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The USU Eastern Eagles will take the court this year with a fairly inexperienced roster. “We are very young,” said head coach Vando Becheli. “We have 14 freshman that are figuring out how to play in college.” Even with their youth, Vando sees a lot of potential in the Eagles. “We have a pretty talented team. We just need to figure out how to play fast-paced without turning it over.”
USUE has a talented group that can score some points. Redshirt freshman Christian Haffner, “really can shoot the ball,” according to Vando. Guards Peyton Falslev and Tanner Worrell can also hurt opposing teams while bigs Veljko Ilic and Gabriel Oliveira will control things down-low. The athleticism from Turahn Thompson and Jeffery Hunt will also factor into the Eagles’ success.
Again, it goes back to experience for USUE’s men’s basketball team. “We have to mature and be smart,” continued Vando. “If we can put it together, we have a chance to compete in the conference.” USUE is in a tough conference, which includes nationally ranked #21 Salt Lake Community College. USUE will open conference play against another difficult opponent, College of Southern Idaho, on the road.
“We aren’t far away. There are just some little things left to work on,” Vando said. “It’s a process, it’s a process.” It will be entertaining to see heights this Eagles squad can reach.