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Utah State beats Seattle in exhibition — Analysis and game recap | Sports



LOGAN – Utah State defeated Seattle by a score of 88-76 in a Saturday afternoon exhibition that marked the unofficial beginning of Aggie basketball season. The result of the game won’t go down in any record books, but it serves as an important jumping-off point for the team as it looks to compete for a Mountain West title and a return to the NCAA Tournament for a seventh time in eight seasons as a program.

The two teams played a fully competitive game, with back-and-forth scoring, a coaches challenge late in the game, and some situational full court pressing by both teams. The two sides even agreed (beforehand) to play an extra 10-minute period after the conclusion of regulation to get more time to develop players in a game situation.

This won’t be a full narrative re-telling of the afternoon’s events. Rather, it’ll focus on a few key themes from the team and a player-by-player analysis, breaking down how each member of the team did in their time on the court.

Game Recap 

To be brief, as this whole section will be, the flow of the game essentially boiled down to Utah State taking control and Seattle getting the score close at a few different points before the Aggies pulled away for good in the second half. USU led by 17 points with two minutes to go, so the final moments of the game were far from dramatic.

Utah State got off to a kind of slow start. It made 11 of its first 14 shots, but also had lots of turnovers in the early goings which limited scoring opportunities on what would have otherwise been a near-perfect start. Then, six minutes into the game, the Aggies threw their first big punch, a 17-2 run that gave them a 25-11 lead. Seattle responded with a 9-0 run but USU countered with runs of 6-0 and 8-0 in the latter part of the first half, driving the lead back up to double digits.

Though, late in the first half, Seattle began what would be its best stretch of the game, at least offensively. From the 8:31 mark of the first half until the 17:37 mark of the second, the Redhawks connected on 11 of 12 field goal attempt. It drew them out of an early cold spell (they made just 6 of their first 16 shots) and enabled another rally, pulling the game to within a single point, 52-51 after the lead had been as high as 14 points in the first half.

At that moment, head coach jerrod Calhoun called timeout and settled his team. And the Aggies responded with a 13-3 run, re-taking control. After the 9:39 mark of the second half, the closes the margin ever got was eight points.

The extra period featured the players on both teams that are not as high in the rotation. Calhoun largely utilized the extra time to give his freshmen more minutes. Utah State ended up “winning” the extra period by a score of 19-13.

Team Analysis

Here are the main observations from today’s game regarding the team’s performance as a whole.

Elite Offense

Calhoun said the team didn’t really run any plays in the game. They had sets from which they started, but each play was, as Calhoun and the players refer to it, “getting to the next advantage.” Within that very broad scope, the Aggies ran a highly efficient offense, with a 123.9 offensive rating even including garbage time where the offense slowed down.

It’s kind of scary to think about how good the team could be on offense given what they managed without the extra baskets that well-timed plays can provide.

Rebounding Troubles

In recent press conferences and radio interviews, Calhoun has said this year’s team will be a great rebounding team. But against Seattle, that did not appear to be the case, only winning the rebounding battle by three, 34-31. Calhoun wasn’t thrilled about that result.

“Only being plus three on the glass, I thought was pretty alarming,” Calhoun said. “We’ve got to rebound the ball better. But I thought the kids’ effort was good.”

The effort was good, but the lack of size and length among the bigs, most of whom are 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9, was apparent. A few of the taller Seattle players gave USU trouble by getting on the offensive glass a bit too often. They also drew a lot of loose ball fouls from the Aggies on rebounds. This will be a potential long-term theme to keep any eye on.

Turnovers (and Defense)

Much like he praised the rebounding effort, in his last few media appearances Calhoun has brought up how often his team is turning the ball over in practice. Calhoun even said after Aggie Madness on Monday that this game would be “ugly,” largely in reference to what he’d seen in practice. Ugly may not quite be the word for an 88-point outing, but the turnovers were certainly present. USU gave the ball away 14 times

“When we don’t throw it to the other team, we’re pretty good,” Calhoun said. “We’ve got to understand ball security, game of possessions. But everybody I talked to is going through the same thing. Fourteen is totally way too many turnovers. A lot of them were very careless turnovers. So we’ll look at the tape.”

