USU Men’s Basketball preview
LOGAN — After winning back-to-back Mountain West Conference Championships in 2020 and 2021, the 2021-22 Utah State Men’s Basketball season was somewhat disappointing. They suffered seven losses within one possession, and three more within 10 points. This season, the team is looking to right the ship, but they will have to do it with some new faces.
After losing fan-favorite Justin Bean, “Mr. Clean” Brock Miller and big man Brandon Horvath, Utah State set its focus on the transfer portal. They brought in Saint Joseph’s transfer Taylor Funk, former UMBC Golden Retriever Dan Akin, and former four-star recruit Utah native and Oregon transfer Isaac Johnson.
At Saint Joseph’s, Funk averaged 12 points and 5.6 rebounds a game in his 100 starts and 120 appearances with the Hawks. Utah State will look to utilize his shooting ability to space out the floor.
Head coach Ryan Odom will be reunited with another one of his former players from UMBC in Akin, who played last season at Cal Baptist. There, he put up 10.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Johnson, the less experienced of the three, saw action in 13 games during his freshman campaign. The now-sophomore from American Fork, Utah will add depth for the Aggies at center.
“The coaches have done a great job recruiting guys who are going to work in our system,” junior guard Steven Ashworth said. “They looked through a lot of different details for what is going to be good for us this year and years to come. We have gelled really early.”
USU’s non-conference slate lacks standout games like last season’s matchups with Iowa and Oklahoma, but it is much more consistent. A notable part is the four West Coast Conference teams Utah State will be facing. While none of them are rival BYU, the Aggies will play Santa Clara at home, Loyola Marymount at a neutral-site matchup in Las Vegas, and San Francisco and San Diego on the road.
In addition to the increased number of WCC teams, Utah State will play in-state foe Utah Valley, as well as Oral Roberts and San Francisco, two teams who played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Despite losing key pieces, Utah State returns a lot of talent. Sean Bairstow, Max Shulga, Rylan Jones and RJ Eytle-Rock highlight the guard line for the Aggies. Zee Hamoda, Trevin Dorius and Syzmon Zapala round out the forward and center positions.
In the offseason, Shulga participated in the FIBA U20 European Championship for his home country, Ukraine. Shulga had many impressive games in the tournament, averaging 16 points, 4.4 assists and nearly six boards across seven games. Against Slovenia, Shulga dropped 34 points on 15 shots going 7-10 from the arc.
“It’s a different type of feeling. After the announcers say your name, the anthem is playing and you’re singing along. You are representing the whole country,” Shulga said. “I don’t even know how to explain it. You have to feel it for yourself. It’s so special.”
It wasn’t just Shulga who was getting shots up in the offseason. Ashworth said newcomer Funk got to Logan right after he committed in mid-April, which helped the team bond in the summer.
For Ashworth, he focused on his dribbling and driving skills this offseason.
“My handle has gotten much better. I’ve always been able to shoot it on the catch and off the dribble,” Ashworth said. “I want to be more consistent and more confident, especially in the lane.”
With the departure of Bean, Ashworth — among others — could see his veteran leadership take a new step. Last season, Ashworth averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 assists per game and was a sixth man for much of the season, providing excellent shooting off the bench.
For Odom, the depth of this year’s team is huge.
“We have a little more versatility with this year’s team. I think we have a better balance,” Odom said. “Utah State has always been about the next player stepping up.”
While there aren’t many young players on this season’s squad, there is a player that local coaches, players and fans are excited about. Cache Valley native Mason Falslev originally committed to Utah, but changed his mind and decided to play for his hometown Aggies following his two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is also the cousin of USU Women’s Basketball junior guard Kinley Falslev-Wickizer.
“We only really have one freshman, but we are trying to help him grow. He is going to be a great player when his career is finished,” senior and former Utah star Jones said on Falslev. “He’s been practicing a lot.”
Utah State starts its season hosting Utah Valley on Nov. 7 and will battle Bradley and Santa Clara in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum before visiting San Diego.
Featured image by Elise Gottling from the 2022 Blue and White Scrimmage.