During the Craig Smith era, the Utah State Aggies made a habit out of exceeding the expectations set forth by the preseason Mountain West Conference preseason poll.
Can they do it again this season under new head coach Ryan Odom, who replaced Smith? If so it could be a very good campaign for the Aggies.
The 2021-22 MWC preseason poll was released on Wednesday, and the Aggies were picked to finish fifth out of 11 teams.
Colorado State was picked to win the conference, followed by San Diego State, Nevada and Boise State. After Utah State, the order went Fresno State, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming (tie), San Jose State and Air Force.
Over the past three seasons with Smith at the helm, Utah State finished tied for first, tied for second and alone in second and qualified for the NCAA Tournament all three years.