USU Game Notes | WYO Game Notes | Listen Live | Live Stats
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State men's basketball (16-6, 5-4 MW) travels to Wyoming (5-16, 0-9 MW) on Tuesday, Jan. 28, facing the Cowboys at 9 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on ESPNU (Comcast Ch. 400, DirecTV Ch. 208, Dish Ch. 141).
Opening Tips
• Utah State and Wyoming will meet for the 81st time on Tuesday night, marking the seventh-longest series in USU men's basketball history.
• Utah State is 20-7 against Mountain West opponents over the last two years, including an 8-5 mark on the road. All-time, USU is 60-57 in the MW since joining the league in 2013-14.
• Utah State has carried a lead in more than 90 percent of the minutes played over its last four games, trailing or tied with its opponent for just 14:35 over the course of 160 minutes played.
• Utah State earned a combined 3.11 grade point average during the fall semester, making up a combined 3.32 grade point average for USU student-athletes, the highest semester GPA for the Aggies in school history.
• Utah State's defense has locked down opponents over the last four games, holding teams to just 38.2 percent (86-of-225) over the stretch. In its three victories over the four games, USU held opponents to 35.5 percent (60-of-169) shooting from the floor.
• Utah State found its offensive groove against CSU in its last time out. USU shot a season-high 59.2 percent (29-of-49) from the floor, including 68.0 percent (17-of-25) during the second half.
• Utah State's three-headed monster of senior guard Sam Merrill, sophomore center Neemias Queta and sophomore forward Justin Bean have each scored in double figures in each of the last three games.
• The trio is shooting a combined 58.4 percent (52-of-89) from the floor over the three-game stretch, as Bean has averaged a double-double of 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, Merrill has averaged 24.3 points per game and Queta has shot 82.4 percent (14-of-17) from the floor.
• Merrill, Queta and Bean have been joined in the starting lineup with junior guard Abel Porter and sophomore guard Brock Miller in each of the last seven games, marking the most continuity in the starting lineup since the first seven games of the season.
• Merrill and Bean are both in the Top-35 in the nation in adjusted win shares, joining only Duke, Maryland and Minnesota with two players in the Top-35 in that category.
• Merrill is on pace to become the fourth Aggie in school history to surpass 2,000 career points this season. Merrill currently has 1,929 points to rank No. 4 all-time in USU history.
• Merrill has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and in each of the last 13 games, increasing his total of 96 career games in double figures, moving to fourth in school history.
• Merrill is the only player in school history to surpass more than 1,900 career points, 400 career assists and 100 career steals.
• Queta has moved to No. 5 all-time in Utah State history with 94 career blocks. Queta missed 12 games this season because of injury, but logged a season-high 32 minutes against CSU in Utah State's last time out.
• Senior guard Diogo Brito has surpassed 100 career steals this year, totaling 107 during his career and collecting at least one in seven of the last eight games. Brito is second in the MW with 1.7 steals per game, while Bean is second in the MW in conference games with 2.0 thefts per contest.
• Bean, a former walk-on, is one of only two active players in the MW averaging a double-double, turning in 13.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Bean is fifth in the nation with 12 double-doubles this season, the most by an Aggie since Eric Franson logged 15 double-doubles during the 1994-95 season.
• Utah State has had a player log a double-double in six of its nine conference games this season (Bean - 5, Queta - 1).
The Utah State/Wyoming Series
• Wyoming leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 51-29, making it one of just three teams in the MW that has a series advantage over Utah State (San Diego State, UNLV).
• Points in the paint have proven to be critical as the team that has scored more inside has won the game 11 of the last 13 times.
• Points off turnovers have also been important, as the team that has recorded more points off turnovers has won nine of the last 13 meetings.
• Utah State has had at least three players score in double figures in all but three games against Wyoming during the MW era.
• Senior guard Sam Merrill has scored in double figures in every game against the Cowboys in his career, including a team-best 22 points on Jan. 12, 2019.
• Last season, Utah State swept Wyoming for the first time since the 1961-62 season.
