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Colorado State vs Utah State: Game Preview, Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More
The Rams and Aggies meet in a matchup of two first year head coaches
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Can the Rams continue their momentum?
WHO: Colorado State Rams (7-10, 2-2 Mountain West) vs. Utah State Aggies (13-5, 3-2 Mountain West)
WHEN: Saturday, January 19th — 7:00 PM MT/6:00 PM PT
WHERE: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum; Logan, Utah (10,270)
STREAM: Mountain West Network
RADIO: Colorado State | Utah State
SERIES RECORD: This will be the 94th all time meeting between CSU & USU. Utah State holds a 54-39 series lead. The teams last matchup was a 76-65 Aggies win in the 2018 Mountain West Tournament.
WEBSITES: CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website | UtahStateAggies.com, the official Utah State athletics website
ODDS: Utah State -15.5
Both Colorado State and Utah State have brand new coaches this year. And they have taken two different paths. Niko Medved has had to undo the damage of the previous regime, while Craig Smith has been able to take advantage of the talent left to him from the departure of Tim Duryea.
Both teams have won their previous two games. Colorado State against Air Force and New Mexico. Utah State against Wyoming and San Jose State. Now both teams look to get a win to improve their chances of earning a first round bye in the Mountain West Tournament.
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The Three Musketeers of Nico Carvacho, Jeremiah Paige, and Anthony Masinton-Bonner look to have added a fourth to their group in Kendle Moore. Moore has really improved on the court as the season has gone on and looks to have the reigns on the Rams’ point guard position for the future.
Carvacho is still leading the nation in rebounding at 12.4 rpg, while chipping in 16.2 ppg. Paige is the Rams heart and soul. He contributes 14.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 2.7 apg. Masinton-Bonner is the Rams sharpshooter. He contributes 12.9 ppg while shooting 39% from deep. Moore is a quiet asset for the Rams, with 9.5 ppg and 2.9 apg.
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The Utah State Aggies are led by Sam Merrill, Neemias Queta, and Dwayne Brown Jr. Merrill is the Aggies on-court leader. Teams focus on him defensively, yet he still is able to produce. Queta is a freshman big man for Utah State and is looking like he’ll develop similarly to Carvacho. And Brown Jr. has been hit or miss this season.
Merrill is a 6’5″ guard averaging 18.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, and shoots free throws at a 90% clip. Queta is a 6’11” center scoring 10.6 ppg, adds 8.1 rpg and 2.4 bpg, while shooting 67% from the floor. Brown Jr. is a 6’6″ forward who chips in 9.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg.
This should be a good matchup for both teams. The battle to watch will be Carvacho and Queta. Which big man will reign supreme? Another storyline will be whether the Rams can contain Merrill. The Rams defense has had its lapses and will need to be stout in order to win.
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