Sam Merrill

As a junior, Merrill averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 46.1 percent from the floor, 37.6 percent from behind the arc and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. Merrill led Utah State to a Mountain West Tournament championship, securing the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. He was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and Mountain West Tournament MVP as well as AP Honorable Mention All-American. Merrill had a career-high 38 points on March 5, 2019, in a 100-96 overtime victory over Colorado State.

In the season opener of his senior year, Merrill had 28 points to help the Aggies defeat Montana State 81-73. On February 11, versus Colorado State, Merrill eclipsed the 2,000 point mark for his career and passed Wayne Estes for third on the school’s all-time scoring list. He finished with 32 points and five assists in a 75-72 win. At the conclusion of the regular season, Merrill was named to the First Team All-Mountain West. Merrill led Utah State to another Mountain West Tournament championship, securing the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and was named Mountain West Tournament MVP. He scored 27 points in a 59-56 upset of San Diego State in the tournament final and hit the game-winning three-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining.

In his sophomore season, Merrill averaged 16.3 points per game. He was named to the Third–team All-Mountain West. Merrill married soccer player Kanyan Ward in May 2018.

Sam Merrill (born May 16, 1996) is an American college basketball player for Utah State and is currently a senior.