, "New Mexico State — the wins they had in the preseason."
So far, USU has handled nearly every type of team it's seen. It has shot strong percentages against some of the Big West's best-defending teams. It has shot poorly against others but won on defense or poise.
The biggest problem lately has been rebounding. USU got outboarded in a couple recent road games. Morrill says it's perhaps a dead-leg problem that is always a fear by the time February rolls around. It's hard to practice with tired legs, but that's critical.
"No matter what happens, we have to focus in on practice," says Morrill, who has so far gotten exceptional cooperation on that. "This has been a real good group that way. They have been attentive, they've tried to figure out what they are talking about, they've tried to figure out game prep, and obviously some guys have been improving. We have gotten collectively better and individually better," Morrill says.
There's a new problem Thursday: Davis. "Wait until you see this guy," Morrill says. "He's a man. Big and strong, and they post him up. He's got a big, athletic body, and he can shoot it. He doesn't look like a freshman at all."