Arizona eyes 3rd straight Sweet 16, but Utah St. feeling confident

SAN DIEGO — West Region No. 1 seed Arizona can advance to its third consecutive Sweet 16, but must first get past a ninth-seeded Utah State team on a “revenge tour” heading into Sunday’s second-round matchup.

Using what it viewed as a slight about its seeding for motivation, Utah State (29-6) made an initial statement with its 86-76 win over No. 8 seed Villanova on Friday.

The Aggies rallied from down 10 early in the first half, led by the backcourt tandem of MJ Collins Jr. and Mason Falslev, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. The two scored 20 and 22 points, respectively, with each delivering critical baskets down the stretch.

“When you’ve got big-time players and they’re really connected and playing for something bigger than themselves, something special can happen,” Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “When MJ has it going, I’ve said this all along: I think he’s one of the best players in the county. (Collins) and Mason Falslev are one of the best one-two punches in college basketball.”

Collins averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game this season, followed by Falslev’s 16.2. Along with combo-guard Drake Allen, who leads the Aggies at 4.7 assists per game, Utah State features a dynamic, rangy perimeter foundation.

Along with setting the tone offensively, the trio have helped Utah State produce turnovers on 20.6% of opponent possessions — ranking in the Top 20 in the nation per KenPom.com metrics.

“In the Big 12 (Conference), we saw a lot of different defenses, different (schemes),” Arizona guard Jaden Bradley said. “But I’m pretty sure (Utah State)’s going to be tough after looking at their game plan.”

Bradley led the Wildcats (33-2) into the second round after a 92-58 rout of No. 16 seed Long Island on Friday for Arizona’s 10th consecutive win. The Wildcats controlled throughout, though they endured a sloppy stretch in the second half.

Arizona offset any ball-control issues against the Sharks with a 52-31 advantage on the glass, paced by freshman Ivan Karchenkov’s career-high-tying 10 rebounds. The Wildcats have successfully leveraged their collective length to boast a plus-11.1-per game average in rebounding margin, the fourth-best in Division I.

Utah State big man Zach Keller cited Arizona’s rebounding proficiency as the facet of the Wildcats’ game that immediately stands out.

Five Wildcats average more than four rebounds per game, led by senior forward Tobe Awaka’s 9.5. Motiejus Krivas, a 7-foot-2 junior center, averages eight rebounds and Karchenkov averages 4.2.

Also among the quintet are the freshman duo of Brayden Burries (4.7 rpg) and Koa Peat (5.4), Arizona’s top scorers.

Burries knocked down four 3-pointers in the first round, part of a six 3-pointer barrage in the first half for a Wildcats team that averages fewer than six treys a contest. Arizona has instead leaned on its interior scoring, with 57.3% of its scoring coming from inside the arc, the 10th-highest rate in the nation per KenPom.com.

Conversely, Utah State has limited opponents to 44.8% of their offense on two-point field-goal attempts.

–Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media