Utah State at San Diego State preview: How to watch, projected starters, injuries

Utah State coach Ryan Odom talks to players during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Air Force at Air Force Academy, Colo., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (Parker Seibold/The Gazette via AP)

LOGAN – Utah State will take its hard-earned two-game win streak on the road to face San Diego State in the first leg of a two-game California road trip. SDSU itself is coming off a two-game road trip having spent last week at Colorado State and Air Force, both games being wins. The Aztecs sit alone in first place in the Mountain West with just one loss in conference play (vs New Mexico on Jan. 14).

How to watch

  • Tip-off: 9 p.m. MT
  • Location: Viejas Arena | San Diego, CA
  • TV Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
  • Aggie GameDay Coverage on KVNU (102.1 FM/610 AM & KVNU mobile app): 8 p.m. MT
  • KVNU Aggie Call (102.1 FM/610 AM, KVNU mobile app): Immediately after game ends

Injuries

Utah State

G – Rylan Jones (Undisclosed) – OUT

Jones has missed the last four games with an undisclosed upper-body injury. No timetable has been provided for a return.

San Diego State

G – Adam Seiko (Illness) – PROBABLE

Seiko did not travel to the Aztecs’ game at Air Force due to illness and his availability for Wednesday will depend on him recovering from that.

Projected Starters

Utah State (16-4, 5-2)

  • G – Steven Ashworth (6-1, Jr.) – 15.7 points | 3.3 rebounds | 4.5 assists
  • G – Max Shulga (6-4, Jr.) – 12.0 points | 4.9 rebounds | 4.4 assists
  • G/F – Sean Bairstow (6-8, Sr.) – 10.5 points | 4.3 rebounds | 2.3 assists
  • F – Taylor Funk (6-9, Gr.) – 14.2 points | 5.7 rebounds | 2.0 assists
  • C – Trevin Dorius (7-0, Sr.) – 5.6 points | 3.5 rebounds | 0.3 assists
  • 6th Man – Dan Akin (6-9, Gr.) – 11.8 points | 7.4 rebounds | 0.6 assists

San Diego State (15-4, 6-1)

  • G – Darrion Trammell (5-10, Sr.) – 11.6 points | 2.4 rebounds | 3.6 assists
  • G – Lamont Butler (6-2, Jr.) – 10.1 points | 2.0 rebounds | 2.7 assists
  • G – Matt Bradley (6-4, Sr.) – 13.5 points | 4.5 rebounds | 2.3 assists
  • F – Keshad Johnson (6-7, Sr.) – 7.5 points | 4.5 rebounds | 0.7 assists
  • C – Nathan Mensah (6-10, Sr.) – 6.4 points | 6.0 rebounds | 0.5 assists

Team Statistical Ranks

Stats and ratings are from Basketball Reference (except the NET ranking). All ranks are out of 363 Division I teams.

Utah State

  • Pace – 70.3 (104th)
  • Offensive Rating – 113.9 (14th)
  • Defensive Rating – 100.6 (2001st)
  • Field Goal % – 48.8 (19th)
  • 3-point % – 42.7 (1st)
  • Rebounding % – 53.3 (62nd)
  • NET Rank – 34th

San Diego State

  • Pace – 68.9 (171st)
  • Offensive Rating – 107.5 (102nd)
  • Defensive Rating – 94.9 (60th)
  • Field Goal % – 45.4 (130th)
  • 3-point % – 35.7 (90th)
  • Rebounding % – 53.5 (57th)
  • NET Rank – 26th

Summary

Quad 1 road games have not gone particularly well for Utah State this season. In the Aggies first go at a road Quad 1 game they got walloped by Boise State by 23 points. In try No. 2, they were holding firm against Nevada but collapsed in disastrous fashion to ultimately lose that game by 15 points.

A big part of Utah State’s inability to come away with wins in those two road conference matchups has been a lack of shooting on offense.

“You’re gonna shoot it well some games and some games you’re not,” Odom said, adding that “Some of that stuff, for us on the road was self-inflicted.”

For most of the season, traveling to Viejas Arena to take on the Aztecs has been a fruitless affair. San Diego State won its first eight home games (against Division I opponents) of the season by an average of 14 points. That fortress came crumbling down when New Mexico walked in and beat SDSU by nine points, 76-67.

“(New Mexico) kind of controlled the game on both sides of the ball for the majority of the game,” Odom said of the Lobos win at SDSU. “They were able to get some quality looks and some easy baskets. And they were able to get enough stops to win the game.”

Even last year, playing at home or away made a big difference in the series between the Aztecs and Aggies. Utah State won on its home court 75-57 but in the return trip to Viejas, San Diego State won 75-56.

“They have a great home court advantage so our guys will have to be on top of their game to have a chance to win,” Odom said.

San Diego State are led on offense by a trio of guards – Matt Bradley, Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler. Odom called Trammell a “dynamic guard” and Bradley a “tremendous player.” The three combined make for one of the toughest guard lineups in the conference.

“They’re certainly one of (the best guard lineups) if not the best,” Odom said.

The three guards combine to score 35.2 points per game for the Aztecs, slightly under half the scoring production of the team.

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