Aggies’ basketball season comes to an end
The squeak of sneakers echoes throughout the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum arena—the sound of the band playing the Scotsman with the student section singing in unionism. The taunts, cheers and excitement have officially come to an end with the USU Aggies losing the second round of the NCAA tournament to the Arizona State Wildcats 78-66.
March 13, 2026, the USU men’s basketball team ended its regular season by winning the Mountain West Tournament and becoming the Mountain West Champions after beating San Diego State University 73-62. Winning this tournament gave USU an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies were ranked as a No. 9 seed and were set to play against Villanova University, a No. 8 seed.
March 20, before the Aggies’ first round of the NCAA Tournament, a jumbotron is set up on the quad in front of Old Main. Students gathered on the quad with blankets and Aggie gear, ready to watch the game. During the game, students were cheering, singing the Scotsman and even swing dancing during commercial breaks. The Aggies won against the Villanova Wildcats by 10 points, 86-76. The Aggies moved forward to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The end came on March 22. After facing ASU, which is a No. 1 seed team. The Aggies gave it their all, but after missing many of their 3-point attempts, the Wildcats’ defense subdued them, leading to a 12-point loss. The ending score was 78-66. The Sunday watch party ended in disappointment at the loss, but also with support for the basketball team, knowing that each player gave it their all.
After the NCAA tournament, USU’s head basketball coach, Jerrod Calhoun, was picked up by the University of Cincinnati. The search for USU’s new head coach is reported to be underway, according to the USU Athletics website.
It’s unclear what the next season holds, but one thing is for certain: the fans aren’t leaving.
