LOGAN — There was already a whole lot of new surrounding the Utah State basketball program thanks to the addition of a fresh head coach and returning only two players who saw action during the 2025-26 season.
But as the Aggies held their first official practice of the 2026-27 campaign last Tuesday afternoon at the Spectrum, it was very clear the so-called “new guy” was new in name only.
After seemingly being pursued by every Utah State coaching staff since Stew Morrill retired, Dallin Hall officially became an Aggie on Aug. 25, making the former Fremont High standout the 15th and final addition to Ben Jacobson’s roster heading into his inaugural season in Logan.
“He’s been great,” Jacobson said of Hall, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility this summer after spending three years at BYU and last season at Virginia. “The thing that I’ve appreciated from our program and from our guys is that it’s almost like Dallin’s been here the entire summer.
“Obviously, he hasn’t been, but it feels like he has. He came in and the 14 players on the roster were great and continue to be great,” he continued. “And I don’t think that’s a situation that happens very often when you add somebody that late.
“… But the camaraderie of the group has been good. We really like that, and I know the guys have worked hard at that. And what’s happened is that now Dallin has enhanced it. He’s just made it better.”
Hall, who played for former USU head coach Ryan Odom last season, started all 36 games at point guard, averaging 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists for a Cavaliers team that finished 30-6. He said he “thought my eligibility was up” and was pursuing professional basketball opportunities until a former coach encouraged him to join an ultimately successful class-action lawsuit against the NCAA’s “five-in-five” model that granted the former missionary an extra season as a college athlete.
Although Hall initially planned to return to Virginia, he ultimately decided to return home to Utah and play 45 miles away from his hometown of Plain City.
A tough conversation
“I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for Coach Odom,” Hall said of the UVA coach, who was at the helm of the Aggies from 2021-23. “That was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had was telling him I wasn’t coming back. But it showed the kind of character he has because he fully supported me. … He obviously loved his time here and (said) that it’s amazing playing here, so that it would be a good spot for me.”
Hall, who said Utah State “is where I was thinking about coming out of high school,” was also unsuccessfully pursued by then-USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun when Mark Pope left BYU for Kentucky. But the timing worked out this time, and it helped that Hall and Utah State senior guard Mason Falslev have a friendship that dates back to them playing on travel teams when they were in elementary school.
“As soon as I became eligible, Coach Jake and Mace were the first two phone calls,” Hall said. “Mace and I had a lot of success and fun together, so he called me and let me know about the team here and they could really use me to help them building a winning team. And to win even more because that’s what they do here.
“And then after talking to Coach Jake and hearing his vision for me, and how I could grow as a player and a person, and ultimately, to have a chance to play for my home community — this is close to where I grew up — meant a lot to me. It was a super tough decision not to go back to Virginia, but I feel super good about it and I’m super happy to be an Aggie.”
Jacobson is clearly happy that Hall is an Aggie, as well. Prior to his arrival, junior AJ Bates, an accomplished transfer from Louisiana Tech, was likely to start at the point this season. Hall obviously gives Utah State more depth at that position, as well as a whole lot of experience and some very steady ball-handling skills.
A veteran presence
“You can feel his experience and feel his leadership,” Jacobson said of Hall, who was ranked 19th in the nation in 2025-26 with a 3.27 assist-to-turnover ratio. “He’s a high-level player. You feel that. And those are all things that you want to have as much of on your team as you can possibly have. And we’ve added a guy in Dallin that is a very high-level player, but the leadership and the experience and maturity that he brings our team is going to be very valuable.”
That and Hall’s connection with Falslev were very clear during the Aggies’ two-hour practice session last week, the first of the fall leading up to USU’s season opener against Idaho State on Nov. 2. He played in the first-team backcourt with Falslev and junior shooting guard Solomon Callaghan, a transfer from Wright State. Callaghan shot 39.5% from 3-point range (70 for 177) last year for the Raiders, and Jacobson is clearly comfortable with the Ohio native taking a perimeter shot if he’s open.
“His teammates want that,” Jacobson said of Callaghan. “They know if he had the opportunity to get any kind of look, that they’re going to do what they can to help get him that. They know he’s been one of the best shooters in the country, and they also know that he’s in the gym every day.
“ … He puts in his time and he’s one of the best shooters in the country. So, we’re going to do what we can to help him get shots. His teammates really trust him already.”
Jacobson did acknowledge that the first team was primarily comprised of players with the most experience, which meant fifth-year senior forward Connor Turnbull, a 6-foot-11 transfer from Evansville, saw a lot of time in the paint. So did senior forward Karson Templin, who is entering his fourth season as an Aggie, and 6-9 junior forward Will Hornseth, whom Jacobson brought with him from Northern Iowa.
Other takeaways from season-opening practice
All in all, 12 of the 15 players on USU’s roster saw action in the Aggies’ first practice session, with 7-foot center Bron Roberts still on the sidelines rehabbing from a February ACL surgery. Jacobson expects Roberts, who played his freshman year at Snow College, to be back in action by January, while 6-11 forward junior Collin Mulholland and freshman guard Jax Allen hope to get back on the court while dealing with unspecified injuries.
“I don’t know for sure, but we don’t think so,” Jacobson responded when asked if he thought Mulholland and Allen would be out very long. “Maybe a week to 10 days. Just some things that we’ve got to go through protocol-wise, so we’ll see where that ends up.”
What Jacobson did like was the effort from his team, particularly as far as getting after wayward basketballs.
“There were two or three loose balls that guys really went after and got,” he noted. “You’ve got a guy beating everybody to a loose ball and those are the moments that probably stood out the most today.”
As for Hall, he said he’s been grateful with how his new teammates have embraced him already, and that it’s been “super awesome” to see the growth that Falslev has made during his college career. When the 6-4 guard, who will turn 25 the day the Aggies host Idaho State, was asked what USU fans can expect from him this season, Hall declared, “Obviously, I’m a great facilitator. That’s what I do at a super high level is create shots for my teammates.”
“I think shooting the ball off the bounce has always been a strength of mine, and I’m trying to get my catch-and-shoot percentage up this year,” Hall added. “And then it’s just leadership. Coming in here, I know this is Mace’s team and his program and he’s built something super special here. So I’m just trying to add my leadership to his.
“There are two guys here (Falslev and Templin) who have won a lot of games with a lot of different head coaches, so we’re going to have to unite this team quick. And I’m just going to try and come in here and build on that.”
