Utah State set to make a move?

The Utah State Aggies struggled out of the gate this season but have put together a nice run of late. Is it a sign of Stew Morrill's squad being ready to tackle the rigors of the WAC or possibly a fleeting illusion?

The schedule has helped the Aggies, both in being at home and with the roster of opponents but it does seem that Morrill's tinkering with the starting lineup is paying dividends.

Utah State improving after sluggish start
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
December 27, 2007

Back in mid-November when the Aggie men’s basketball team was 2-3, there was some concern.

Make that more than concern. Fans were starting to worry.

How could Utah State, which was tabbed by many preseason polls to win the Western Athletic Conference, be under .500? The Aggies had even received votes in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll.

Now they had a losing record for the first time at this juncture of a season since 1995.

My thoughts turned to several conversations I’ve had with USU head coach Stew Morrill over the past few years. Morrill had never gotten off to a 2-3 start during his previous nine seasons at the Aggie helm, but the ever-cautious coach had warned about a year when there may be a dip.

But how could this be happening right now. This team was supposed to be so good.

“It started slower than I thought it would be with all the preseason hype,” Aggie guard Jaycee Carroll said. “People thought there was something wrong with us when we were losing and right around .500.”

There are a few factors that we should have all seen, but that seems to have been addressed. The Aggies are back winning again — four in a row and six of their last seven. Obviously, being at home and the level of competition has played a part.

I’ve noticed, however, that this young team is starting to gain confidence. Winning will do that. USU (9-5) also needs to keep the momentum going as the WAC season is fast approaching.

“We’re getting better,” Morrill said. “That’s what I told them after the (Gossner Classic championship) game. We’re making progress...”

Go here for the remainder of the article.