It's something of a consistent refrain for Utah State basketball this time of year. Critics and college basketball observers cast down disapproving metaphors comparing the Aggies' schedule to ice cream, 600-thread count sheets and virtually anything else that's soft.
Utah State has a few solid wins this year, Santa Clara and San Jose probably chief among them. But, as Sports Illustrated's Andy Glockner pointed out in his Bubble Watch column in a footnote, the Aggies' slate certainly won't win them much when March rolls around.
Scroll down to the bottom, and this is what you'll find:
Note: Utah State may well be the best team in the WAC, but the Aggies will be compromised once again by a horrible nonleague schedule should they need an at-large. They do get a road game at BYU (rescheduled for Feb. 19) to add to the ledger, but overall, the schedule is just very weak.
As I mentioned yesterday, Utah State's non-conference profile is nothing to write home about, and the WAC isn't really a multiple-bid league this year. It's surely a reminder that there's slim margin for error for the program.
But still, the team is on a 13-game winning streak, and is looking to stay hot in the tough portion of the schedule. The Aggies seem as well-positioned as any team to win the WAC this year, and that's why NCAA tourney hopes remain alive in Logan.
Other links to peruse this afternoon:
• ESPN's latest bracketology has swapped out the Aggies once again for Louisiana Tech, as the Bulldogs find equal success in WAC play. Should be a fun game next week in the Spectrum.
• Scout.com uses data analysis to rank Utah State's football season as the 12th best in the nation.
• Elsewhere on SI.com, Stewart Mandel gives Wisconsin's hire of Gary Andersen an A-minus. Utah State's promotion of Matt Wells is not referenced, even though other WAC schools get a nod for their hires this offseason.
Kyle Goon
kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon