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The transformation of Utah State's basketball roster is now complete.
And with Tuesday's signing of junior college point guard TeNale Roland, next year's Aggies will be decidedly different.
Roland, a 6-foot-1 shooter from Rend Lake Junior College, is the veteran floor leader USU coaches had been seeking to round out the roster. He is expected to compete for a starting spot immediately.
Over the past weekend, Utah State also signed 6-foot-3 shooting guard Spencer Butterfield, the California Junior College Co-Player of the Year, as well as 6-foot-5 small forward Marvin Jean, out of Sullivan Community College in New York.
Each of the three is expected to compete for a spot in Stew Morrill's rotation. With the trio now signed, Utah State will bring in nine new players next season. Just five scholarship players will return from last year's team, which finished 21-16 and reached the title game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
The roster turnover is dramatic. But the Aggies are expected to be much bigger and much deeper than they were last season. Roland was considered the most important recruit. Without him, Utah State would have been left with two freshmen point guards.
In addition, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned walk-on point guard EJ Farris, who backed up Brockeith Pane last season, will not return.
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