Logan • Smooth and confident, Preston Medlin stood against the hard wall in the Utah State media hallway on Thursday night, answering questions on how difficult it would be for the Aggies to play and defeat Nevada on Saturday night at the Spectrum.
The answers came quick and concise from Medlin, who quickly pointed out that the Wolf Pack is the team to beat in the Western Athletic Conference. Kyisean Reed, the junior forward, lamented on Nevada’s length and athleticism. He them smiled a knowing grin.
“They’re good,†Reed said. “But they aren’t unbeatable.â€
Saturday’s matchup is the first elite clash of powers in a WAC season that’s in its first week. While USU was dominant on Thursday night in a 73-52 win over Fresno State, Nevada is back to being traditional Nevada after a few rebuilding seasons.
The Wolf Pack will roll into Logan with an 11-3 record, the owners of a 73-55 road thumping of Idaho on Thursday night, and arguably the best quintet of starters in the league.
Should the Aggies win, they take a 2-0 record and a victory over one of true league powers. A loss would leave USU at 1-1 in the WAC, with a four-game road trip staring them in the face.
“We’ve got the number one team in the league coming in and obviously that’s going to be a huge challenge,†Utah State coach Stew Morrill said.
“Right now, we defended home court against Fresno State and that’s all we did. We’re just a team that’s trying to get some wins right now. We can’t look far ahead. We have to come out and try to beat Nevada, period. We can’t have any other focus right now.â€
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- Published Jan 6, 2012 01:48:34PM
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- Published Jan 6, 2012 12:40:15PM
No doubt, the Wolf Pack are good. Deonte Burton, the sophomore point guard, may be the best overall player in the WAC. But he has help, which creates an issue for teams looking to collapse on him defensively.
Malik Story is a knockdown shooter, 6-foot-8 senior forward Dario Hunt may be the best overall defender in the league and Olek Czyz is an athletic wild card at power forward.
Already, Nevada owns nonleague wins over Pac-12 schools Washington and Arizona State. The Wolf Pack love to pressure the ball, force turnovers and score easy baskets in transition.
That means Utah State has to take care of the ball, make open shots and slow the game down when possible. Because scoring on the interior could be an issue for the Aggies, USU guards Preston Medlin and Brockeith Pane, both capable of creating off the dribble, will have to make plays for themselves and for others.
“We know Nevada is picked to win the league, so this is going to be a fun one,†Reed said. “They’re very good. They’re long, athletic and quick.â€
Twitter: @tonyaggieville
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