Opening Tips
• Utah State leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.426) and is ninth in effective field goal percentage (.573). USU also ranks in the top 50 nationally in 3-pointers made per game (10.17, 11th), bench points per game (30.28, 14th), assists per game (17.28, 16th), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45, 20th), field goal percentage (.485, 21st), defensive rebounds per game (28.06, 23rd), points per game (81.22, 24th) and scoring margin (+10.22, 46th).
• Junior guard
Steven Ashworth leads the nation in 3-point FG percentage (.513), while ranking 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.13) and 12th in 3s made per game (3.39).
• Utah State is one of 12 teams in the nation with five players averaging double figures in
Ashworth (15.6 ppg), grad forward
Taylor Funk (14.2 ppg), junior guard
Max Shulga (12.0 ppg), grad forward
Dan Akin (11.9 ppg) and senior guard
Sean Bairstow (10.9 ppg).
• Utah State's bench leads the Mountain West and is 14th in the nation in points per game (30.28). An Aggie reserve has led the team in scoring in eight of the 18 games this season.
Ashworth has led the Aggies off the bench five times,
Akin has led the Aggies twice and sophomore forward
Zee Hamoda has led USU twice. Utah State is 13-2 this season and 22-8 all-time under head coach
Ryan Odom when the Aggie reserves outscore their opponents.
• Utah State has recorded all but three of its victories
Odom (29-8) when winning the battle of the boards. USU has won the rebounding battle in all but four games this season. In total, Utah State has outrebounded opponents 655-569 this season.
• An Aggie has logged a double-double in nine games this season as Akin has posted five double-doubles (10p/11r vs. Bradley; 21p/15r at San Diego; 12p/10r vs. Weber State; 11p/13r vs. Fresno State; 16p15r vs Wyoming), and Shulga had three (10p/10r vs. Oral Roberts; 10p/10a vs. Utah Tech; 12p/10r vs Seattle U) and Funk posted three (18p/14r vs. UVU; 22p/12r vs. Santa Clara; 15/10 at Nevada). Akin ranks first in the nation in double-doubles off the bench with five.
• Utah State has scored at least 80 points in 10 of its 18 games, including a season-high 106 points against Westminster. Utah State is 31-9 under
Odom when scoring at least 70 points and is a perfect 22-0 under
Odom when scoring at least 80 points.
• Utah State has recorded 15 or more assists in 38 of its last 52 games. When the Aggies record 20 or more assists under head coach
Ryan Odom, USU is 20-1. USU has dished out over 20 assists seven times this season. Utah State is second in the MW and 16th in the nation with 17.28 assists per game.
Shulga is fourth in the MW in assists per game (4.44), while
Ashworth is sixth (4.17).
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