Utah St

College Football: #8 BYU @ Utah State Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:07:48 -0700

#15 Utah was able to escape by the slimmest of margins, with a Louie Sakoda field goal as time expired giving the Utes a 31-28 win over Oregon State and the Mountain West a 6-1 record against the Pac-10 this year. But while Utah was lucky to escape with a win, #10 USF wasn't so lucky with LeSean McCoy leading Pittsburgh to the 26-21 win. McCoy ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns, and contrary to my prediction Pitt's Bill Stull was the best quarterback on the field.

Now 2-0 in Big East play, the Panthers look to be worthy of the conference title talk that surrounded the program back in August. And in the third game of the evening, Memphis won at UAB 33-30 thanks to a Vinny Zaccario field goal with two seconds remaining. The Tigers, who are now winners of the "Battle for the Bones", are now back at .500 on the season and have their first conference win of 2008. Here are the previews for tomorrow's action, headlined by Cincinnati visiting a dangerous Marshall team without their top two quarterbacks.

#8 BYU (4-0) @ Utah State (1-3), 8PM EST on KJZZ or BYU-TV

Although the Aggies looked pretty good in their blowout home win over Idaho heading into their bye week, I can't fool anyone into thinking they've got a shot in this one. Utah walked into Logan sluggish at the start back on September 13th...and all the Utes did was win 58-10. Look for QB Max Hall to put up some solid numbers in a Cougar win.

Cincinnati (3-1) @ Marshall (3-2), 8 PM EST on ESPN2

The Bearcats didn't look too good in beating Akron on the road last weekend, and now they visit a Thundering Herd team that gave Wisconsin all they wanted for about a half in their trip to Madison last month. Yes, Mark Snyder's team ended up getting handled in the second stanza, but that was in a hostile environment against a top-level team in good health. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is down to either Chazz Anderson or Zach Collaros under center after losing both Dustin Grutza and Tony Pike to injury.

But whoever gets the call from head coach Brian Kelly will have a capable group of wide receivers, most notably Mardy Gilyard, Dominick Goodman and Marcus Barnett. And they've got an excellent pair of corners in Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, who will have their hands full with one Darius Passmore.

Marshall enters the game on a two-game win streak that has them perched atop the C-USA East Division standings at 2-0. Passmore is a handful for opponents, and he was named Conference USA Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Southern Miss last weekend. But keep an eye on RB Darius Marshall, who ranks fourth in Conference USA in rushing.

While Cincinnati overall may have more talent it's going to be tough for either redshirt freshman quarterback to get the job done on the road, especially against a team that looks to be hitting its stride. Marshall pulls the upset.

Jaycee Carroll Signs With Italian Team

Press Release — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:07:30 -0700

LOGAN, Utah - Former Utah State All-American Jaycee Carroll has signed a one-year contract to play professional basketball in Italy for Siviglia Wear Teramo. He will report to the team August 25 for a physical.

Carroll did have offers from both Toronto and Phoenix of the NBA to participate in their fall camps, but neither offer came with any guarantees.

Carroll, who graduated from Utah State this past spring with a bachelor's degree in Spanish, was a two-time Associated Press honorable mention All-American and the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2008 as he averaged 22.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Carroll finished his senior season leading the nation in three-point shooting at 49.8 percent, was second in the nation in free throw shooting at 91.9 percent and 13th in scoring. He also ranked 10th in the WAC in field goal percentage at 52.6 percent.

For his career, Carroll ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history in three-point shooting at 46.5 percent, is 12th in three-pointers made with 369, and 52nd in scoring with 2,522 points. He also holds 10 school records at Utah State, including being USU's all-time leading scorer.

2008-09 Utah State Preview: #124

Joel Welser — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:42:22 -0700

Utah State Aggies

Overall Rank: #124

Conference Rank: #3 WAC

2007-08: 24-11, 12-4, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: NIT

If there is one thing to be certain of in the Western Athletic Conference, it is to never count out Utah State. However, if there is a year to think that their nine year post season streak will come to end, this would be it. Three starters return, but the point guard and shooting guard spots have absolutely no game experience with the Aggies.

