Utah State
Utah State

Utah State Team Report

Updated: March 29, 2012 01:51 EST

Utah State wasn't as invincible at home this season as in previous years, and that problem extended to the season's final game.

In the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the Aggies lost 70-67 to visiting Mercer on March 28.

Utah State (21-16) finished 17-5 at home -- a big drop-off for a team that had suffered just one total home loss in the previous three seasons.

The Aggies did win four games in a row in Logan, Utah, to advance to the CIT final.

Mercer (27-11) led by nine points at halftime, but the Aggies gained the lead in the second half. However, the Bears put the game away by making seven of eight foul shots down the stretch.

Brockieth Pane missed a potential game-tying 3-point shot in the final moments.

All five Utah State starters scored at least nine points, led by Kyisean Reed, who had 15 points.

Mercer's Langston Hall was selected the tournament MVP. He was joined on the all-tournament squad by teammates Justin Cecil and Travis Smith, plus Pane, Morgan Grim and Preston Medlin from Utah State and Reggie Hamilton from Oakland.

"This tournament been a really good experience for us," Aggies coach Stew Morrill said. "I've told the guys that for the last two games, that no matter what happens it's been a positive thing. It was a good way to end the year, winning some games.

"It's tough losing at home like this, but all in all its been good for us. The seniors got to go out winning some games rather than a two-point loss in the conference tournament. They got to keep playing and win.

"It's tough tonight, but overall it's a good taste in their mouths. For the young guys, like Danny Berger who had really been up and down, this tournament was really good. It's a good experience."

--Utah State did a reasonable job defensively against Oakland point guard Reggie Hamilton in the CIT semifinals. Hamilton, who entered the game leading the nation with an average of 26.3 points per game, scored 23, but he went 6-for-21 from the field in doing so. Hamilton did have nine assists.

--Utah State is 210-18 at home under coach Stew Morrill after the loss to Mercer in the CIT final.

--The Aggies advanced to the postseason for the 13th consecutive year, with four NCAA Tournament appearances and eight NITs during that run, in addition to this year's CIT. The Aggies had won three consecutive WAC regular-season titles before falling back this season, suffering from significant personnel turnover and the early-season loss of forward Brady Jardine to a foot injury.

--Sophomore SG Preston Medlin earned first-team all-conference honors, which marked the 13th consecutive season in which the Aggies had a player so honored. "It means a lot to me; it's a great honor," Medlin told the Logan Herald Journal. "There are only five guys on there, so you need to play well every time out. I'm happy." Senior PG Brockeith Pane earned honorable mention all-conference honors. Junior F Kyisean Reed made the All-Newcomer team.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We fought hard to get to 21-16, and that's something that we're proud of. We went out and had fun, had a huge turnaround and started doing what we know how to do. It was a good tournament. We got five extra games on the season, which most teams don't get to see. We just need to get ready and carry it over to next year." -- Sophomore G Preston Medlin, after the loss to Mercer in the CIT final.

FUTURES WATCH: Many have been pointing to next season as a big one for Utah State, with the continued development of sophomore SG Preston Medlin, sophomore wing Danny Berger and junior forward Kyisean Reed, among others. Coach Stew Morrill also has what appears to be one of his best recruiting classes, which includes transfer big men Jarred Shaw (Oklahoma State) and Matt Lopez (La Salle). The fall signing class included point guard Marcel Davis and wing Quincy Bair, teammates from American Fork (Utah) High School. Utah State also signed one of the top players in Montana -- guard Riley Bradshaw from Corvallis High School. Junior-college forward Sean Harris from Yuba College in Marysville, Calif., also signed, with the Aggies still pursuing his teammate, shooting guard Spencer Butterfield.

REGULAR SEASON REVIEW: The season started to go awry in the third game, when senior F Brady Jardine, a high-energy player expected to be a leader for the Aggies, suffered a season-ending foot injury. Utah State was planning on Jardine returning next season after a redshirt, but the injury was later determined to be career-ending. The lack of strong post play often made the Aggies vulnerable on defense. Utah State didn't have its usual dominance at home, going 13-4 in the regular season. That wasn't good by USU standards; the Aggies had lost one home game total in the previous three years. Utah State never gathered momentum until the CIT and was swept by the WAC's two best teams -- Nevada and New Mexico State.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Junior F Kyisean Reed shot 6-for-8 in the loss to Mercer, wrapping up the top shooting percentage in the WAC. He finished at 61.4 percent from the field (135 of 220) for the season. New Mexico State's Hamidu Rahman was second at 60.0 percent.

--Senior PG Brockeith Pane played his best ball of the season in the CIT, including a pair of games with double-digit assists. He averaged 13.8 points and 7.2 assists in the tournament.