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NCAA Basketball: Louisville, Washington and others who are hot in February

By Jason Burgess

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: A general view of the court with March Madness signage is seen prior to the start of the game between the OklahomaSooners and the Rhode Island Rams in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: A general view of the court with March Madness signage is seen prior to the start of the game between the OklahomaSooners and the Rhode Island Rams in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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RENO, NEVADA – JANUARY 02: Sam Merrill #5 of the Utah State Aggies points to Cody Martin #11 of the Nevada Wolf Pack as the ball goes out of bounds after the Nevada Wolf Pack missed a pass at Lawlor Events Center on January 02, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA – JANUARY 02: Sam Merrill #5 of the Utah State Aggies points to Cody Martin #11 of the Nevada Wolf Pack as the ball goes out of bounds after the Nevada Wolf Pack missed a pass at Lawlor Events Center on January 02, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /

Utah State Aggies (18-4, 8-2)

In the down Mountain West 21-1 overall No. 6 Nevada leads the way but, right behind them is another team with a first-year coach is having a very good year. Craig Smith is in his first year at Utah State after leaving South Dakota. The Aggies are currently 18-5 and their 8-2 Mountain West record puts them a half game behind Nevada.

They began league play by being blown out by Nevada, since then, Utah State has gone 8-1, with the lone loss to Fresno State 78-77, when the Bulldogs hit a three-point with five seconds left. Ironically, in their last game, the Aggies returned the favor to Fresno State by squeaking out an 82-81 win.

The Aggies have two double-digit scorers, junior guard Sam Merrill who averages 19 points and a team-high 4.4 assists and are shooting 48% from the field, 89% from the free throw line, and 38% from beyond the arc. Neemias Queta is a 6-11 freshman from Portugal who has been a force in the middle for the Aggies, averaging 11 points, nine rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.

The Aggies get their shot at revenge against Nevada in the regular-season finale but, don’t be surprised if the talk about Utah State being an at-large candidate gets louder before that.

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