Utah State men’s basketball head coach announced the signing of Diogo Brito on Sunday, bringing the total number of incoming signees to seven. Brito will be an incoming freshman for the Aggies and will have four years of eligibility.
Brito, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard, prepped one year at Mountain Mission High School in Grundy, Virginia, leading the team to a No. 5 ranking in the state.
Most of his experience has come on the international stage, where he has played for the Portuguese National Team since 2012. Last season, Brito emerged as the leader of the Portugal side, averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during the U18 European Championships. Brito was especially active on the defensive end, leading the field with 3.4 steals per game.
Brito poured in 20 or more points in five games, including game highs of 22 points against Sweden and Austria. Brito also tallied five or more rebounds in all but two games during the tournament, complimenting his 22 points against Sweden with a game-high eight rebounds.
“Diogo is a very skilled offensive player and understands the pick and roll offense very well,” coach Tim Duryea said. “He is a good passer with good range and we are really impressed with his all-around offensive game. He has a great deal of international experience and we are excited to add an athlete of his caliber.”
Brito is one of three guards set to join the Aggies next season, including Sam Merrill (Bountiful HS), returning from an LDS Church Mission in Nicaragua, and four-star recruit Koby McEwen (Wasatch Academy). The incoming recruits are rounded out by four posts that are all 6-8 or taller, including Norbert Janicek (Snow College), Klay Stall (Basha HS), Daron Henson (Cathedral HS) and Ngor Barnaba (Missouri State-West Plains).
Kyle Cottam is the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Utah State University.