Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Utah State finishes nonconference play 9-1, preparing for Mountain West games.
- Transfers MJ Collins Jr. and Garry Clark significantly impact Aggies' performance.
- Utah State's defense excels, holding opponents to 41% shooting, forcing turnovers.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State wrapped up its nonconference schedule with an 83-78 win over Illinois State at the Delta Center Saturday.
The Aggies finish with a 9-1 record before getting into Mountain West play next week, with the lone blemish being a 74-61 loss at South Florida.
Utah State has had its share of ups and downs through the early season, though some trends and themes are beginning to emerge as the Aggies look to make another run at a Mountain West Championship and to the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies have gotten significant production from two of their new transfers and a stingy defense, despite some highs and lows.
Impact transfers
Since his arrival in Logan, Jerrod Calhoun has spent a significant amount of time fundraising and banging the NIL drum, and it appears to have worked.
In the offseason, Calhoun took that recruitment and retention fund and hit the portal, finding himself five new transfers — including two MJ Collins Jr. and Garry Clark, who have played meaningful roles so far this season.
Collins has been a steady scorer and efficient shooter, averaging over 20 points per game — a team high — and shooting 58% from the floor, second only to Clark's 65% shooting. Collins has put himself up near the top of the conversation for Mountain West Player of the Year to this point.
"He's (a) top three, four player in the league," Calhoun said. "We've got to count on him every night (for) 15-20 points. And to be honest with you, he's done it all year, so I really expect him to do that now."
Clark continues to be a scoring and rebounding presence in the interior that the Aggies lacked a season ago, and has done it while primarily coming off the bench.
"When I come in, I've got to bring the energy, too. It can't be a drop off," Clark said. "So, coming in, I was on every rebound I could."
With most of Utah State's impact players returning from a year ago, the difference in the current Aggies' ceiling may just be found in the performance of these two newcomers.
Hot and cold
Through its nine wins and particularly in the one loss, Utah State has proven to be volatile in its performance from one game to the next.
In close wins against Montana State, Weber State, and the loss to South Florida, the Aggies shot 45%, 46%, and 36%, respectively. In blowout wins over Tulane, Davidson and Charlotte, the team shot 62%, 59%, and 50%. Those figures get even more exaggerated when extended to 3-point shooting.
Rebounding has been a similar story, where the Aggies have struggled on the glass in some games and dominated it in others — including 19 offensive rebounds against Illinois State, the highest since 2020.
"This team's inconsistent, but we're inconsistent because our practice habits are not where they need to be," Calhoun said. "When you really start to fall in love with the process, I think the sky's the limit for the team. It's just — the secret is, how do you get them there? And that's what we've got to keep doing."
When playing at its best, Utah State looks like a team that could control the Mountain West and make some noise come March. Conversely, they've also occasionally looked like a conference tournament disappointment and a team bound for the NIT.
If Calhoun and the Aggies can figure out the consistency, further expectations may continue to come together.
Defensively minded
Throughout the offseason and into the early games, Calhoun frequently commented on the staff's focus on defensive play. While this may explain some of the offensive inconsistency, the Aggies defense has been a strength through 10 games.
In nonconference play, Utah State held its opponents to a 41% shooting percentage from the field, only allowing Illinois State (59%) to shoot above 50%. The Aggies have also averaged 16 forced turnovers per game, led by returning guard Mason Falslev, who averages nearly three steals per game.
"Our team is built on defense," Clark said. "We've turned teams over every game we played."
As the Aggies get into conference play, a solid, consistent defense can help it win close games even on nights when the shooting goes cold.
Utah State opens conference play on Saturday with a home bout against Colorado State. The Rams have put together an 8-2 nonconference play record with one game remaining. They also look to be a Mountain West contender, making the game on Saturday a marquee matchup to open the conference slate.
As they've seen through the season to this point, Utah State will need strong performances from Collins and Clark while playing with the consistency they've seen in their wins in order to take down CSU and the rest of the conference.
