Utah State University announced on March 18 that its men’s basketball team will compete against Villanova as the 9-seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. The game will take place at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California. The winner will advance to play either Arizona or LIU in the round of 32 scheduled for Sunday, March 22.
This appearance marks Utah State’s 26th all-time participation in the NCAA Tournament and is notable as the team’s fourth consecutive tournament berth. It is also their sixth appearance in the past eight years, with a qualification for the canceled 2020 tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2000, Utah State has played in 14 NCAA Tournaments.
The Aggies enter this year’s tournament after winning both the Mountain West regular season and tournament titles, bringing their total to three each since joining the conference. Overall, Utah State has claimed 19 regular season league championships and 11 tournament championships.
Several members of the team received recognition for their performances this season. Jerrod Calhoun was named Mountain West coach of the year, Mason Falslev earned player of the year honors along with first team and all-defensive team selections, and Karson Templin was named sixth man of the year. MJ Collins Jr. made the all-Mountain West second team while Drake Allen received honorable mention recognition.
The Aggies have achieved their fourth-straight season with at least 25 wins—marking only their first time reaching that milestone four years in a row—and their fourteenth overall such season. On an individual level, MJ Collins Jr. and Mason Falslev are among the top scorers and shooters in the Mountain West Conference, making Utah State unique as it is the only team with two players averaging at least 15 points per game. Defensively, Falslev and Allen lead the league in steals per game while Utah State ranks twenty-third nationally with an average of 8.8 steals per contest.
This matchup will be just the second meeting between Utah State and Villanova; their previous encounter occurred during the 1960 National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden where Utah State won by one point in overtime.
