The Aztecs might have won Tuesday’s game on Saturday, when they went on a 12-0 run early in the second half to create separation against Air Force and, it turns out, keep Aguek Arop on the bench.
“We need him out there,” Dutcher said. “He’s a leader, he’s a rebounder, he’s an energy guy, he makes everybody around him better. We have other good players, but he does some things that other players don’t. It’s just the intangibles, it’s not anything X- and O-wise. It’s having a nose for the ball and beating people to it.”Matt Bradley: “Coming out in the second half, Utah State was grabbing offensive rebounds left and right. AG, he really saved us. He flipped a switch.
“We never really know when he’s going to play,” Seiko said. “But we do know that when he does play, he’s going to give everything he’s got, no matter what. I love playing with AG. That’s my boy from the beginning. Whenever we get in the game together, we always tell each other, ‘Let’s change the game.’”You don’t need a PhD in data analytics to figure out the Aztecs this season. When they score, they’re good. When they don’t, they’re not.
“I feel really good about it,” said Bradley, who had 35 points in the two games but, perhaps more tellingly, 10 assists. “You saw it all game. This is the way we’re supposed to be playing. We shared the ball. Everybody got connected and made shots. We’re finding our rhythm.” “We’re playing at a better level offensively,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “We seem more comfortable. It’s not all just Matt. We threw the ball inside three, four, five straight times in the first half, and had production inside. We got 3-point shooting. We got penetration to the basket. We’re scoring at all three levels right now, and that makes us hard to guard.”