Opening Tips
• Utah State has now started its season with a 4-0 record for the fifth time in its last 10 years.
• USU's 4-0 start to the season is its best since the 2019-20 team won its first seven games.
• Utah State has had a different player led the team in scoring in each of its four games this season as senior guard
Sean Bairstow scored a season-high 19 points vs. Utah Valley, junior guard
Steven Ashworth scored a career-high 28 points vs. Bradley, graduate forward
Taylor Funk scored a season-high 22 points vs. Santa Clara, and graduate forward
Dan Akin scored a season-high 21 points at San Diego. Furthermore,
Ashworth and
Akin are bench players for USU.
• Utah State had three players score 20-plus points in its win at San Diego as
Akin had 21,
Funk had 20 and junior guard
Max Shulga had a season-high 20. The last time USU had three players score 20 or more points in the same game was on Dec. 15, 2021, at Weber State (
Ashworth-27,
Brandon Horvath-20,
Brock Miller-20).
• An Aggie has logged a double-double in every game this season as
Funk has posted two double-doubles (18/14 vs. UVU; 22/12 vs. Santa Clara) and
Akin posted two (10/11 vs. Bradley; 21/15 at San Diego).
•
Funk is the only player in the Mountain West averaging a double-double, averaging 18.25 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
• USU's bench has outscored opponents this season 152-74 as the reserves have accounted for 43.9 percent of the points in 2022-23.
• Utah State's bench ranks 16th in the nation, scoring 38.00 points per game.
• Utah State's two point guards in senior
Rylan Jones and
Ashworth have combined for 44 assists to just 10 turnovers this far this year.
• Utah State has won the battle of the boards in every game this season. In total, USU has outrebounded opponents 175-139 this season.
• Utah State is 1-0 this season in one-possession games after going 2-7 in one-possession games last year.
• After making 14 3-pointers at San Diego (Nov. 17), Utah State is now 14-1 when logging 10 or more 3s under head coach
Ryan Odom.
• Outside of their losses to Utah State, USU's first four opponents hold a combined 11-2 record (San Diego: 3-0; Santa Clara: 3-0; Bradley: 3-0; Utah Valley: 2-2).
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