Utah State’s Darius Brown II spent Sunday morning hitting the books.
“Spring break is over,” the USU guard said, “so I had to do some homework.”
By Sunday night, Brown and the Aggies were studying their NCAA Tournament opponent, the TCU Horned Frogs.
“I’ll do a lot of homework tonight on that,” Brown said. “Watch a lot of games, watch a lot of videos. Try to figure them out and get the edge on them.”
There would be plenty of homework for both coaching staffs, too, despite a longstanding relationship between Utah State’s Danny Sprinkle and TCU’s Jamie Dixon.
“I know Coach Dixon very well. He was actually an assistant at Northern Arizona when I was a player,” said Sprinkle, who played for Montana State from 1995-99. “That’s how far back our relationship goes.”
So while the Aggies and Horned Frogs’ coaches hadn’t watched much of each other before getting paired up in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, both coaches figured they had some idea of what to expect already.
“I know his team is going to be grimy and it’s going to be a tough battle,” Sprinkle said.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) TCU Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon during an NCAA college basketball game against TCU Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Provo, Utah.
TCU ranks 51st in offense (79.2 points per game) but 153rd in defense (71.2 ppg).
“Utah State, very familiar with the school and very familiar with their coach,” Dixon said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He was a freshman at Montana State when I was coaching in Arizona when they won the league so we go way back. I know his family, I know him. He can shoot, so I’m guessing their team can shoot.”
The Aggies rank 282nd in 3-point attempts per game and 230th in 3-point percentage.
How to watch Utah State vs. TCU
Tipoff: Friday, 7:55 p.m.
Location: Indianapolis
TV: TBS
Tourney experience
USU has three players with experience in the tournament.
Brown and forward Great Osobor both played for Sprinkle at Montana State last year. Guard Ian Martinez went to the dance with Maryland.
Utah State forward Great Osobor (1) drives to the basket past Fresno State guard Xavier DuSell (53) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Mountain West Conference tournament, Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
“Enjoy the moment but still at the same time lock in and know why we’re here. We’re not here just to go home after one game,” Brown said when asked what his advice would be to his teammates. “… But we expected to be here the whole year. We talked about more than going to the tournament. We talked about winning in the tournament and advancing.”
Mountain West in the field
A record six Mountain West teams were announced on Selection Sunday.
But the seeding left some questioning the committee’s respect for the league.
The Aggies’ eight-seed is tied for the highest in school history, but many bracketologists predicted USU would earn a six- or seven-seed.
“Disappointing? No,” Brown said of the final seeding. “Surprising? Yes.”
Both Colorado State and Boise State, meanwhile, were forced to play their way into the field of 64 via First Four matchups.
“It is what it is. Now we have to go prove it on the court. It was a tremendous league this year,” Sprinkle said. “I expect all the teams in the Mountain West to go and represent really well. In this tournament, it doesn’t matter what seed you have.”
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