The Aggie basketball team has added Leon Cooper, a freshman guard who is expected to play this season, not redshirt.

Cooper is a 6-foot-1 lefty, a good shooter, a very good athlete and a clear shooting guard as opposed to a point guard. He's a late addition to the program and expected to add depth to what is already a loaded backcourt.

Cooper's matriculation to Utah State is possible because Norvell Arnold, a junior college small forward, won't be on campus for at least the first semester as he finishes up course work at his previous school. Once Arnold graduates, he can come to Utah State and the plan is for him to be eligible for the 2011-2012 season. For this season, it doesn't hurt the Aggies on the court because the plans were for Arnold to be redshirted in the first place.

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Aggieville is getting reports from multiple people in the know that Brockeith Pane just may be good enough to be a true difference maker, sooner rather than later. Pane, the junior college transfer from Midland JC in Texas, is reportedly playing very well in pickup games. He has a very good handle, an ability to get into the paint, an ability to score and is reportedly a very good passer.

His best trait? Pane is said to be as good an on the ball defender as Pooh Williams, who was the best overall defender in the Western Athletic Conference last season. If true, that will make the Utah State defense scary to play against as Williams and Tyler Newbold are both all-league defenders. For all of Jared Quayle's strength's, man defense wasn't one of them. He was adequate, but there were certain point guards the Aggies ran into that Quayle simply couldn't guard.

Tony Jones