Don’t be fooled by Weber State’s 0-2 record this season as the Wildcats are once again the class of the Big Sky Conference and have their eyes set on the NCAA Tournament. Weber State return four players who averaged more than 20 minutes per game, three incumbent starters and two-all conference performers. “I like this team,” head coach Randy Rahe said. “I think we’re athletic as we’ve ever been. I like our balance potential.”
Senior Davion Berry was phenomenal in his inaugural season at Weber State wherein he led the team in scoring, assists and steals. Barry is off to another solid start this season as he is averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting 78.6% from the foul line. The other returning all-league selection is senior Kyle Tresnak, who averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. Tresnak worked tirelessly during the offseason to improve his conditioning and mobility, and we expect him to make significant inroads in his third year as a starter.
Weber State’s defense is bolstered by senior Jordan Richardson, who is on pace to become the conference’s all-time leader in career games played. The return of Barry, Richardson and Tresnak, who is the Big Sky’s best true big man, the Wildcats’ collective length and athleticism will create matchup problems for most teams in the conference. After reaching the title game of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament last year, Weber State has one collective goal this season: reaching the NCAA Tournament in March. And, based upon the Wildcats’ existing roster, Pro Edge Sports believes coach Rahe will have his team dancing for the first time since 2006.
Meanwhile, Utah State enters a new conference for the third time in head coach Stew Morrill’s tenure in Logan. The good news for Utah State fans is the fact that the Aggies’ have the requisite size, flexibility and athleticism to compete immediately in the Mountain West Conference. With four returning starters from a squad that finished 21-10 last year, the Aggies should compete for an upper-division finish in the conference and return to the postseason. The key to Utah State’s success depends upon the performance of sophomore point guard Marcel Davis and senior guard TeNale Roland.
The other key for Utah State is the health of senior Preston Medlin, who averaged 16.3 points per game last season before missing the final fifteen games with a broken wrist. The Aggies are off to a solid start this season as they are 11.5 points per game better than average offensively and 8.6 points per game better than average defensively. However, playing at Dee Events Center is a difficult task and Pro Edge Sports leans with the small home favorite provided that Kyle Tresnak plays (he’s been upgraded to ‘probable’ with a sprained ankle).