Utah State lost all three of the point guards on its 2025-26 roster, leaving a gaping hole in that part of the rotation. Head coach Ben Jacobson has brought in a couple of players to help fill that. The first addition, and the presumed starter at point guard, is Louisiana Tech transfer Anthony “AJ” Bates. Bates grew up in the Houston area, attending Seven Lakes High School. He became a star there, and the school’s all-time leading scorer. But despite his career averages of 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game, he didn’t catch much high-major attention, ultimately opting to play for Louisiana Tech. In two years, he rose to an all-conference level player and has now moved up the college basketball ladder in coming to Utah State.  Biographical Info/Stats Height: 6’3″ Weight: 200 lbs Class: Junior (2 years of eligibility) Hometown: Houston, TX High School: Seven Lakes Previous College: Louisiana Tech AJ Bates Career Per-Game Averages Season Team GP / GS Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG% 3P% FT% 2024-25 Louisiana Tech 29 / 4 4.6 2.0 1.7 0.8 0.1 43.6 31.7 67.3 2025-26 Louisiana Tech 34 / 34 12.1 2.8 5.9 1.2 0.1 37.0 27.7 78.3 AJ Bates Advanced Metrics Stat Value Rank