Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Utah State - 11/30/11

LOGAN, Utah - It's a cool, brisk morning in Northern Utah, but the Pioneers are warming up in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, getting ready for tonight's game against Utah State.

The players have a sour taste in their mouths after the Cal loss, but they've got another big challenge tonight.

The Aggies have been one of the best teams in the nation over the last 10 years, and when they play at home, they've been nearly unstoppable. USU has won 33-straight games at the Spectrum, trailing only Duke (40) and Kentucky (37) for the longest home winning streaks in the NCAA. Utah State's last home loss was against Saint Mary's on Dec. 5, 2009, and the only other home loss in the Aggies' last 87 games was against Fresno State on March 3, 2007.

Overall, USU is one of only three teams in the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last 12 seasons, matching only Gonzaga and Kansas, and averaging 25.8 wins per season.

However, the Aggies return only four letterwinners and one starter from last year, and this Denver team is ready.

They haven't played often in recent years, aside from last year's meeting at Magness Arena, but DU has played Utah State 88 times. Only Colorado State (158), Wyoming (143), Northern Colorado (113) and Colorado School of Mines (97) have played Denver more than the Aggies.

The guys better get used to this place, though, since DU will be joining Utah State in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) next season. Essentially, this marks the first unofficial road trip in the WAC.

Since none of the DU players have been to this arena before, they probably won't notice, but the Spectrum will likely be without one of the most well-known fans in college basketball. According to sources close to the Utah State athletic department, it seems that "Wild Bill" has hung up his hula skirt and will no longer be distracting opposing free throw shooters in the second half.

That, of course, is not to say the Aggies fans will be any more hospitable to the Pioneers this evening. When Brigham Young rolled into town, this is what the welcoming committee looked like:


Once the Pioneers finish shootaround this morning, they will head back to the hotel to rest up, eat a pregame meal of chicken and pasta, and rest a little more before heading back for tonight's game. Should be an exciting one.

About Utah State - USU is located in Logan, which is about two hours north of Salt Lake City. The campus is on a hill, giving spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains in almost every direction.

National Football League Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1962 but opted to play his entire 15-year career with the Rams, is probably the most notable alumni of Utah State.

On the political front, United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also went to college in Logan.

Yearly travel totals:       
Total Flights - 7

Total Mileage by Air  - 4,300

Total Mileage by Bus  - 347

Total Number of Hotels - 3

Total Number of Different Airports - 6

Total Number of Airline Delays - 3

Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0

Total Number of Bags Lost - 0

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