Utah State vulnerable, but still potent, as ‘Bows come to town

It’s not every year that Hawaii rolls into Logan, Utah, and host Utah State is the more vulnerable team.

But that’s exactly the scenario the Rainbow Warriors will look to capitalize on when they meet the reeling Aggies today at the usually impregnable Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

USU, the four-time defending regular-season champion, has lost four of its past five. Veteran coach Stew Morrill could be in danger of his first losing season in 14 years there.

Little was more revealing than Morrill’s comment to the media this week: "When you’re 10-10, 2-3 in league, you have to say at this point you have been an average basketball team. What we’ve got to try and do is become better than average."

Yup, it’s true. With WAC Player of the Year Tai Wesley and several other key players gone, the USU mystique — especially at home — has lost some luster. And UH (11-8, 3-2 WAC) would like nothing more than to add a little damage to the Aggies’ sterling reputation.

USU’s 33-game home winning streak came to a 67-54 end against Denver on Nov. 30, then the Aggies’ equally impressive 33-game home WAC winning streak fell by the wayside against Nevada, 78-71, on Jan. 7.

Still, USU is 8-2 at home this season, and the Aggies could turn things around with seven of their next nine at the Spectrum, where they’ve won 91 of their past 95. And then there’s this: USU has an intact 27-game home winning streak following a loss, and the Aggies are coming off a 57-54 defeat at Idaho on Saturday.

The Aggies are renowned for having one of the best home-court advantages in the Western U.S., if not the country, behind a fanatical, coordinated student section that is unquestionably tops in the WAC.

"It’s one of the toughest places to play in America. It really is," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "Maybe THE toughest on the entire West Coast.

"We know what we got in store for us. … It’s a challenge, and it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to."

UH will look to shut out the in-game distractions — of which there will be many — and remain in the top half of the WAC standings after this trip to USU, and Idaho on Saturday.

The ‘Bows flew straight to Salt Lake City on Tuesday night and bused to Logan on Wednesday morning, getting in a practice at USU in the evening.

Junior forward Joston Thomas, senior guard Zane Johnson and junior center Vander Joaquim have all played well in WAC games, averaging between 18.6 and 17.4 points. Senior point guard Miah Ostrowski leads the WAC in league games with 8.8 assists per game and a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.

"Hawaii is like playing New Mexico State or playing Nevada, they have that kind of size and talent," Morrill said. "They have a premier shooter in Zane Johnson, they are huge inside with their 4 and 5. They are strong and talented and they’re playing well defensively. The point guard, football player, basketball player, I used to just call him a football player. He’s not, he’s a really good basketball player."

Morrill said he expects UH to employ triangle-and-2 and box-and-1 schemes against the backcourt of sophomore Preston Medlin (14.8 ppg, .427 on 3s) and senior Brockeith Pane (12.5 ppg, 3.5 apg).

UH is 0-6 in Logan in league play since winning an NIT first-round game 85-74 at the Spectrum in 2004.