Opening Tips
• Utah State leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.426) and is 12th in 3-pointers made per game (10.21).
• Junior guard
Steven Ashworth is second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.496), and leads the Mountain West and ranks 11th in the nation in 3s made per game (3.37). Grad forward
Taylor Funk is second in the MW and 28th in the nation in 3-point FG percentage (.423), and is second in the conference and 35th in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (2.89).
• Utah State is one of 14 teams in the nation with five players averaging double figures in
Ashworth (15.5 ppg),
Funk (14.5 ppg), junior guard
Max Shulga (11.8 ppg), grad forward
Dan Akin (11.7 ppg) and senior guard
Sean Bairstow (10.8 ppg).
• Utah State's bench leads the Mountain West and is 19th in the nation in points per game (29.37). 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's bench has outscored its opponents 558-320 (29.4 to 16.8) this season as its reserves have accounted for 36.3 percent of USU's points.
• Utah State has recorded all but three of its victories
Odom (30-8) 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 686-592 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 19 games, including a season-high 106 points against Westminster. Utah State is 32-9 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 39 of its last 53 games. When the Aggies record 20 or more assists under
Odom, USU is 21-1. USU has dished out over 20 assists eight times this season.
• Utah State is second in the MW and 16th in the nation with 17.47 assists per game.
Shulga is fourth in the MW in assists per game (4.47), while
Ashworth is fifth (4.42).
• Utah State is 34th in the NCAA net rankings (as of Jan. 19) and is ranked 45th by KenPom. Overall, USU is 0-2 in Quad 1 games, 4-0 in Quad 2, 7-0 in Quad 3 and 3-2 in Quad 4.
-USU-
