USU hoops injury update: Alex Dargenton likely to return

Utah State basketball could see the return of Alex Dargenton as early as tonight, a welcome stroke of luck for a team that can’t seem to escape the injury bug this season.

“Alex Dargenton, if we don’t have any setbacks, we’ll have him tomorrow night at some percentage,” said USU head coach Tim Duryea in yesterday’s presser. “It won’t be 100 percent, but he’ll be able to play.”

Dargenton’s speedy return comes as a bit of a surprise to any who witnessed trainers haul him off the court after crashing to the baseline against Fresno last Wednesday. The high-energy 6-foot-8 forward appears to have avoided any serious knee injury, though other multiple Aggie big men have not been quite so fortunate.

“Klay Stall goes and sees the doctor today,” Duryea said. “I think the expectation is to set a surgery date today, and he’ll be out for the year.”

Stall, a redshirt freshman, will evidently join Norbert Janicek on USU’s disabled list. Janicek and Stall are the Aggies’ only true centers.

Utah State’s most recent injury might also take some time to heal. Senior guard Julion Pearre rolled his ankle in Saturday’s shootaround before USU’s road game at UNLV, and his outlook is less-than-promising.

“I don’t think we’re going to have Julion Pearre for a couple weeks. The way it looks, it’s not really a day-to-day situation, it’s more of a week-to-week issue.”

The Aggies are still 3-1 in conference play despite the injury narrative plaguing the team with each passing week, but soon face some of the Mountain West’s toughest competition. Colorado State visits the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum tonight before back-to-back road games at Nevada and Boise State.