Aggies back in action at UNLV | USU Sports

Greedy, the Aggies are not happy with a setback in their last outing.

However, with everything that has happened this season and not knowing what could happen over the next few months, being where they are at is an accomplishment. Utah State Men’s Basketball will not be building on the successes so far.

The Aggies return to action from the Mountain West Conference at UNLV. The tipoff at the Thomas & Mack Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

“You still want to be undefeated, but at the end of the day you have to take a step back,” said USU head coach Craig Smith when asked about reaching the midpoint of the game. conference. “To be 9-1, I think we played really good basketball for the most part. … We tell our guys all the time how lucky we are, to knock wood, to keep playing. We closed our doors in December and it was not pleasant.

“We are halfway in the league. But who knows. Maybe we’re halfway there. No one has a crystal ball. Watch our female team and the games they missed. Every day is a gift for us.

The Aggies (12-4, 9-1 MW) missed two non-conferences games, and Smith missed two weeks with the team because of COVID-19. It’s just a little taste of what the rebels (5-6, 2-2) went through. The UNLV was closed for a period of 33 days and returned to action on January 7. games canceled and four postponed.

“UNLV is very, very talented,” Smith said. “It’s almost like they’ve had two different seasons. … I feel like they play a lot better every night.

Despite the abandonment of the first four games to start the season, then the first two after being stopped, the Rebels won four in a row. They swept across New Mexico and beat two NAIA schools as they played six games in 15 days. The last four contests have been held in Las Vegas, a place where the USU has had problems in the past.

Smith was quick to point out what happened last year. The Aggies started a new year by being crushed by the rebels, 70-53. USU returned the favor to Logan with a 69-54 win as the two teams were part of a three-way draw for second place in MW.

“We know how we played there last year,” Smith said. “We weren’t very good, and they really took it from us. We must try to get back on track against a quality opponent.

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The Aggies head to Sin City after tasting defeat for the first time in over a month and a half. After winning 11 straight wins, the USU fell to Colorado State last Thursday at home, 84-76. This was by far the most points the Aggies gave up in a conference game and the second plus for the whole season.

“We felt comfortable and we can’t do that,” said Aggie forward Alphonso Anderson. “Every night we have to bring it. And it starts on defense. We need to get back to work and play strong defense.

In conference games, USU awards only 55.8 points per game. UNLV is averaging 70.3 points per game in the league and 74.5 for the season.

The Rebels feature one of the nation’s top scorers in guard Bryce Hamilton. The junior is averaging 20.3 points per game, plus leads the team in assists with 3.6 dimes a game.

“Bryce Hamilton is a load,” Smith said. “With his size and strength, he can do so much and score at all levels.”

David Jenkins Jr., who followed his South Dakota state coach, scores 14.5 points a game for UNLV, while big man Cheikh Mbacke Diong is close to a 9.3-point double-double and 8.5 rebounds one out. Guard Caleb Grill, a …