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Utah State at Boise State: Game Preview, TV, Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More
The Aggies will look to continue their climb back to the top against the Broncos
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Can the Aggies beat Boise on the road?
WHO: USU vs Boise State
WHEN: Saturday, January 18 — 8:00 MST
WHERE: ExtraMile Arena: Boise, ID
TV: ESPNU
STREAM: Get a one-week trial of FuboTV.
RADIO: 1280 the Zone
ODDS: USU – 2.0
After a week off, Utah State will look to get back in the swing of things against the Boise State Broncos. As the Mountain West currently sits, Utah State and Boise State both sit in the middle of the pack at 6th and 8th place respectively. Boise State is coming off a loss against Air Force on Wednesday night while the Aggies are coming off a win against Nevada last Saturday.
Boise State is led in scoring by junior guard, Derrick Alston. Up to this point Alston is averaging nearly 20 points a game while pulling down 5 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists. Alston posted a season high of 31 points against Alabama State early this season. This will prove to be a key matchup for the Aggies as Alston stands at 6’9”. Although they are touted as one of the tallest teams in the nation, Utah State does not have many weapons that are physically similar to Alston which could prove to be a big advantage for the Broncos.
Another Bronco to keep your eye on is senior forward, RJ Williams. As the leading rebounder for the Broncos, snagging over 8 a game, Williams is a force to be reckoned with on the glass. He also averages nearly 12 points a game. Justinian Jessup is the second leading scorer for the Broncos averaging nearly 15 points per game. Abu Kigab is another Bronco to keep your eye on as he can also score the rock, averaging 14 points per game.
As always Utah State will be led by senior guard, Sam Merrill. Merill has struggled from the field over the past few games, but has been able to get to the free throw line. Look for him to keep up his aggressive style of play. Merrill is averaging nearly 17 points per game while shooting an abysmal 34% over the past four games. To his credit, as the reigning MWC player of the year each team will put together an extensive game plan on how to stop him.
Freshman Sean Bairstow saw an increase of minutes against Air Force and Nevada. The 6’8” Australian native played a big role in the Aggies win over Nevada a week ago. Keep your eye out for Bairstow. Big man, Neemias Queta had his best game of the season last week against Nevada. The big man from Portugal netted 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. The Aggies will need his play to keep improving throughout the remainder of the season.
This should be a fun game to watch. Boise State always protects their home court and Utah State has had trouble on the road this season. It will be interesting to see who steps up for their respective teams.
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