Who’s Out:

Jaycee Carroll and Kris Clark were the heart and soul of Utah State over the last two years. Carroll, who averaged 22.4 points per game and shot nearly 50 percent from beyond the arc, has taken his game to the NBA. Not only was Carroll one of the best shooters in the nation, he also helped out on the glass and played solid defense. The man who set up Carroll was Clark. The point guard would not score too often, but he dished out 6.4 assists per game during his senior campaign. Part-time starters Stephen DuCharme and DeUndrae Spraggins have also run out of eligibility and Desmond Stephens saw some quality minutes off the bench.

Who’s In:

All of the newcomers will be given the opportunity to start or see significant minutes. Deremy Geiger, Skyler Halford, Jaxon Myaer and Jared Quayle will battle it out for minutes running the point. With a year on the bench redshirting, Myaer has the most experience in the system. He is a good shooter, but it remains to be seen if he can develop into a consistent floor leader. If Coach Stew Morrill wants a little more experience and a little more scoring out of his point guard, Quayle will be the answer. The junior college transfer averaged 24.4 points per game last year at Western Wyoming Community College and has the ability to put up big numbers in a hurry wherever he plays. His two years of collegiate experience are a big plus for a backcourt that has no experience. Geiger can score as well, but whoever proves they can handle the ball will get the most minutes. Richard Sirju and Stavon Williams, both junior college transfers, will see time at the shooting guard position. They both can score in a variety of ways, but this team needs a shooter and Williams has been a little more consistent from the floor during his junior college career. Brady Jardine will add some depth to the forward spots. The 6-7 Twin Falls, Idaho native has plenty of perimeter skills, but his size also allows him to mix it up in the post.

Who to Watch:

While the backcourt settles on its rotation, the frontcourt will carry USU. Gary Wilkinson averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest during his first year with the Aggies. His senior season should be even better. The 6-9 forward is a good shooter from nearly anywhere on the floor, but his ability to score in the post will create space for the newcomers to hit the outside shot. Tai Wesley will be by his side again and will score plenty in the paint himself. Matt Formisano and Modou Niang give the team some experienced depth in the frontcourt.

Final Projection:

When Tyler Newbold shot the ball, it usually went in. The 6-4 wing started 25 games last year at small forward, but he rarely got his offense in the game. But he did hit 51.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. If he can keep that up and take a few more attempts, the outside shooting numbers will be fine despite the absence of Carroll. He will need some help from the newcomers and sophomore Pooh Williams on the wings, but Newbold should be able to keep this team among one of the better shooting teams in the conference.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Jared Quayle, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Stavon Williams, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Tyler Newbold, Sophomore, Forward, 5.4 points per game

Tai Wesley, Sophomore, Forward, 9.9 points per game

Gary Wilkinson, Senior, Forward, 13.3 points per game

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Jaycee Carroll Joins Nets Summer League Team

Press Release — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:02:35 -0700

LOGAN, Utah -- Former Utah State All-American Jaycee Carroll has agreed to be a member of the New Jersey Nets Summer League roster and will pla in eight games during a three-week period in July.

Carroll is one of 16 players listed on the Nets' Summer League roster, which includes 10 rookies, three players with one year of NBA experienc and three players with two years of NBA experience.

New Jersey will begin its eight-game slate at the Orlando Pro Summer League from July 7-11 and play against Chicago, Indiana, Miami, Orland and Seattle. Fans can watch each game in Orlando live on njnets.com and orlandomagic.com.

