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San Diego State vs. Utah State: 2019-20 key storylines for matchup

By Jacob Salcido

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 21: The Utah State Aggies celebrate after defeating the Florida Gators in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at BB&T Center on December 21, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 21: The Utah State Aggies celebrate after defeating the Florida Gators in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at BB&T Center on December 21, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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San Diego State
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Brian Dutcher of the San Diego State Aztecs (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The Mountain West Conference will see two of its top teams square off this weekend, as the undefeated San Diego State Aztecs take on preseason conference favorite, Utah State. What should we look for in this match-up?

San Diego State is absolutely rolling right now. The Aztecs are ranked 13th in the college basketball AP Poll, boasting a perfect 14-0 record (3-0 in conference play). However, a gigantic showdown is looming: This Saturday, the Aztecs travel to Smith Spectrum to take on the 13-3 Utah State Aggies, the preseason favorite to take home the Mountain West Conference title this season.

The Aztecs are coming off a 61-52 win over Fresno State, led by a combined 31 points from Malachi Flynn and Matt Mitchell. They only shot 3/12 from three-point range but held the Bulldogs to 4/20 from deep and just 35% shooting from the field overall.

Meanwhile, the Aggies may have been looking ahead to this matchup, as they fell this week to UNLV, 70-53. As a team, Utah State shot just 33% from the field and only Justin Bean (17 points and 11 rebounds), had a performance worth mentioning from that game.

Two months into the 2019-20 season, college basketball has taken fans for a wild ride. The Mountain West Conference is no exception to this – A lot has happened in the conference thus far, from upsets to last-second wins, it is apparent that anything can happen. So in this particular match-up, is either team a safe bet? What are some things to keep in mind for this game, and do they give an edge to either team? Tag along with me as I take another dive into the world of Mountain West basketball, and explore a bit of this ahead of Saturday’s game.