Tag: Danny Sprinkle

Utah State Basketball: Danny Sprinkle Off to Big 10, Hired By Washington Huskies After Just One Season in Logan

Utah State Basketball: Danny Sprinkle Hired By Washington Huskies After Just One Season in Logan After just one season, Sprinkle’s amazing elevation of the Aggie program earns him the Big Ten job. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Danny …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Utah State Basketball: Danny Sprinkle Hired By Washington Huskies After Just One Season in Logan

After just one season, Sprinkle’s amazing elevation of the Aggie program earns him the Big Ten job.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Danny Sprinkle announces resignation amid being hired as the new Men’s Basketball coach at Washington.

The Utah State Men’s Basketball program enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in awhile. Which is a huge statement given the work done in years past during the Ryan Odom & Craig Smith eras in Logan. With only two & three seasons under their belts before other Universities came calling.

Now former Aggies coach Danny Sprinkle has them beat. Departing Utah State after just one season, an extremely memorable season at that, for a Big Ten job.

At Utah State

Sprinkle arrived in Logan last spring, after a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament at his alma mater Montana State, turned into a job offer. He hit the ground running immediately. Tasked with assembling an entirely new roster, with no returning players from the previous season. Something he did immediately & did well.

Bringing in All-Big Sky Bobcats Great Osobor & Darius Brown II with him from Bozeman as many transitioning coaches tend to do. Adding them to a roster filled with high major transfers, impactful mid-major scorers & good ole freshman. A concoction very little head coaches anywhere, could turn into a title contender overnight, or even over an entire summer. Don’t tell Sprinkle that though.

Because that is simply what he did, after being predicted to finish 9th in the Mountain West back in October. The Aggies were the feel good story of the year almost out of the gate. Posting just one loss during non-conference play & securing wins against some of college basketball’s best. Utah State was primed while also being on everybody’s radar for a run in conference play.

The Aggies managed a 28-7 (14-4, in MWC) record (top-10 Win % in program history) to secure their first ever outright Mountain West Conference Regular Season Title ever under their first year head coach. Something no Mountain West first year head coach has done without having some involvement in the program prior like an associate head coach or assistant role.

Sprinkle earned Steve Fisher Coach of the Year honors for his tremendous first season in the Mountain West. Great Osobor earned Player of the Year & All-MWC First Team awards as well as Darius Brown II earning All-MWC First Team honors.

Utah State Aggies head coach Danny Sprinkle talks to Utah State Aggies guard Darius Brown II (10) at the end of the game, Sunday, March 24, 2024, during the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Utah State Aggies 106-67.

All of this lead to Utah State’s second straight NCAA Tournament appearance as an at-large bid. Giving them the No. 8 seed and their first win in the big dance since Aggie legend Stew Morrill did it back in 2001. Danny Sprinkle’s group had their tournament run end on Sunday, as they fell 106-67 to No. 1 Seed Purdue, whom plenty of folks have as a favorite to win the whole thing next month.

It’s a legacy that will feel like the blink of an eye for some fans but a highlight in the history books for others. Sprinkle did a tremendous job in Logan, earning his 100th career win back in January in the process, in just five short years.

He is leaving for what can be viewed as a tough job that just got even tougher, but his track record of turning around programs speaks for itself, let’s see if he can take that success to Big Ten country next season.

The New Job 

Seattle & the Pacific Northwest definitely have their draw for workers of any industry. But the University of Washington has become even more of a football school with it’s recent run to the CFP National Championship game. Leaving their men’s basketball program, their only other sport operating in the black in 2023, well behind in terms of national relevance & competition.

The school parted ways with seven year Head Coach Mike Hopkins on March 8th. After just one Pac-12 title & one NCAA Tournament appearance (both in 2018-2019) and a 118-106 record amassed in Seattle since 2017.

Danny Sprinkle emerged as a candidate to keep an eye on almost immediately, even before Hopkin’s official sacking. With ties to the region as a player & coach at Montana State and having being born in Pullman, WA to former Husky Defensive Back Bill Sprinkle.

As a hot name due to the job done in Logan to that point & his ties to the program, many who followed the conference didn’t like the odds of keeping one of the nation’s up and coming young coaches in the Mountain West much longer.

It’s a tough job because, no matter the 5-star recruits or high major transfers you bring it, at such a high level of basketball the X’s & O’s need to be twice as strong. And that was in the Pac-12, not the Big Ten. Which is constantly in the running for the prestige & recognition that comes with being the nation’s “best” or most competitive conference nationally every year, per KenPom ($).

Whereas the Pac-12, even with it’s money, infrastructure, history & high class destinations compares similar to the Mountain West more so than the Big Ten metrically.

