Gotta get down on Friday

There's still plenty going on in the college basketball world, and even some football finally! Even aside from football and the Big Dance, there's a little bit more that people seem to be talking about that it seems worth chiming in on, so I'm going to.

It's Friday, so we'll try and keep it short... (*UPDATE: failed miserably in the "keep it short" department. Read anyway so you can become smarter).

RUN AND GUN = ONE AND DONE?
Of the 16 teams to win on Thursday, only four of them rank in the top 100 nationally in possessions per game. Nine of those Thursday winners rank in the 200s or below in that category. In other words, making your possessions count for something is generally more valuable than running, gunning, and banking on getting more possessions in a game.

Obviously the sample size is small, and maybe this will all change come tomorrow. But it's still interesting to note at least. 


THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: PART I
There's a lot of people fixed on the idea that USU couldn't possibly compete to finish in the upper half of the Mountain West next basketball season, based on the notion that the Aggies finished fifth in the WAC this year. And if you conveniently ignore how decimated this team was by injuries to its two best players, another starter, a would-be stud off the bench, and nagging pains for at least two other players who gutted out the season, then you might have a point. Don't forget the part where two players quit the team to leave everyone else to pick up what would have been their minutes, further wearing out the remnants of the Aggie roster.

If you indeed are among those who conveniently ignore all those factors and label USU in the "can't compete" category, you're just not a very knowledgeable person.

Good as the Mountain West is, USU will still be plenty capable of finding its footing against that tougher competition. It sort of goes hand-in-hand with the whole, "play a tougher schedule, become a more battle-tested" team argument, which I think most would agree there's at least a fair amount of validity to. Those tougher games teach better lessons, and it really just seems naive to think that they wouldn't adjust and improve after any loss. But rather than getting one or two tough games in the non-conference schedule (which next year's Aggies will indeed have more than just one or two of), each game will be a battle. And Utah State will take a whole lot of experience and talent into those games.

THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: PART II
Funny how a lot of tunes changed after Thursday's games when the Mountain West dropped its tournament record this year to 1-3. What's especially intriguing is to look at what it was that defeated New Mexico and UNLV.

Harvard seemed to just completely outsmart New Mexico, on top of out-shooting them, out-hustling them, and defending like freaking crazy. Kind of looked like the things Stew Morrill's teams have done over the years to win 30 games a couple times and a handful of conference titles. Not to say the Aggies are ready to step in and sweep the Lobos next year, because Harvard played the game of their lives to beat them. But the Aggies can compete by playing that style with the talent coming back to next year's team.

Then you have UNLV, who lost much in the same way. And it's just perfect that it was Mike Montgomery to be the opposing coach in that game. If you're not brushed up on history, Stew Morrill was an assistant to Montgomery up until Stew got his first head coaching job all those years ago. I dare say Stew could X and O his way to a win over the Rebels next year by just doing what Stew does.

Boise State lost to La Salle, so nothing really to see here. In other words, these teams are all plenty beatable by a USU roster loaded with talent and experience next year.

FOOTBALL PRACTICE 
Not going to read too much into the first padded practice of the spring. There's this kid named Keeton who looks like he might be quite the ballplayer though.

Biggest thing that stood out to me was how damn many people were there watching! It was a thing of beauty, and really kind of speaks to the enthusiasm surrounding this program right now. A lot of high school kids seemed to be there watching too, which should only help breed new enthusiasm into things in the future.

Now it just all needs to build on itself some more. The spring game had better be f***ing ROCKING this year with fans packing into Romney.