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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