Opening Tips
• Utah State is in the top 10 in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.428, 1st), effective field goal percentage (.580, 3rd), 3s made per game (10.44, 7th) and bench points per game (32.06, 10th).
• Junior guard
Steven Ashworth leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.527), and leads the Mountain West and ranks sixth in the nation in 3s made per game (3.63).
• Utah State is one of eight teams in the nation with five players averaging double figures in
Ashworth (16.1 ppg), grad forward
Taylor Funk (13.6 ppg), junior guard
Max Shulga (12.1 ppg), grad forward
Dan Akin (11.9 ppg) and senior guard
Sean Bairstow (10.7 ppg).
• Utah State's bench leads the Mountain West and is 10th in the nation in points per game (32.06). An Aggie reserve has led the team in scoring in eight of the 16 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 has recorded all but three of its victories under head coach
Ryan Odom (28-7) 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 579-504 this season.
• An Aggie has logged a double-double in nine games this season as
Akin has posted four double-doubles (10p/11r vs. Bradley; 21p/15r at San Diego; 12p/10r vs. Weber State; 11p/13r vs. Fresno State), and
Shulga had three (10p/10r vs. Oral Roberts; 10p/10a vs. Utah Tech; 12p/10r vs Seattle U) and
Funk posted two (18p/14r vs. UVU; 22p/12r vs. Santa Clara).
Akin ties for first the nation in double-doubles off the bench with four.
• Utah State has scored at least 80 points in nine of its 16 games, including a season-high 106 points against Westminster. Utah State is 30-8 under
Odom when scoring at least 70 points, and is a perfect 21-0 under
Odom when scoring at least 80 points.
• Utah State is 26th in the NCAA net rankings (as of Jan. 7) and is ranked 45th by KenPom. Overall, USU is 0-1 in Quad 1 games, 4-0 in Quad 2, 7-1 in Quad 3 and 1-1 in Quad 4.
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