USU Ranked 32nd in Latest Coaches Poll, Leads Nation in Field Goal Shooting

Utah State University’s men’s basketball team continued its climb up the national polls this week and is now ranked tied for 32nd in the nation along with Tennessee in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll released Monday [Jan. 12].

Utah State also continues to lead the nation in field goal shooting at 52.0 percent and has shot over 50 percent 11 times this year. USU finished the 2007-08 season as just the fourth team in NCAA history to lead the nation in both field goal (.514) and free throw (.792) shooting.

 

Utah State is 15-1 on the season and 3-0 in the Western Athletic Conference following a pair of road wins at Louisiana Tech (50-37) and New Mexico State (77-67) last weekend. The Aggies, who have won 10 straight games, own the fifth-best winning percentage in the nation at 93.8, while its current 10-game winning streak ranks as the fifth-longest current streak in the nation. USU also owns the best road record in the country at 6-0.

 

Individually, senior forward Gary Wilkinson is averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 64.8 percent from the field and 82.0 percent from the free throw line. He currently ranks second in the WAC in scoring, and is third in the league in rebounding, field goal shooting and free throw shooting. Wilkinson also ranks eighth nationally in overall shooting.

 

Utah State returns to action this Thursday, Jan. 15, when it hosts Fresno State (7-9, 0-2) at 7 p.m., in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU has won 26 straight home games, the fourth-longest winning streak in the nation, and is 151-12 (.926) at home under head coach Stew Morrill.

 

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics homepage Web site.