This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • Utah State fans can exhale.
Yes, big man David Collette has been wearing a walking boot since suffering a late-summer ankle sprain. But according to coach Tim Duryea, it is precautionary and Collette has been able to participate "full speed" during the first week of practice.
Collette and the Aggies make their first public appearance of the season Thursday during Utah State's Prime Time Madness event at the Spectrum. The men's and women's teams will scrimmage and compete in skill competitions starting at 7 p.m.
Last season, the Utah State men finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the Mountain West Conference.
The Aggies return all five starters, including Collette. A sophomore out of Murray High School, he averaged 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots last year. His 56 blocks were the most by a freshman in Utah State history.
Duryea called Collette's recent ankle sprain "severe" — one that also resulted in tightness in his Achilles and a "hot spot" on the outside of his foot, probably because he started compensating for his sore ankle.
X-rays and MRIs have not indicated any unexpected damage, however, and Duryea expects Collette to be 100 percent when the Aggies open their season Oct. 31 with an exhibition game against Panhandle State.
"We haven't been told anything that makes us think otherwise," Duryea said. "Nobody has recommended any kind of surgery, or anything like that."
That's good news for Duryea, who's starting his first season as Utah State's head coach after a 14-year run as an assistant on Stew Morrill's staff. Morrill retired after last season.
Asked how this preseason is different than previous years, Duryea laughed and said, "Well, I don't use the alarm any more. I pretty much wake up on my own now. But I guess that goes with the territory."
He continued: "You look at everything, instead of just your area. You are in a planning frame of mind — an organization frame of mind. In the meantime, with everything that goes on, you can't forget to coach the team. I tell myself that all the time: 'Don't forget where the focus needs to be.' "
Duryea characterized the Aggies' first week of practice as "great. … Obviously we have a lot of veteran players. They know what to expect and they carry the day. Their attitude, work ethic and desire are very evident."What will fans see if they attend Prime Time Madness?
"We hope to show that we have an exciting, skilled group," Duryea said. "By nature, a good offensive group — a good shooting group — is fun to watch. And this is a veteran, unselfish group. I think we're a group that people will want to cheer for."
Twitter: @sluhm —
About USU basketball
• Utah State will hold its Prime Time Madness basketball event Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Spectrum.
• The Aggies' David Collette is practicing "full speed" despite suffering a severe ankle sprain this summer.
• After 14 years as an assistant on Stew Morrill's staff, Tim Duryea takes over as Utah State's head coach.
• The surprising Aggies finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the Mountain West Conference last season.