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• Utah State will open its 114th season of men's basketball on Tuesday night, facing Montana State on the road at 7 p.m. (MT). The Aggies are 1,583-1,108 (.588) in 2,691 games played in its history.
• Utah State is 83-30 all-time in season openers and has won 22 of its last 24. The Aggies have won 13 of their last 18 season openers when opening on the road.
• Utah State will be under the direction of first-year head coach Craig Smith, the 19th head coach in Utah State men's basketball history.
• Utah State has opened against a team from the Big Sky Conference in four of the last five years.
• Utah State has faced teams from the Big Sky Conference a total of 366 times in program history, making the Big Sky the second-most played conference in USU history (Mountain West, 527).
• The Utah State/Montana State series is the third-longest in USU history, dating back to the 1913-14 season. The teams have played a total of 117 games, with the Aggies leading the all-time series, 77-40.
• Utah State showed a dramatic shift in its offensive approach in its exhibition game as the Aggies scored 76 of their total 96 points in the paint. In the previous three years, USU had taken more 3-point shots than any other period in program history.
• Utah State provided other highlights during its exhibition as the team recorded the most assists (29) and blocks (10), the fewest turnovers (seven), committed the fewest fouls (11) and had the greatest rebounding margin (+23) over the last 11 exhibition games.
Scouting Montana State
Montana State finished the 2017-18 season with an overall mark of 13-19, including a 6-12 mark in the Big Sky. The Bobcats return six letterwinners and four starters in 2018-19, including preseason all-Big Sky senior guard Tyler Hall.
Hall is on the cusp of breaking Montana State and Big Sky scoring records and enters the 2018-19 season with 1,861 career points, just 173 from the MSU school record held by Larry Chanay (2,034). He already owns the school record for three-point field goals (315), and is nearing the Big Sky record for points (2,102, Orlando Lightfoot of Idaho, 1991-94) and three-pointers (345, Jeremy Senglin of Weber State, 2013-17).
Others starters returning for the Bobcats include junior guard Harald Frey, senior center Sam Neumann and senior forward Keljin Blevins.
Last year, Montana State averaged 76.1 points per game, shooting 42.4 percent (817-of-1,929) from the floor, 35.2 percent (257-of-731) from behind the 3-point line and 72.8 percent (543-of-746) at the free throw line. Opponents averaged 78.9 points per game against the Bobcats and shot 47.6 percent (897-of-1,883) from the floor, 35.2 percent (247-of-701) from behind the 3-point line and 70.6 percent (483-of-684) at the free throw line.
Head coach Brian Fish is entering his fifth year at the helm in Bozeman.
Follow Along
Fans can watch the game online via PlutoTV found onilne at www.bigskyconf.com under the "watch" tab. Fans can also follow live stats via montanastate.statbroadcast.com.
Double-Double Debut
Although it was an exhibition, freshman forward Ben Fakira made an opening splash with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Fakira also added two assists, two blocks and two steals in the game.
Breaking in the New Guys
Utah State's exhibition game featured 58 points scored by USU newcomers, including a game-high 16 from freshman guard Tauriawn Knight, 15 from freshman center Neemias Queta and 14 from Fakira.
Did you Know?
• Montana State is the last non-conference opponent that Utah State has faced three times during a season. The teams met three times during the 2001-02 season. Utah State beat the Bobcats twice during the regular season, but lost to MSU in the first round of the NIT.
• Shooting has been key in the matchup as the team that has shot better from the floor has won the game in nine of the last 10 meetings.
• Although only a recent addition to the series, the team that has shot better from behind the arc has won three of the last four games.
• The battle of the boards has led to the victory in the war as the team that has recorded more rebounds has won seven of the last 10 meetings.
• Ball movement has also proven to be significant, as the team with more assists has won seven of the last 10 meetings.
• Utah State shot 56.0 percent (28-of-50) against the Bobcats in the last installment in Logan last season, the best the Aggies have shot against Montana State over the last 11 games.
• The Aggies and Bobcats have a tie in their respective rosters as MSU redshirt-sophomore center Devin Kirby was high school teammates of USU sophomore center Klay Stall at Basha High School in Chandler, Ariz.
