Utah State Hoops in Danger of Losing Stars

The Mountain West champions were hit with a bit of troubling news today, as Great Osobor was announced to be jumping into the transfer portal.

Great Osobor, in his first year at Utah State, was crowned the Mountain West Player of the Year and Newcomer of the year while earning a first-team-all-conference nod.

And yes, as listed, there is the chance Osobor decides to run it back with the Aggies, or maybe he does declare for the NBA, but the brutal reality, is a player doesn’t hit the portal without an understanding that there will be a variety of powerful impactful offers awaiting them.

In the world of modern college athletics, players hitting the portal is an expectation instead of a rare occurrence.

Even with that understanding, major transfer portal activity can be more so associated with programs that are typically smaller, underachieving or have just had a coach leave or resign.

In the case of the Aggies, a Mountain West title and a tournament win over TCU this year, qualify them as a known commodity and certainly elevate them well above achieving, let alone underachieving.

That leaves Head Coach Danny Sprinkle, the main speculatory candidate on why Osobor may be trying to take his talents elsewhere.

Sprinkle, the one season Coach of the Aggies, brought Osobor along with him from Montana State for his debut season.

When it was announced that Sprinkle was spring boarding to Washington, fans knew that many players would likely be in route to another destination.

You understand it from a player’s perspective.

The coach provides that stability, that comradery, if he isn’t there, it may not ever feel the same.

You also understand it from the fan’s perspective, who see a Utah State team overcoming all odds this year.

See, the Aggies already overcame the transfer portal once, when Utah State was ravaged by the departure of Head coach Ryan Odom.

Utah State didn’t return a single player who scored a single point, in what was certain to be a down year.

Sprinkle came in, restocked the shelves, and the Aggies were not only revived but better than they ever were.

With a couple more regular season wins, a better conference record, and a high of #16 in the AP poll, USU, as we know, won the Mountain West and made it to the 2nd round of the tournament for the first time since the 2010-2011 season.

If that was year one of building from the ground up, imagine what year #2 could look like in the Danny Sprinkle era.

Instead, Sprinkle jetted to Washington, and the new era could be over as soon as it began.

Utah State has brought in Jerrod Calhoun, the former lead of Youngstown State.

And as Calhoun is asked to patch the hole left in Sprinkle’s departure, things were off to a hopeful start at the introductory presser:

Coach Calhoun, sensing what could be around the bend, even made a strong statement in regards to players hanging around Logan:

That was a day ago.

Osobor’s portal adventure was announced roughly 26 hours later.

Minutes after, Ian Martinez, who averaged 13.3 points for USU this year, joined Osobor.

Just because Utah State overcame the portal last season, doesn’t mean they want to attempt it again, as the odds are never in the decimated team’s favor.

Osobor and Martinez are today’s news.

Mason Falslev was last weeks news, and we can only speculate who may be next.

That’s currently rostered players that Utah State could see walk, what about future players?

That’s not looking as bright either:

Players coming back, High School athletes recommitting, are all plausible, and only time will tell if USU can overcome another berserk offseason.

Whatever happens in Logan, good or bad for the fate of the Aggies, I can tell you, they sure likely don’t enjoy the process.