Upstart Aggies taking on ASU in MGM title game
Utah State turned some heads Monday with an 80-63 dismantling of a quality mid-major program in Saint Mary’s. The Aggies will have a chance to earn even more respect with a matchup against Arizona State Wednesday evening in the final of the MGM Resorts Main Event Heavyweight bracket.
The Sun Devils also turned heads with their upset win over No. 15 Mississippi State 72-67. Arizona State led the Bulldogs 39-24 at halftime and weathered a fierce second-half comeback.
USU’s win on Monday put them at 5-0 on the season, the team’s best start since the 2013-14 season, where the team also started 5-0. First-year head coach Craig Smith is fifth coach in program history to win his first five games. A win over the Sun Devils would make Smith just the second coach to win the first six games of his tenure (Ladell Anderson) and would also give the Aggies their best start since 1966.
Leading ASU currently is freshman Luguentz Dort. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Canada is averating 20.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He is also the team’s most prolific 3-point shooter, averaging 5.0 per game at a 40 percent clip.
One player that some Aggies may recognize on Arizona State is forward Zylan Cheatham. The Phoenix native transferred from San Diego State and has appeared in five games against Utah State. This season, Cheatham is averaging 13.0 points and a team-leading 9.8 rebounds. He is also second on the team with 2.8 assists per game.
“He’s playing great. He’s been a veteran for them,” Smith said of Cheatham. “(Zylan) has been a guy that they play all over out there. He’s been at the four, the three, sometimes they play really big and he’s been the point guard. He’s been a jack-of-all-trades and plays with a great deal of energy.”
Arizona State and Utah State share similarities, which Smith recognized. He mentioned how both teams have outrebounded their respective opponents by around 17 rebounds per game this season and both are averaging in the high 80s in points. USU and ASU are also reluctant to shoot 3-pointers — the Aggies rank 171st in 3-point attempts while the Sun Devils rank 262nd.
While the two teams have taken relatively few outside shots, both take more than their fair share of free throws. ASU ranks 29th in free throw attempts with the Aggies ranking 62nd. However, USU is far more efficient at making those shots, ranking 2nd in the country while Arizona State is 160th in free throw percentage.
Where Utah State and Arizona State differ is how much the teams rely on reserves. Only one USU player has averaged more than 25 minutes per game this season. ASU has six players averaging north of 25 minutes.
“They don’t go really deep. If it is a tight game they will be playing eight guys, at the most, maybe seven,” Smith said. “Every game this year we have played 11 guys in the first half. The point of that is that all 11 guys are playing meaningful minutes and that has been the strength of our team. Depending on what we need we are able to have that flexibility and versatility to put those guys in there. “
The game will tip off at 9 p.m. MST at T-Mobile Arena. Fans can watch the game on ESPNU or listen via radio on 1280 or 97.5 The Zone in the Salt Lake City area. Cache Valley listeners can hear it on 92.3 KBLU-LP.