Top 10 Impact C-USA Players: #7 Aaron Bacote

A team that has been getting better, and better each year has a consistent impact player set to the lead the charge in 2014-15.

Aaron Bacote ranked seventh in the conference in scoring a year ago, notching a career high 28 points to open the season, also scoring in double figures in 15 of the first 16 games to start off last season.

ODU had a real nice guard trio of Bacote, Dimitri Batten, and Keenan Palmore a year ago, though Batten now calls Boston College home, leaving Bactoe and Palmore left over in what could have been a top guard rotation in the league had Batten been on the roster this upcoming season. 

Bacote is a 2014-15 pre-season All C-USA selection, and also was named Second Team VaSID All-State last year where he averaged 15.5 points per game and helped improve the Monarchs win total for a second straight season.

After a strong start to the conference slate, Bacote dropped 25 points in a win against Marshall late in the slate, though tapered off down the stretch of the season, and in ODU's CBI appearance.

Bacote was a combined 9 out 23 from the field after that Marshall game, though I feel that late season let down should fuel him for a big year.

Old Dominion is a legit dark horse in the C-USA race which is wide open after the top two teams, and Aaron Bacote is one of the main reasons the Monarchs are being talked about in that regard.   

If Bacote can be a consistent 15 point-plus a night guy, ODU will be force to be reckoning with this season.