2008 NIT Capsule: Utah State

Joel Welser — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:53:15 -0700

Utah State Aggies

Western Athletic Conference (24-10, 12-4)

Big Wins: 12/29 Oral Roberts (76-55), 2/2 Nevada (77-63), 2/22 UC Santa Barbara (72-59)

Bad Losses: 11/15 at Cal Poly (69-83), 2/16 at Hawaii (66-71), 2/18 at San Jose State (67-70)

Coach: Stew Morrill

Probable Starters:

Kris Clark, Senior, Guard, 5.6 ppg, 6.4 apg

Jaycee Carroll, Senior, Guard, 22.6 ppg, 2.1 apg, 6.0 rpg

Tyler Newbold, Freshman, Guard, 5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

Tai Wesley, Freshman, Forward, 10.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 bpg

Gary Wilkinson, Junior, Forward, 13.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Desmond Stephens, Junior, Guard, 2.6 ppg, 1.7 apg

DeUndrae Spraggins, Junior, Guard, 2.7 ppg, 1.1 apg

Pooh Williams, Freshman, Guard, 2.2 ppg, 1.0 apg

Stephen DuCharme, Senior, Forward, 9.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Utah State is a great shooting team from everywhere on the floor and nobody epitomizes the solid shooting more than leading scorer Jaycee Carroll. The 6-2 senior shoots 53.3 percent from the floor, 50.7 percent from behind the arc and 92.3 percent from the charity stripe. Carroll, who also grabs 6.0 rebounds per game, is a dynamic scorer and has reached double digits in every game this season. He is capable of busting out a huge game on any given day and a 30 point effort is not out of the ordinary.

The offensive presence of forwards Gary Wilkinson, Tai Wesley and Stephen DuCharme has opened up some space for Carroll. Wilkinson adjusted quickly after spending some time at Salt Lake Community College. The 6-9 forward works hard and his toughness will earn him plenty of buckets and rebounds. Wesley, at 6-6, is not a post scorer, but he has some of the same toughness that ignites Wilkinson and is a quality player on the offensive end.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The Aggies have a lot of offensive weapons, but they could use one more. Carroll makes the second most three-pointers in the Western Athletic Conference, but the team ranks near the bottom in total attempts. Which means if somebody is taking a shot, it is Carroll. That is all well and good since he makes most of them, but it makes it much easier on the opposing defense. There are options like Tyler Newbold, DeUndrae Spraggins, Desmond Stephens and Pooh Williams, but they are mostly inexperienced and ineffective as scoring threats.

Who To Watch:

Kris Clark will not be that scorer either, but his shooting has gotten better during his senior season. The 6-2 point guard does a wonderful job taking care of the ball and finding his teammates and Clark averages 6.4 assists per game and just 2.7 turnovers. Most of the team could stand to avoid a turnover or two, but nobody can complain about Clark’s assist-to-turnover ratio. Clark could be more aggressive getting to the basket, but he is certainly a pass first point guard who simply sets up his teammates.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.2 (76^th in nation, 4^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 67.8 (146, 1)

Field-Goal Percentage: 51.6 (1, 1)

Field-Goal Defense: 43.6 (165, 3)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.8 (241, 5)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.2 (10, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 79.1 (1, 1)

Rebound Margin: 4.0 (50, 3)

Assists Per Game: 18.0 (8, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.0 (141, 4)

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WAC Player of the Week

Press Release — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 01:51:57 -0800

DENVER – Utah State forward Stephen DuCharme has been named the Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball player of the week for November 19-25. This is the first career WAC Player of the Week honor for the senior.

DuCharme, a senior from Andover, Kan. (Hutchinson CC), helped Utah State record a 2-1 record last week and finish in third-place at the 2007 South Padre Island Invitational with wins against Austin Peay (71-68) and Iowa (75-62) and a loss to Vanderbilt (77-56). DuCharme began the week by scoring 10 points and adding four rebounds against Austin Peay. He then scored 20 points to go along with six rebounds against Vanderbilt, followed by 20 points and three rebounds against Iowa. During the two-day tournament in South Padre Island, Texas, he was named to the all-tournament team, averaging 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 64.3 percent from the field (18-for-28). Overall, DuCharme averaged 16.7 points and 4.3 rebounds during the week, while shooting 64.7 percent from the field (22-for-34), 50.0 percent from three-point range (1-for-2) and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (5-for-6).