The turnovers on offense bled into what ended up being a worse defensive performance than Calhoun felt like his team actually had. He praised the defense, which he’s spent most of the offense trying to improve from last year, for the afternoon they had.

“(Seattle) would have been probably in the low 60s, if that. I think the first half they scored 14 points off our turnovers. They ended up with 18, so we were a little better in the second half,” Calhoun said. “When our defense is set, I think it’s really good. So I think the 76 number is a little bit of a farce based on how bad we were offensively. The defense has actually been much corrected. Scheme and, I think, player-wise, we’re going to be a better defensive team.”

Lineups not set, but there are hints

The plan heading into this game was to play all 15 guys. Everyone was healthy and Calhoun has been vocal about not having a lineup truly set. The starting five were Drake Allen, Mason Falslev, MJ Collins, Tucker Anderson and Zach Keller, though that could very easily change. Heck, to start the second half, Garry Clark stepped in at center in place of Keller.

One can’t make sweeping conclusions right now, but the best guess at the moment is that the starting five from this game will all be main rotation players, if not starters. The rest of the every-night rotation guys (who may be able to be starters at their positions) will likely include each of Karson Templin, Kolby King, Elijah Perryman and Garry Clark. Adlan Elamin, Jordy Barnes and David Iweze might not see minutes every night, but should be on the court often enough.

Player Analysis

We’ll order the players in this man-by-man breakdown by beginning with the players who were the starters for the afternoon and then work our way through the rest by jersey number order (because that’s how I copied down all their names from the box score). For players that participated in the extra 10-minute period, stats in that portion of the game will be separated. Feel free to add it up.

Drake Allen

  • 19:22 minutes
  • 5 points (2/4 FG, 0/2 3PT, 1/1 FT
  • 2 rebounds
  • 6 assists (1 turnover)
  • 2 steals, 1 block

Allen seemed to have a quiet game, but a lot of good plays had his fingerprints on it, evident by his assist numbers. He had multiple deflections and a great steal where he baited a lazy backcourt pass and went the distance for a layup.

Mason Falslev

  • 23:35 minutes
  • 10 points (3/7 FG, 1/3 3PT, 3/3 FT)
  • 4 rebounds
  • 3 assists (2 turnovers)
  • 3 steals, 0 blocks

Mason didn’t push hard for his shot on offense, but obviously he is still going to make an impact whether there’s a major focus for him to score or not. He had three steals, carrying over his steals prowess from seasons past. Maybe the biggest takeaway was his one trip to the free throw line after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. He drained all three attempts, perhaps a sign of better free-throw shooting this year.

MJ Collins

  • 25:40 minutes
  • 15 points (5/7 FG, 2/3 3PT, 3/4 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 2 assists (3 turnovers)
  • 3 steals, 0 blocks

Collins was probably the best two-way player of the day. He led all Aggies in scoring and made a pretty solid difference on defense, guarding opponents tight and making life difficult for them. He had two steals in the backcourt where he swiped bad passes and took them the other way for two points. In his other scoring attempts, Collins he hit a variety of shots, from mid-range out to the 3-point line where he shot a good percentage.

Tucker Anderson

  • 16:30 minutes
  • 11 points (5/6 FG, 1/1 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 2 rebounds
  • 0 assists (2 turnovers)
  • 3 steals, 0 blocks

Anderson’s offensive aggression was one of the biggest surprises of the afternoon. He hasn’t looked to create for himself much while in an Aggie uniform, but he went after it Saturday. He showed a pretty solid set of moves to force his way to the basket and then showed great touch around the rim, scoring with both hands as he utilized his 6-foot-9 frame to finish around and above defenders. Calhoun had a lot to say about Anderson and his decision to stay at USU despite a shaky sophomore season in Logan.

