March Madness: Utah State Aggies’ Journey to the 2025 NCAA Tournament
The Utah State Aggies had an early exit in the Mountain West Conference Tournament, falling to the Colorado State Rams in the semifinals. The good news is that the Aggies are still going to the dance, earning a spot in the madness of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
On Thursday, March 13, the Aggies faced the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. As a top-five team in the conference, the Aggies were granted a bye, which gave them a pass to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal matchup was the night’s final game, tipping off at 9:30 p.m. local time. Mason Falslev scored the first points of the match, giving Utah State the early lead. The Aggies carried the advantage throughout the first half, taking a 36-29 lead into halftime.
A competitive second half followed. The Aggies held a slim lead with four minutes to play. Ian Martinez created a bigger cushion, hitting a three-point shot to extend the advantage to double-digits. The lead was too much for UNLV to overcome, leading to a 70-58 Utah State win.
The following day, the Aggies conference tournament run came to an end with an 83-72 loss to Colorado State, leaving their NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance.
The Rams quickly took control of the game and led for the entirety of the first half, going into halftime 49-30 for the Rams. The Rams outshot the Aggies 55.6% to 21.2% in three-pointers and 59.9% to 36.5% in free throws.
Going into the second half, Colorado State maintained its momentum, taking a 27-point lead, which was the largest of the game. The Aggies put together a late run, cutting the Rams’ advantage to seven. But in the end, the deficit was too much to overcome.
Failing to capture the automatic bid, the Aggies watched Selection Sunday, waiting for the committee’s decision. Ultimately, Utah State’s 27-6 overall and 15-5 conference mark were enough to secure a spot in the final field of 68 as a No. 10 seed.
The final decision should not have been a difficult one for the community. Utah State has an NCAA Men’s Basketball NET Ranking of 37, an overall strength of schedule of 83, 11 wins away from home with a 7-4 road record and a 4-1 mark on neutral courts, and a 2-4 record against Quad 1 teams with wins at No. 20 San Diego State and at Saint Mary’s. USU also has an 8-3 record against Quad 2 opponents, a 5-0 record against Quad 3 opponents, and a 10-0 record against Quad 4 opponents.
Utah State will meet No. 7 UCLA, who ended with an overall record of 22-10, in a first-round contest Thursday, March 20 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. The winner will advance to the second round and face either No. 2 Tennessee or No. 15 Wofford.
Photo from Utah State University Athletics webpage.
