LOGAN, Utah – Utah State will open and close its 2020-21 Mountain West slate on the road, as the complete conference schedule was announced by the league on Friday. USU will play every conference foe twice during the year, with the exception of Fresno State and San José State.
The Aggies begin their MW run at Air Force on Tuesday, Dec. 29, before opening the New Year by hosting Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 2, in the only contest between the two schools during the regular season. The trend of weekly road and home games continues over the next two weeks with a road contest at Nevada on Tuesday, Jan. 5, followed by a home game against Wyoming on Saturday, Jan. 9. The next week has the Aggies on the road at San José State on Tuesday, Jan. 12, marking the only contest between the two schools during the regular season, before Utah State hosts San Diego State on Saturday, Jan. 16.
USU then has its first bye of the season before traveling to Boise State on Saturday, Jan. 23. The Aggies wrap up the first leg of their Mountain West slate, hosting Colorado State on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and then closing out the month of January on the road at UNLV on Saturday, Jan. 30.
Utah State opens the month of February at home against Nevada on Tuesday, Feb. 2, before taking to the road for the next two games at San Diego State on Saturday, Feb. 6, and Colorado State on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The Aggies have their next bye before hosting back-to-back home contests against UNLV on Tuesday, Feb. 16, and New Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 20.
USU closes its 2020-21 conference schedule with a pair of home games bookended by a pair of road games. The final stretch begins at Wyoming on Tuesday, Feb. 23, followed by back-to-back home games against Air Force on Saturday, Feb. 27, and Boise State for Senior Day on Tuesday, March 2. The Aggies punctuate the MW regular season at New Mexico on Saturday, March 6.
Utah State will then turn its attention to a third consecutive MW Tournament championship, when first round games will be played on Wednesday, March 10. Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals will be played March 11 and 12, culminating in the championship game on Saturday, March 13. All of the tournament games are scheduled to be played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
All-time, Utah State is 60-48 in Mountain West play, including 27-9 over the last two years under head coach Craig Smith. Under Smith, the Aggies captured a share of the 2019 regular season championship and have won each of the last two MW Tournament championships, a feat only four teams have accomplished in league history.
USU returns seven letterwinners from a season ago, including three starters in junior center Neemias Queta, junior forward Justin Bean and junior wing Brock Miller. Both Queta and Bean were named to the MW All-Defensive Team during the 2019-20 campaign and will combine to form one of the most formidable front courts in the conference. Bean, a third-team all-MW selection last season, is the only player in the MW that is returning that averaged a double-double last year, turning in 11.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Queta, the 2019 MW Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year, returns completely healthy after an injury slowed his 2019-20 campaign. Despite missing 12 games, Queta averaged 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, and led the Aggies and the MW with 1.7 blocks per game en route to earning second-team all-Mountain West and Mountain West all-tournament team honors.
The 2020-21 MW schedule is subject to approval from state, country and local officials and represents the first phase in the 2020-21 men’s basketball schedule process. Mountain West national television partners CBS Sports and FOX Sports will now initiate a selection procedure, which will include the shifting of several games from their current Saturday and Tuesday dates.
The complete 2020-21 Utah State men’s basketball schedule is anticipated to be released in the coming weeks.
Utah State men’s basketball news and information is available on Facebook (facebook.com/ usumensbasketball), on Twitter (@usubasketball) and on Instagram (@usubasketball). Fans can also get USU men’s basketball highlights on YouTube (youtube.com/ utahstateathletics). Aggie fans can follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter (@usuathletics), on Facebook (facebook.com/usuathletics) or on Instagram (@usuathletics).
Utah State Men’s Basketball 2020-21 MW Schedule
**All dates are subject to change**
December 29 – at Air Force
January 2 – FRESNO STATE
January 5 – at Nevada
January 9 – WYOMING
January 12 – at San José State
January 16 – SAN DIEGO STATE
January 19 – BYE
January 23 – at Boise State
January 26 – COLORADO STATE
January 30 – at UNLV
February 2 – NEVADA
February 6 – at San Diego State
February 9 – at Colorado State
February 13 – BYE
February 16 – UNLV
February 20 – NEW MEXICO
February 23 – at Wyoming
February 27 – AIR FORCE
March 2 – BOISE STATE
March 6 – at New Mexico
March 10-13 – Mountain West Tournament (Las Vegas, Nev.)