LOGAN, Utah – Utah State men's basketball began its 2024-25 season on Thursday as it held its first official practice inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The Aggies, under the direction of first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun, are made up of five returners and nine newcomers, including three returning starters.
 
"It's exciting for our players. We've worked hard this summer and with the foreign trip we're a little bit ahead of the curve," Calhoun said. "Our guys were really locked in today. We went for about two hours and I thought our effort was good. Offensively, we want to continue to expand on the playbook, execute and continue to understand spacing. Defensively, we want to keep teams off the glass. Defensive rebounding is going to be critical for us this year." 
 
USU is coming off of a Mountain West regular season championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, posting a 28-7 record last season with a 14-4 mark in league play. The Aggies defeated TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, advancing for the first time since 2001. 
 
Utah State returns five players from the 2023-24 squad including graduate guard Ian Martinez, junior center Isaac Johnson, sophomore guard Mason Falslev, sophomore forward Karson Templin and redshirt freshman guard Jaxon Smith. 
 
"We've all been kind of antsy. We did a couple of workouts before we went on our foreign trip and we've all been waiting to get back, and today was the first day we really got to get to work," Allen said. "We're excited to be back on the floor again."
 
The Aggies welcome nine newcomers to the 2024-25 roster, with seven transfers and two incoming freshmen. Transfers include graduate guard Dexter Akanno (Oregon State), senior guard Drake Allen (Utah Valley), senior guard Deyton Albury (Queens), senior center Aubin Gateretse (Stetson), sophomore guard Braden Housley (Southern Utah), sophomore forward Pavle Stosic (Gonzaga) and sophomore wing Tucker Anderson (Central Arkansas). Incoming freshmen are guard Jordy Barnes (Holladay, Utah / Olympus HS) and forward Isaac Davis (Idaho Falls HS / Hillcrest HS). 
 
"I thought it was a great day. We competed very hard, we're a very competitive team," Gateretse said. "Everybody was locked in from the jump. We all have the same goal, we want to win, and everybody has bought into the coaching."
 
The 2024-25 season tips off for the Aggies on Wednesday, Nov. 6, when they host Alcorn State inside of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The team's full schedule is available on utahstateaggies.com. 
 
SEASON TICKETS
Season ticket deposits for the 2024-25 season are available now. Save your seat today by clicking on the following link https://utahstateaggies.evenue.net/events/MBST
 
FOLLOW
For more information on Utah State's men's basketball program, follow the Aggies on Facebook at usumensbasketball, on Twitter at @usubasketball and on Instagram at @usubasketball. Fans can also watch USU men's basketball highlights by visiting youtube.com/utahstateathletics.
 
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