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LOGAN, Utah – Utah State men's basketball will host first-time opponent North Carolina A&T on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.
 
Opening Tips
• Utah State posted victories of 40 or more points in each of the last two games, marking the first time since the 1944-45 season and just the fourth time in school history the Aggies have posted back-to-back 40-point wins.
 
• Utah State, currently ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, is 59-18 all-time as an AP-ranked team.
 
• USU's 17th ranking is the highest for the Aggies since the 1970-71 season, when Utah State was ranked as high as No. 9. Utah State's highest AP ranking in school history came during the 1960 season, when USU was ranked as high as No. 7.
 
• Utah State posted a 55-point victory over Weber State on Nov. 8, with an 89-34 win against the Wildcats. The 55-point margin is tied for the largest in school history against a Division I opponent, matching a 115-60 win over CS Fullerton on Dec. 23, 1972.
 
• Utah State has held each of its last two opponents to less than 40-percent shooting from the field, holding Weber State to 21.7 percent (10-of-46) and Denver to 38.9 percent (21-of-54).
 
• Utah State has been led in scoring by three different players in each of the first three games this season. Senior guard Sam Merrill led the Aggies with 28 points against Montana State, sophomore forward Justin Bean led the Aggies with 18 points against Weber State and sophomore guard Brock Miller led the Aggies with 27 points against Denver.
 
• Merrill tied a school record with 17 made free throws in the Aggies' 81-73 victory over Montana State. Merrill matched the school record alongside Tim Tollestrup, who made 17 free throws against Utah in 1970, and Bart Johnson, who made 17 free throws against Idaho in 1954.
 
• Bean is one of just four players in the Mountain West averaging a double-double over the first few games of the season (Nico Carvacho - CS, Nate Grimes - FS, RJ Williams - BS).
 
• Utah State was led in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks by five different players in the Aggies' 81-73 victory over Montana State in the 2019-20 season opener. Merrill paced the Aggies with 28 points, while Bean led the team in rebounds (10), junior guard Abel Porter led the team in assists (4), senior guard Diogo Brito led the team in steals (3) and junior center Kuba Karwowski led the team in blocks (4).
 
• Head coach Craig Smith is just the fourth coach in Utah State history to start 3-0 in each of his first two seasons. With a victory, Smith would be just the second coach in school history to start 4-0 in each of his first two seasons (D.D. Young, 1943, 1945).