This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Utah State garnered its signature win on Saturday night, beating Saint Mary's 75-65 and showing the national pundits that it can, indeed, win a big game on the road.
So what's next for the Aggies?
Looking ahead, Utah State has put itself in position to win a single-digit seed in next month's NCAA Tournament. That's something the Aggies have never done. It will probably take winning the rest of their games, including Saturday's matchup against Idaho, but the numbers are in the Aggies' favor.
"We certainly hope that the win means a lot in the eyes of those who judge us," senior forward Tai Wesley said. "But we have to take things slow, one game at a time, like we've been doing all season."
Immediate results are negligible. On Monday, Utah State came in 23rd in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, up one spot from last week. But the Aggies dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll, mainly because St. John's of the Big East defeated Pittsburgh to gain a huge jump. The Aggies got 22 more AP votes this week than last, yet still dropped to 26th.
But ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has USU as a projected nine seed in the NCAA Tournament, a sure sign of respect that can only come from beating a ranked team on the road.
"This is why you play in the BracketBuster field," Utah State coach Stew Morrill said. "It's the chance to beat a real quality team on the road and the chance to make a statement."
The Aggies can clinch the Western Athletic Conference title by beating Idaho. That's hardly a foregone conclusion, as the Vandals soundly defeated Utah State earlier in the month with timely shots, inspired defense and the great coaching of Don Verlin. A league championship would be the fourth in a row for USU.
And that may not be the only roadblock. The Aggies still have to travel to New Mexico State next week, and the Southern Aggies are still loaded with talented and athletic players. And the WAC tournament can also prove troublesome.
But for now, as mid-majors go, USU is one of the most talked-about teams in the country. The Aggies faced huge questions on whether they could beat a quality opponent, and Utah State answered it emphatically.
"People questioned us but the main thing is that we know what we can do," USU forward Brady Jardine said. "We want to build on this and it's going to take us playing well from here on out."
Twitter: @tonyaggieville