The other nominations were senior forward Tyler Tiedeman, Boise State; senior forward Hector Hernandez, Fresno State; sophomore guard Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech and sophomore guard Jonathon Gibson, New Mexico State.

Top 10 Players in the WAC

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:22:09 -0800

It seems like its taken forever, but I finally conclude my series of conference player rankings. Like the other lists, this one was finalized shortly before the season started.. so there's a few unlisted guys that have gotten off to great stats. Nevada's Brandon Fields is averaging 12 and 4 assists after 3 games. San Jose State center CJ Webster has been strong in the paint, averaging 13 and 10 boards for the 2-1 Spartans. Meanwhile, heralded WAC freshmen DJ Wright & Herb Pope haven't played so far for various reasons. 1. Jaycee Carroll, G, Utah State 2. Marcelus Kemp, G, Nevada 3. Justin Hawkins, G, New Mexico State 4. Reggie Larry, F, Boise State 5. Kevin Bell, G, Fresno State 6. Fred Peete, G, New Mexico State 7. Matt Nelson, C, Boise State 8. DJ Wright, G, Louisiana Tech 9. Gary Wilkinson, F, Utah State 10. Hatila Passos, C, New Mexico State Next In Line Matt Gibson, G, Hawaii Jamon Hill, G, San Jose State JaVale McGee, F, Nevada Bobby Nash, G, Hawaii Rekalin Sims, C, Fresno State * NMSU freshman Herb Pope was originally on the "Next in Line" list, but has been removed until he becomes officially eligible to play.

CHN Preseason High-Major All-America Team

CHN — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:06:48 -0700

FIRST TEAM

Eric Maynor, G, Jr, VCU
Marcelus Kemp, G, Sr, Nevada
Jaycee Carroll, G, Sr, Utah State
Josh Heytvelt, F, Jr, Gonzaga
Randal Falker, C, Sr, Southern Illinois

SECOND TEAM

Justin Hawkins, G, Sr, New Mexico State
Dionte Christmas, G, Jr, Temple
Bryant Dunston, F, Jr, Fordham
Ahmad Nivins, F, Jr, St Joseph's
Luke Nevill, C, Jr, Utah

THIRD TEAM

Drew Lavender, G, Sr, Xavier
Jeremy Pargo, G, Jr, Gonzaga
Brandon Ewing, G, Jr, Wyoming
Robert Vaden, F, Jr, UAB
Trent Plaisted, F, Jr, BYU

HONORABLE MENTION
Kieron Achara, F, Sr, Duquesne
Wink Adams, G, Jr, UNLV
Antoine Agudio, G, Sr, Hofstra
Stanley Burrell, G, Sr, Xavier

Eric Coleman, F, Sr, Northern Iowa
Jeremy Crouch, G, Sr, Bradley
Will Daniels, F, Sr, Rhode Island
Frank Elegar, C, Sr, Drexel

JR Giddens, G, Sr, New Mexico
Stefon Jackson, G, Jr, UTEP
Tommie Liddell, G, Jr, St Louis
Rob McKiver, G, Sr, Houston
Brian Roberts, G, Sr, Dayton
Daniel Ruffin, G, Sr, Bradley

The CHN High-Major All-America team is composed of the following conferences: Atlantic 10, Colonial, Conference USA (minus Memphis), MVC, MWC, WAC, WCC (only Gonzaga).

