In the end, it didn't matter as Utah State rolled through the WAC Tournament and trounced Nevada on its home court in the title game. The Aggies received an 11 seed — the best for the school in about 30 years — and a date with Big East power Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

USU held a six-point lead late in the game but saw Quayle and Wesley foul out in the final two minutes of the game, and Marquette pulled out a 58-57 win to end the Aggies' season.

With four starters returning next year, Utah State figures to be near the top of the WAC standings again, but it's not taking anything for granted.

"We hope to have a good basketball team again next year," Morrill said after the Aggies lost to Marquette. "But the last thing I want to do is act like we're automatically going to be back in the NCAA Tournament. That's crazy. That's absurd."

Wilkinson will be gone. The only other player the Aggies lost was seldom-used Richard Sirju, who quit the team over the holiday break.

Salt Lake Community College big man and former USU player Nate Bendall has already signed with Utah State, and the Aggies also have a commitment from one of Texas' top high school scorers Preston Medlin out of Hebron High School in the Dallas area.

Despite losing Wilkinson, the Aggies should be all right in the post with 6-10 sophomore Modou Niang back after a broken hand took him out early in the season. High-flying 6-7 Brady Jardine will also return after his redshirt season was interrupted by Niang's injury, and 6-8 junior Matt Formisano will add further depth on the post.

"We'll start up again in October and see what we can do," Morrill said. "But certainly the postseason experience has been positive, and we have had a number of years where we have gone back to back. That will be our goal."

Matching the success of the 2008-09 Aggies, however, will be a mighty tough task.

E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com