It’s essentially a brand new job at Washington, with no history or trophies to show in it’s new home. But, with an athletics department & boosters aware of what it will take to stay relevant & competitive in the Big Ten. Sprinkle may appear like a bargain deal as a still young & “inexperienced” coach, but he may just be the right man to take this program into the promise land.

A place the conference has been unable to even see on the horizon since the Lorenzo Romar days in Seattle. A time that saw the Huskies make seven trips to the NCAA Tournament (seven in the first ten years), three runs to the Sweet 16, earn two Pac-12 regular season titles & three Tournament Championships in fifteen seasons.

Utah State Outlook

Utah State is becoming a springboard for up and coming coaches in recent years. After decades of stability under Morrill, the Aggies have seen three of their four coaches move on to bigger & sometimes lateral opportunities. The idea of building a life in Logan may seem unappealing for some, but the community supports the program, players seem attracted to the University & coaches can win here.

The guys over at KSL Sports have the first list of candidates I have seen so far. But given how attractive the job has become in recent years, I don’t see Utah State having a hard time finding the right candidate for the job going forward.

What may be more interesting to follow is how many Aggie players will hit the portal, by their own volition or not in the coming days.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

2024 MWC Tournament: Three Reasons Why the Utah State Aggies Can Win It All

Can the recently crowned MWC Regular Season Champions Pull off the Double? 2024 MWC Tournament: Why the Utah State Aggies can win it all. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Utah State travels to Las Vegas in search of their second league title …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Can the recently crowned MWC Regular Season Champions Pull off the Double?

2024 MWC Tournament: Why the Utah State Aggies can win it all.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Utah State travels to Las Vegas in search of their second league title in a weeks time, here’s how they can win it all.

It’s that time folks, March Madness. A time for the sport to receive a huge boost in national attention & fanfare. But before we can all tune into non-stop basketball from breakfast to dinner. Several tickets still need to be punched.

The same holds true in the Mountain West. As teams prepare to kick off what could be four straight days of basketball for some & a quit exit for others on Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas.

There isn’t necessarily a defined easy path to the title game. Even though some won’t have to hit the floor until day two. Everyone has a chance to to climb the ladder come Saturday. But the recently crowned Mountain West Regular Season Champions Utah State may have the leg up on the competition.

The Track Record

First year Head Coach Danny Sprinkle knows a little something about punched tickets & cutting down nets. The former Montana State head man led his alma mater to back-to-back conference championships & NCAA Tournament appearances, their first in program history.  Last year’s tournament matchup against Kansas State of the Big 12 wasn’t your typical lower seed early exit either.

They hit the national stage & gave No. 3 Kansas State a run for their money in a potential upset as the No. 14 seed. Montana State gained the lead early on over their Big 12 foe. The Wildcats would go on several runs to create distance between them & Danny Sprinkle’s group. Though the Bobcats didn’t go quietly, keeping the deficit to single digits most of the way.

Montana State would fall 77-65 to one of the more dangerous teams to emerge in last season’s tournament. Kansas State would go on a run to the Elite Eight before falling to the tournament’s true Cinderella, Florida Atlantic. Something that might not have happened if the Bobcats would have pulled off the upset.

Has the right team been assembled in Logan that can give Coach Sprinkle his third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament & a chance at securing his first win?

The Fire Power

Aside from having an experienced head coach leading the team to the Field of 68 promise land, you’ll need the players capable of scoring enough points to get you there. The Aggies have plenty of that, with the second highest scoring average in the conference & a top-40 adjusted offensive efficiency ranking on KenPom.

Danny Sprinkle also has four different double-digit scorers to rely on with all four capable of huge scoring outbursts any given night. With the quartet of Great Osobor, Ian Martinez, Darius Brown II & Mason Falslev holding 25 combined 20+ point game performances in the regular season.

Also, to put current season averages aside. Brown II & Osobor have NCAA Tournament experience from their time at Montana State together. While Martinez played in the tournament himself last year at Maryland. Where the Terrapins went 1-1 before falling 73-51 to No. 1 seed Alabama in the Second Round in the South Region.

With a deep, highly capable & experienced squad. The Aggies have the chance to win their first game in the big dance since 2001, in Stew Morrill’s third season in Logan. To give them the opportunity, they’ll need the right man running the show in Las Vegas, luckily they have just the player.

The Floor General

For any good team to flourish in a high stress environment such as the Thomas & Mack Center in March, you need a good leader. It doesn’t get much better around the Mountain West than Aggie point guard Darius Brown II. The graduate transfer from Montana State has been a key piece to what could easily be described as the feel good story of the college basketball season.

He’s made a jump in competition twice in the past two off-seasons. Each time locking in & stepping up his own level of play to whatever is needed for his new squad, usually being coached by Sprinkle.

