A missing piece I wish we weren't missing

How many smiles that big have we seen
from USU guys this year?

Nobody can fault Jaxon Myaer for wanting to leave Utah State after the 2009-10 season. Stew Morrill basically told him he had been recruited over and that his minutes would be limited, and players want to play.

From everything that was ever said to the media, it was a peaceful split, but still sad to see a guy go who had given three quality years to the program. The dude had a great attitude, a leader's mentality and more than anything, he had some serious swagger. All of those things are pretty much non-existent on this year's team, which makes Myaer's departure really sting right about now. Knowing we might have still had Myaer as a part of this team had Stew not bet his chips on James Walker really makes you wonder "what if?"

Just in the way you can't help but wonder what kind of difference Brady Jardine's leadership might have meant to this team, I can't help but wonder if Myaer's experience and swagger might have at least brought up this team's mentality through tough times.

More than ever he looks like the kind of guy who this team needs, especially as a senior this year.

What inspired all of this was THIS article about how well his career has gone at his new school and new team. It pretty much tells the story of the kind of character guy he is and what he can bring to the table in that department, as well as how his basketball career has progressed up there. Go and read it.

He's averaging 14.1 points and 4.5 assists per game while continuing the trend he showed at USU of being a very good 3-point shooter.

Numbers aside though, you can't tell me that this year's USU team wouldn't be better off having Myaer on the roster, even if he barely saw the floor. There's just got to be at least something said for one of only two guys to have started their first game of their freshman season at USU under Stew. The other guy's last name was Carroll... He turned out ok.

As a Utah State fan, it's a bummer that things didn't work out for him to finish his career in an Aggie uniform. As a Jaxon Myaer fan, I couldn't be happier for him with finding a good place to land and put together a successful finish to his college career.

Just know that you've been missed...