Utah State Ranked 25th In AP Poll, Aims To Extend Winning Streak Against SJSU
Jan 6, 2025, 3:28 PM | Updated: Jan 7, 2025, 9:52 am
LOGAN, Utah- The Utah State Aggies have blown expectations out of the water to start the 2024-25 season, boasting a 14-1 record, tying their best start in program history. The Aggies have racked up three Quadrant 1 wins over Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, and Nevada during their fantastic start, all on the road.
Their resume speaks for itself, which is why many college basketball fans and experts were confused as to why the Aggies hadn’t been ranked in the AP Top 25 in previous weeks. But with their latest road victory over Nevada and an additional home win over Fresno State, the voters couldn’t keep Utah State out any longer.
RELATED: Utah State Makes Bid For Top 25 After Knocking Off Fresno State
On Monday, January 6, the Aggies made their first AP Top 25 appearance of the 2024-25 season, coming in at No. 25. Utah State also jumped into the Coach’s Poll at No. 25.
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐩-𝟐𝟓 🤘
AP Poll 🤝 Coaches Poll pic.twitter.com/v2GqePxsSR
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 6, 2025
This is the third time in the last three occurrences that the Aggies have been ranked under a first-year head coach. Utah State is also tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference and has the nation’s second-best winning percentage, tied with St Bonaventure and behind Tennessee, the lone undefeated team in college basketball.
Perhaps even more impressive, according to ESPN Analytics, Utah State is favored in every single one of their remaining regular season games in the Mountain West Conference, with their toughest matchups coming when they take on New Mexico at the Pit on February 16 (52.7% chance to win), and when they visit Boise State on February 26 (51.4% chance to win).
Tomorrow, ESPN Analytics is giving the Aggies an 86.3% chance to take down the San Jose State Spartans Provident Credit Union Event Center.
We're going going, back back, to Cali Cali
🆚 San Jose State
➡️ 8:00 PM | Tuesday
➡️ San Jose, CA
📺 Mountain West Network pic.twitter.com/QXeTLrM97p— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 6, 2025
Utah State Aggies vs San Jose State Spartans
Utah State will travel to Northern California for their fifth Mountain West game, taking on San Jose State, who is 7-9 overall and 0-4 in conference play. The Spartan’s best win came against UNC Greensboro on a neutral floor during the Ball Dawgs Classic, and they have lost all four of their Q1/Q2 games.
Despite their record, San Jose State has played some of the conference’s best teams close with a six-point loss at New Mexico, a two-point loss to Boise State at home, and a six-point loss to the Runnin’ Rebels in Las Vegas, showing that their problems aren’t at either end of the floor, it is their inability to finish games down the stretch that has cost them some quality wins.
The Spartans are in their fourth year under Head Coach Tim Miles, who has a win percentage of .395. Last year, SJSU won only two games in the Mountain West and didn’t reach double-digit wins. All of this after a promising 2022-23 season in which the Spartans won 21 games and made a run to the Mountain West Tournament Semi-Finals, before eventually losing to a San Diego State team that would go on to play in the National Championship Game.
To add to an already disappointing season, San Jose State lost their three leading scores, MJ Amey, Alvaro Cardenas, and Tibet Gorener, to the transfer portal. To try and make up for the lost production, SJSU added Josh Uduje from Utah State and Will McClendon from UCLA, but there is certainly now a strain on those top scorers.
Utah State won both of their meeting with the Spartans last season, both by 20+ points, and they will look to continue their dominance on Tuesday night.
History will be on the Aggies’ side in another way as Utah State holds an incredible record of 77-25 when ranked in the AP Poll.
You can watch the Aggies in their effort to extend their four-game winning streak as they take on the San Jose State Spartans on Tuesday, January 7, at 8:00 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network.
