USU Game Notes | UNLV Game Notes | Listen Live | Live Stats

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State (17-7, 6-5 MW) men's basketball continues its 2019-20 season on Wednesday, hosting UNLV (11-12, 6-4 MW) at 8 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on the CBS Sports Network (Comcast Ch. 269, DirecTV Ch. 221, Dish Ch. 158).

Opening Tips
• Utah State and UNLV will meet for the 42nd time in school history on Wednesday night. The Runnin' Rebels lead the all-time series 33-8.

• Utah State and UNLV represent the two best rebounding teams in the MW as the Aggies ranked first with 40.5 rebounds per contest, while the Runnin' Rebels rank second with 39.0 rebounds per game.

• UNLV ranks first in the MW with 13.0 offensive rebounds per game, while Utah State ranks first in the MW with 29.4 defensive rebounds per game.

• The two teams are also first and second in rebounding margin, as USU outrebounds opponents by 8.3, while UNLV outrebounds the opposition by 8.1.

• Utah State is 21-8 against Mountain West opponents over the last two years, including a 12-2 mark at home. All-time, USU is 61-58 in the MW since joining the league in 2013-14.

• 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 is 16-2 on the year when its bench outscores its counterpart. The Aggie reserves have outscored the opponents' bench in each of the last four games.

• Utah State is one of the best in the MW at defending without fouling, committing 16.3 fouls per game to rank third in the league.

• Senior guard Sam Merrill and sophomore forward Justin 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 1,959 points to rank No. 4 all-time in USU history.

• Merrill has led the Aggies in scoring each of the last three games and in four of the last five.

• Merrill moved to No. 2 in all-time assists (439), 3-point field goals made (285) and total minutes played (4,009) following the contest at San Diego State.

• Merrill has scored in double figures in all but one game he's played in this season and in each of the last 15 games, increasing his total of 98 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.

• Merrill and junior guard Abel Porter is the only guard tandem in the MW that ranks in the Top-5 in assist-to-turnover ratio, averaging 2.6 and 2.00 to rank second and fourth, respectively.

• Sophomore center Neemias Queta has moved to No. 5 all-time in Utah State history with 98 career blocks. Queta has recorded multiple blocks in more than half of the games he has played in during his career at Utah State.

• Senior guard Diogo Brito has surpassed 100 career steals this year, totaling 109 during his career. Brito is second in the MW with 1.6 steals per game, while Bean leads the MW in conference games with 1.9 thefts per contest.

• Bean, a former walk-on, is one of only two active players in the MW averaging a double-double, turning in 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Bean is eighth 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.

• As of Feb. 3, Utah State is among the Top-10 in the nation in five different statistics. The Aggies are third in the nation in total rebounds (973), fifth in free throws made (398), seventh in total assists (398), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (29.42) and 10th in rebound margin (8.3).

• Utah State is also among the Top-25 in six other statistics, including 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.36), 14th in assists per game (16.6), 15th in scoring margin (13.0), 17th in total rebounds per game (40.54), 20th in free throw attempts (518) and 21st in free throw percentage (.768).

• Sophomore forward Justin Bean has recorded a double-double in five games in MW play and has totaled 12 double-doubles on the year to rank eighth in the nation. Bean is also 11th in the nation in total rebounds (243), 19th in offensive rebounds per game (3.75) and just outside the Top-25 with 10.1 rebounds per game to rank No. 26.

•Senior guard Sam Merrill is 17th in the nation with a free throw percentage of .895 and 24th in the land with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.56.

The Utah State/UNLV Series
• Utah State and UNLV will be meeting for the 42nd time in school history on Wednesday night.

• The Runnin' Rebels are one of just three teams in the Mountain West that has a winning record against the Aggies, leading Utah State 33-8. However, the Aggies have won three of the last four and four of the last six.

• Utah State has won three straight in Logan and four of the last five at home against UNLV.

• In Utah State's five victories during MW play, USU has shot better than 50 percent from the floor (.517) and better than 40 percent from behind the 3-point line (.474).

• Senior guard Sam Merrill has scored in double figures in each game against the Runnin' Rebels in his career, scoring 14, 11, 20, 18, 20 and 10 in six career games.

• Utah State has made 10 or more 3-point field goals in three of the last four games.

• Utah State and UNLV played one of the highest-scoring games in NCAA history, when UNLV posted a 142-140 triple-overtime victory in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Jan. 2, 1985.