After a 10-day break following a 42-point win in its Mountain West opener, Utah State will get back to conference play with a road trip to Fresno State. This is a game that, on paper, the Aggies are supposed to win by double digits. However, games against the Bulldogs have been surprisingly tricky. Last year, USU trailed Fresno State by as much as 17 points at home before rallying to win by six. Two years ago, the Bulldogs took the eventual MW champion Aggies to overtime in Fresno. This is a game where no assumptions should be made.
Here’s all of the necessary info ahead of this game for the Aggies.
How to watch
- Tip-off: 7 p.m. (Mountain Time)
- Location: Save Mart Center (Fresno, CA)
- TV Broadcast: MW Network
- Radio Broadcast: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM) / kvnutalk.com / KVNU mobile app
KVNU Aggie GameDay pregame show with Stockton Jewkes and J.D. Walker: 6 p.m.
KVNU Aggie Call: Immediately after Coach Calhoun’s post-game comments
- Text (435) 554-1175 or call (435) 753-5868 during the pregame or postgame show to give your thoughts and reactions for the game.
Projected Starters
Utah State (10-1)
- G – Drake Allen (6-5, Sr.) – 5.9 points | 3.1 rebounds | 5.7 assists
- G – Mason Falslev (6-4, Jr.) – 15.3 points | 5.7 rebounds | 2.6 assists
- G – MJ Collins (6-4, Sr.) – 20.6 points | 2.5 rebounds | 2.0 assists
- F – Adlan Elamin (6-9, Fr.) – 3.4 points | 1.1 rebounds | 0.4 assists
- F – Zach Keller (6-10, Sr.) – 2.2 points | 1.4 rebounds | 0.1 assists
Fresno State (6-6)
- G – Zaon Collins (6-1, Jr.) – 14.8 points | 3.8 rebounds | 5.3 assists
- G – Jake Heidbreder (6-5, Sr.) – 18.3 points | 2.9 rebounds | 2.8 assists
- G – Cameron Faas (6-6, Sr.) – 6.0 points | 2.6 rebounds | 0.3 assists
- F – DeShawn Gory (6-6, Fr.) – 9.6 points | 2.9 rebounds | 1.0 assists
- C – Wilson Jacques (7-0, Fr.) – 7.8 points | 7.7 rebounds | 1.2 assists
Utah State and Fresno State Team Stat Ranks Preview
Stats and efficiency ratings via KenPom.com, all rankings are out of 365 teams.
| Stat | Utah State | Fresno State |
|---|---|---|
| NET Rank | 19 | 167 |
| Pace Rank | 107th | 182nd |
| Offensive Efficiency | 120.2 (37th) | 107.2 (188th) |
| Defensive Efficiency | 99.5 (32nd) | 108.4 (157th) |
| 3-Point % | 36.4 (67th) | 32.0 (240th) |
| 3-Point Attempt Rate | .364 (248th) | .421 (133rd) |
| Offensive Rebounding % | 37.6 (33rd) | 30.6 (185th) |
| Defensive Rebounding % | 69.3 (166th) | 69.9 (151st) |
| Turnover % | 17.3 (172nd) | 19.1 (276th) |
| Opponent Turnover % | 23.5 (7th) | 20.7 (37th) |
Availability Report
The following is drawn from the official availability reports posted by the Mountain West.
UTAH STATE
FRESNO STATE
Neither team will be impacted by injuries, at least in any way different than the rest of the season. Bulldogs 21-year old freshman Nathan Zulemie, a promising guard from France, has missed the entire season thus far and will be out in this game as well. The Aggies have no players expected to miss time due to injury.
Utah State Keys to Victory
Protect the Ball
While Utah State prides itself on turning opponents over, Fresno State can say the same thing, and are nearly as good as the Aggies in that regard. USU ranks seventh in Division I in opponent turnover possession and Fresno State ranks 37th, with both teams forcing foes into turnovers in more than 20% of possessions. And both teams will likely be susceptible to the pressure defense as Utah State is a mediocre 172nd in its own turnover percentage and Fresno State is a rather poor 276th. This game could descend into chaos with strings of turnovers from either side.
Limit Heidbreder
While Fresno State boasts a solid two-man star guard duo with Jake Heidbreder and Zaon Collins, it’s the former who’s best games have gone on to result in wins for the Bulldogs. In wins, Heidbreder is averaging an even 22.0 points (on 60.6% shooting), including scoring bursts of 33 against New Orleans and 27 against Pepperdine, and in losses Heidbreder has averaged just 14.7 points on 33.3% shooting. Collins has been much more balanced across wins and losses, averaging 15.0 points in FSU victories and 14.5 in defeats. Though, much like Heidbreder, Collins’ shooting efficiency drops off heavily in losses compared to wins.
Computer Prediction Scores
- KenPom — Utah State win 83-70
- Haslametrics — Utah State win 79-66
- EvanMiya — Utah State win 81-71
