Utah State has a new basketball coach.
The Mountain West Player of the Year winner from a season ago is wearing a different jersey.
But the Aggies just keep on rolling.
Off to a 7-0 start — one of just 17 undefeated teams left in the country — USU slotted in at No. 14 in the first NET Rankings, a tool used by the NCAA Tournament’s selection committee to evaluate teams.
“As I told our guys, it’s a good starting point,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “It’s not where you want to finish, but you certainly can’t hide from the fact that you’re ranked that high.”
This is the highest USU has been ranked in the NET since Dec. 22, 2022, when the Aggies also reached No. 14.
“I think one of the things they value is efficiency,” Calhoun said. “If you look at the offensive and defensive efficiency and where our numbers are — how we create turnovers, how we score the ball, how we value the ball — that’s what the NET is, right? They really take a hard look at the basketball. …
“At the end of the day, it’s about playing the right way. Hopefully people value that.”
The Aggies have wins over Iowa, St. Bonaventure and North Texas on their preseason resume. Now they turn their attention to Mountain West Conference play, hosting the Wyoming Cowboys on Wednesday night in Logan.
Local NCAA Evaluation Tool Rankings
14. Utah State
48. BYU
61. Utah
163. Southern Utah
174. Utah Valley
217. Weber State
291. Utah Tech
