Brady Jardine’s bad break turned out to be a career-ender. That’s tough luck for Utah State and for one of the game’s underrated rebounders.
The All-conference power forward broke his foot on Nov. 19 against Southern Utah. At first it appeared he’d only be out a couple of weeks, but it stretched into months. Now he’s done.
“Brady Jardine is a winner in all aspects of his life and it’s a shame that he will not get to have a senior season,” coach Stew Morrill told the Salt Lake Tribune. “He was a big part of three WAC titles and got to play with great teammates. Our program will always be indebted to Brady and I feel honored to have coached such a quality player and person.”
Jardine wasn’t Utah State’s best player – that was Tai Wesley the last few years and might be Kyisean Reed this season – but he was an incredibly effective rebounder for his size (6-7), which is due to his work ethic and aggressiveness. Besides, you were probably already a Jardine fan once you saw this dunk last year.
Since losing Jardine, Utah State (12-12) has been inconsistent, a rarity under coach Stew Morrill. This looks like it’ll be the first season since he arrived in Logan that the Aggies won’t win 20 games. That’s not just Jardine’s injury – but it sure didn’t help.
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