This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
He seemed to float through a 52-38 first round win over Cooper Hills. But that's not a detriment because his production was borderline off the charts.
The stats for Utah State recruit David Collette: 22 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots...most impressive? 20 minutes of action.
Collette projects as a power forward at the collegiate level, yet is a full 6-foot-9 with long arms. And the upside is there. Collette is nowhere near a finished product. He runs the floor like a small forward. He has good timing for blocking shots. He can jump. He dunked the ball three times, including catching an alley-oop. And he makes his free-throws, hitting 8-10 from the line against the Grizzlies.
Aggie fans shouldn't expect to see Collette in uniform soon. He's expected to redshirt next season, and then he's expected to go on a mission. In that time, USU hopes that his frame can support 30-40 pounds of muscle. His game needs to be way more refined. For comparison, Utah State redshirt freshman Ben Clifford isn't as athletic as Collette, but his game is more polished.
But that's where coaching comes in, and Stew Morrill is one of the best in the business when it comes to developing big men. One thing about Collette is that his jump shot has a very high release point, almost like Rasheed Wallace, and that makes it almost impossible to block his shot, especially with the lift he gets off the floor.
He played his best in the fourth quarter, and did his damage even through double and triple teams.
Tony Jones