“Tuck could have went in the portal. He could have bailed like 75-80% of kids do,” Calhoun said. “They transfer, they have bad season. Let me find the next school. Tuck didn’t do that. He said, ‘let me find the weight room. Let’s find the weight room. Let me go gain 20 pounds.’ And you saw it in his play. He finishes around the rim better. He’s more comfortable crashing the glass. He’s more comfortable finishing around the basket. So I think he’ll get better and better.”

Zach Keller

  • 9:51 minutes
  • 5 points (2/4 FG, 0/0 3PT, 1/2 FT)
  • 4 rebounds
  • 0 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

Was less involved in the offense than expected and didn’t attempt a 3-pointer despite that being in his repetoire, even as a center. Calhoun made brief a note that Keller is better than his stats and overall involvement showed. Where Keller did show some value on Saturday was in a couple of put-backs for his points and some physical defense in the post. He’s not a high-level rim protector, but he’ll probably be the go-to defender when opponents have a big post scorer.

RESERVES

Elijah Perryman

  • 12:17 minutes
  • 7 points (3/7 FG, 1/3 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 2 rebounds
  • 1 assist (2 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 1 block

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 7:58 minutes
  • 4 points (2/3 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 1 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 2 steals, 0 blocks

Calhoun has often praised Perryman during offseason, noting how well the freshman point guard has been playing and today showed exactly why that praise has been flowing from the head coach. Perryman was one of the biggest bright spots of the game among newcomers. He created offense for himself and didn’t get outmatched much by the defense, even getting a block in the paint while a Seattle player tried to bully their way to the basket. He is playing with a lot of confidence as a freshman and assuming the solid scoring efficiency from his high school days follows him to USU, there’s every chance he’ll be a Freshman of the Year candidate in the Mountain West. 

Brayden Boe

  • 12:17 minutes
  • 7 points (3/7 FG, 1/3 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 2 rebounds
  • 1 assist (2 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 1 block

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 7:47 minutes
  • 3 points (1/4 FG, 1/2 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 0 rebounds
  • 0 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

Only one very short stint in the main game, seems to be on the end of the bench for now. Got to be a little more aggressive looking for offense in the extra time, but had a shot blocked inside on an otherwise nice drive. Did get a corner 3-pointer to fall for his only points of the afternoon.

Jordy Barnes

  • 8:21 minutes
  • 0 points (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 3 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 7:47 minutes
  • 3 points (1/4 FG, 1/2 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 0 rebounds
  • 0 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

Barnes was a little less trigger-shy on attempting threes when defenders didn’t respect his shot, especially in the extra period. Didn’t get a shot to fall in the main game (had nice assist numbers, though), but got a corner three to fall in the extra time. 

Kolby King

  • 20:02 minutes
  • 11 points (2/3 FG, 1/1 3PT, 6/6 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 0 assists (2 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 4:09 minutes
  • 0 points (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 0 rebounds
  • 0 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

He was an absolute menace on defense. King picked up a couple extra fouls for his troubles, but the guards he defended did not have a good time. And on offense he had a nice outing, hitting a 3-pointer and adding six free throws, all of which came from being fouled on other 3-point attempts. He sparked the early second-half run that took the game from a one-point contest to a double-digit margin for the Aggies, scoring eight consecutive points.

Garry Clark

  • 12:38 minutes
  • 7 points (3/4 FG, 1/1 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 2 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 3:32 minutes
  • 2 points (0/1 FG, 0/0 3PT, 2/2 FT)
  • 0 rebounds
  • 1 assist (1 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

Got overmatched on defense and in rebounding a few times in the early second half, but was in the lineup when the Aggies made a big run in the first half. Had a couple pick-and-roll scores and a corner 3-pointer. His one post-up shot attempt was a good look, rolling over his left shoulder to a right-handed hook, but his shot rolled off the rim. Had a similar look in the post during extra time, but it too rolled out.

Clark’s impact felt low, likely because his post game didn’t really get featured much outside a couple isolated moments. Calhoun went to bat for Clark and his potential impact for the upcoming season.

“Gary was just okay tonight. He’s been really good at practice,” Calhoun said. 

