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Show Basketball Preview Special, Fall 2009 Page 9 ZPosition by position Continued from page 8 shooting, eighth in three-point shooting, 11th in scoring, and 12th in rebounding. Along with Quayle, Utah State also returns its backup point guard in sophomore Jaxon Myaer, who started the first six games of the 2008-09 season and played in 32. As a redshirt freshman, Myaer averaged 3.6 points and 1.0 assists in 11.9 minutes per game, while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 39.0 percent from threepoint range, and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. USU’s third point guard going into the fall will be freshman walk-on Preston Eaton who earned first-team all-state honors as a prep senior at Springville (Utah) High School in 2006 as he led the state in scoring with an average of 23.4 points per game. SHOOTING GUARDS Utah State returns one of its most experienced players at shooting guard in junior Tyler Newbold who has played in 70 games during his first two years at USU, including starting 60 straight. During his sophomore season, Newbold led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.96) as he had 111 assists, to rank second on the team, and just 28 turnovers. He finished the season by averaging 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, while shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three-point range, and 76.2 percent from the free throw line. As a sophomore, Newbold led the team in minutes played (1134), and three-pointers made (60) and attempted (152), and ranked seventh in the WAC in three-point shooting and 10th in assists (3.2). Backing up Newbold this year will most likely be junior Brian Green who transferred to USU from Salt Lake (Utah) Community College. As a sophomore at SLCC during the 2007-08 season, Green earned first-team all-region honors as he averaged 14.1 points and shot 48.1 percent from the field, 47.2 percent from threepoint range, and 89.8 percent from the free throw line. Green was also named to the NJCAA alltournament team as a sophomore as he led the Bruins to a 32-4 record and a national runner-up finish. Green could potentially see time at the point guard as well if need. Another player who could figure into the mix this season at the shooting guard position is freshman Preston Medlin who averaged 22.5 points as a prep senior at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, while shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 44.0 percent from three-point range, and 76.0 percent from the free throw line. SMALL FORWARDS Utah State returns its most athletic player at the small forward position in junior Pooh Williams who started 31 games as a sophomore and averaged 5.9 points and 1.9 rebounds, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from threepoint range, and 68.1 percent from three throw line. Willliams, who is USU’s best perimeter defender, played an average of 24.6 minutes per game a year ago, and scored in double-figures seven times during the season. Freshman Tyrone White joins Williams at this position and should contribute right away after averaging 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds at the Air Force Academy Prep School a year ago, while scoring 30-plus points four times. Newbold could also see time at this position after playing both wings a year ago. shooting at 59.2 percent and 11th in rebounding. Wesley, who was named to the WAC’s all-tournament team as a sophomore along with earning second-team NABC All-District honors, scored in double-figures 26 times during the year and posted four doubledoubles. Joining Wesley are two other quality players in junior Matt Formisano and sophomore Brady Jardine. Formisano has played in 56 games during his first two years at USU, and as a sophomore averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds, while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. Jardine played in 22 games in his first year at USU and averaged 1.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. USU also welcomes Morgan Grim to the program after spending two years at the University of Utah where he played in 42 games and started four during his sophomore season. Prior to his collegiate career, Grim was named Utah’s Mr. Basketball as a prep senior at Riverton (Utah) High School as he averaged nearly 23.0 points per game. Grim will redshirt this year at USU as a Division I transfer. CENTERS Utah State’s biggest question mark heading into the 2009-10 season is who will start in place of the WAC’s Player of the Year last season in Gary Wilkinson who averaged 17.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and finished the year ranking second in the conference in scoring and free throw shooting (.826), fourth in field goal shooting (.580), and sixth in rebounding. The leading candidate to fill this position is junior Nate Bendall who transferred to USU from Salt Lake (Utah) Community College. As a sophomore at SLCC, Bendall averaged 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 68.9 percent from the free throw line. Bendall was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament team as he helped led the Bruins to a 31-6 record and a National Championship. Bendall already has some familiarity with the program as he spent his freshman season (2005-06) at Utah State and appeared in 13 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds. Despite losing Wilkinson to graduation, USU does return some experience at this position in redshirt sophomore Modou Niang who played in eight games last year before missing the rest of the season with a broken hand. During his first two years at USU, Niang has played in 26 games and averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds. Another newcomer at this position is freshman Anthony DiLoreto, who averaged 8.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a prep senior at Hopkins (Minn.) High School as he helped lead the Royals to a 27-2 record. During his senior year, he scored in doublefigures nine times and had a season-high 16 points. POWER FORWARDS Utah State returns the most experience on the team at the power forward position with three contributors back from a year ago including two-year starter Tai Wesley who has played in 70 games and started 59 during his first two seasons at USU. As a sophomore, Wesley averaged 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, while finishing second in the WAC in field goal Tyler Newbold, Jackson Myaer, Pooh Williams are among the returning veterans. Statesman photo |