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LOGAN â Thereâs a first for everything; and on Tuesday, the Utah State men's basketball team became the first unanimous pick to win the Mountain West.
âThe Mountain West has a rich tradition of excellence in menâs basketball,â second-year head coach Craig Smith said in a statement. âIt is humbling to be the first MW program to be unanimously ranked as the preseason favorites to win the MW championship.
"That being said, we arenât really into polls and rankings in our program," he added. "This team hasnât proven anything, and our goal is to be on top of the MW at the end of the year.â
The Aggies won the championship in its conference tournament and finished last season with an overall record of 28-7, 15-3 in conference play. The Aggies made it to the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Washington.
Behind the Aggies in the Mountain West preseason poll is San Diego State, followed by New Mexico, Nevada, Boise State, Fresno State, UNLV, Air Force, Colorado State, Wyoming and San Jose State.
Utah State is returning four starters from last years team, including Sam Merrill, who was named the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year. The 2019 Mountain West Player of the Year and Mountain West Tournament MVP finished last season averaging 20.9 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Merrill spent his offseason participating in the CP3 Elite Guard Camp, a camp for only 15 collegiate point guards. The camp is put on by current NBA player and Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul. Paul tutors the players on skill development, film breakdown and life skills.
Merrill enters the 2019-20 season with 1,568 career points and is looking to become the fourth Aggie ever to reach the 2,000 point mark for the program.
Back to help Merrill and the Aggies is sophomore center Neemias Queta, who was named to the preseason All-Mountain West. Queta was one of 66 players invited to the NBA Combine last season after being named the Mountain West Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year. He participated in drills before ultimately choosing to return to Utah State.
The reigning defensive player of the year spent his summer as a member of the Portugalâs U20 team that won the FIBA European Championship â Division B title. He earned all-star five honors after being tabbed as the most efficient player in the tournament. Queta finished with an average of 14.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Utah State will host an exhibition game on Wednesday, October 30. The Aggies open up the season on Tuesday, November 5 against Montana State at 8 p.m. at home. Carra McManamon is a native of Washington State and is attending the University of Utah. Contact her at cmcmanamon@deseretdigital.com or follow her on Twitter: @curramac22
