Logan » If Utah State has a hope of beating Texas A&M in Friday's NCAA Tournament first-round matchup, the Aggies will need Tai Wesley to be the best big man on the floor.

USU will need Wesley's brute strength in the lane. His footwork in the paint. His jump hooks, his spin moves, his drop steps, his position defense, his rebounding and, most of all, his leadership. Indeed, Wesley is a crucial piece for the Aggies, one they borderline cannot do without. And he must accomplish this with the broken nose he suffered last Saturday in a loss to New Mexico State.

Two years ago, even last year, the above paragraph wouldn't have rung true.

"There was a time that I was a hothead," Wesley said. "I was always quick to retaliate on the court and I picked up some technical fouls."

Wesley was always an immensely talented player. But his talent in the past two seasons was always overshadowed by ill-timed fouls, a propensity for on-court confrontations and the habit of missing free throws.

In this, his junior season, Wesley talked to the one person who could be instrumental in helping him make the change: Himself.

"It always starts with yourself," Wesley said. "I expect to play well, other people expect me to play well and it's unacceptable for me to not play to my abilities."

To say Utah State got off to a rough start to the season is an understatement. Things came to a head in late December when the Aggies were smacked around 75-62 by a Long Beach State team that proved to be stunningly mediocre by the end of the year.

Wesley called the loss "embarrassing," insinuated that the team needed a leader vocally and all but announced that he was the man for the job. That night, along with his talent on the interior, sparked what proved to be a remarkable turnaround for USU.

"He's one of the top five players that I've coached at Utah State," Aggies coach Stew Morrill said. "He's a lot better than he used to be. He still reverts to a silly foul here and there, but he knows what to do. He's a pure basketball player. If he improves his temperament even more, he has a chance to be the best player we've had here."

For the season, Wesley averaged 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Good numbers, but not superstar statistics. So it says something that Wesley easily was named First Team All-Western Athletic Conference.

And that's because Wesley is one of the best all-around players in the WAC. Morrill runs much of his offense through the paint, where he either scores or picks apart a defense with his precision passing. Wesley handles the ball exceptionally well for a power forward. So well that he often dribbles the ball against full-court pressure when teams deny point guard Jared Quayle the ball.

He averages 3.4 assists per game, and he has diversified his game to the point where he's now making 15- to 18-foot jumpers.

"It's very important that Tai plays big for us," Utah State forward Pooh Williams said. "He's one of the key reasons that we've had the success we've had this season. He's a great player. He's a pressure release for us and it's very important that he plays big for us against Texas A&M."

All of which is why Aggie Nation will be holding its collective breath this week. Against New Mexico State, Wesley was clearly not himself once he broke his nose. The numbers, 13 points and 12 rebounds, were fine on the surface. But Wesley wasn't nearly the force in the paint he usually is. He was tentative once he returned to the court. He missed several easy shots close to the rim and on one memorable sequence he gathered an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to the perimeter instead of attacking the basket.

Against a deep and talented Texas A&M frontcourt, Wesley at 100 percent will have his hands full. Anything less, and Utah State is in serious trouble. If Wesley's words are any indication, he'll be fine on Friday. When asked of his impending matchup with the Aggies from farther south, Wesley offered a one-sentence response.

"I hope they don't double me."

tjones@sltrib.com