Mountain West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

25. Justin Bean

A 6’7 forward from Moore, Oklahoma, Bean made his way to Utah State and became a critical piece for some successful years for the Aggies. He was a great player on both sides of the ball in his four years at Utah State, originally arriving in 2018, starring for his first three years under Craig Smith.

He came off the bench as a freshman as the Aggies won the MWC regular season and tournament titles, but became a significant force going forward. During his sophomore year, he averaged 11.9 points and 10.5 rebounds and helped lead the program to another MWC Tournament title. After helping lead Utah State to another NCAA Tournament as a junior, he had his best individual effort as a senior, putting up 17.4 points and 9.9 rebounds a game while making 46% of his 3-pointers. That included 24 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Oklahoma.

Bean earned three straight All-MWC honors and was All-Defense twice in his career. He was among the conference’s top rebounders and finished 2nd in both steals and field goal percentage during that breakout senior season. While Bean wasn’t the most important figure on those impressive Utah State teams, he played a major role in the frontcourt and was clearly an impact player in the Mountain West.