Just a few extra thoughts and notes from Utah State's 92-56 blowout of Simon Fraser on Saturday night at the Spectrum:
• Good shooting versus good offense: Althought Utah State couldn't have shot much better than the 60 percent it dropped Saturday, coach Stew Morrill was hoping for a little more. Not shooting, that is, but offense.
Morrill said many of the points came not by quality execution, but rather by hot shooting hands. In the future, he'd like to see more discipline in practice and in games. The weeklong intervals inbetween Utah State's games have helped contribute to some of the execution issues.
"That was my biggest message to my team is that we cannot just be in the doldrums when we have to practice for four or five days." Morrill said. "Every team has to learn practice habits, and this team is no exception."
• Roland makes strong case for starter: It was just an exhibition, but TeNale Roland definitely made a strong impression with a 9-point, 9-rebound night with only one turnover. His passing was key thoughout the night, especially a no-look dish to Preston Medlin on the wing that gave him a 3-pointer.
Morrill and teammate Kyisean Reed gave Roland some good reviews afterward on Roland's playmaking and vision. Roland himself wasn't much for talking up his own game, crediting others for finishing on his passes.
"We're still getting the chemistry together," he said. "We've got guys that were able to knock down shots."
• Jean earning his way on the floor?: Marvin Jean's 3-for-4 night off the bench from 3-point range was a point of discussion, more for Utah State's depth than anything. But the wing is showing he could be a solid outside threat off the bench if he gets the chance. So far, Jean has been spelling Danny Berger at the three spot in his exhibition minutes.
• Shaw showing a lot of emotion: Jarred Shaw has been a strong addition to the offense at center, but he might have to be careful when his passion can hurt him. After scrambling for a loose ball and getting called for a travel, Shaw was upset and started walking over to the ref. Morrill yanked him off the floor, then had a one-on-one talk on the bench.
In the first exhibition, Shaw was called for a technical for beating his chest after a crowd-pleasing dunk. Morrill said after that game he was going to have to make sure Shaw understood that he had to be more restrained.
- Kyle Goonkgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @kylegoon