His career high averages in points (12.4 PPG), assists (6.4 APG), rebounds (4.4 RPG) & three point shooting totals (40.4%, on 57/141 attempts) this season have proven huge for Utah State. Especially that last statistic, as Brown II has netted two three point game winners in the past few weeks.

Two clutch moments in Utah State’s escape from Fresno State back in late February. Not traditional game winners, but not one but two clutch moments in a game that essentially led to his team winning a surprisingly tough road game.

As mentioned prior, anyone can win this time of year, it’s March Madness for crying out lout. But not many other teams are primed for an NCAA Tournament appearance like Utah State.

Whether or not that path to the big dance includes a second conference title on Saturday remains to be seen. But you won’t find many folks betting against the Aggies this week.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Utah State Secures Outright MWC Title, With 87-85 Win Over New Mexico

Game Recap: No. 22 Utah State 87, New Mexico 85 Utah State Secures Outright MWC Title, With 87-85 Win Over New Mexico Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Darius Brown II’s game winning three pointer gives Utah State & Danny Sprinkle their first …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

 Game Recap: No. 22 Utah State 87, New Mexico 85

Utah State Secures Outright MWC Title, With 87-85 Win Over New Mexico

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Darius Brown II’s game winning three pointer gives Utah State & Danny Sprinkle their first outright MWC title.

Logan, UT–As some teams were engaging in conference tournament championship games around the country. Teams in the Mountain West were still clashing for seeding for their own conference tournament next week in Las Vegas. Part of what could be described as “seeding musical chairs” on Saturday was what could absolutely turn into a dogfight in Logan.

New Mexico packed their bags & headed northwest. Ready to end their season on a win & looking for the sweep over league leaders No. 22 Utah State inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The last time these two met was on January 16th, back when a red hot Lobo team secured the 99-86 upset over the then No. 16 Aggies inside the Pit. And even though New Mexico has cooled off plenty since that magical run in January.

They’ve proven in the very recent past that they can beat Utah State. Something not many others have been able to say this season. With plenty on the line Saturday night, both teams put on an absolute show in Logan.

The Lobos got things started quite quickly as they normally do. With back-to-back field goals by star freshman JT Toppin in a span of about 13 seconds or so. Utah State stayed right with them after several free throws & a dunk by Ian Martinez, which gave them their first lead of the game at 7-6.

The reoccurring theme of the night would be the toe-to-toe style and pace of the game throughout. As both teams exchanged field goals with a tie at 10 a piece thanks to another Toppin layup down low & once again at 12 a piece thanks to a Nelly Junior Joseph layup soon after, both assisted by Jaelen House.

Both teams found plenty of success scoring in the paint. In fact, all scoring was done exclusively inside the arc or at the free throw line until Mustapha Amzil drained a three pointer eight minutes into the first half to bring New Mexico to within one (22-21). This after a 6-0 Utah State run gave them some breathing room until the Lobos regained their scoring form.

Amzil would find his confidence from beyond the arc in the first half Saturday night, scoring the next six Lobo points from deep to keep his squad neck and neck with Danny Sprinkle’s team. Scoring again on a layup before receiving some help via two more layups from Toppin & House.

For Utah State the three-headed attack of Brown II, Martinez & Osobor kept their guests at bay in the first half. Struggling from deep (1-8), but finding layup after layup in the lane with their offensive chemistry on full display.

New Mexico gained their first lead (39-38) since the opening few minutes thanks to a pair of Jaelen House free throws approaching the three minute mark. Javon Jackson would send him back to the line after a missed Osobor jumper on the other end. House’s clutch gene kicked in once again as he drained both free throws to extend the Lobo lead to four (42-38) approaching the two minute mark in the half.

Both teams would close the half on a rather cold note. Missing the next eight field goal attempts combined before a Martinez free throw went in for Utah State. To be followed up by what Donovan Dent does best, a layup on the other end to extend New Mexico’s lead to 44-39 before the half-time buzzer sounded.

The first half was certainly a toe-to-toe bout. With Sprinkle’s aforementioned three-pronged attack leading the way. As Great Osobor lead all scorers with 15 points & 6 rebounds, Ian Martinez being the other Aggie in double-figures with 11 points & Brown II being the catalyst for most of it with 9 points of his own to go along with 5 assists & 4 rebounds.

Without Amzil’s hotstreak in the middle of the half, New Mexico would be playing catchup after the break. Entering half-time with 13 points, primarily off of his stellar 3-4 (75%) shooting performance from deep.

JT Toppin was the other Lobo in double figures with 10 points off of 5-7 (71.4%) shooting. House posted numbers similar to his Aggie counterpart with 9 points, 5 rebounds & 4 assists, playing a similar role for the visiting squad.

The Aggies were not ready to lose their sole possession of the conference championship to New Mexico that easily. They opened the second-half with a 6-0 run thanks to three different players scoring the ball to retake the lead.

