Utah State vs Denver: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Live Streaming, Odds, More Utah State back in action tonight as five-game home-stand continues Contact/Follow @Logantj & @MWCwire Aggies set to terminate an old rival Tuesday night before …
[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
Utah State vs Denver: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Live Streaming, Odds, More
Utah State back in action tonight as five-game home-stand continues
Contact/Follow @Logantj & @MWCwire
Aggies set to terminate an old rival Tuesday night before returning to Disney+ binge
WHO: No. 17 Utah State (2-0) vs Denver (1-1)
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7pm (MST)
WHERE: Logan, Utah • Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270)
TV: MW Network
RADIO: Aggie Sports Network
SERIES RECORD: USU leads the all-time series 54-37, including a 19-5 advantage at home.
ODDS: Utah State -23.5
Preview
A pair of throwback rivals will face off tonight in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum for the 92nd time in series history. The Denver Pioneers, winners of three straight against the Aggies, are fresh off a double-digit win over UVU. The Aggies, still ranked no. 17 in the country, were last seen discarding Weber State like a used dryer sheet.
The name to know heading into this Tuesday night matchup is Ade Murkey, a four-year starter and leader of an otherwise young rotation reaching at least nine players deep. Murkey averaged 11.5 ppg last season and boasts a blazing hot start this fall with 48% fg shooting against Denver’s first two opponents (Colorado State, Utah Valley).
Joseph Lanzi and Jase Townsend are expected to handle the bulk of the non-Murkey points scored for the Pioneers, combining for 38 against the Wolverines last week.
With some familiarity between USU’s coach Craig Smith and Summit League opponents from his days at South Dakota, this should prove to be a matchup full of rich storylines for fans to explore while the Aggies run another team out of the building by halftime.
Utah State is off to a healthy 2-0 start to justify its preseason ranking, albeit one that included a scare against Montana State in the season opener. Paraphrasing coach Smith in this week’s press conference, a handful of games every year seem to showcase a team’s floor and potential ceiling — and it appears USU has already given fans a peek at both.
The Aggies average 85 points per game through two games this season while shooting over 47% from the field and holding opponents to just 33% shooting. Also worthy of note — after only 13 assists against Montana State, coach Smith’s increased emphasis on ball movement and exploiting open backdoor cuts produced 26 assists on 37 made shots against Weber State.
Saturday’s matchup against the Wildcats also produced several opportunities for the USU supporting cast to really shine. Abel Porter recorded his first double-double, Justin Bean lead all scorers with 18 mere days after oral surgery corrected his front teeth getting bashed in and Utah State captured its largest margin of victory over a D-I opponent in nearly 50 years.
Sam Merrill’s continued excellence and starts from regulars Porter, Bean and Brock Miller should serve up an easy win tonight as the Aggies continue their five-game home-stand to kick off the year. Expect also to see big man Kuba Karwowski in the starting lineup while Neemias Queta nurses a knee injury still without a timetable.
Prediction:
Utah State 86, Denver 57
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]
[protected-iframe id=”c0286d6e1aad69344270e42782a7311d-137729785-132878588″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]
