Matt Lopez makes it official

Utah State has added even more size for next season. Rumors of former La Salle center Matt Lopez transferring to USU had been circulating for a couple weeks, and finally became clear this week. Lopez is now an Aggie.

After coming to La Salle with moderate expectations, Lopez rarely saw the floor and apparently that was enough to convince him to seek greener pastures. Based on his numbers, it would seem that Stew has another project on his hands to go along with Jordan Stone for the next few years, but when it comes to guys who are borderline seven-footers, that's one hell of a framework to start with for a guy as good at coaching big men as Stew has been.

There's a few videos on Youtube featuring Lopez, one of him working out, and another that is an actual highlight reel of him basically picking on dudes much shorter than him. Tough to take too much from either of them, but from what I can gather, he's clearly working on things like post move fundamentals and footwork in the workout video, and in the highlight video he seems to have some decent instincts on reading a play and getting in position to make a block. He also seems to have some tenacity, which should take him a long way with size like his.

As for the future, next year's post situation is a lot more interesting now. Based on size, the likely starters would be Brady Jardine and Jarred Shaw. If you're going off experience, Stew could go smaller with Kyisean Reed and Jardine down low. Throw Ben Clifford and Sean Harris into the picture along with Reed, Shaw and Jardine, and you've got to think Stew gets Jordan Stone that redshirt year he wanted to get him this year. Harris, if he has a redshirt available, might be a candidate to do that too so that the years are spread out more between he and the seniors Jardine and Reed next year. He's also recovering from a torn ACL suffered last month that is costing him his sophomore season of junior college.

Lopez will be eligible to play mid-season next year, so there would ideally be a rotation of Jardine, Shaw, Reed, Clifford and Lopez for Stew to work with during WAC play in 2013.

Throw in Carson Shanks in a couple years too, and there's a nice continuation of really big big men that Stew will have to work with.

Should be fun to watch.