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Basketball team makes USU proud, Aggies and fans say at rally By
Casey Hobson
USU senior Bernard Rock speaks to a crowd of Aggie fans in the Spectrum Tuesday night. The USU basketball team was honored for its Big West championship and NCAA tournament win over Ohio State this season. / Photo by Liz Hobson Utah State University head coach Stew Morrill has a few advantages over most college coaches when it comes to recruiting. Morrill shared those advantages with fans who gathered in the Spectrum Tuesday night for a season-ending tribute to the USU basketball team. Morrill, who led the Aggies to a 28-6 record this season, said he can "go into any home" and ask the player and his family if the other coaches can offer the same excellence USU has shown over the last two years. "Have they won 56 games the last two years?" Morrill said. "Have they gone to the NCAA tournament two years in a row? Have they won the conference championship tournament two years in a row? No other school in Utah can say that." Nor can many schools across the country lay claims to that type of excellence. The spotlight Tuesday night was not on new recruits, however, but old ones -- especially seniors Shawn Daniels, Bernard Rock, Dimitri Jorssen, Curtis Bobb and Dion Bailey -- as the players and coaches took time to thank USU fans of all ages for their support. "There's no greater feeling than playing in the Spectrum," Rock said. "I can't speak for all the seniors, but I'm going to miss these guys, and I'm going to miss you guys. Maybe my son and (Brennan Ray's) son will be playing for the Aggies some day." In Rock's two seasons at Utah State, the Aggies captured one regular season Big West Conference Championship and two BWC Tournament Championships. USU went undefeated in conference play during the 1999-00 season and lost just three conference games this year. Ray, a junior, played a key role off the bench for the Aggies this year. His hustle and physical play made him a crowd favorite. "We always knew that going on the road we'd be booed, but we also knew that when we came home we'd get great support," he said. Utah State Athletic Director Rance Pugmire said the Aggies had a lot of high expectations this season, but didn't let the pressure get to them. "I love expectations because it helps us sell tickets," Pugmire said. "But it sure puts a big bull's-eye on (the team's) back. "I'd rather have a lot of high expectations than not have anybody care," he said. Logan Mayor Doug Thompson and USU President Kermit Hall praised the players for being good ambassadors for both the city and the university. "You guys make us proud," Thompson said. "Every one of you." Hall, who traveled with the team for 10 days during the Big West and NCAA tournaments, commended the team and those associated with it for their professionalism both on and off the court. He called USU's overtme victory over Ohio State on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament the second greatest sporting moment of his life. "I owe this group of athletes a heartfelt thanks," he said. QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: Stew Morrill on why they asked Bernard Rock to speak: "Bernard is from New York. Have you ever seen a guy from New York that didn't want to talk?
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