Bovine Blog: Did No. 20 Utah State Save Any Spectrum Magic For Wyoming?
Jan 8, 2024, 2:05 PM | Updated: 2:06 pm
Utah State guard Josh Uduje shoots a free throw at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum during the 2023-24 season.
LOGAN, Utah – Spectrum Magic helped Utah State to a thrilling win over Colorado State over the weekend but how will the Aggies respond when a lesser-heralded Wyoming team comes to town?
USU (14-1, 2-0) hosts the Wyoming Cowboys (8-7, 1-1) in its first game as a ranked team since December 2019 on Tuesday, January 9.
RELATED: Winning Streak Propels USU Into Top 25
𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌!
Let’s do it again Tuesday night!
See the map below for the color you should wear to the game!
🎟➡️ https://t.co/F2vvRpxzNY… pic.twitter.com/BMk129zeae
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 7, 2024
Utah State swept the Mountain West weekly awards after wins over Air Force and No. 13 Colorado State.
Junior forward Great Osobor was named MW Player of the Week after averaging 26.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 65.4 percent (17-of-26) from the field and 75.0 percent (18-of-24) at the free throw line.
Redshirt freshman guard Mason Falslev earned MW Freshman of the Week recognition after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the field and 77.8 percent (7-of-9) at the free throw line.
RELATED: ‘Rent Still Due’ For No. 20 Aggies
👋 Welcome to the Top 25, Aggies#AtThePEAK | #MWMBB | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/PNQfrciXUw
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) January 8, 2024
USU is 52-35 all-time against the Cowboys after sweeping the two-game series last season.
Utah State ranks 26th in the NET and 43rd by KenPom as of Jan. 7.
Wyoming Cowboys (8-7, 1-1)
The Cowboys sit seventh in Mountain West after following up a two-point home win over San Jose State with a 77-60 loss to New Mexico. Led by Jeff Linder in his fourth season, Wyoming is looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out on the postseason last year with a 9-21 record.
🏀 Highlights from @USUBasketball 77-72 Win over Colorado State 🔵⚪️#AtThePeak | #MWMBB | #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/szFEzfJSSm
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) January 7, 2024
6’3 senior guard Sam Griffin leads the Cowboys offensive attack with 18.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. Griffin is the second leading scorer in the MW, behind only Jaedon LeDee of SDSU.
Senior guard Akuel Kot scores 15 points a night while Mason Walters adds 11.6 points. Freshman forward Cam Manyawu and sophomore Caden Powell lead Wyoming down low, each averaging 7.9 points and six rebounds to lead the team.
RELATED: Spectrum Magic, No. 13 Rams Undone By Aggie Sixth Man
The Cowboys average 73.9 points per game, ninth in the Mountain West. Defensively, Wyoming (73.3 ppg) allows the most points in the MW. The Cowboys allow opponents to shoot .442, the second-worst mark in the conference this year.
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Utah State is asking fans to ‘stripe the Spectrum’ when they host the Wyoming Cowboys at the Spectrum on Tuesday, January 9. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. (MT).
Listen to USU basketball games on KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard on the call.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s coverage of the Bees, Big League Utah, and Aggie athletics here.
