SportsLine.com Report
March 17, 2000

Round 1: Aggies streak ends in Alabama

Having won 19 consecutive games to control the Big West Conference, the Utah State Aggies became a popular pick to provide a first-round upset against Connecticut, the team that hadn't exactly met expectations in defending its national championship.

Alas, the uprising never materialized, as defending national champion UConn won 75-67 in the South Regional in Birmingham.

The bigger Huskies dominated the inside game, outrebounding Utah State 37-22. Though they paid a price -- losing All-American point guard Khalid El-Amin to an injury late in the game, the Huskies were always able to keep the Aggies at arm's length.

"The experience they gained last year really helped them," said USU's Shawn Daniels, who scored 17 points. "They just have been able to grind a lot of games out. It was great to go 19 games without a loss. You can't knock that, it's just too bad it could be extended to 20."

Troy Rolle had 18 points to lead the Aggies.

How They Got There

The Aggies roll in as one of the hottest teams in the nation, going undefeated in Big West Conference play and rolling through the conference tournament to earn the automatic berth. They enter their second tournament in 12 years on a 19-game winning streak.

Starting Lineup

• PG Bernard Rock (5-10, 165, Jr.): A solid playmaker who can score when called upon. Rock was second in the Big West in assists (4.5 apg). Heading into the Big West tournament, the Aggies were 15-2 this season when Rock has five or more assists in a game.
• SG Tony Brown (6-3, 194, So.): A spectacular shooter, Brown caught fire in the last four regular-season games, when he hit 17-of-24 attempts from 3-point range. The Aggies' leading scorer at 12.2 points a game.
• C Dmitri Jorssen (6-11, 242, Jr.): If there is a weak link in the Aggies' starting lineup, it could be at center, where Jorssen is the only starter not to average double figures. He's close, however, at 8.6 points a game and is money from the field (49.2 percent).
• SF Troy Rolle (6-2, 210, Sr.): When he gets on a Rolle, look out. The senior can light it up from 3-point range, shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.
• PF Shawn Daniels (6-6, 250, Jr.): A brilliant find out of the JC ranks, Daniels added some toughness to the Aggies' front line. A consistent scoring and rebounding threat, Daniels drops in 12.1 points and grabs 8.1 boards a game. Had seven double-doubles heading into the conference tournament.

Keys to Success

Stay balanced. The Aggies can hurt you from any position, whether it is guard Tony Brown dropping in a 3-point bomb -- he hits treys at a 45.3-percent clip -- or Belgium center Dmitri Jorssen scoring inside. Forward Shawn Daniels is a load inside and point guard Bernard Rock can distribute with the best of them.

Another key is jumping on opponents early, as the Aggies are 20-0 when they hold opponents to fewer than 20 first-half points. Keep the game close, and Utah State also has a better-than-average chance to pull it out. The Aggies are 4-1 in games decided by four or less points and 9-2 in games decided by nine or less points.

The Coach

Stew Morrill knows how to win. In 14 seasons at Montana, Colorado State and Utah State, Morrill has had one losing record (1991-92 at Colorado State). His teams have won at least 20 games five times and have won at least 17 games 11 times.

This year marks Morrill's fourth trip to the postseason. He took Montana to the 1991 NCAA tournament and took Colorado State to the 1996 and 1998 NIT tournaments.

The Bench

The Aggies have quite a drop-off when they go to the bench. Junior forward Brennan Ray is the only reserve to get more than 13 minutes a game, and nobody is much of a scorer. Junior guard Dion Bailey leads the bench in scoring with 4.3 points a game.

Offense

A so-so offensive team, the Aggies won't run by anybody but prefer to get the job done with a patient half-court attack ... Utah State was the second-best shooting squad in the Big West, hitting at a 47 percent clip. ... A surprisingly bad free-throw shooting team, hitting just 61.7 percent of its attempts.

Defense

This is where the Aggies manufacture their success, holding opponents to just 61 points a game and 40 percent shooting. ... Prior to the Big West tournament, Utah State was a perfect 11-0 when holding opponents below 60 points. ... The Aggies' field-goal percentage defense is its best since 1962-63.