Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle. Photo by Robert K. Scott
Utah State has won two straight games in two straight days, earning the right to play in the title game of the Cayman Islands Classic. The Aggies will take on Stephen F. Austin, a red-hot shooting team with a deep rotation that will test USU’s stamina and improving defense in the final game of the showcase.
How to watch
- Tip-off: 5:30 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Nov. 21
- Location: John Gray Gym (George Town, Cayman Islands)
- KVNU Aggie GameDay with Al Lewis: 4:30 p.m.
- KVNU Aggie Call with Al Lewis: Immediately after Coach Sprinkle’s post-game comments
- TV Broadcast: FloHoops
- Radio Broadcast: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM) in Logan; KVNU (98.3) in Tremonton; KVNU (93.5) in Garden City; KZNS (97.5 FM, 1280 AM) in Salt Lake City; KRPX (102.7 FM) in Green River, Utah; KRPX (100.3 FM) in Moab; KRPX (95.9 FM) in Orangeville; KRPX (95.3 FM) in Price; KVSI (1450 AM/104.5 FM) in Montpelier, Idaho.
Injuries
Projected Starters
Utah State (4-1)
- G – Darius Brown (6-2, Sr.) – 11.8 points | 3.0 rebounds | 7.4 assists
- G – Mason Falslev (6-3, Fr.) – 9.6 points | 4.0 rebounds | 3.4 assists
- G – Josh Uduje (6-5, Jr.) – 11.4 points | 3.0 rebounds | 1.0 assists
- F – Great Osobor (6-8, Jr.) – 21.8 points | 10.6 rebounds | 3.2 assists
- C – Isaac Johnson (7-0, So.) – 5.8 points | 2.8 rebounds | 0.6 assists
Stephen F. Austin (4-1)
- G –Latrell Jossell (6-1, Sr.) – 10.0 points | 1.4 rebounds | 2.4 assists
- G – AJ Cajuste (6-1, Sr.) – 9.6 points | 3.4 rebounds | 4.6 assists
- G – Matt Hayman (6-5, Jr.) – 8.8 points | 2.2 rebounds | 1.4 assists
- F – Sadaidriene Hall (6-5, Jr.) – 13.2 points | 5.8 rebounds | 1.6 assists
- F – Jalil Beaubrun (6-9, Jr.) – 8.2 points | 3.4 rebounds | 1.0 assists
Team Statistical Ranks
Pace and offense/defense efficiency ratings via Ken Pomeroy. All ranks are out of 363 Division I teams.
Utah State
- Pace – 70.2 (155th)
- Offensive Efficiency – 106.2 (107th)
- Defensive Efficiency – 98.3 (77th)
- Field Goal % – 51.2 (30th)
- 3-point % – 33.7 (157th)
- Offensive Rebounding % – 30.2 (198th)
- Total Rebounding % – 55.8 (52nd)
- KenPom Rank – 87th
Stephen F. Austin
- Pace – 71.1 (104th)
- Offensive Efficiency – 108.4 (74th)
- Defensive Efficiency – 98.3 (78th)
- Field Goal % – 54.6 (6th)
- 3-point % – 44.3 (7th)
- Offensive Rebounding % – 33.3 (119th)
- Total Rebounding % – 53.6 (111th)
- KenPom Rank – 67th
Summary
The Lumberjacks are having a heck of a start to the season offensively, scoring 90 points in three of their five games (86 in four of the five), including a 92-68 blasting of Drake in the second round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
No one player is leading the complete charge for Stephen F. Austin as its rotation goes 11 players deep, with 11 players having appeared in all five games and all 11 of those players averaging at least 10 minutes per game. The Lumberjacks have started eight different players, so the above lineup, used by the team in each of their last two games, may not be what they go with against the bigger Aggie team.
It’s likely the very deep rotation will heavily favor the Lumberjacks, as even though the Aggies go nine players deep in their rotation, a heavy reliance on key players Darius Brown and Great Osobor, who’ve each played roughly 70 minutes over the last two days, may come back to hurt USU against SFA.
The top two scorers for Stephen F. Austin are Sadaidriene Hall at 13.2 points per game and Latrell Jossell at an even 10.0. But plenty of players could be the leading scorer on any given night as six different Lumberjack players are currently averaging at least 7.8 points per game.
Utah State just got done shutting down a hot-shooting Akron team, that had shot 40 percent from three prior to facing the Aggies (and subsequently shooting 20.8 percent), and will get no rest with SFA. The team ranks seventh in 3-point percentage, albeit on much lower volume (19.4 attempts per game, or 279th in Division I).
