Danny Sprinkle Earning Coach Of The Year Buzz While Leading Utah State
Feb 21, 2024, 10:46 AM
LOGAN, UT - JANUARY 30 : Head coach Danny Sprinkle of the Utah State Aggies argues a call with referee Randy McCall during the second half against the San Jose State Spartans at the Dee Glen Spectrum on January 30, 2024 in Logan, Utah.
LOGAN, Utah – It was the type of game that college basketball enthusiasts drool over. Two teams eyeing deep runs in the NCAA tournament, a packed house of screaming HURD faithful, and the top spot in the conference at stake. It was precisely why Utah State hired Danny Sprinkle.
The battle for sole possession of first in the Mountain West more than lived up to its billing as Utah State (22-5, 10-4) avenged an earlier loss with a 68-63 win over No. 19 San Diego State.
🏀 Highlights from @USUBasketball’s 68-63 win against San Diego State#AtThePEAK | #MWMBB | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/hWHkDQoQu0
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) February 21, 2024
“Obviously, super proud of our team,” Sprinkle said after the win. “The way they responded against a team that was the national runner-up last year with a lot of those players back. San Diego State, the last six or seven games was playing as good a defense as anybody in the entire country.”
RELATED: USU Knocks Off San Diego State To Avenge Earlier Loss
Sprinkle and the Aggies knew what they were preparing for after suffering an 81-67 loss at the hands of the Aztecs to open February. USU came out and threw the first punch, taking an early lead and showing that they could implement the lessons learned from the earlier setback.
For CBS Sports analyst Gary Parrish, Sprinkle’s impact can’t go unnoticed.
"He should be on your list of legitimate candidates to win every coach award that exists cause he is doing a fabulous job at Utah State."
—@GaryParrishCBS on @USUBasketball's Danny Sprinkle pic.twitter.com/UTBwdN88T9
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 21, 2024
“That is an impressive victory for Utah State,” Parrish started before expanding on Sprinkle’s impact.
“I know this is happening in the Mountain West and not in the Big Ten, the SEC, or the Big 12. The coaching carousel spun around last offseason and there were a lot of big names hired. Danny Sprinkle did not get a lot of attention at Utah State. But of all the guys in new places this season, nobody is doing a better job… He should be on your list of legitimate candidates to win every coach of the year award that exists.”
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Utah State has a week to prepare before taking on the Fresno State Bulldogs (11-15, 4-9) in Fresno, CA on Tuesday, February 27. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. MT. The Aggies are 44-26 all-time against Fresno State and have won nine of the last ten games between these programs. USU hasn’t lost to the Bulldogs at home since 2019.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.
