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Logan • At Utah State, the Moore the merrier.
First, there was Jimmy Moore. He starred for the Aggies in the 1970s and, currently, is the school's athletic director for special projects.
Next, there is Jalen Moore. A junior forward, he established himself as a foundation player last season and is Utah State's leading scorer heading into Saturday night's Mountain West Conference showdown with San Diego State.
Finally, there is Grayson Moore. He is Jalen's older brother, a senior transfer from Northwest Nazarene and, apparently, the newest member of the Aggies' regular rotation after scoring a career-high 12 points in Wednesday's 80-71 win at San Jose State.
Like Jalen, Grayson Moore attended Sky View High in North Logan. Unlike his brother, recruiters weren't overly interested, so he started his college career in Sheridan, Wyo.
"I was thinking junior college would catapult me to someplace else," he said. "But I didn't see the floor as much as I wanted."
With an associate's degree already in hand, Moore left Sheridan after one season. He ended up at Northwest Nazarene and "loved it there."
In the back of his mind, however, Moore wondered if he could play in Division I. During the summer of 2014, he held his own in pickup games with Jalen and his teammates. So he talked to then-head coach Stew Morrill.
"I asked, 'Do you think I could play at this level," Moore recalled. "He said, 'I'm glad you approached me because I couldn't approach you. But yeah, I think you can play at this level.' The next thing you know, I was on the team."
Moore sat out the required year after transferring and didn't play much early in the season. He scored 15 points in Utah State's first eight games.
"I knew coming in nothing would be given to me," Moore said. "That was part of the deal. I had to work my way up."
Two things happened that gave him a shot at significant playing time. No. 1, forward David Collette quit the team before the season started. No. 2, center Elston Jones injured his shoulder two weeks ago.
Although Jones recuperated and eventually returned, Moore was needed to fill out coach Tim Duryea's front court.
"It was unfortunate David left and Elston hurt his shoulder," Moore said. "But like they always say, 'Next man up.' It was my turn. …
"I kept working the whole time. I played hard in practice and the coaches and my teammates kept telling me, 'Stay confident. Your time will come.'"
It has.
"Grayson comes off the bench and gives you defense, improves your rebounding and is a very capable three-point shooter," Duryea said. "It's not just one aspect you're improving. It's almost like bringing two or three different guys off the bench. He's a jack-of-all-trades, really. Very valuable."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Utah State vs. San Diego State
P At the Spectrum
Tipoff • 8 p.m.
TV • ESPNU
Radio • 610 AM, 95.9 FM, 97.5 FM, 102.1 FM
Records • Utah State 9-3, 1-0; San Diego State 8-6, 1-0
Series • San Diego State, 4-3
Last meeting • San Diego State, 62-42 (2014-15)
About the Aggies • They have won four straight games. … They are 6-1 at home, losing only to UC Irvine (73-63). … They are second in the Mountain West in 3-point shooting percentage (.368). … Their top scorers are junior F Jalen Moore (14.8) and senior G Chris Smith (13.4). … In the past four games, sophomore G Julion Pearre is 11-for-22 from the three-point line.
About the Aztecs • They have won or shared four of the past five regular-season Mountain West championships. … They opened their conference season with a 67-55 win over Wyoming. … They out-rebounded the Cowboys, 50-26. … Freshman G Jeremy Hemsley is their top scorer (13.4). … The last freshman to lead them in scoring was Kawhi Leonard (2009-10).