Arizona vs Utah State: Second Round Showdown

0:00On March 21, top-seated Arizona takes on 9th-seated Utah State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday at VA House Arena. The Wildcats enter with a 33-and-2 record while the Aggies are 29-and-6 after knocking off Philanova 86-76 in the first round. Arizona remains a heavy favor by 11-and-a-half points and eyes its first final force since 2001. Utah State coach Jericho Hume plans to unleash every defensive trick in the book, from match-up zones and man-to-man switches to full-core presses. The Aggies rank 17th nationally in forcing turnovers and aim to disrupt Arizona's rhythm after seeing the Wildcats handle all kinds of schemes. In 35 games this season, both teams bring strong histories into this match-up. Utah State chases its first sweet 16 trips since 1970 back when the field had just 25 teams. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd calls these eight nine games tough outliers, recalling how a ninth-seated team pushes squad to overtime here four years.

1:03Gee, a go. The Aggies boast one of the nation's top offense is at 82.6 points per game on 50% shooting, though they struggled from three. In round one, Arizona ranks second in two-point defense, holding foes to 43.5% inside, which could counter Utah State's quickness despite. The Aggies rebounding woes. Arizona has dominated second round games lately, winning its last 18 openers before this one. Expect a gritty battle as Utah State fights to flip the script against the powerhouse Wildcats.