Donovan Dent scored New Mexico’s first points of the half with back-to-back driving layups to take back the lead at 48-47. Ian Martinez capitalized on a House turnover with a three pointer giving that lead right back to Utah State.

Out of a commercial timeout Josh Uduje earned his first two points of the game with two free throws to extend the Aggie lead out to 52-48. Only for that lead to be chopped at by House’s first three pointer of the game on the other end.

Each side would exchange a few made field goals after that to rapidly progress the score to 60-57 in just a few minutes of time. Keeping the style & pace of the game fast and effective. The Lobos began relying on three point attempts, finding plenty of success (2-3) while the Aggies made their money any which way they could, mainly at the free throw line.

Baker Jr.’s second three-pointer of the half drove Utah State to call a timeout as the Lobo’s 65-59 lead was setting the scene for a dangerous run. Which when hot, Richard Pitino’s group are as impossible as anyone in the country to catch up with. Just ask the Aggies, who fell victim to such a hot streak back in mid-January in Albuquerque.

Out of the timeout each side would attempt to bank on three pointers to gain a fast edge, neither succeeded. Though after a media timeout gave each side time to once again regroup, Utah State came out swinging. With back-to-back buckets at the rim, shrinking the Lobo lead to just one point, after a Martinez and one opportunity (65-64).

Two more made field goals around the basket kept things close going forward. As JT Toppin began to rediscover his touch around the basket for four straight New Mexico points.

In the midst of a relatively quite night, Mason Falslev drove to the hoop for another layup. Keeping his team to within one point & within striking distance of what was becoming a paper thin Lobo lead.

Another media timeout gave time for Coach Pitino’s group to stop the bleeding & assess the damage before sending Brown II to the free throw line. Those two opportunities he would sink, giving the Aggies back the lead for the first time in over seven minutes.

Dent would tie it up again with a free throw of his own before Martinez sank his third triple of the night on the other end (73-70). He would go on to send Junior-Joseph to the line on the defensive side.

Even after making only one of his two opportunities, Junior-Joseph found a way to tie things up once again with a layup following an Osobor turnover. Keeping fans inside the Spectrum on the edge of their seats as time wound down.

House received his 4th foul of the night soon after, sending Brown II to the line for two more free throws & himself to the bench out of caution with five minutes left to play. As Brown II drained his seventh free throw of the game on one side, Junior-Joseph tied things up once again on the other.

Uduje threw a wrench into the pound for pound style of play with a three pointer. Amzil drained a two-point jumper on the other end to keep New Mexico in it. Now down by just one at 78-77. Soon after he found himself at the charity stripe with a chance to take the lead. Amzil would go 1-2 and tie things up at 78 a piece.

Kalifa Sakho made two huge free throws on the other end to give Utah State the 80-78 lead with a little over two minutes to go in the game. Following a missed House jumper, Falslev drove to the basket in transition to give the Aggies a four point lead. Donovan Dent followed suit with a driving layup of his own to make it a one possession game again.

Sakho would turn the ball over after a New Mexico timeout but Toppin couldn’t capitalize on the other end missing an opportunity down low. Osobor secured the defensive rebound but Martinez couldn’t capitalize himself on the other end.

With a little over a minute left to go an Osobor offensive rebound & miss down low led to a official review under the two minute mark as the ball flew out of bounds.

After the suspense, New Mexico would receive the ball. With the chance to take the lead, the ball went to Donovan Dent. And the super sophomore made it look easy with the game tying layup.

As all seemed destined for overtime, Ian Martinez dunked it home on the other end to give them the 84-82 lead with forty seconds left to go in this nail bitter. You can’t ever tell Jaelen House it’s a lost cause though, as he received the inbound pass, sprinted to the other & drained the two point jumper.

With things all tied up, the ball went into the hands of Utah State’s most experienced player, Darius Brown II. As time chipped away the ball left his hands & the possible game winning three pointer found the bottom of the net to signal the thunderous applause of the home crowd.

As expected, New Mexico took the timeout to set up a possible game tying three pointer. Uduje committed the quick fouled to send House to the line, to take the possible three pointer out of the equation.

After an extremely clutch jumper in their last possession, House would make the first free throw & prepare to miss the second. As only a missed free throw would give New Mexico the chance to send things to overtime with a second chance field goal.

To add insult to injury, House would proceed to miss the second free throw & some questionable play calling (or lack there of) would ensue. Though it didn’t matter. As the final buzzer sounded, students rightfully stormed the court after an extremely successful season & Utah State earned the outright regular season championship after their 87-85 win on senior night.

