After spending the better part of two months playing games against Mountain West opponents, Utah State will dip its toes back into non-conference play with a matchup against American powerhouse Memphis. The Tigers haven’t quite been the power of recent years, sitting with a .500 record this late into the year. Still, it’s a tough opponent that could provide matchup problems USU will have to overcome to get another win on its resume.
Here’s all of the necessary info ahead of this game for the Aggies.
How to watch
- Tip-off: 6 p.m. (Mountain Time)
- Location: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (Logan, UT)
- TV Broadcast: MW Network | KMYU
- 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: 5 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 (21-3)
- 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
Memphis (12-12)
- G – Dug McDaniel (5-11, Sr.) – 12.9 points | 3.7 rebounds | 4.7 assists
- G – Curtis Givens (6-3, So.) – 9.2 points | 1.7 rebounds | 2.2 assists
- G – Julius Thedford (6-4, So.) – 8.2 points | 1.7 rebounds | 0.8 assists
- F – Aaron Bradshaw (7-0, Jr.) – 9.5 points | 4.5 rebounds | 0.6 assists
- C – Thierno Sylla (6-11, Sr.) – 2.5 points | 2.5 rebounds | 0.4 assists
Utah State and Memphis Team Stat Ranks Preview (Feb. 14)
Stats and efficiency ratings via KenPom.com, all rankings are out of 365 teams.
| Stat | Utah State | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| NET Rank | 23rd | 105th |
| Offense Pace Rank | 89th | 72nd |
| Offensive Efficiency | 121.9 (27th) | 106.6 (208th) |
| Defensive Efficiency | 99.2 (38th) | 99.6 (35th) |
| 3-Point % | 35.6 (81st) | 32.2 (262nd) |
| 3-Point Attempt Rate | .396 (181st) | .352 (270th) |
| Offensive Rebounding % | 35.5 (46th) | 35.4 (47th) |
| Defensive Rebounding % | 68.7 (201st) | 65.3 (329th) |
| Turnover % | 16.1 (123rd) | 19.9 (340th) |
| Opponent Turnover % | 20.1 (24th) | 20.1 (24th) |
Video from today’s media availability with Utah State men’s basketball head coach Jerrod Calhoun and senior guard Kolby King ahead of the Aggies’ game against Memphis on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/pR5txtKwtq
— Jason Walker (@jwalker_sports) February 13, 2026
Availability Report
The following is derived from previous availability reports posted by the Mountain West and American conferences.
UTAH STATE
MEMPHIS
- Quante Berry (5.3 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.2 ast) – OUT
Utah State starting forward Zach Keller has been rehabbing his ankle after suffering a minor sprain against New Mexico. But aside from not playing the rest of the game against the Lobos, Keller has not missed time, starting in the Aggies’ games at Wyoming and home against Fresno State. He is likely to play and not see a reduction in role or minutes.
Quante Berry missed the Tigers’ last game with a concussion. He didn’t even travel with the team, which presumably means he will not play against the Aggies.
Utah State Keys to Victory
Don’t give Memphis the easy buckets (putbacks and fast breaks)
The Tigers rank inside the top 40 in percentage of their offense that comes from offensive rebounds and are 70th nationally in fast break points per game. Those are very important numbers for Memphis to keep up because its half court offense ranks 314th in Division I in points per possession. When the game becomes more chaotic, such as after turnovers or on offensive rebounds, Memphis can bring its superior length and athleticism to bear and take advantage of defenses that aren’t set.
Utah State has, at times, struggled with live-ball turnovers and giving up loads of offensive rebounds. Memphis will happily live on both of those things and would be very capable of stealing a win in the Spectrum if it did so.
Pass the ball effectively
A couple of benefits come from this. For one, the above point with Memphis wanting to force turnovers. Great passing will eliminate one of the biggest strengths of the Tigers’ defense. It also has a major positive impact on Utah State’s 3-point shooting. Over and over, Jerrod Calhoun has pointed to effective passing as a key to good outside shooting. Just look at the two Fresno State games for an example. In the first matchup, USU had 20 turnovers and shot 5-of-20 from three. In the most recent game, the Aggies had 20 assists to just nine turnovers and shot 14-for-33 from distance.
Coincidence? Likely not.
Create chaos on defense
The Tigers are very prone to committing turnovers, ranking 340th in turnover percentage. Utah State can make Memphis’ life a living hell if the Aggies get into the passing lanes and poke the ball away any time the Tigers turn their back to a defender. Memphis will try to use its size and length, but one of the biggest counters the Aggies have had for teams trying to bully them in the paint is to swipe the ball away and create fast breaks going the other way.
Computer Prediction Scores
- KenPom — Utah State win 81-66
- Haslametrics — Utah State win 81-67
- EvanMiya — Utah State win 81-69
