2004-05 SEASON (SR): Named the Mid-Major Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com as a senior as he led the Aggies in nearly every statistical category en route to a Big West Championship and the team’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past six years… Ranked first in the Big West Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92) second in rebounding (7.9), third in scoring (16.0) and assists (4.75), and fifth in free throw percentage (.787)… Was a first-team all-Big West selection, and was named the Hustle Player of the Year in the conference for the third consecutive season… Also earned mid-major All-America honors, which consists of the top 21 players in the country from mid-major universities… Was named to the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District VIII team which consisted of the top-10 players in the Western United States… Became one of just two players in program history to record 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists in a career… Finished the season with 513 points, marking the 40thtime in school history a USU player scored 500 points in a season, while his 152 assists are the seventh-most in a single-season at Utah State… Also recorded a team-best mark of 37 steals to go along with 17 blocks… Had a team-best 28 games scoring in double-figures, while going for 20 or more points on nine occasions… Went for a career-high 26 points in the Aggies’ 84-62 win at BYU (12/18) as he shot 9-of-13 from the field, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line to go along with 11 rebounds, seven assists and a steal… Also had a team-high 12 games recording double-figures in rebounding…Brought down a season-high 13 rebounds against Pacific (2/12)… Recorded 10 double-doubles on the season, including a stretch of three-straight against Weber State (12/11), at BYU (12/18) and at Idaho (12/23)… Led the team in scoring 16 times, while leading the team’s rebounding efforts 21 times, including 10 of the first 11 contests… Won Big West Conference Player of the Week honors three times during the course of the season, including back-to-back honors during the middle of the conference season when USU recorded four-straight road wins by 20-plus points against UC Irvine, Long Beach State, Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara… Averaged 15.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists during the Big West Conference Tournament… Finished his career at USU ranking second in all-time games played (120), seventh all-time in rebounds (800), and 16thall-time in scoring (1,283).
2003-04 SEASON (JR): Named second-team all-Big West after finishing the year third on the team in scoring with 11.5 points and first in rebounding with 7.8 boards in 26.1 minutes per game… Named the league’s Hustle Player of the Year for the second consecutive season… Was also an academic all-Big West selection for the second straight year… Voted by his teammates as the Most Inspirational Player for the second straight year… Named the Big West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 12 after leading USU to a pair of road wins at UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly… Finished the year third in the league in rebounding… Started 25 games and played in 27… Missed games at Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside after suffering a broken nose in practice… Scored a career-high 24 points against Hawai’I in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament… Recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 assists against New Mexico State in the championship game of the 2003 Gossner Foods Classic as he was named the tournament MVP… Also had nine rebounds against the New Mags… Scored in double-figures 16 times on the season and led the team with five double-doubles… Had eight double-figure rebounding games… Shot 60.0 percent from the field, 73.9 percent from the free throw line, and 47.6 percent from three-point range (10-21)… Was second on the team with 75 assists and third with 17 blocks and 28 steals… Finished the year by scoring in double-figures in six of the final seven games… Was third on the team with six dunks and second with three charges taken.
2002-03 SEASON(RS SO): Earned honorable mention all-Big West honors after leading the league in rebounding with 7.4 boards per contest… Was also named the Co-Hustle Player of the Year in the conference… Started 23 games on the season and played in all 33… Finished second on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game and led the team in field goal percentage at 65.3 percent… Also led the team with 20 blocked shots and was fourth on the team in assists with 54… Scored in double figures 17 times on the season and recorded five double-doubles… Also had seven double-figure rebounding games… Named the Big West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 13 after leading the Aggies to a pair of home wins against Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara… Best game of the season came against Long Beach State when he was 8-of-11 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line en route to a then career-high 21 points and nine rebounds… Recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Idaho State… Took four charges on the season, which was the second-most on the team… Also notched eight dunks which was third-best… Was voted the Most Inspirational Player on the squad by his teammates… An academic all-Big West selection.
2001-02 SEASON (RS): Redshirted after suffering a knee injury on Oct. 31 during practice, as an MRI revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a partial tear to the medical collateral ligament and a bone bruise.
1998-99 SEASON (FR): Played in all 28 games for Utah State as a true freshman… Averaged 4.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 12.0 minutes per game… Scored a season-high 11 points against Lafayette in the championship game of the Gossner Foods Classic and also had 11 points against Cal Poly… Played a season-high 24 minutes against the Mustangs… Also had 10 rebounds against Cal Poly… His other double-double of the season came against Lafayette with a season-high 12 rebounds to go along with his 11 points… Shot 63.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was the Idaho A-1 Player of the Year as a senior in 1998… Averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks per game as a senior… As a junior, he averaged 14.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and shot 62.5 percent from the field… Hit 43.3 percent of his three-pointers and sank 73.0 percent of his free throws as a senior… Also averaged five assists per game… Earned second-team all-state honors and five-team all-region honors as a junior… Was a four-year letterwinner in tennis, claiming the men’s doubles state championship in 1998 and finishing third in mixed doubles in 1997.
PERSONAL: Born July 11, 1980 in Pocatello, Idaho… Son of Jim and Michele Spencer… Graduated in May of 2004 with a degree in accounting and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at USU… Older brother J.T. Nelson played basketball at Idaho State University… Served a LDS Church mission in Oklahoma… Completed an investment banking internship in New York City during the summer of 2004… Named the Multiple Sclerosis Society Utah State Chapter Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year in September, 2004.
