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Show Basketball Preview Special, Fall 2010 Page 7 OUTLOOK: A look at the roster by position POINT GUARDS Utah State has plenty of questions and no experience at the point guard position heading into the 2010-11 season after losing a pair of lettermen in senior starter Jared Quayle and sophomore backup Jaxon Myaer. Quayle led USU to a combined 57-13 record during his Aggie career and earned first-team all-WAC honors as a senior as he averaged 12.4 points, 6.2 rebound and 4.1 assists per game. Myaer, who transferred to Montana StateBillings, played in 66 games during his two years at USU and averaged 2.7 points per game. The two leading candidates to replace Quayle and Myaer will be junior Brockeith Pane and incoming freshman James Walker III. Pane, a junior college transfer from Midland, Texas, averaged 12.0 points, 2.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds as a sophomore as he earned first-team all-conference and first-team all-district honors. Walker III averaged 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a prep senior at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School and was named the Sunset League Most Valuable Player as both a junior and senior. The third point guard on the depth chart heading into fall is freshman Leon Cooper, Jr. who averaged 18.3 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 steals and 3.4 rebounds as a prep senior at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan., where he earned first-team all-state honors. SHOOTING GUARDS Utah State returns three letterwinners at the shooting guard position including threeyear starter Tyler Newbold who has played in 105 games and started 95 straight during his USU career. As a junior, Newbold averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from three-point range and 88.1 percent at the free throw line. He finished the year ranking fifth in the WAC in three-point shooting, and first in league games with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.00-to1.00. Along with Newbold, Utah State returns perhaps the best overall jumper shooter in the WAC in senior Brian Green who led the league in three-point shooting at 50.0 percent during his first year at USU. Overall, Green finished the season averaging 7.6 points and shot 47.7 percent from the field and 84.0 percent at the free throw line. In league games, Green shot an unbelievable 63.3 percent from behind the arc and 56.3 percent from the field to rank fourth in the league as he averaged 8.8 points during conference play. USU's third returning letterwinner here is sophomore Preston Medlin who appeared in 22 games as a true freshman and averaged 3.7 points while shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range and 92.9 percent at the free throw line. Joining all of Utah State's experience here is sophoPooh Williams is both an offensive and defensive standout on the team. Here more E.J. Farris who sat out the all eys are on the ball during late season action last year./ Statesman photo 2009-10 season to finish some required course work after avercase in years past, Newbold will all-state honors as a prep seaging 12.0 points as a freshman also see time at this position. nior at Bingham High School in at College of the Sequoias. POWER FORWARDS South Jordan, Utah as he averSMALL FORWARDS Utah State returns a wealth of aged 16.6 points and scored in Once again, Utah State returns experience and has tremendous double-figures 22 times, includits most athletic player at small depth at power forward, highing a career-high 31 points. forward in senior Pooh Williams CENTERS lighted by the return of senior who has played in 97 games durTai Wesley, who will be starting Returning for his second year ing his Aggie career, including for the fourth-straight year at as a starter in the middle for 66 starts. As a junior, Williams this position. As a junior, WesUtah State is senior Nate Bendall averaged 8.7 points, 2.2 assists ley earned first-team all-WAC who started 33 games at this and 1.8 rebounds per game, honors as he finished the year position in 2010 after transferwhile shooting 44.6 percent ranking fourth in the conferring from Salt Lake Commufrom the field, 35.6 percent from ence and 12th in the nation in nity College. As a first-year three-point range and 54.7 perfield goal shooting (.574). He starter, Bendall averaged 10.3 cent at the free throw line. Wilalso ranked fifth in the league points and 5.5 rebounds, and liams also became the first USU in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.86), was named to the WAC's allplayer ever named to the WAC's newcomer team. He finished sixth in blocked shots (1.28), all-defensive team. Another 10th in rebounding (6.6), 11th the year ranking seventh in familiar face returns to the in assists (3.34), 13th in scorthe WAC in field goal shootdepth chart here in freshman ing (13.7) and 15th in free throw ing (.562), eighth in free throw Brad Brown who redshirted at shooting (.701). Wesley, who was shooting (.815) and 11th in USU during the 2007-08 seanamed to the WAC's all-tournablocked shots (0.88). Backing son before serving a two-year ment team as a junior along with up Bendall will be senior Matt LDS Church Mission in Porto, earning second-team NABC Formisano and redshit junior Portugal. Prior to USU, Brown All-District honors, scored in Morgan Grim. Formisano has prepped at Orono High School double-figures 29 times durplayed in 82 gazmes during in Minnesota where he avering the year and posted three his USU career and averaged aged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds double-doubles. Joining Wesley 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a senior. One here is the most athletic post in 10.1 minutes per game as a newcomer here is junior colplayer on the team in junior junior. Grim sat out the 2009lege transfer Antonio Bumpus 10 campaign after transferring Brady Jardine who emerged as who earned third-team NJCAA the team's top reserve in the from Utah where he played in All-American honors as both paint during his sophomore 42 games during his two years, a freshman and sophomore at campaign. As a sophomore, including four starts. Prior to Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Jardine averaged 6.0 points and his collegiate career, Grim was Pa. As a sophomore, Bumpus 4.6 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per named Utah's Mr. Basketball as averaged 18.3 points and 4.9 regame, which included 7.9 points a prep senior at Riverton (Utah) bounds per game, while shootand 5.1 rebounds in WAC play, High School as he averaged ing 44.7 percent from the field, while shooting 61.7 percent from nearly 23.0 points per game. 37.1 percent from three-point the field. The one newcomer to Wesley could also see time at range and 73.0 percent at the this position is freshman Ben this position. free throw line. As has been the Clifford who earned first-team |