Coach Pitino would go on to petition the officiating crew after House’s second free throw appeared to have not touched the rim. Something that if noticed & called by the referees would have reset the play & put a few seconds back on the clock. It might not have mattered, but it was an oversight. No such decision was made & both teams called it a night.

The visiting Lobos played valiantly, giving fans across the nation a show the Mountain West is becoming known to produce. Leaving Logan with four players in double-figures, a double-double from Nelly Junior-Joseph (13 points & 10 rebounds) & extremely solid play from it’s stars.

New Mexico fans can only buck up, after losing to the now official Mountain West Regular Season Champions & prepare for the trip next week.

It is the Aggies first outright Mountain West title ever. Not to mention the cherry on top of would could be argued as the most impressive inaugural season for a coach ever by Danny Sprinkle. Who is already seeing his name tied to openings in the upcoming coaching carousel before his team even finishes the season.

To complete the full sweep next week in Las Vegas would be something special. Which, is something this team is totally equipped to do after being picked to finish 9th way back in October of last year.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico F–Mustapha Amzil

Stat line: 18 points, 5 rebounds & 2 assists on 6-8 (75%) from the floor & 3-5 (60%) from deep in 32 minutes off of the bench.

On a team filled with capable scorers, Amzil managed to come off of the bench & be the difference maker for New Mexico Saturday night. Yes, his team didn’t win.

But I don’t think anyone would argue that the Lobos wouldn’t have even come close to a down to the wire performance in Logan without Amzil’s three point shooting & off the bench production His team high 18 points also helped fill the scoring gap left by Jamal Mashburn Jr. as he sat out entirely with an injury.

Utah State G-Darius Brown II

Stat line: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals & 9 assists on 5-9 shooting (55.5%) from the floor, 7-9 (77.7%) from the line & 1 game winner in 39 minutes of action

Brown II showed everyone why he is gearing up for his likely third NCAA Tournament appearance Saturday night. The graduate transfer helped secure Utah State’s first outright Mountain West title with a beautifully clutch game winning three pointer as time expired.

Along with the biggest play of the game he made others, nearly logging an assist featured double-double with 9 assists & only four turnovers. As a few of his teammates waivered in the second-half, he stayed locked in.

Next Up:

With the wrap to the regular season coming tonight, both teams pack their bags & prepare for a trip oh so many of us make in our life. Straight through to Las Vegas baby.

The Lobos haven’t cut down the nets inside the Thomas & Mack center since Craig Neal’s first season in charge over a decade ago. This team has shown brilliant flashes this season, but will head to Vegas as a bottom half seed with their work cut out for them.

While the Aggies haven’t gotten the chance to climb the ladder inside the Thomas & Mack Center since Craig Smith’s first season back in 2018-2019. The same year they shared their last regular season title with Nevada.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Utah State Stands Tall at Home, Beating No. 19 Aztecs 68-63

Game Recap: Utah State 68, No. 19 San Diego State 63 Utah State Stands Tall at Home, Beating Aztecs 68-63 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Utah State take sole possession of first place with home win over No. 19 Aztecs. A matchup that is …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

 Game Recap: Utah State 68, No. 19 San Diego State 63

Utah State Stands Tall at Home, Beating Aztecs 68-63

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Utah State take sole possession of first place with home win over No. 19 Aztecs.

A matchup that is appropriately dubbed the battle for first place in the Mountain West. Of course there is plenty of basketball left to play that could alter anyone’s course to a regular season championship.

But with both Utah State & San Diego State tied for first place in the conference heading into Tuesday night’s primetime matchup, all eyes had to be glued on the heavyweight game happening in Logan. As the fate of the regular season conference race could very well be decided tonight.

The last time these two programs met was earlier this month inside Viejas Arena. The Aztecs received a stellar three-point performance (9-20, 45%) and found their way to the line all night (20-28, 71.4%). Slowing down the game allowed San Diego State to slowly mount a comeback late in the first-half.  Using that same strategy in the second-half ensured they never lost their lead & beat a than No. 17 ranked Utah State team 81-67.

With the tables turned as Utah State welcomed a No. 19 ranked San Diego State squad to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, hoping for a little bit of payback.

A packed homecourt can give teams a spark right out of the gate, something the Aggies took full advantage of with a 6-0 run in the game’s opening minutes. The Aztecs nearly leveled things before back-to-back baskets by Utah State star Great Osobor kept them at bay.

Brian Dutcher’s group took their first lead of the game (11-10) with a Miles Byrd alley oop. That was just one of five lead changes over the next five minutes or so, along with several other ties. A 6-2 run in the final two minutes of play gave the home team some cushion. As a Darius Brown II jump shot as time expired gave the Aggies the 31-26 lead heading into half-time.

With all of the offensive firepower the Aggies boast, floor general Darius Brown II led all scorers at the half with 12 points, off of 5-7 shooting, which included two threes. While LeDee led the Aztecs with 8 points off of 4-6 shooting down low.

