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One of the major surprises Saturday was Steven Thornton's inclusion into the starting lineup.
Then, the freshman guard went out and showed why he's pushed his way to the top of the depth chart. Thornton provides Utah State with a shot of athleticism, rebounding, on the ball defense and the ability to score off the dribble.
Kind of like what Pooh Williams did for the Aggies in his stellar career.
Thornton played extremely well against Adams State, grabbing nine rebounds, coming up with three steals and scoring six points in 24 minutes on Saturday.
"I just wanted to go out and make an impact," Thornton said. "I wanted to use my athleticism, and try to make things happen."
Thornton and Mitch Bruneel are the two candidates at small forward. The starter against BYU on Friday will likely be determined by who plays better in practice this coming week.
But with Antonio Bumpus out with a foot inury, those two figure to play significant minutes. They both mirror each other, so it may come down to who shoots the ball better, which is a big reason why Thornton received the start on Saturday.
"He's been knocking down shots in practice," Stew Morrill said. "He's been pretty active out there, and that's encouraging."
Tony Jones