Different coaches, different players, different athletic directors, it doesn’t seem to matter in Logan.
It’s always the same result.
Utah State is heading back to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season with a third new coaching staff. The No. 10 Aggies will play No. 7 UCLA on Thursday (7:25 p.m. MDT, TNT) in Lexington, Kentucky.
Should Utah State win that matchup, they’d play the winner of No. 2 Tennessee and No. 15 Wofford.
This is USU’s fourth tournament appearance in the last five years, and fifth since 2019.
This year’s group, though, is playing a different style than any Aggie team before. Head coach Jerrod Calhoun has resurrected USU’s offense, scoring nearly 82 points per game. He throws out four or five shooters at once and encourages them to hoist early and often.
As a result, this is the best Utah State offense since 1988.
Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev emerged as the stars on this roster. But they have a strong supporting cast of unlikely shooters — including Dexter Akanno and Drake Allen.
Making it to the second round is now the goal. After years of first-round heartbreaks, USU finally broke through with Danny Sprinkle last year, beating TCU in round one. It was the first NCAA Tournament win since 2011.
READ MORE: Jerrod Calhoun thinks he can win a national title in Logan. But not the way you think.
