#8 Utah State Aggies (26-8, 12-6)
MWC (t2nd)
Conf. tourney champs
Off- 76.5 ppg / Def- 64.1 ppg
NCAA Appearances- 21 (Last: 2019)
Top Scorers:
Sam Merril 19.7 ppg
Neemias Queta 13.0 ppg
Justin Bean 11.9 ppg
Diogo Breto 8.5 ppg
Brock Miller 8.4 ppg
#9 Saint Mary's Gaels (26-8, 11-5)
WCC (3rd)
Off- 75.3 ppg / Def- 66.9 ppg
NCAA Appearances- 10 (Last: 2019)
Top Scorers:
Jordan Ford 21.9 ppg
Malik Fitts 16.5 ppg
Tanner Krebs 9.1 ppg
Matthias Tass 6.6 ppg
Dan Fotu 6.4 ppg
The preseason MWC favorite Aggies put together a solid 2019-20 campaign that included a 13-2 start, a win over Florida, and an AP ranking as high as 15th. After losing their regular season finale at New Mexico, the Aggies flipped the script and beat the Lobos in the MWC tournament, jump-starting a run that would culminate with a stunning tournament title win over potential #1 seed San Diego State. This offense may put up a lot of points, but as guard Sam Merrill goes, so do the fortunes of the Aggies. It would also be a cause for concern that Utah State struggled away from home, going just 4-6 including an 81-73 loss to their 1st Round opponent, St. Mary's.
Speaking of the Gaels, this perennial bridesmaid to Gonzaga immediately got the country's attention following a season-opening win against Wisconsin. Their season was littered with quality wins including a season sweep of BYU, the home win over Utah State, and a 40-pt rout over Arizona State. However, the one foe they always seem to play second-fiddle to, got them for 3 of their 8 losses including another loss in the WCC Finals. This hypothetical 1st Round matchup with Utah State, though, would be expected to be a high-scoring barn-burner as both teams sport offenses that can put points up in bunches. Not to mention, the matchup between guards Sam Merrill of Utah State, and Jordan Ford, who torched Pepperdine for a career-high 42 pts in a WCC semifinal.
MWC (t2nd)
Conf. tourney champs
Off- 76.5 ppg / Def- 64.1 ppg
NCAA Appearances- 21 (Last: 2019)
Top Scorers:
Sam Merril 19.7 ppg
Neemias Queta 13.0 ppg
Justin Bean 11.9 ppg
Diogo Breto 8.5 ppg
Brock Miller 8.4 ppg
#9 Saint Mary's Gaels (26-8, 11-5)
WCC (3rd)
Off- 75.3 ppg / Def- 66.9 ppg
NCAA Appearances- 10 (Last: 2019)
Top Scorers:
Jordan Ford 21.9 ppg
Malik Fitts 16.5 ppg
Tanner Krebs 9.1 ppg
Matthias Tass 6.6 ppg
Dan Fotu 6.4 ppg
The preseason MWC favorite Aggies put together a solid 2019-20 campaign that included a 13-2 start, a win over Florida, and an AP ranking as high as 15th. After losing their regular season finale at New Mexico, the Aggies flipped the script and beat the Lobos in the MWC tournament, jump-starting a run that would culminate with a stunning tournament title win over potential #1 seed San Diego State. This offense may put up a lot of points, but as guard Sam Merrill goes, so do the fortunes of the Aggies. It would also be a cause for concern that Utah State struggled away from home, going just 4-6 including an 81-73 loss to their 1st Round opponent, St. Mary's.
Speaking of the Gaels, this perennial bridesmaid to Gonzaga immediately got the country's attention following a season-opening win against Wisconsin. Their season was littered with quality wins including a season sweep of BYU, the home win over Utah State, and a 40-pt rout over Arizona State. However, the one foe they always seem to play second-fiddle to, got them for 3 of their 8 losses including another loss in the WCC Finals. This hypothetical 1st Round matchup with Utah State, though, would be expected to be a high-scoring barn-burner as both teams sport offenses that can put points up in bunches. Not to mention, the matchup between guards Sam Merrill of Utah State, and Jordan Ford, who torched Pepperdine for a career-high 42 pts in a WCC semifinal.