Utah State will play against top-seeded Arizona in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21, following their victory over Villanova. The game will take place at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen and face either Arkansas or High Point next week in San Jose.
This appearance marks Utah State’s 26th time competing in the NCAA Tournament and its fourth consecutive year qualifying for the event. The team also qualified for the canceled 2020 tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2000, Utah State has participated in 14 tournaments.
The Aggies entered this year’s tournament as a nine seed in the West Region and defeated eighth-seeded Villanova with a score of 86-76 in the opening round. This is the first time Utah State has reached four straight NCAA Tournaments.
During this season, Utah State won both the outright Mountain West regular season title and the conference tournament title, marking their third such achievement in each category. In total, it is their 19th regular season league championship and 11th tournament championship.
Several players received postseason honors: Jerrod Calhoun was named coach of the year; Mason Falslev earned player of the year recognition along with spots on both the first team and all-defensive team; Karson Templin was named sixth man of the year; MJ Collins Jr. made the all-conference second team; and Drake Allen received honorable mention recognition.
The Aggies have now secured their fourth-straight season with at least 25 wins, reaching that milestone for a record four consecutive years. Both MJ Collins Jr. and Mason Falslev are among the top scorers in their conference, each ranking within the top seven for scoring and shooting percentage. Utah State is currently unique among Mountain West teams by having two players averaging at least 15 points per game.
Drake Allen ranks second in assists per game (4.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.39) within his conference. This upcoming matchup will be only the fifth meeting between Utah State and Arizona, with Utah State leading historically three games to one, though Arizona won their last encounter during the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
