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Western Athletic Conference powerhouse Utah State comes to Boise on Saturday to take on the Broncos who are looking to get even with the 17th ranked Utah State Aggies.
The biggest game to hit Taco Bell Arena in years will feature the Aggies 23-1 (11-0 WAC) who currently hold the nations longest winning streak at 18 and could be 19 if they can defeat Idaho today.
“They’re very sound defensively and are shooting the ball extremely well,” BSU head coach Greg Graham said. “The last couple games they have been shooting the ball outside very well. When those guys can make three’s at the percentage they have been the last game or two.with those two big guys inside they’re very difficult to beat.”
The last time the two teams squared off was in Logan, Utah on Jan. 17, the Broncos 16-6 (6-3 WAC) came out flat footed and were never able to catch the Aggies as USU won the game 79-65 in front of 10,270 rowdy Aggie fans.
In that game the Broncos statistically were neck and neck with the Aggies, but forward Tai Wesley’s 26 points proved to be the difference in what ended a bad road trip for the Broncos.
Wesley, along with forward Gary Wilkinson and guard Jared Quayle are what you could call “the big three” for the Aggies. They all average over 12 points per game and 6 rebounds.
“They’ve got three guys that are playing very well, while most other teams have one or two,” Graham said. “They’re very good offensively and are extremely sound defensively making them very hard to deal with.”
During their 18-game winning streak the Aggies have destroyed WAC competitors at home and away, breaking the hearts of opposing teams’ fans and making their mark as one of the nation’s top teams.
For the Broncos, they must look at this game as an opportunity to let it all hang out and show the nation that the WAC has more to offer than just one team. If the Broncos come out of this game victorious it could easily be the biggest win in the Graham era here at BSU.
The good things the Broncos have going for them coming into Saturdays showdown is forward Ike Okoye and his season high 23 points in a win over San Jose State last Saturday. The other being the way they shot the ball against the Aggies last game at nearly 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
Finding ways to slow down the Aggies’ big three is going to be the Broncos biggest task, but with the idea of a sold out Taco Bell Arena the Aggies might be facing just a wild of a crowd as the Broncos had to face when they played on Utah’s home court last month.
“We need a big crowd for this game. We hope to give them what they have been waiting for,” Graham said. “This is one of the biggest games to happen here in a very long time."
TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist
