As it does for every school around the country, practice begins today for the Utah State men's basketball team.

When the Aggies take the floor, however, they will do so at less than full strength.

One starter, Pooh Williams, USU's junior small forward, is out 4-6 weeks due to a stress fracture in his foot that needs time to heal. He will miss the first two weeks of practice, the exhibition games and at least a few regular season contests.

To make matters worse, Jaxon Myaer, the former Judge star and a sophomore point guard, suffered a broken cheekbone and had to undergo surgery. He's scheduled to miss at least the next two weeks.

That, says Utah State coach Stew Morrill, makes things a little thinner in the depth department early on.

"Right now we're down on numbers, especially on the perimeter," Morrill said. "We're going to have to get some of our younger kids to step up. It's going to be a challenge to get production out of guys early on."

For the present, Tyler Newbold, the regular starter at shooting guard, will slide down to the small forward spot. The two guard spot is unclear, but junior Brian Green along with freshmen Preston Medlin and Tyrone White will have plenty of chances early on to earn playing time, especially with Stavon Williams not returning for his senior season.

"The window, the door, the whole house will be open for guys to earn playing time," Morrill said. "These guys are all going to have the chance to play minutes early on."

The good news is that everyone of consequence returns for the Aggies outside of Gary Wilkinson, the Western Athletic Conference player of the year. Jared Quayle is one of the best returning point guards in the league. Tai Wesley is ready to replace the scoring with a toughness that Wilkinson took with him and Newbold is one of the best shooters in the league.

"We're excited," Morrill said. "We're ready to go. There's always some anxiety and butterflies. If there isn't we're probably in the wrong line of work."

tjones@sltrib.com