Rebuilding or reloading; Comparing 2007 to 2012

2006-07 was one of the most memorable seasons, due largely to some major underdog status, and 2011-12 looks
to be similar in a lot of ways becau... wait! Why is Brian Green in the bottom of that photo???

Spectrum magic took on a whole new meaning in the 2006-2007 season. After years of dominating the Big West Conference, USU his the ground running in the WAC, finishing the regular season in second place behind only a top 25 ranked Nevada team and took that same Nevada team to overtime on their home floor of the WAC Tournament championship game. From day one, they exceeded expectations in the WAC, eventually earning an at-large bid to the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Then there was some major turnover on the roster. Nate Harris, the only USU player ever to be named 1st-team all-conference three different seasons, was gone. Cass Matheus, the super-athletic shot-blocking center, was gone. David Pak, one of the few point guards in USU history to lead the team to two NCAA Tournaments, was gone.

When the season began, the 2006-07 season looked like it would be that one rebuilding year that Aggie fans had long dreaded the agony of enduring. Stew Morrill's streak of 23-win seasons and, at the time, seven consecutive postseason appearances looked like an impossible feat to extend. For the first time in nearly a decade, Utah State basketball was considered an underdog.

The result of that season was one of the most memorable seasons in history.

Going into that season, the Aggies returned one all-WAC guard (Jaycee Carroll), another experienced wing player, capable of also running the point (Durrall Peterson), and the team's ace off the bench from the prior year who was undoubtedly ready for a starting role at forward (Chaz Spicer). The rest of the team was filled out with junior college transfers and role players.

For everything that team lacked in talent and athleticism, especially compared to a WAC that was loaded with those two aspects on other teams, Utah State made up for it all with heart. On top of that heart, they had grit and they were monumentally clutch when the game was on the line. The closer games got, the higher the volume at The Spectrum was cranked up.

Now, here we are again in that underdog status after four straight years of WAC championships, Utah State finds themselves carrying the perception of an underdog. The team has one all-WAC guard (Brockeith Pane), another experience wing player, capable of also running the point (Preston Medlin), and the team's ace off the bench from last year who is undoubtedly ready for a starting role at forward (Brady Jardine).

While the 2007 team had the advantage of an elite scorer, they lacked size, strength and athleticism across the board. The starting center for that team was Steve Ducharme, who was graciously listed at 6'7 and wasn't very bulky, just to give an example. There was essentially nobody on the team who ever showed a capability to drive past a defender and finish around the rim, and to top it off, you could probably count the total number of dunks on the season on one hand.

That is not the case going into 2011-12. Anytime Brady Jardine isn't the most athletic player on your team, that's a good sign. Between Jardine, Pane, Kyisean Reed, Steven Thornton and even E.J. Farris and Morgan Grim a little bit, USU is loaded with guys capable of beating a defender off the dribble and creating opportunities to finish at the hoop. While Medlin might not quite be Carroll when it comes to scoring, he is a plenty capable scorer who looks like he'll provide plenty of veteran leadership already for this team (and he's from Carrollton, Texas... do with that what you want). And with the scoring potential of guys like Thornton and Adam Thoseby, Medline doesn't have to be Carroll, but he'll still get his anyway.

And about that whole size down low thing...

What it comes down to is that 2007's biggest deficiency was the ability to defend, and while 2012 has more freshman and sophomores on the roster who will be counted on to contribute big minutes, the team's athleticism and size should make them much more of a defensive force down the season.

This year's team will probably lose a game or two they should win and win a game or two they should lose, just like in 2007. What's really going to be fun is when those games that USU has won by blowouts the last few years are suddenly nail-biters in The Spectrum, that place is going to be off the freaking chain!!

If nothing else, coming up from underdog status to shock the world for a 5th straight WAC title when everyone else thought this year would be their chance to shine would be possibly the most epic thing of all time.