Impressive Osobor of Number 20 Utah State Put Streak On the Line Versus Wyoming

“Praiseworthy” isn’t simply the first name of Utah State’s top scorer. It’s a fitting portrayal of how the Aggies have performed during a 13-game winning streak that has propelled them into the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week at Number 20.

Who are the most misleading players of the season: Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, or the Eagles? Their initial game as a ranked team will take place on Tuesday night in Logan, Utah, as they host Wyoming in a Mountain West Conference showdown.

Utah State (14-1, 2-0) is fresh off a 77-72 victory at home over then-No. 13 Colorado State on Saturday night, during which Impressive Osobor gathered 20 points and 14 rebounds. Osobor made 8 of 8 at the charity stripe, as part of an exertion that witnessed the Aggies outscore the Rams by 16 points there. After the final buzzer, fans surged onto the court at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to celebrate. “Spectrum magic is authentic and tonight, we genuinely experienced it,” stated Josh Uduje, who played a vital role in a late 10-0 surge that propelled Utah State ahead for good. “The audience was extraordinary.”

It marked the first conquest against a ranked team for the Aggies since they shocked No. 5 San Diego State four years ago in the finals of the Mountain West Tournament — five days before the NCAA invalidated its basketball championship due to COVID-19. Osobor, who moved from Montana State when coach Danny Sprinkle was hired to succeed Ryan Odum, is averaging a team-leading 18.5 ppg and 9.5 rebounds. Ian Martinez averages 12.8 ppg, while Mason Falslev nets 12 ppg and Darius Brown contributes 10.5 ppg, plus 7.3 assists. Sprinkle’s debut team at Utah State is productive on both offense and defense. They rank in the top 60 of KenPom.com in both offensive and defensive efficiency, as well as top 100 in percentage of field goals that are assisted. Their solitary loss was on Nov. 10 in overtime at Bradley.

As for the Cowboys (8-7, 1-1), they’re recuperating from a 77-60 loss on Saturday night at New Mexico. A sluggish beginning buried them as they trailed 39-22 at halftime. They committed 23 turnovers, resulting in 28 points for the Lobos. Wyoming coach Jeff Linder stated that his team cannot afford to struggle at the start of conference play. “To have the game down to seven points in the second half when you turn the ball over the way we did and make it a game is something to build off,” Linder commented, “but we aren’t talented enough to concede the good teams in our league points.” Linder’s rationale suggests there are multiple teams that fit that description. The Mountain West has three teams ranked in the Top 25 and two others — Nevada and New Mexico — who can make cases for entering the poll. Tulsa transfer Sam Griffin leads the Cowboys’ offense with 18.6 ppg, while Akuel Kot contributes 15 ppg. Wyoming excels in perimeter shooting as it’s 15th in Division I from the 3-point line, sinking 38.8 percent. The Cowboys hold a 52-35 advantage in the all-time series, although the Aggies have emerged victorious in 23 of 41 encounters in Logan.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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