These guys are not your average wingmen
Editor’s note: This is part two of a four-part series previewing the USU men’s basketball team. This article will preview the shooting guard and small forward positions.
The Utah State men’s basketball team has a total of 10 players on its roster who have never checked into a game, and one of those players will soon end up playing one of the wing positions.
Last season, every single minute logged at the shooting guard and small forward positions came from Tyler Newbold, Pooh Williams and Brian Green — all since-departed seniors. The only player who has any game experience at the wing is Preston Medlin, who has shown the ability to play the one, two or three position.
“You can’t be any more inexperienced and new,” associate coach Tim Duryea said. “The thing that helps is obviously Preston’s experience as a redshirt.”
Medlin showed his poise and ability to score as a freshman, especially against big-time opponents such as BYU.
“The first time we ever checked him into a game, we could tell that he’s a gamer-type guy,” Duryea said of Medlin. “The room isn’t too big for him. He doesn’t shy away from big time atmospheres or high-level competition. Guys like that are worth their weight in gold. We had a bunch of guys like that last year that had a lot of experience. Hopefully Preston will give us a little bit of swagger.”
The 6-foot-4, 175-pound sophomore, who scored 16 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field, and 2 of 8 from 3-point range, looks to be a team leader among an inexperienced group of players.
“Besides Brady (Jardine), me and Morgan (Grim) have been here the longest,” Medlin said. “I am trying to step up and be a leader, talk to my teammates and really help them out if they need help.”
After a year of only practicing and traveling with the team, Medlin said he is eager to play.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “I’ve been waiting a whole year to get out on the court again and just working hard and getting back to playing. I think I’ve grown a lot. I think I’ve matured. I’ve put on a little weight and just overall gotten better. I think my defense has improved a lot. I think I’m getting better — I still have a lot to work on — but I think it has improved.”
Another player who has really caught the eye of the Aggie coaching staff is Adam Thoseby. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound freshman from Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom, scored 14 points in the team’s first scrimmage and has displayed the ability to create his own shot.
“We are very fortunate to have found out about Adam,” Duryea said. “Adam has very good athleticism. He is not only a guy that can catch and shoot, but he is a guy that is athletic enough to take one or two dribbles and pop up and — 12 or 15 feet — get his shot off.”
Thoseby played on the United Kingdom’s U20 Olympic team over the summer and said he needs to adapt to the more physical style of play.
“Coming from Europe, it’s a lot more quick and athletic out here,” Thoseby said. “I have had to step up my own game and my own pace on everything. That’s been the main problem for me, but I love the system. It’s perfect. It looks like it works really well. I can’t wait to play.”
Thoseby has also the displayed the versatile ability of playing the shooting guard and small forward position.
Duryea said the coaching staff is also excited about Danny Berger. At 6-foot-6, the sophomore is not the typical size for a shooting guard, and his length could create an advantage on perimeter offense and defense for USU.
“The biggest advantage he brings to a wing spot is his height and size,” Duryea said. “It’s not very often that you get a 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 wing that can really shoot the ball. So we’re excited about him.”
Berger returned from a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the summer and is still trying to get into shape and learn the complex system the Aggies run.
“I’ve just been trying to take it one day at a time and just watch the guys that have been here a while and follow their example,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot. This is a great system and a great college basketball team.”
Despite the fact the Aggies are somewhat inexperienced at the shooting guard position, they are even more inexperienced at the small forward position, since not one of the current small forwards have seen a minute of playing time in an Aggie uniform or a Division I team.
“We have a sophomore in Mitch Bruneel and a sophomore in Steven Thorton, and we have a guy in Antonio Bumpus, who has been hurt since he’s been here and doesn’t have a lot of practice time under his belt,” Duryea said.
Bumpus took a redshirt last season and the coaching staff hoped he would gain some experience in practice, be able to learn the system and stay in shape, but the junior college All-American has battled through injuries during a great majority of his time at Utah State.
“Antonio is a guy who is really talented offensively, but he’s been hurt and hasn’t really been in shape and healthy since he’s been here,” Duryea said. “We haven’t seen the real Antonio Bumpus since he’s been here. He’s a talented guy, but your talent is never going to shine through until you are in shape or know what you are doing.”
Bumpus feels optimistic about his recovery.
“It’s going to take a little time, but I’m going to be there,” he said.
Bumpus averaged 18 points and five rebounds per game at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and is one of four junior college All-Americans to sign with the Aggies in the last five years. Jared Quayle, Gary Wilkinson and Chaz Spicer were also junior college All-Americans.
The Aggies also have length and versatility in Mitch Bruneel. The 6-foot-5 sophomore played power forward for University of Southern Idaho, but he played the small forward position in high school.
“It’s been a transition, but I like it since I played the three in high school,” Bruneel said. “I think with that experience it makes me more versatile. I learn to play the three, but I can also crash the boards.”
Duryea said the Aggies could be extra deep at the small forward position this year.
“Those guys have some talent,” Duryea said. “They each have their strengths.”
< p class="p5"> – ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu