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Koby McEwen: Utah State’s rising star

Though the Aggies have fallen on hard times and come up short of expectations in season’s past, there is a source of optimism. There is a silver lining.

They call him the Maple Mamba.

But you may know him as Koby McEwen.

Utah State mens basketball’s freshman point guard was the highest rated recruit in the history of Utah State basketball, and at the midway mark of his first season with the Aggies, McEwen is already showing the fans why.

Whether it’s his play on the court, his overall competitiveness and determination to win or the respect he demands from his opponents, McEwen is the type of player every fan and coach hopes to have on their team.

A difference maker.

After growing up in inner-city Toronto, McEwen relocated to Salt Lake City, where he played for one of the nation’s top high school basketball programs, Wasatch Academy, located in Mt. Pleasant. There, he became a star, averaging 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game as a senior. His presence on the court demanded the national spotlight and he received it. He was named by ESPN as one of the top 100 recruits in the nation, as well as the No. 2 recruit in the state of Utah.

Though he received offers from top programs such as Baylor, Ole Miss and Wake Forest, a long-standing relationship with Utah State coaches Louis Wilson and Tarvish Felton, along with the attraction of staying in Utah and having an opportunity for early playing time drew McEwen to sign with Utah State.

“My teammates were very welcoming, very cool guys,” McEwen said. “Everyone made me feel comfortable, that’s really a lot of the reason I wanted to come here.”

Upon his arrival in Logan, McEwen hit the ground running.

While many players are asked to redshirt their first season while they train and become better acquainted with the system, McEwen has started and had significant playing time in every game this season. Aggie head coach Tim Duryea attributed his starting role with the team to hard work and determination.

“The impressive thing about him was he didn’t come in here with his hand out, he didn’t come in here asking for favors,” Duryea said. “He beat people out from the first day of official practice.”

Before he ever even suited up to play a game for the Aggies, the expectations for McEwen were already sky high. He was named the pre-season Mountain West Conference co-freshman of the year, an award voted on by coaches and press members around the league.

“I told my teammates when I got here how I wanted to get that award,” McEwen said. “I was a top recruit in high school, but that doesn’t really mean anything now that I’m in college. I’ve got to start over again.”

Pre-season awards don’t always translate to success on the court, but McEwen’s stats this season back up the hype. He is averaging 15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, all while shooting 51 percent from the field. He is also widely viewed as the frontrunner for the postseason freshman of the year award, as he ranks No. 1 among Mountain West freshman in points, rebounds, assists and minutes per game.

McEwen’s high school coach, Curtis Condie, isn’t surprised by the attention and success the star freshman has been able to garner so early on in his career. Condie said it is exactly what he expected from him. A Utah State graduate himself, Condie coached McEwen during his senior year where the team achieved a 29-4 record.

Though he captured the respect of coaches and media around the league early on, it took a little bit longer for McEwen to feel comfortable in a leadership role on the team.

“You don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, especially the seniors,” McEwen said. “You’ve gotta come here and earn your stripes before you can start telling everyone what to do.”

“I like to think the guys respect me now as a player and as a leader,” McEwen said, “but I’m still working. I’ve gotta get better in certain areas in order to turn the culture around and become a winning team again. I’m working on that every day.”

According to Duryea, a tireless work ethic and the desire to constantly improve and compete are a couple of the most important attributes a basketball player can have, and McEwen brings all of that “along with lots of natural athleticism.”

“He’s not just last man in the gym, he’s the first one in too. And then he’s there all night,” Condie said. “I would get texts from him saying ‘coach, can you open up the gym at 5 a.m.?’”

Along with being a crucial part to the success of Utah State basketball, McEwen has become and embraced the role of a fan-favorite. Though he is just 19 years young and only mid-way through his first season as an Aggie, cheers echoing through the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum of “Ko-by, Ko-by, Ko-by” are starting to become a routine.

Yet, only time will tell what the legacy of the Maple Mamba will be at Utah State, but the freshman is certainly off to a solid start. While nobody quite knows what McEwen’s ceiling can be, nobody’s expectations for him exceed that of his own.

“I want to be the greatest basketball player to ever play here, I think it’s very achievable.” McEwen said. “I want to be the Wayne Estes or the Jaycee Carroll of this generation at Utah State.”

“I just want to be known as the best, and as a winner,” McEwen said.