NCAAB Game Preview - Utah State at San Diego State

Sat Feb 1, 2020 10:00 PM EST

College basketball's sole undefeated team, No. 4-ranked San Diego State, aims to extend its lead atop the Mountain West Conference on Saturday when it hosts reigning league champion Utah State.

San Diego State (22-0, 11-0 Mountain West) extended its best start and longest winning streak in program history on Wednesday, leading wire-to-wire in an 85-57 rout at New Mexico.

It was New Mexico's first loss at home on the season, and it moved San Diego State five games ahead of the next five closest teams in the win column of the Mountain West title race.

Among those five teams is Utah State (17-6, 6-4). The Aggies began 2020 with three losses in four conference games, including a 77-68 home defeat to San Diego State on Jan. 4.

Since that skid bottomed out in a 79-60 loss Jan. 7 at Air Force, Utah State has won four of its last five. A big reason is the progression of its offense, which has produced at least 68 points in that stretch.

In its previous five-game period against Division I competition, Utah State hit that number just twice.

"Our offense continues to come around," Aggies coach Craig Smith said following a 68-45 rout at Wyoming on Tuesday. "For the third straight game, we shot better than 50 percent in the second half."

Its last time against San Diego State, Utah State shot just 42.6 percent from the floor. Its 3-point shooting was even more dire at 26.1 percent.

Sam Merrill -- the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year and Utah State's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game -- scored 26 against the Aztecs in early January. However, he shot just 3-of-12 from long range, and 8-of-21 from the floor in total.

Such defense has been the signature of San Diego State in its undefeated start. The Aztecs rank fifth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com., and hold opponents to 27.7 percent in shooting 3-pointers.

The rout of New Mexico marked yet another stifling performance, with the Lobos shooting 22-of-65 and 4-of-23 from deep.

"We didn't do a very good job playing their ball screen in the second half. They got downhill on us, which led to a lot of offensive rebounds," Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said in his postgame press conference.

"But I wanted to see if they could fix it on the court and fight their way through some of it. I wanted them to fix it themselves without me having to switch the defense. and they did a good job," Dutcher said.

Despite any issues with offensive rebounds allowed -- the Aztecs surrendered 17 -- San Diego State held New Mexico below 38 percent shooting in both halves, while making more than 56 percent on the other end.

KJ Feagin's 18-point game on 6-of-9 shooting from behind the 3-point arc demonstrated the offensive balance that has made San Diego State dangerous this season.

Three Aztecs average in double-figures scoring, with Malachi Flynn at 16.5 points per game, Yanni Wetzell posting 12.0, and Matt Mitchell at 11.2. Jordan Schakel is not far behind at 9.8, and Feagin is averaging 8.0.

Utah State's offense has more options since center Neemias Queta returned to the lineup full-time from an offseason injury. He is averaging 11.1 points per game to complement Merrill and Justin Bean (12.9 points per game).

--Field Level Media