COLUMN: Aggie basketball could not have come at a better time this season
Basketball season starts soon and it couldn’t come at a better time.
Barring a miraculous change of mind by a certain USU assistant football coach, football season will end in a very familiar fashion, leaving Aggie fans hungering for basketball.
The Aggie basketball team lost six seniors and all but one player from its starting lineup, but don’t be pessimistic quite yet. Head coach Stew Morrill, who is in his 14th year at the helm, along with his coaching staff, has recruited some of the most athletic players that have worn an Aggie jersey in quite some time.
The Aggies lost quite a bit of talent, but don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Aggie basketball.
The six seniors on last year’s roster averaged nearly 50 points per game, and the Aggies averaged 72 points as a team per game last season. The Aggies lost leading scorer Tai Wesley and their best defenders in Tyler Newbold and Pooh Williams, who usually had the difficult task of defending their opponent’s top scorer.
The Aggies will also be without Brian Green, who emerged two seasons ago as one of the best — if not the best — 3-point shooter in the Western Athletic Conference. But the Aggies have a great amount of talented players who look to make an impact this season.
Aggie fans will get their first chance to see the team in person Wednesday, Oct. 26, during the Annual Blue and White Scrimmage, and there are several players to watch for.
Brockeith Pane is the only returning starter for Utah State and one of four returning seniors, and he will be called upon to be the floor general at the point guard position. Pane won the starting spot lasting season and became a fan favorite with his ability to get to the basket and create his own shot. He has improved his 3-point shooting ability and should be one of USU’s leading scorers.
Coaches hate comparing current players with past players for several reasons, and I won’t even try because each player is unique in his own way. The Aggies are solid at the one position, but there are several unknowns at every other position on the floor. Despite those unknowns, the Aggies have some familiar faces to fill some spots.
Do you remember Preston Medlin and his performance against BYU in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum two years ago? Medlin, then a freshman, hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers to go along with a layup in traffic to help the Aggies to a victory that year. Medlin redshirted last season and added some weight to his frame.
Also keep an eye on Antonio Bumpus. The junior college All-American is the fourth the Aggies have recruited in the past five seasons, coming in great company with names such as Jared Quayle, Gary Wilkinson and Chaz Spicer. Bumpus has a smooth shot and an innate ability to score. He averaged 18 points and four rebounds at Harcum College and knows how to win as well, as his team finished 26-3.
Senior Brady Jardine will anchor the big men for Utah State. When Nate Bendall suffered through chronic foot problems last season, Jardine was called upon to start games and proved he belonged as a starter. Morrill sometimes referred to Jardine as a starter who came off the bench. Jardine started the first seven games of the season and nearly averaged a double-double at 10 points and nine rebounds per game.
Get excited for Aggie basketball. You can’t deny the addicting adrenaline rush that comes from being a part of Spectrum Magic.
The Aggies don’t lose at home very often. In fact, Morrill has only lost 13 times at home during his 14 years at Utah State. The Spectrum has been known for its ability to become deafeningly loud and most of that noise comes from the student section. So come out, be loud, wear blue and keep the Aggie tradition alive.
– Tyler Huskinson is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. He is also a sports writer for The Herald Journal. Follow his Twitter feed @TDHuskiSports or send any comments to ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu.