Which men's basketball team has improved more since Jan. 3 — the University of Hawai'i or Utah State?

The answer could determine the outcome when the Rainbow Warriors host the Aggies in a crucial Western Athletic Conference game tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Aggies beat Hawai'i, 86-80, in the WAC opener on Jan. 3 at Logan, Utah.

"I like the way we played there, but we can't be satisfied with that," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We obviously have to make adjustments and improvements from that last time if we want to come out on top this time."

Utah State is 18-7 overall and in first place in the WAC at 8-2. Hawai'i is 10-12 and in fifth place at 6-4.

The Aggies are in first place by mere percentage points, so a Hawai'i victory tonight could put as many as five teams within a game of each other in the WAC loss column.

"Every game is important when you're in a conference race," Utah State head coach Stew Morrill said. "And I think (Hawai'i) sees it the same way.

"It's my feeling we have to play a lot better than we did in Logan to have a chance to win."

The thing is, Utah State played pretty well the last time. The Aggies shot 61 percent from the field in the Jan. 3 win, and the 86 points was their highest total against a WAC opponent this season.

"They got too many easy baskets the last time," Nash said. "If you make one mistake, they find the mistake and get it to the open man. That's a very good passing team, so we'll have to be at our best defensively."

Utah State senior guard Jaycee Carroll leads the WAC with 21.8 points per game, and scored 26 against Hawai'i last month. But it was freshman forward Tai Wesley's career-high 27 that was more damaging.

"Carroll is a good player, a consistent player, so it's not about trying to stop him," Hawai'i senior point guard Matt Gibson said. "If we can keep him near his average, and then keep all the other guys under their average, we should be OK. The last time we let (Wesley) go off and it hurt us."

The Aggies are equally concerned about Hawai'i's offense. Hawai'i's 80 points was the most scored by an opponent on Utah State's home court this season.

The Aggies are particularly concerned about Gibson, who leads the 'Bows with 16.9 points and 5.2 assists per game. He had 25 points and eight assists in the loss at Utah State.

"He is basically controlling the games in Honolulu," Morrill said of Gibson. "He's stealing the ball, he's making plays for everybody else. He's having an unbelievable year."

Utah State point guard Kris Clark leads the WAC in assists with 6.4 per game, and Morrill said: "Maybe his biggest challenge of the year right now is going to Hawai'i and matching up against Matt Gibson."

Hawai'i senior forward/center P.J. Owsley has practiced on a limited basis this week because of an injured right knee, and his status will be a game-time decision. He has already sat out the last two games.

"We'll see how he feels (today)," Nash said. "If he's not ready to go, we'll stay with the same nine guys we've used the last couple games."

NOTES

Charlie Bessette, Ma'a Tanuvasa and Bob Wagner — the 2007 inductees to the University of Hawai'i Sports Circle of Honor — will be recognized at halftime tonight.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.