Utah State Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Aggies

A lot of firepower returns for Utah State

Utah State returns four of the five starters from last season, only forward Quinn Taylor is gone. In fact, the top four scorers all return from a team that averaged 79 points per game. Senior guards Diogo Brito and Sam Merrill bring the veteran leadership and Merrill may be the leader in the clubhouse for Mountain West Player of the Year (again) are his 20.9-point, 3.9-rebound, 4.2-assist, and 1.1-steal season a year ago.

Merrill was money from all over the floor for the Aggies, shooting 46% from the field, 37.6% from deep and a scorching 91% from the free-throw line. The 6-6 Brito came off the bench for Smith as his 6th man, Brito filled in admirably averaging over eight points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal last season.

The other returning starters are a pair of sophomores and a junior. Brock Miller is another 6-6 guard who was nearly as deadly as Merrill from the charity stripe, shooting over 88% and netting eight points per game. Neemias Queta was a revelation for the Aggies as a freshman, the 6-11 native of Portugal stepped in right away, shooting 61.4% from the field with 11.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, which was good enough for 14th nationally.

The big man avoided a disaster when the knee injury he suffered while playing for Portugal this summer in the U20 European Championships was deemed not as serious as originally thought. Abel Porter is the junior guard that returns for USU. While on the floor last season, Porter helped all over the floor with five points, two rebounds, and two assists, but his weapon was his shot from deep where he made 40% of his attempts.

The other key returner is sophomore forward Justin Bean who saw limited time as a freshman but the 6-7 Bean is likely to see an uptick in playing time this season so his development deserves watching.