Merrill is the offensive engine, Queta is the defensive anchor and the rest of the returning veterans round out what shapes up to be a clear-cut top-6 in the rotation. Former walk on Abel Porter solidified the secondary guard spot last season, proving to be effective as a co-initiator of the offense alongside Merrill. Like Merrill, he won’t blow anyone away with his quickness – in fact, it’s this limitation that somewhat hindered him against higher end competition last season – but Porter’s basketball IQ is off the charts and more than compensates for his lack of lateral burst.

The aforementioned Miller, a 6’6 wing, deserves an Oscar for his outstanding performance in a supporting role last year. The rising sophomore blossomed into one of the most precise catch-and-shoot threats in the Mountain West. His 3PA to 2PA ratio (191 3s compared to 62 2s), along with his league leading 7.9% turnover rate, encapsulates his mold as a long range specialist. Diogo Brito, a deadeye shooter and disruptive wing defender, will likely spell Miller at the 3, a ‘copy-paste’ of the sixth man role he played last season.

Quinn Taylor is the only key contributor from last year who needs to be replaced, but rising sophomore Justin Bean is waiting in the wings to seize that final starting spot. Bean was in and out of the lineup for the first few months of the season, but had his coming out party against San Diego State on February 26th. In 27 minutes off the bench, the fiery freshman delivered with 10 points and 8 boards and the coaching staff quickly took notice. From there on out, Bean morphed into an instant spark plug for the Aggies off the bench, routinely making winning play after winning play. Bean is the consummate glue guy and a tailor-made fit at the 4 next to Queta in the front court.

With such a stout top-6 in tact, it’s hard to see any of the newcomers making a major splash, but Queta wasn’t even on our radar as a potential impact guy this time last season. Smith has an eye for finding diamonds in the rough on the recruiting trail, especially when targeted at guys who can fill a need in his system, so don’t be surprised to see one of the newcomers make a name for themselves early on. Of all the newcomers, Alphonso Anderson is the one I’m betting on to make some waves this year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Anderson had a cup of coffee with Montana in 2016-17 before a knee injury forced him to redshirt, but he’s back in the D1 ranks after spending a year on the JUCO circuit. As a plus athlete with good size (6’7, 230 pounds), Smith views him as a potential defensive stopper on the wing who can slide up and down the lineup and check multiple positions.

Bottom Line: Few coaches’ stocks are rising as quickly as Craig Smith right now and with a veteran laden roster back in the fold, there’s no question the Aggies are the favorite to defend their Mountain West conference title belt. An impending return trip to the NCAA Tournament seems likely, but Utah State must do some damage in the non-conference to avoid over leveraging themselves on running the table in league play. With the top of the conference likely taking a step back - Nevada and Fresno State specifically - the MWC will offer fewer opportunities for resume boosting wins. With minimal roster turbulence this summer, expect the Aggies to come out guns blazing when the season commences, which should put them in prime position to start building a strong at-large resume from the get go.