Utah State Men's Basketball Ranked 22nd in the Nation

Two days after extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games and improving its overall record to 21-1, Utah State University’s men’s basketball team entered the national rankings — the Aggies are now 22nd in the nation in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll released Monday [Feb. 2, 2009]. USU is also ranked 25th in the latest Associated Press poll.

Utah State is ranked in the top 25 for just the second time in the last 31 years as the last time a USU team was ranked was during the 2003-04 season when it climbed as high as 19th in the AP poll and 21st in the coaches’ poll. Overall, USU was ranked for six straight weeks during the 2003-04 season. Prior to that, USU’s last national ranking was during the 1977-78 season when it finished the year ranked 17th in the United Press International poll.

 

“We haven’t talked about being ranked at all, but now that it’s happened you certainly realize how positive it is,” said USU head coach Stew Morrill. “It’s positive for our program, positive for the university, and positive for our fans. Once in awhile you need to stop and say this is a pretty good deal, and this is a pretty good deal.”

 

“Being ranked is a special thing and it feels good to get that national recognition that I think we deserve,” said sophomore forward Tai Wesley. “Coach (Morrill) does a good job of keeping us focused and we’re battling for that WAC Championship, that’s what we want. Being ranked is fun and nice, but it doesn’t really mean anything.”

 

“As a college basketball player I think you would be lying if you said that being in the top 25 isn’t something you work for,” senior forward Gary Wilkinson added. “It’s nice to be recognized nationally, I think it’s great for the program and it brings some attention to what has been taking place here over the last decade.”

 

Along with owning the nation’s longest active winning streak, Utah State’s current 16-game winning streak is tied with Clemson, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest for the longest winning streak in the country this season. It is also the third-longest winning streak in school history behind the 1999-2000 team that won 19 straight and the 2003-04 team that won 17 straight.

 

Utah State is also tied with Oklahoma (21-1) for the most wins and best record in the nation. USU is one of just four teams in Division I basketball with one loss along with Butler, Connecticut and OU.

 

Utah State, who extended its current school record by notching its 10th straight 20-win season last week, is one of just three teams across the nation to win at least 23 games in each of the last nine years along with Gonzaga and Kansas. During the last 10 seasons, USU has averaged 24.3 wins and its 76.7 winning percentage since 2000 is tied with Florida for the fourth-best in the nation.

 

Utah State also continues to lead the nation in field goal shooting at 50.7 percent and has shot over 50 percent from the field 14 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 21-1 on the season and 9-0 in the Western Athletic Conference following a 72-61 home win against Nevada and an 83-77 overtime win at Fresno State last weekend.

 

Wilkinson leads the team in both scoring and rebounding as he is averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 boards per game, while shooting 60.3 percent from the field and 83.1 percent from the free throw line. He currently ranks third in the WAC in scoring and field goal shooting, and fifth in free throw shooting and rebounding.

 

Utah State returns to action Thursday, Feb. 5, when it hosts New Mexico State (11-11, 5-4) at 7 p.m. USU’s game against the Aggies will televised on ESPN360.com and be part of ESPN’s Full Court Package.

 

Utah State has won 29 straight home games, which is the second-longest home winning streak in the nation behind Kansas who has won 36 straight. USU has also won 13 straight conference games and its 9-0 start to WAC play this year is the best league start in a decade.

 

 

 

1960 – 8th

1962 - 18th

1970 - 16th

 

1960 -  7th

1962 - 19th

1964 - 15th

1967 - 14th

1970 - 17th

1975 - 13th

1978 - 17th

 

 

Jan. 5 - 17th

Jan. 12 - 12th

Jan. 19 - 9th

Jan. 26 - 9th

Feb. 2 - ­ 9th

Feb. 9 - 7th

Feb. 16 - 7th

Feb. 23 - 8th

Mar. 1 - 8th

Mar. 8 - 10th

Final - 8th

 

Dec. 13 - 14th

 

Final - 18th

 

Feb. 24 ­ 20th

 

Pre - 12th

Dec. 8 - 16th

Dec. 15 - 15th

Dec. 22 - Not Ranked

Dec. 29 - 19th

Jan. 5 - 15th

Jan. 12 - 17th

Jan. 19 - 12th

Jan. 26 - 9th

Feb. 2 - 13th

Feb. 9 - 19th

Feb. 16 - 15th

Feb. 23 - 16th

Mar. 2 - 20th

Mar. 9 - 16th

Final - Not Ranked

 

Feb. 2 - 24th

Feb. 9 - 19th

Feb. 16 - Not Ranked

Feb. 23 - 24th

Mar. 1 - 23rd

Mar. 8 - 22nd

Mar. 15 - t-25th

Final - Not Ranked

 

 

Feb. 9 - 23rd

Feb. 16 - 25th

Feb. 23 - 23rd

Mar. 1 - 21st

Mar. 8 - 21st

Mar. 15 - Not Ranked

Final - Not Ranked

 

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