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Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the WAC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:03:50 -0700

2007-08 Utah State Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:47:52 -0700

Utah State Aggies

Overall Rank: #49

Conference Rank: #2 WAC

2006-07: 23-12, 9-7, 4^th

2006-07 postseason: NIT

Only four players return who played last year at Utah State. So why is USU ranked so high with a trip to the NCAA projected? Well, they are last team in the NCAAs, but three of those guys headed back to Logan were starters. A huge number of newcomers bring some cohesiveness concerns, but Coach Stew Morrill will put an end to those concerns soon.

Who’s Out:

Chaz Spicer ranked second on the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game. The power forward could step out and hit the long ball occasionally and his offense would be missed if the Aggies did not have a bunch of guys ready to take over. The other lost starter is wing Durrall Peterson. Replacing his 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game at the small forward position is a bigger concern. Chris Session, Arvydas Vaitiekus, Michael Earl and O.J. Harrison will not be back next season.

Who’s In:

Utah State could field a couple teams from this list, so we will start with the point guards. Desmond Stephens and Jaxon Myaer will look for some minutes off the bench. Stephens, a transfer from Southeastern Illinois Junior College, will likely get a majority of the minutes over Myaer. Stephens is amazingly quick and can hit the long ball with consistency. On the wings Tyler Newbold, Pooh Williams, Brad Brown and DeUndrae Spraggins are the newcomers. Newbold, a 6-4 freshman, will need some time to adjust after spending the last two years on an LDS Church Mission. Williams is a great scorer and has plenty of potential; however it is Spraggins who has the experience. The 6-3 junior averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds last year at Paris Junior College in Texas and is a solid shooter. Both will battle for the starting small forward position. The power forward position has the most talent among the newcomers. Gary Wilkinson averaged 18.5 points and 8.1 rebounds last year at Salt Lake Community College. The 6-9, 240 pound junior has the size, strength and experience to be a huge difference maker in the WAC. Tai Wesley and Matt Formisano are returning after two year LDS Church Missions. Wesley is a tough, undersized forward and could see some quality minutes if he is in game shape. Last year there was not a true center to be found on the roster. This year, there are two. Brayden Bell played seven games for Ohio State two years ago before opting to transfer. Bell is a good scorer and can step outside and hit the jumper, but if his defense has not improved, he may find himself on the bench. Modou Niang has plenty of potential, but his skills are raw. In time he will be really good, but do not expect much from him yet.

Who to Watch:

There are a couple decent teams right there, but we still do have those four players returning to talk about. The most important is the best scorer from a somewhat major conference that you have never heard of…Jaycee Carroll. The 6-2 shooting guard led the WAC averaging 21.3 points per game. And for some reason everybody was talking about Nick Fazekas instead. Well you will hear a lot more about Carroll this year. He is a terrific, and more importantly smart, shooter who hit nearly 53 percent of his shots last year. That is almost as good as Fazekas and Fazekas placed the ball in the basket for most of his shots. Carroll took 5.5 long balls per game and knocked down 2.4 of them. The guy who will get the probable WAC Player of the Year the ball is Kris Clark. Clark is not flashy and he will not do much scoring, but he does take care of the ball and find his open teammates.

Final Projection:

The biggest asset for Utah State is having a true center. Last year Stephen DuCharme, who is generously listed at 6-8, was manning the center position. This year he will be at the four and that should help him improve on his 10.2 points per game. Nick Hammer also returns after coming off the bench in all 35 contests a year ago. He will battle for the starting small forward job against a handful of newcomers, but Hammer will at least bring some experience in the program to the table. Coach Morrill is a vastly underappreciated coach who will always have his team well prepared. By the time we get to January, all 11 newcomers will know their place on the team and work well with the returning seniors and that spells trouble for the rest of the conference.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Kris Clark, Senior, Guard, 3.5 points per game

Jaycee Carroll, Senior, Guard, 21.3 points per game

Nick Hammer, Senior, Forward, 3.7 points per game

Stephen DuCharme, Senior, Forward, 10.2 points per game

Brayden Bell, Sophomore, Center, DNP last season

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