It’s a step in the right direction, but Claus and his team will have to do a lot more in order to get above .500.

Here’s what to expect:

A new look requires old leaders

The Vandals are returning just two players who played major minutes last year, Rashad Smith and Yusef Salih.

Salih made 14 starts for Idaho last year as a true freshman and made 42 3-pointers, third-best by a freshman in program history. He also scored 10 or more points five times in 2021-22. This year, he’s going to be in more of a leadership role.

Smith, a senior guard, played in 31 games last year, making 26 starts. He averaged 10.1 points and ranked second on the team in rebounds with 153. He reached double figures 16 times last season.

A new place for experienced players

The lack of returners means there will be some new faces. The hope is that will be a breath of fresh air for a team that needs a spark.

“Only having two guys coming back could sound daunting, but this is the most talented group that we’ve had,” Claus said. “We know we have all the size, length, and ability to compete. Now, it’s time to stop talking about it and actually start showing it.”

Despite Idaho moving toward a youth movement, there also will be several transfers who could inject some energy into the program.

One of those players is fifth-year guard Trey Smith. He started in all 22 games for San Jose State a year ago, averaging 8.8 points per game. Smith shot 33 percent from behind the 3-point line and was ranked fifth in the nation in fewest fouls committed per 40 minutes a year ago according to KenPom.

Junior forward/center Isaac Jones also should make an impact on the rotation. Last year at Wenatchee Valley College, he led the Northwest Athletic Conference in scoring (25.3), rebounds (13.2), and field-goal percentage (69.5), earning conference player of the year and the East Region defensive player of the year honors. He also led his team to the region title and an appearance in the NWAC final four.

Finally, fifth-year guard Divant’e Moffitt will be a welcomed addition. He started in 26 games last year for NCAA Division II Seattle Pacific and scored the second-most points in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 19.3 points per game. He scored more than 1,460 career points at Seattle Pacific, the eighth most in school history.

Defense is the name of the game

While Idaho made some moves to improve its scoring, which only produced 73 points per game, Claus knows defense is what wins championships. The Vandals’ defense allowed 79.6 points per game last season, the worst in the Big Sky.

Improving on the defensive end has been the focus during the offseason.

“We need to play aggressively defensively,” Claus said. “We have to have a purpose and a presence about us. We have to take as many quality shots away from our opponents as possible.”