The beginning of the second-half began with a quick five points from the Aggies. San Diego State was quick to respond, or should I say Jaedon LeDee was, with two quick field goals of his own.

After that, Osobor responded with his own 5-0 run on the other end. San Diego State would then go on to miss three consecutive three point jumpers on consecutive possessions, before an Aggie defensive board ended their misery.

As the Aztecs struggled to find success from the floor for the next couple of minutes, they earned their points elsewhere. With four straight free throw makes to bring things to within four (41-37).

Utah State would respond with scoring from three different players, to go on an 8-2 run which included back-to-back three points. Extending their lead to double-digits & ignited the crowd heading into the media timeout.

Brian Dutcher’s group took that time to regroup, with a quick 5-0 run out of the timeout to bring things back to within single digits. It became the theme of the night, as the Aztecs would gain a little momentum & shrink their deficit just for Utah State to do the same & extend it again.

Osobor & Brown II had plenty to do with that for the Aggies, while LeDee had the hot hand for San Diego State. Things slowed down as the game approached the final five minutes of play, but as that happened the Aztecs went on yet another run.

This time a 7-0 run that brought their deficit to just one point (59-58) and was filled with defensive stops. That was enough to force Coach Sprinkle to call a timeout, with 4:37 left in the game.

Luckily for the home crowd, Isaac Johnson was able to capitalize out of that timeout after a missed three pointer by Ian Martinez. This would be followed by a couple of misses from each squad before a Lamont Butler offensive foul ended things before the last media timeout.

Out of that timeout, the man with the hot hand took the three point shot. As Brown II’s shot failed to go in, a Utah State offensive board led to another opportunity from beyond the arc, that one was clean from the graduate transfer.

With time in short supply in Logan, the ball went to LeDee & as he attempted to make the layup, Osobor was there to send it away.

Jay Pal would go on to miss a three on the other end, but LeDee wasn’t prepared to quit just yet and drew a foul that sent him to the line. He would drain those free ones, but it was still a two possession game (64-60).

The Aztec gameplan after that you may ask, foul. Mason Falslev would drain his two shots at the line and made way for Brown II to head to the line immediately after him. As things seemed out of reach for San Diego State, now down 68-60. Miles Byrd hit his only three pointer of the game. But it was too late.

The W stayed in Logan Tuesday night, with Utah State defending their home court with a 68-63 win to take sole possession of first place in the Mountain West.

San Diego State was led by Jaedon LeDee and his 23 points, 15 of which came in the second-half. He was joined in double figures by Reese Waters (11 points) & Miles Byrd (10 points). The Aztecs had a decent night shooting from the floor (24-56, 42.9%), but struggled from deep (3-19, 15.8%).

Utah State simply shot just a tad better. Shooting 25-51 (49%) from the field & a poor but respectable 7-22 (31.8%) from beyond the arc. That figure not see that impressive, but the Aggies sank 4-10 three pointers in the second-half.

Thanks to Darius Brown, who had 13 of his 25 points during that time (including 3-5 3FGs). Other Aggies in double-figures include Mason Falslev with 10 points & Great Osobor with 17 points (13 also in the second-half.

“Everybody had their hand in it, our team is so together. That’s what makes this group special. They know we didn’t win a championship tonight, we have to continue to get better.” said Coach Sprinkle in the post game press conference. “I’m just really proud of their effort & the response they had coming off the Colorado State game.”

Player Spotlights

San Diego State F-Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 23 points & 6 rebounds on 8-13 (61.5%) from the floor & 7-9 (77.7%) from the line in 33 minutes of action

You can’t say LeDee didn’t bring his A-Game to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Tuesday night. Accounting for over a third of his team’s offensive production as the Aztec’s attempted to keep up with the second highest scoring team in the conference (80.1 PPG).

His consistent scoring is a big part of the reason why the Aztecs were able to hang around until the final buzzer. It wasn’t enough to help his squad secure the road win but LeDee continues to make his case for All-American Honors.

Utah State G–Darius Brown II

Stat line: 25 points, 4 rebounds, & 2 assists on 8-13 (61.5%) shooting from the floor, including 5-9 (55.5%) from deep in an impressive 39 minutes of action

Brown II left everything on the floor Tuesday night, only missing one minute of action as the offensive threat Danny Sprinkle couldn’t afford to leave on the bench for a single minute longer. As the Aztecs created continuous defensive spurts to keep their hosts within arms reach, not all of Utah State’s usual offensive weapons were firing.

In comes Brown II, who although has proven himself as a scorer in Logan multiple times this season. Isn’t Utah State’s go-to scorer most nights either. But against the Aztecs he flourished, especially from beyond the arc. His game high 25 points were the difference maker for his squad tonight.

