Hall of Fame
SPENCER NELSON
Hometown: Pocatello, Idaho
Sport: Men's Basketball
Years: 1999, 2003-05
One of the best all-around talents in school history, Spencer Nelson was named a Mid-Major All-American and the Mid-Major Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com as a senior in 2005 as he was the only player in the nation to average 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. During his senior season, Nelson was also named a first-team all-Big West selection, a Big West all-tournament team member, the league's Hustle Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, and a member of the United States Basketball Writers All-District VIII team as he averaged 16.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. As a senior, Nelson shot 60.0 percent from the field and 78.7 percent from the free throw line, and finished the year ranked first in the Big West Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92), second in rebounding (7.9) and field goal percentage (.600), third in scoring (16.0) and assists (4.8), and fifth in free throw percentage (.787). Nelson finished his Aggie career with 1,283 points, 800 rebounds and 62 blocked shots, and still ranks 19th all-time in school history in scoring, eighth in rebounding and 10th in blocked shots. He also ranks third all-time in school history in career field goal percentage (.617), seventh in games played (120), ninth in double-figure rebound games (29), 10th in double-doubles (22), 10th in both free throws made (384) and attempted (533), and 12th in assists (302). Nelson, who was named second-team all-Big West as a junior and to the honorable mention team as a sophomore, led USU in rebounding for three-straight years from his sophomore to senior seasons. Nelson also holds three of the top-10 field goal percentage marks in school history as he shot 65.3 percent as a senior to rank fourth all-time, and 60.0 percent as both a sophomore and junior to rank tied for ninth all-time in school history. Nelson also scored 513 points as senior, which ranks 44th all-time in school history, while his 152 assists that year ranks ninth. During his final three years at Utah State, Nelson helped the Aggies to a 73-21 (.777) mark, including a 42-12 (.778) ledger in the Big West as USU shared the regular season championship in 2004, and won Big West tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2005. Nelson was also a three-time academic all-Big West honoree and one of 16 Aggie greats named to USU's All-Century basketball team in 2005. Nelson has spent the past 10 years playing overseas in Germany, Italy, Greece and Spain.
