Opening Tips
• Utah State has now started its season with a 5-0 record for the fourth time in the last 10 years.
• Utah State went undefeated (5-0) in the month of November for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign (4-0).
• Utah State leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.478) and is second in 3-pointers made per game (12.8).
• Utah State has made at least eight 3-pointers in each of its first five games this season and double-digit 3-pointers in each of its last four games for the first time since the 2018-19 team made 10-plus 3-pointers in six-straight games.
• Junior guard
Steven Ashworth is second nationally in 3-pointers made per game (4.00) and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (.556).
• Graduate forward
Taylor Funk ranks fifth in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (3.80) and 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (.543).
• Utah State has had a different player lead the team in scoring in four of its five games this season in senior guard
Sean Bairstow (19 points vs. Utah Valley),
Ashworth (28 points vs. Bradley; 30 points vs. Oral Roberts),
Funk (22 points vs. Santa Clara) and graduate forward
Dan Akin (21 points at San Diego). Furthermore,
Ashworth and
Akin are bench players for USU.
• Utah State's bench ranks third in the nation, scoring 40.20 points per game.
• USU's bench has outscored opponents this season 201-83 as the reserves have accounted for 45.6 percent of the points in 2022-23.
• 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),
Akin posted two (10/11 vs. Bradley; 21/15 at San Diego) and
Shulga had his first-career double-double against Oral Roberts (10/10).
• Utah State's two point guards in senior
Rylan Jones and
Ashworth have combined for 55 assists to just 15 turnovers so far this year.
• Utah State has won the battle of the boards in every game this season. In total, USU has outrebounded opponents 212-168.
• Utah State is 1-0 this season in one-possession games after going 2-7 in one-possession games last year.
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