This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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 • Gradually, Utah State men's basketball head coach Tim Duryea is putting together the pieces of his first puzzle.
Duryea and the Aggies have been practicing for nearly a month, with their eye on Saturday night's exhibition opener against Panhandle (Okla.) State at the Spectrum.
"Things are good," Duryea said. "Guys are starting to separate themselves. You can see the formation — maybe — of a rotation and roles being defined. And guys are getting into a little better game shape. We're trying to push the pace as much as we can. … Overall, not bad."
Utah State returns five starters from last season, when the Aggies finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the Mountain West Conference under former coach Stew Morrill. The players' experience has helped the pace of preseason progress.
"You can definitely tell who the returners are and who the new guys are," said Duryea. "We're doing a lot of new things that the experienced guys seem to pick up a little quicker. It's also amazing what experience means to your physical shape. The returners always seem to be in a little better shape. They've been through it. Mentally, it's not such a drain on them."
Junior forward Jalen Moore and sophomore center-forward David Collette are Utah State's established leaders, along with senior guards Chris Smith and Darius Perkins.
Moore averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds last season. He'll play power forward or small forward, depending on who else Duryea is using at the time.
"Really, what we ask our 'twos,' 'threes' and 'fours' to do offensively … is fairly similar," Duryea said. "We want them all to be able to put the ball on the floor, shoot threes and make plays for each other. Where the differences come is on the other end of the floor — who they have to guard. That's where Jalen will play a lot more 'four' than 'three.'"
Collette is most effective closer to the basket. He was 2-for-6 on 3-pointers last season, although one of those was a buzzer-beater at Boise State that gave Utah State a 62-61 win.
Collette suffered a severely sprained ankle two months ago, but the injury isn't a factor at this point.
"He's doing well," Duryea said. "We're slowly but surely bringing him along. We're trying to make sure his load isn't too heavy on any one day. We're inching a long and watching that foot. But he's fine. He's very smart and picks things up very quickly."
Duryea, of course, has replaced his long-time boss, Morrill. He retired last spring but regularly meets Duryea for lunch. He's also attended a practice or two.
"Coach is always welcome here," Duryea said. "He probably won't come as much as we'd like. But it's going to be great having him here through the season, just as somebody to vent to and bounce stuff off of. He knows every single thing we'll feel and go through. He'll be a great resource for us."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Offseason storylines
O USU opens its season Saturday night with an exhibition game against Panhandle (Okla.) State.
• Long-time assistant Tim Duryea is the Aggies' new head coach. He replaces Stew Morrill, who retired last summer.
• The Aggies finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the Mountain West Conference last spring. They return five starters.