Utah State Aggies

1. Their Starting Point Guard Spent Eight Years in the Big House. David Pak served eight years in prison, convicted of rape at age 17. Now 28, it's safe to say he's the oldest player in the NCAA Tournament. Pak was released from prison on Christmas Eve 2001, with no background in organized basketball; Aggies coach Stew Morrill plucked him out of Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo, Calif. He wears jersey No. 2, which stands for "second chance." Former Aggies also like golf; Jeremy Vague and Jason Napier, who played for Utah State in 2000-2001, were arrested for stealing golf clubs and served time in Cache County Jail in 2003. 2. They Get Free Flowers from FTD. Among Utah State's distinguished alumni is Merlin Olsen, who was an All-American tackle for the Aggies and went on to be an NFL Hall-of-Fame lineman for the Los Angeles Rams. But you know him best as Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie, where his TV son, Andy, grew up to be Capt. Bud Roberts on JAG. 3. They Have Perhaps the Best Home Court Advantage in College Basketball. The Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is notoriously loud and unfriendly to opposing Western Athletic Conference foes; the Aggies are 392-102 there all-time, and 110-10 under current head coach Stew Morrill. Some have said that it's the place opposing teams go to be buried, which is appropriate, because it's adjacent to the Logan city cemetery. — Rick Chandler