FILE PHOTO: USU basketball in the Spectrum. Photo by Robert K. Scott LOGAN – During his media availability Sunday afternoon, Utah State men’s basketball head coach Ryan Odom revealed the starting five for his team’s season-opener against Utah Valley. Those five players will be senior guard Rylan Jones, junior guard Max Shulga, senior guard/forward Sean Bairstow, graduate transfer Taylor Funk, and senior Trevin Dorius. Jones and Bairstow were both mainstays in the starting lineup for much of the season, but Shulga, Funk and Dorius will be (mostly) newcomers to the lineup. Shulga and Dorius have both started games for the Aggies (Shulga started twice last year and Dorius once) but were not crucial parts of the lineups. Dorius only averaged 8.1 minutes per game last year and Shulga just 13.7. And while the center spot in the rotation opened up with the departure of Brandon Horvath, it seemed unlikely that Shulga could break through seeing as RJ Eytle-Rock, who started 30 games last year, is returning for a final season. But Shulga clearly impressed Odom. “Max had a great summer. Max has won that spot at this point,” Odom said. “I think we all saw it as the year progressed

LOGAN – This is the final part of a three-part series previewing the Utah State men’s basketball position groups. The first part looked at the Aggie guards, the second at the wings. Finally, this installment will preview the big-men of the team. Thankfully it’s a lot easier to define the big-men. It’s the guys listed as centers, or, mostly those guys. Dan Akin, listed as a forward, is very clearly a center on the team. He practices with the big men and largely plays in lineups where he is clearly the center. So don’t get mad that he’s not with the wings on these previews. Dan Akin (6-9, 6th-year Sr.) 2021-22 Averages: 26.7 minutes (34 games, 33 starts) | 10.8 points | 8.1 rebounds | 1.5 assists | 0.7 steals | 1.0 blocks 2021-22 Shooting Splits: 54.1 FG% | 0.0 3PT% | 69.6 FT% Akin took the long way around in following Ryan Odom to Utah State, making a pit-stop at Cal Baptist first where he played a major role on a team for the first time in his collegiate career. Akin will likely play a similarly big role with USU this season. Odom has raved multiple times about Akin’s