Utah State basketball: Jardine giving Aggies a big boost of energy

LOGAN — Three weeks ago, Brady Jardine sat at the end of Utah State's bench in street clothes. He helped set up chairs for the Aggies' timeout powwows on the court and practiced with the team.

Now, the 6-foot-7 freshman from Twin Falls, Idaho, figures to be a vital part of USU's rotation and got his first significant playing time in Thursday's 65-61 win over Fresno State.

Tonight, he'll be back in action again when the Aggies host Boise State in a battle for first place in the Western Athletic Conference.

"One thing about him is he's not afraid," USU coach Stew Morrill said after Jardine's performance Thursday night. "He gave us a little lift, energywise."

That energy is something to which many have been looking forward.

Jardine's arrival at Utah State has been an anticipated one for many Aggie fans. Though he committed to join USU several years ago, the reputation of his skills and athleticism took on a life of its own as video clips of his highlights surfaced on YouTube.com and other Internet sites.

But he began the season with the intention of redshirting while learning Morrill's defensive and offensive schemes. When sophomore center Modou Niang broke his hand against Howard University, however, the Aggies were left with only three post players.

And though Jardine might be best suited to small forward, his redshirt was lifted, and he is now finding a few more minutes here and there as he becomes more comfortable playing behind Gary Wilkinson, Tai Wesley and Matt Formisano.

But his athleticism and energy have come with a cost. Jardine tends to rush things, Morrill said, and is at times overconfident and overeager to make plays happen rather than wait.

Morrill jokingly said that if it weren't for Jardine's status as a recently returned LDS missionary, he'd think he was living on a diet of far too much coffee.

Still, Jardine's availability is somewhat of a blessing for the Aggies. Though not quite ready for serious playing time, USU has had little choice but to play the raw freshman when foul trouble or defensive lapses have sent Morrill looking for help on the bench.

Thursday, Jardine logged 12 minutes — more than tripling his season total — and started the second half because Wesley was in foul trouble and had been called for a technical foul.