Aggie Men Begin 2009-10 Season with First Official Practice Friday

Utah State Univesity's men's basketball team will begin the 2009-10 season with its first official practice on Friday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum as head coach Stew Morrill welcomes 15 players to the floor. Practices are closed to the public.

 

In 11 years as Utah State's head coach, Morrill has led USU to an incredible 267-91 (.746) record, including a 138-46 (.750) conference mark in the Big West and WAC. While at Utah State, he has guided the Aggies to 10 straight 20-win seasons and 10 straight postseason appearances (NCAA-6, NIT-4), both of which are school records. Morrill is the winningest coach in school history and ranks second all-time in games coached (358) and years as USU's head coach behind E. Lowell Romney who went 225-157 from 1920-41.

 

Utah State returns four starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team that set a school record for wins as it went 30-5 overall and claimed its second-straight Western Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 14-2 league mark. USU also won its first-ever WAC Tournament Championship and advanced to its 18th NCAA Tournament all-time, including its sixth in the last 10 years under Morrill as it lost to Marquette, 58-57, in the first round.

 

Among those returning for Utah State is senior guard Jared Quayle who earned second-team all-WAC honors and was named to the league's all-newcomer team as a junior as he averaged 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and 76.4 percent from the free throw line. Quayle was also named to the WAC's all-tournament team in 2009 and received high major honorable mention All-American honors from CollegeHoops.net. He finished the year ranking third in the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.05), sixth in steals (1.43), sixth in assists, seventh in free throw shooting, 11th in scoring and 12th in rebounding.

 

Utah State also returns junior forward Tai Wesley who was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District VI second-team after averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, while shooting 59.2 percent from the field and 68.4 percent from the free throw line. He finished the year ranking second in the WAC in field goal shooting and 11th in rebounding. Wesley was also named to the WAC's all-tournament team during his sophomore season.

 

Along with Quayle and Wesley, Utah State returns two other starters in junior guards Tyler Newbold and Pooh Williams. Newbold averaged 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds as a sophomore and shot 43.1 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three-point range and 76.2 percent from the free throw line. Newbold also finished the year leading the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.96-to-1.00. Williams averaged 5.9 points and 1.9 rebounds as a sophomore and shot 46.4 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three-point range and 68.1 percent from the free throw line.

 

Utah State also returns three reserves from last year's team in junior forward Matt Formisano, sophomore forward Brady Jardine and sophomore guard Jaxon Myaer. Sophomore center Modou Niang is also back for USU after redshirting during the 2009 season.

 

In all, Utah State's four returning starters have a combined 239 games played while at Utah State including 186 starts, while its four other returnees have a total of 136 games played at USU.

 

Joining Utah State's eight returnees are seven newcomers, including two junior college transfers from Salt Lake Community College in forward Nate Bendall and guard Brian Green. Bendall actually played 13 games for Utah State as true freshman during the 2005-06 season before playing one year at SLCC.

 

Other newcomers who could see playing time this year include freshmen Anthony DiLoreto, Preston Medlin and Tyrone White.

 

Utah State will hold its annual Blue-White Scrimmage Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m., and its first exhibition game is Friday, Oct. 30, against Northwest Nazarene at 7 p.m. USU begins the regular season Friday, Nov. 13, at Weber State at 7:30 p.m.

 

Season tickets are available through USU's Athletic Web site or by calling the ticket office toll free at 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.