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Brad Rock: Selection Sunday will be sweet for Stew Morrill on more than one count

Ravell Call, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — For Utah State coach Craig Smith, Saturday night must have been dreamy.

Living is easy when good news is guaranteed.

Stew Morrill seldom enjoyed such luxury.

On a spring afternoon in Las Vegas, USU outlasted San Diego State to earn the Mountain West Conference automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Such assurances were a rarity for Morrill. For most of his 17 years as head coach at Utah State, he slept with one eye shut, the other staring at the ceiling.

Sweating out Selection Sunday was as much a part of his game as man-to-man defense.