This is part one in a two-part series going over potential expectations for Utah State men’s and women’s basketball for the 2023-24 season. Expectations are a hard thing to set when so little is known about something, perhaps more so when there’s a perceived expectation but it may not match what a realistic expectation should be. Utah State’s men’s basketball team is stuck in that quandary. No one knows who this team is, but everyone keeps expecting them to be good despite a unique offseason. The Aggies have won at least 20 games four times in the last five years, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in each of said season, and winning 18 games with an NIT berth the one season they didn’t eclipse 20 wins. USU has an overall record of 118-49 (.707 win percentage), won a regular season conference title and brought home two conference tournament titles. The program has sent on two players onto NBA rosters, some into the G-League, and even more to overseas pro leagues. Utah State has been a model of mid-major success. There’s just one not-so-little hiccup this run of success will have to find its way around which can be illustrated in