David Iweze

  • 6:25 minutes
  • 6 points (2/5 FG, 0/0 3PT, 2/3 FT)
  • 2 rebounds
  • 1 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 8:32 minutes
  • 2 points (1/1 FG, 0/0 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 2 assists (2 turnovers)
  • 3 steals, 0 blocks

One of the more exciting prospects for Iweze was just how easy he was able to get to the rim on several pick-and-roll looks in the first half of the main exhibition. The only downside was that he struggled to finish strong and missed three layups (though he did tip one of those misses right back in so no harm done on that one).

Had multiple good passes, one floated across the court to Kearney for an open look at a three. Also a very nice pass to a cutting Anderson for a layup. Both plays it seemed like the set USU run called explicetly for Iweze to make those tough passes, a good sign for the coaches confidence in the freshman’s skills.

Luke Kearney

  • 7:11 minutes
  • 0 points (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 1 rebound
  • 0 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 4:02 minutes
  • 0 points (0/2 FG, 0/2 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 0 rebounds
  • 0 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

Went scoreless in both sections of the exhibition but had a good open looks from three that just didn’t fall. He played more in the power forward role, similar to Tucker Anderson. Calhoun said that this new system is something Kearney is currently adjusting to after playing in a system at Air Force that is pretty radically different from what is done at Utah State. He’s someone that could start the season slow, but might sneak into the lineup more, especially if more size on the wings and shooting are needed.

Karson Templin

  • 19:13 minutes
  • 11 points (5/8 FG, 1/3 3PT, 0/0 FT
  • 6 rebounds
  • 3 assists (2 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 blocks

Templin was the best bigman for the Aggies in the game, snagging the most boards of anyone while adding 11 points and posting the best plus-minus of anyone on the night a +19. But those kind of numbers are kind of business-as-usual for Templin. Where he seemed to show growth was through his seemingly improved scoring bag. He had a couple of nice post hooks and showed off the paint floater he debuted to good success last season. Templin was also aggressive with his 3-point shot, attempting three and making one.

Kingston Tosi

  • 4:11 minutes
  • 0 points (0/1 FG, 0/0 3PT, 0/0 FT
  • 1 rebound
  • 0 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 1 steal, 0 blocks

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 10:00 minutes
  • 0 points (0/0 FG, 0/0 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 4 rebounds
  • 0 assists (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 0 block

Only had one short stint in the main game. Saw plenty of time in the extra period but had a bit of a quiet outing as he didn’t attempt a shot in the extra frame. He had a couple of good moments near the end, securing a tough rebound and also blocking a shot that didn’t end up making it in the stat sheet.

Adlan Elamin

  • 10:17 minutes
  • 0 points (0/0 FG, 0/0 3PT, 0/0 FT
  • 1 rebound
  • 1 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 0 steals, 1 block

STATS IN EXTRA PERIOD

  • 8:28 minutes
  • 5 points (2/5 FG, 1/4 3PT, 0/0 FT)
  • 2 rebounds
  • 1 assist (0 turnovers)
  • 1 steal, 1 block

Played some decent minutes in the main game but was a bit gun-shy on taking shots. His best moment was a one-on-one defensive play in the halfcourt. One of Seattle’s top guys, Maleek Arington, tried to cross up Elamin, but the freshman stuck with the 6-foot-3 guard and erased a floater attempt in the paint. In the extra period he immediately took a three 3-pointers and hit one of them, also adding an offensive rebound and putback layup.

Calhoun made a note about Elamin in relation to the comments quoted earlier about Anderson. He drew a comparison between the two players, noting that Anderson’s development is what Elamin will need to do to fulfil his potential.

“Adlan’s, you know, 188 pounds. Told him he needs to eat seven meals a day,” Calhoun said. “We got great restaurants here in Cache Valley. I think it’s an underrated place for food. Everybody talks about we don’t have all these fancy restaurants. I’ve found a lot of good ones. Addy needs to find a lot of good restaurants because not four meals, he needs seven. And you saw Tuck. He did it. And you just, you get knocked around, man. I don’t care who you’re playing. You’ve got to be physical.”





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