Three Takeaways:

  • Both sides plaid to their advantages on Tuesday night. The Aztecs were able to slow the Aggies down at times, but those defensive stops came in spurts. Which was what the high scoring offense of Utah State needed to pull the “upset”. It may not have been a nail biter but the Aggies showed up and handled their business. Further feeding into the legend that is Danny Sprinkle in Logan.
  • San Diego State didn’t come into this one with the offensive firepower capable of outscoring the Aggies. Yes they had LeDee & some other players certainly capable of scoring, but they excel when they can strongarm their opponent defensively. Utah State simply made more shots, not a bad loss for San Diego State but indicative of the Mountain West gauntlet.
  • Utah State took sole possession of first place in the Mountain West with their win Tuesday night. It was an important win, as the Aggies only have four more games in conference play before head to Las Vegas in March. The only truly threatening game left on their schedule is at home against New Mexico in the last game of the regular season. Yes all aspects of that game would likely paint Utah State as the favorites, but this conference championship could be decided by just one game or even a half. So a major win at home against the conference juggernaut was key.

Next Up:

The Aggies get some time off before they head on the road to take on the Bulldogs in Fresno next Tuesday. Justin Hutson’s squad doesn’t necessarily exuberate upset alert this year. But remember any team can win on any given night.

that game tips off on February 27th at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on the Mountain West Network.

While the Aztecs stay on the road to take a run at Fresno State themselves on Saturday February 24th. San Diego State needs to win every single remaining game on their schedule. Especially with a rematch against Boise State to end the regular season.

Their clash with the Bulldogs can be seen on CBS Sports & tips off at 7:00 PM PT.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Utah State Basketball: Danny Sprinkle Earns 100th Career Victory Tuesday Night

Utah State Basketball: Danny Sprinkle Earns 100th Career Victory Tuesday Night Coach Sprinkle has continued his winning ways in Logan. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire First year Head Coach Danny Sprinkle earns 100th career victory, nineteen …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Utah State Basketball: Danny Sprinkle Earns 100th Career Victory Tuesday Night

Coach Sprinkle has continued his winning ways in Logan.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

First year Head Coach Danny Sprinkle earns 100th career victory, nineteen earned in Logan.

No. 17 Utah State is riding a three game winning streak after their 82-61 win over visiting San Jose State. The win added to the Aggies momentum after a visit to New Mexico ended a then fifteen game winning streak which garnered the program attention regionally & would eventually lead to national recognition.

The recognition is warranted, given the fact that a first year head coach coming from a different level of basketball having success almost immediately is usually unheard of. But Danny Sprinkle is doing it. Doing it with an entirely new roster & no returners from last season, also unheard of even in this day and age.

Tuesday night’s home win before the Aggies head on the road to what everyone in the conference knows is a hard place to win, Viejas Arena. Though that’s days away, plenty of days to plan, prepare & rest. But also days to celebrate. Celebrating Danny Sprinkle’s 100th career win as a head coach in just four and a half short seasons.

The former Montana State standout was given the job back in the spring of 2019. The former Bobcat player spent four years at the helm in Bozeman. Starting off a tad bumpy in an industry navigating covid-19 like every else.

Coach Sprinkle turned things around in year three and four, posting 25+ wins, 1 regular season championship, 2 conference tournament championships & back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.

The 47 year-old year old Sprinkle turned those results & a near upset of No. 3 seeded Kansas State last March into a job offer from one of the Mountain West’s most underrated jobs.

Since being named the head man at Utah State, a job that has seen their last two head coaches poached for other opportunities, Sprinkle continues to shine. With his Aggies picked to finish 9th in the Mountain West back in October, Utah State

Utah State is 18-2 (7-1) on the year with rankings of 22nd (NET) & 31st (KenPom), four consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 & are in sole possession of first place in one of the more competitive iterations of the Mountain West in recent memory.

For now the future looks bright in Logan. Even though a job offer from a high major conference seems likely down the road. Aggie fans can enjoy the Magic Danny Sprinkle and company have brought with them from Bozeman.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

New Mexico vs. No. 16 Utah State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

New Mexico vs. No. 16 Utah State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More Can the Lobos pull off the encore & secure back-to-back top-25 win? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico hosts No. 16 Utah State, in search of second …

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://mwwire.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

New Mexico vs. No. 16 Utah State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

Can the Lobos pull off the encore & secure back-to-back top-25 win?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico hosts No. 16 Utah State, in search of second straight top-25 win.

