Utah State Aggies
2014-15 record: 18-13, 11-7 in the Mountain West
Head Coach: Tim Duryea
Tenure at Utah State: 1st season
Home court: Smith Spectrum
Starters: F Jalen Moore, F David Collette, G Chris Smith, G Julion Pearre, G Darius Perkins
Bench: F Elston Jones, G Henry Bolton III
Overview: Although college basketball’s greatest hair duo will not be returning this year due to Sean Harris's graduation, Jalen Moore and the other four returning starters are sure to still put on a show and dominate social media. Moore—who made second-team all-conference last season—is coming off of a breakout year in which he became the team’s leading scorer with 15.2 points per game—up from 5.6 the year before— and rebounder with 6.7 boards per contest, an improvement of 4.0 rebounds from his freshman campaign. The 6-foot-9 junior forward will be counted upon by his teammates to lead the team to a return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011.
Moore isn’t the only option the Aggies will have coming back this year, with sophomore David Collette and senior Chris Smith returning as starters. If that trio—which combined for more than 40 points per game last year—is able to improve its offensive game just slightly, Utah State should expect to continue its high-scoring approach.
On top of that, the Aggies aren’t just returning their high scorers from last year. Leading assist man senior Darius Perkins will be vital in his role as the leader among this team of veterans. One of the most experienced teams in college basketball, Utah State will hope that its seasoned players can carry it to success in the Mountain West and the postseason.
One thing that needs to go right: The scoring trio of Collette, Smith and Moore improve upon last season and become part of one of the best offenses in not only the conference, but the country.
One thing that could go wrong: The team's experience is offset by the inexperience of first-year head coach Tim Duryea and the Aggies are unable to overcome any adversity during the season.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.