Two Utah State previews

Here's the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook preview of Utah State:

Utah State
Blue Ribbon Yearbook
Insider
November 3, 2008

COACH AND PROGRAM

Winning 20 games a season has become so commonplace, folks in these parts can't even recall the last time it didn't happen. FYI, it was 1999, the first season of the decade-long run of Stew Morrill.

The veteran coach enters his 11th year with nine consecutive 20-win campaigns and nine straight postseason appearances, including five to the NCAAs. His 237 victories and 124-44 conference mark in the Big West and WAC are stellar.

And while he will miss WAC Player of the Year Jaycee Carroll, what makes Morrill so effective is his ability to move on. Granted, it's a little tough this year, what with Carroll and right-hand man Don Verlin moving on to the head-coaching job at Idaho. But what Morrill lacks in star power, he makes up for with hard work; a common denominator among the three returning starters expected to raise their level of play.

Utah State Aggies
Last Season 24-11 (.686)
Conference Record 12-4 (t-1st)
Starters Lost/Returning 2/3
Coach Stew Morrill (Gonzaga '74)
Record At School 237-85 (10 years)
Career Record 455-224 (22 years)
RPI Last 5 years 44-50-46-43-70

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Here's Chris Murray with his USU preview:

Morrill glues Utah State together
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
November 4, 2008

The past four seasons, Utah State has had two constants on its bench. The first was coach Stew Morrill. The second was guard Jaycee Carroll.

While Morrill returns for his 11th season in Logan, Carroll will be in Italy trying to forge a pro career.

"When you look at our team, the thing that jumps out at everybody is the loss of Jaycee Carroll," Morrill said.

Carroll was a four-year starter, the school's all-time leading scorer and last season's Western Athletic Conference player of the year.

"We could count on him for 20-plus per night," Morrill said.

Despite the loss of the best player in school history, the Aggies return a solid core of players who will enable them to contend for another WAC title after winning a share of the crown last season...

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