WHO: New Mexico (14-3, 2-2 in the MWC) vs. No. 16 Utah State (16-1, 4-0 in the MWC)

WHEN: Tuesday, January 16th, 8:30 PM MT

WHERE: University Arena aka “The Pit”, Albuquerque, NM

TELEVISION: FS1

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

Line: KenPom ($), The Lobos are favored by 4 Points

Encore performances are a beautiful aspect of all kinds of entertainment, sports included. The ability to satisfy an audience’s demand of an incredible performance is special. And believe me Lobo fans are demanding an encore against No. 16 Utah State on Tuesday night.

It’s a big ask, but the Lobos haven’t even had the chance at back-to-back top-25 wins since 2012. They were actually presented with three such opportunities that year, all against San Diego State & UNLV. Their first two meetings resulted in losses, while the Lobos swept the next four.

New Mexico is coming off of what can be argued the biggest win of the Richard Pititno era in Albuquerque Saturday afternoon. When they welcomed a nationally ranked rival in San Diego State and performed a comeback for the ages.

The rest of conference play isn’t going to be a cake walk, it never is. But the momentum built on Saturday needs to be carried over against Utah State. That’s if the Lobos still have March Madness aspirations.

Because Utah State is enjoying an incredible inaugural year in the Danny Sprinkle era in Logan. In year one, Coach Sprinkle has managed to produce a 15-game winning streak including a 4-0 start in conference play. Not to mention the program’s first top-25 ranking since 2019. The program is absolutely rolling, continuing to be a mid-major jumping off point for up and coming coaches.

Tuesday night’s matchup against one of the hottest programs in college basketball is important to say the least. That 15-game Aggie winning streak is also the longest in the nation. And as of Monday, Utah State is the sole Mountain West team in the AP Top-25. After a tough week left the likes of Colorado State & San Diego State bruised and beaten out of the rankings all together.

So on a night filled with Mountain West action, the game with the most weight, might be in Albuquerque.

Players to Watch:

G Jaelen House–New Mexico

23-24 Stats: 15.7 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 SPG & 38.5% 3FG

Last time out: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals on 7-16 (43.8%) shooting, including 4-9 (44.4%) from deep against No. 19 San Diego State

House is fun to watch, whether you love him or hate him, he’s good for college basketball. As his passion and never give up attitude on the floor resembles a video game cheat code, just ask San Diego State.

Without House’s resurgence and continued hustle on both sides of the ball, I’m not sure the Lobos even make it close. He is the x-factor for New Mexico and likely a focal point of Utah State’s gameplan.

F Great Osobor-Utah State

23-24 Stats: 18.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 BPG & 58.5% FG

Last time out: 24 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks on 6-12 (50%) shooting, including 12-13 (92.3%) from the free throw line against UNLV

Great Osobor is an absolute tank down low. A tank with great hands to go along with a great feel around the rim. He moves well in transition and is on the receiving end of plenty of passes from fellow former Bobcat Darius Brown II. Who just happens to rank 3rd in the entire nation for assists (7.4).

Osobor is enjoying a red hot breakout season, logging double-digit scoring outputs in all of but two games so far. That also includes eight 20+ games and eight double doubles. If the Aggies are looking to secure another quad 1 win to add to their resume, a good night from Osobor is key.

Keys to the Game

For New Mexico:  Interior Defense, Get to the line & Defend the perimeter

The Lobos didn’t look well balanced in the first ten minutes or so against San Diego State. They eventually found their defensive rhythm & put an end to the Aztec’s slow but potent offense.

It took a little longer to figure out how to put points in the basket after shooting horribly to start the game. The solution, three guards shooting a combined 12-12 from the free throw line when nothing else seemed to fall.

On the defensive side, it was 14 blocks (11 in the first half) & 8 steals. Ten of those blocks belonged to the Lobos’ frontcourt starters. They’ll need a similar performance against one of the toughest interior matchups in the country right now, Great Osobor.

For Utah State:  Solid looks for Osobor, Ball Security & Clog the lanes

Some nights Great Osobor is a walking bucket. A walking 6’8 245 pound wrecking ball with great hands type of bucket. With a completely new roster, it’s obvious now that Osobor was the gem of this recruiting class. He’ll need a big night against a Lobo squad that hasn’t been known for their interior defense all season.

The Aggies will also need top notch ball security as the Lobos are one of the best teams in the country at creating offense off of turnovers. Lastly, Utah State will have to clog the lanes & force New Mexico to the free throw line to earn their points or to take & make the three (which has proven to be impossible some nights).

Prediction: New Mexico 80, Utah State 76

The power of the Pit was on full display Saturday afternoon. But a sold out & ruckus crowd isn’t always enough to secure two consecutive wins over top-25 caliber opponents. The Lobos need a similar offensive & defensive balance that gave them their weekend upset.

KenPom has New Mexico as 4-point favorites, which feels accurate given these two teams offensive capabilities. As the Lobos and Aggies are leading the conference in scoring at number one and two. It might just come down to who gets there first.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]