LOGAN, Utah-As autumn begins to take full sway over the calendar, Division I men’s basketball programs are slated to commence practices, including Utah State men’s basketball which starts Tuesday.

The Aggies’ regular season begins November 6 at Bozeman, Mont. against the Montana State Bobcats of the Big Sky Conference.

They will celebrate Aggie Madness Thursday October 11 on Kirby Court at the Wayne Estes Center and will host NAIA foe Evergreen State November 1.

This is a new era in USU men’s basketball as Craig Smith comes to Logan after a successful four-year run at the University of South Dakota.

He led the Coyotes to back-to-back postseason appearances and a Summit League conference title during the 2016-17 season.

USU boasts seven returning letter-winners and four starters from a squad that finished 17-17 last season and advanced to the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament for the first time in program history.

Among the best of the returners for the Aggies is junior guard Sam Merrill, a returning All-Mountain West performer who averaged 16.3 points per game last season.

There are five newcomers on the roster for USU, including junior college transfers junior forward Roche Grootfaam of Paramaribo, Suriname and sophomore guard John Knight III of Jackson, Miss.

Additionally, guard Tauriawn Knight of Oklahoma City, Okla., forward Ben Fakira of Sydney, Australia and center Neemias Queta of Barreiro, Portugal come in to the program as new freshmen.