The matchup Sunday at San Diego of No. 1 Arizona and No. 9 Utah State looks to be a high-scoring affair with both teams averaging more than 80 points per game while each shooting close to 50% from the field.
The Wildcats (33-2) are coming off a dominating 92-58 win over Long Island in the first round game at Viejas Arena.
The No. 9 Aggies (28-6) overpowered No. 8 Villanova 86-76, outscoring those Wildcats 15-3 in the final six minutes.
“Our guys in the last seven, eight minutes, I thought we really buckled down,” said Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun, who won his first NCAA tournament game as a head coach. “Our execution offensively was tremendous — our screening, getting to the next action.
“I thought what won the game was our will-to and our want-to. This team has been very connected throughout the year. And in March, you have to be connected.”
The time for the second-round game between Arizona and Utah State has yet to be announced.
The teams have met four times previously, most recently in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament when the Wildcats beat the Aggies 66-53 in Boise, Idaho.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd insists he and his team won’t take anybody lightly in the NCAA Tournament, including a Utah State team that has won five of its last six games, including a Mountain West tournament championship in the process.
“I don’t think playing down to the competition is something that ever enters my mind,” Lloyd said in the postgame press conference Friday. “I mean, I have a lot of respect for our opponents, and I make sure our players do as well.
“The main objective is to find a way to get the win, and luckily we came out and we got a lead right away (against LIU), and we were able to carry that the rest of the game.”
Promising is the fact Lloyd’s freshman starters were not in awe of the moment.
Brayden Burries (18 points), Koa Peat (15) and Ivan Kharchenkov (14) combined for 47 points, 22 rebounds and six assists in the win over LIU.
Calhoun, a Cincinnati alum who played for the Bearcats under Bob Huggins, could very well be coaching against the Wildcats next year in the Big 12 with Cincinnati.
For now, he will match wits against Lloyd in the NCAA tournament.
MJ Collins Jr., who will most likely match up often with Kharchenkov, averages 17.6 points per game.
Mason Falslev will be paired mostly against Burries. Falslev averages 16 points per game and leads the Aggies with 67 steals.
Drake Allen and Jaden Bradley will be pitted against each other at the point guard position. Allen has 154 assists. His ability to navigate Arizona’s pressure without turning the ball over — Utah State boasts a plus-3.6 turnover margin — is a significant factor for a potential upset.
| Stat Category | Arizona (No. 1) | Utah State (No. 9) |
| PPG | 89.4 | 82.5 |
| FG% | .512 | .498 |
| Rebounds PG | 41.5 | 34.6 |
| Turnovers PG | 11.2 | 10.6 |
Arizona dominated LIU on the boards (52–31). Utah State, while efficient, is significantly smaller. If the Aggies allow Motiejus Krivas, Tobe Awaka and Peat to generate 20-plus second-chance points, Arizona will be in a good spot. Frontcourt players Karson Templin and Garry Clark must play their best games to keep the Wildcats off the offensive glass.
Both teams want to run, but Utah State needs to stay under control. If they get into a 90-point shootout with Arizona, the Wildcats’ eight-man rotation will eventually win. The Aggies need to utilize Allen to hunt for high-percentage looks while making Arizona defend for 20-plus seconds per possession.
Utah State shoots a respectable 35.8% from 3-point range. If Collins and Falslev get hot early, they can pull Arizona’s rim protectors away from the basket, opening up lanes for their creative guards.
Arizona will be decided favorite for a reason. The Wildcats are deeper and physically bigger.
A guard (Falsev) leads Utah State with 5.8 rebounds a game. Krivas, 7-foot-2 and 260 pounds, is averaging 8.1 rebounds a game while Awaka leads the team at 9.5. Krivas has 62 blocked shots. Awaka has 24 and Peat 22. Templin, a 6-9 forward, leads Utah State with 30 blocked shots.
Arizona is also on more of a hot streak, winning its last 10 games after starting with a program-record 23-0 record.
The Aggies rank in the top 20 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio, meaning they won’t hand Arizona easy transition buckets.
Utah State will be competitive, but for how long is the question.
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