This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Last season, Saint Mary's walked into the Spectrum, made a bunch of 3-pointers and ended Utah State's lengthy home winning streak.
The Aggies get the chance for some payback in three weeks.
The two will meet for the second time in three years as a part of the BracketBusters field on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., in what will be the premier matchup of the day.
BracketBusters is a three-day event, held Feb. 18-20 this year, that pits NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other.
Utah State, unless it slips before Feb. 19, will likely enter the game in the Top 25. The Aggies are ranked 21st but in need of a quality win because they're 0-2 against teams in the RPI top 100.
"Being in [BracketBusters] is important to us and it's important that we play well," Utah State senior forward Tai Wesley said. "But we have to take care of business and play the season a game at a time."
In Saint Mary's, USU is facing what is arguably the best team in the field, since Butler chose not to participate this season. The Gaels feature the guard tandem of Mickey McConnell and Matthew Delladova, both of whom can shoot the 3-pointer or go to the basket.
Saint Mary's (18-4) is in a good position to win the West Coast Conference after defeating Gonzaga on the road last week, and the Gaels were nationally ranked for several weeks before losing to Vanderbilt two weeks ago.
And while Utah State is on a 15-game winning streak and unbeaten in the Western Athletic Conference, the Aggies haven't faced nearly the same level of competition as Saint Mary's.
"It's a good opportunity for us," USU guard Brian Green said. "But we're not in a position to think about it yet. We have a long way to go."
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