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Logan • Utah State junior guard Julion Pearre didn't waste words.
Asked where the Aggies will finish in the Mountain West Conference this season, he smiled and said, "At the top. The very top."
Although not many agree with Pearre — Utah State was picked sixth in the preseason media poll — there is reason for optimism as Tim Duryea begins his second year as head coach.
The Aggies return four quality players, including top scorer Jalen Moore and three others who started as least nine games last season: senior point guard Shane Rector, sophomore forward Quinn Taylor and Pearre.
With Moore, Rector, Taylor and Pearre leading the way, Utah State closed 2015-16 with a flourish.
The Aggies beat New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State down the stretch. In the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament, they squandered a last-minute lead and lost to regular-season champion San Diego State, 71-65. They finished 16-15.
"We all felt that we were playing our best basketball at the end of the year — the coaching staff and the players," Pearre said. "We're just hoping it carries over, with some of the returning guys leading the new guys."
In the offseason, Duryea knew Utah State needed size. So he recruited four players who are at least 6-foot-8. Three of them — junior college transfers Norbert Janicek and Ngor Barnaba and freshman Klay Stall — could end up in the rotation.
"We need a couple of bigs to step forward and claim some minutes and claim some positions," Duryea said.
Janicek, a 6-foot-11 native of Slovakia, averaged 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds at Snow College last season.
"Everything's better when you have a good post player and that's where a guy like Norby comes in," Duryea said "He's proven at the junior college level that he can [produce] around the basket.
"He can score with either hand and over either shoulder. He's got to make some strides, but his effort level is tremendous. Anytime a kid gives you that much effort, he's going to find his footing."
Barnaba averaged 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds last season at Missouri State-West Plains.
"I've seen some progress in the last week or so with Ngor — showing some flashes that we thought were there," Duryea said. "So that's encouraging."
Another Utah State recruit who will play a major role is freshman guard Koby McEwen from Wasatch Academy. In Utah State's 83-55 exhibition win over Southern Virginia last week, he scored 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting.
If McEwen proves capable of starting, Duryea could use Pearre off the bench, as he did late last season.
Utah State opens Friday night at UC Irvine. Other nonconference opponents include BYU, Indiana State, Weber State, Utah Valley, Purdue and Texas Tech or Auburn in the second round of the Cancun Challenge.
"I'm excited for how good I think we can be," Duryea said. "… The front line is the biggest question. We have to establish ourselves there. I know where we are in the backcourt. We just have to see some things solidify up front."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Utah State at a glance
Key additions • F Ngor Barnaba (6-8, 235); F Alex Dargenton (6-8, 205); C/F Norbert Janicek (6-11, 240); G Koby McEwen (6-4, 195); F Klay Stall (6-9, 235).
Key losses • F Lew Evans (8.4 ppg); G Darius Perkins (6.7 ppg); G Chris Smith (15.0 ppg); C Elston Jones (4.2 ppg); F Grayson Moore (3.1 ppg)
Projected starters • G Shane Rector (Sr., 6-2); G Julion Pearre (Jr., 6-3);F Jalen Moore (6-9); F Quinn Taylor (So., 6-8); F Norbert Janicek (So., 6-11)
Bottom line • Led by seniors Jalen Moore and Shane Rector, Utah State returns a solid nucleus from a team that steadily improved last season. But the development of new 'bigs' like Norbert Janicek, Ngor Barnaba and Klay Stall will determine whether the Aggies contend in the Mountain West Conference.
Season opener
Utah State at UC Irvine
Friday, 8 p.m.