Theo Lawson
Argonaut
Last season the Utah State Aggies came to the Cowan Spetrum as the nation’s No. 17 team, and ruined their 17-game unbeaten streak with a loss to the Vandals.
When the teams meet at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in the Cowan Spectrum, the rosters and implications will in no way resemble last year’s barn burner.
Thus far, the Aggies haven’t seen near the success of last year’s NCAA Tournament team. Utah State came into the 2011 match-up at 10-8 and 2-2 in the WAC. In addition, Stew Morrill’s Aggies only return one starter from last season — all-WAC Player of the Year candidate Brockeith Pane.
Former Aggie assistant and current Vandal coach Don Verlin has met his former team six times since signing with Idaho and is 1-5 with the only win coming in Moscow last February.
However, Utah State 2011 WAC results to date are identical Idaho’s. The Aggies disposed of Fresno State, fell to Nevada, dropped another to New Mexico State and came out of Ruston with a victory over La. Tech. Idaho’s loss to New Mexico State came by just 12 points but Utah State suffered a 20-point beating at the hands of New Mexico State. On the other hand, Utah State came close to taking down Nevada, only falling by seven points, while Idaho was embarrassed by the Wolf Pack, losing by 18.
Verlin looks at the three-game home stand as an advantage and won’t downplay Saturday’s showdown although the game’s intensity can’t compare to that of last year.
“Preston Medlin’s playing very well for them — very, very good shooter and very similar to Ledbetter,” Verlin said. “Pane is back and is one of the better point guards in the league no question about it. Kyisean Reed is an undersized floor man who is very athletic, Morgan Grim played for them last year and is a big, strong, physical guy,” Verlin said.
Defensively, the teams match up well, and while they are No. 7 (Idaho) and 8 (Utah State) in the WAC for steals per game, the Vandals lead the conference in blocked shots and the Aggies in three-point percentage defense. Both teams rank in the top four in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
Point guard Landon Tatum is still concerned with the team’s ability to make defensive stops in crucial times — perhaps the reason the Vandals endured a three-game losing stretch by a combined seven points.
“We probably could’ve ended the La. Tech game a lot earlier than we did and then New Mexico State, it went down to the wire. There were certain times where we might have messed up an offensive call and a defensive call,” Tatum said. “Those types of mistakes in a conference game will just mess you up or give you a loss.”
Utah State and Idaho are No. 4 and 5 in the WAC, and a Vandal win would put Idaho at 3-2 in conference play and 10-9 overall.
Idaho will look to catch a break this season as Aggie forward and Twin Falls native Brady Jardine is out indefinitely with a foot injury. Jardine, who has only played in three games this season, grabbed 16 total rebounds in two games against the Vandals last season.
Ex-Aggie and current Vandal shooting guard Deremy Geiger said this year’s match-up with Utah State is somewhat similar to last season’s.
“I think the game plan is a similar type game plan,” Geiger said.