Meet Utah State guard Marco Anthony. The 6’5” junior, who you may remember as a scarcely-used backup on Virginia’s 2019 National Championship team (he sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules), has enjoyed a strong debut season in Logan, averaging a healthy 10.2 points per game while earning all-conference recognition for his defensive exploits.
Anthony wears 44 for the Aggies, a number many associate with San Antonio Spurs great George “Iceman” Gervin. And while Anthony does hail from the Alamo City, his choice in uniform number apparently has nothing to do with Gervin.
Instead, as revealed during Friday’s Mountain West semifinals game on CBS Sports Network, Anthony chose 44 as a tribute to his favorite burger joint, Wendy’s, and their famous “4 for $4” combo meal, which allows customers to pair any sandwich with four-piece nuggets, a small order of fries and a 16-ounce fountain drink, all for four bucks. When play-by-play announcer Andrew Catalon asked Anthony if the popular fast-food chain was really the inspiration for his jersey number, he responded, “How could I make something like that up?”
Anthony struggled on the offensive end Friday night (seven points on lousy 3-of-9 shooting), but contributed in other ways, distributing five dimes while also snatching five boards in a 62-50 win over Colorado State.
Utah State can punch its ticket to March Madness with a victory in Saturday’s Mountain West title game against top-seeded San Diego State. An Aggies win would be bad news for my beloved Syracuse Orange, who find themselves firmly on the NCAA bubble after losing to Virginia in heartbreaking fashion earlier this week.
Las Vegas, site of this year’s Mountain West Tournament, offers 22 Wendy’s locations, so Anthony should have no trouble procuring a celebratory Frosty if and when Utah State pulls off the upset.
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