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Provo • In a matchup that seemed inevitable from the time organizers announced that the former Mountain West Conference foes had been invited to play in this year's EA Sports Maui Invitational, BYU and San Diego State will square off Monday night thousands of miles away from where they staged several memorable battles as annual league title contenders.

When the field was announced, "We kinda figured that is who we would play in the opening round," BYU coach Dave Rose said.

Tipoff for the fourth game of the prestigious tournament's first round is at 9:30 p.m. MST at the tiny Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. It is the first meeting between BYU and No. 16 San Diego State since the MWC tournament title game in 2011, won 72-54 by SDSU, and it will be televised by ESPN2.

"I am excited," said BYU senior guard Tyler Haws, who was a freshman on the 2009-10 team that swept the Aztecs 82-68 in Provo and 71-69 at Viejas Arena. "They always have really, really good athletes. I think their style kind of fits our style. … Hopefully we get our minds right and get our bodies right the next few days, and are ready to go."

Both teams are 3-0, but SDSU has a 54-49 win over No. 25 Utah to its credit while the Cougars feasted on Long Beach State, Arkansas-Little Rock and Southern Virginia.

Having watched the first half of SDSU's slow-down win over Utah, Rose said coach Steve Fisher's team hasn't changed much from the one BYU battled regularly in the MWC and the WAC before the Cougars left for the WCC in 2011.

"They can make a mistake defensively, and then correct it really quickly," Rose said. "And then they are great rebounders. It reminds me of the teams we use to compete against back when we were in the Mountain West."

Rose said it will all come down to rebounding, and keeping the Aztecs off the offensive glass. Fisher's team is shooting just 35.8 percent from the field, but does a lot of its damage offensively with putbacks.

"Without even a scouting report put together yet, or [watching] film, I can tell you right now that the key to this game will be being able to rebound," Rose said Wednesday after BYU demolished SVU 101-48 at the Marriott Center. "If we can rebound missed shots, then we will have a chance to stay in the game."

The Cougars have enjoyed a 12.0 rebounding margin, but haven't faced athletes close in talent or height to what they will see Monday night. Still, they will try to push the ball at every opportunity against the slow-down, defense-minded Aztecs in a game pitting wildly contrasting styles.

"Coach Rose always talks about attacking and playing at our pace," Haws said. "So I think if we can play on attack at both ends of the floor, I like our chances."

Just being invited to the tournament "means a lot," Haws said. "You grow up watching that tournament."

Rose said star guard Kyle Collinsworth's minutes have been limited, by design, as the junior returns from ACL surgery last March. The plan all along has been to turn the 6-6 point guard loose in Hawaii, and it is still on track.

"We will treat him like [the injury] never happened, just let him go," Rose said. "I am excited for our guys. The thing you want to do as a coach, with the team that you have, is give them the opportunity, that if they play well, and are successful and can win games, to have a season that can turn out to be something really special."

Tuesday, the BYU-SDSU winner will meet the Pitt-Chaminade winner at 8 p.m. MST, while the losers will meet at 2:30 p.m.

Purdue, Kansas State, Missouri and Arizona are also in the field.

Twitter: @drewjay M

BYU vs. San Diego State

O At Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii

Tipoff • 9:30 p.m. MST

TV: • ESPN2

Radio • 1160 AM/102.7 FM

Records • BYU 3-0, SDSU 3-0

Series History • BYU leads, 48-23

Last Meeting • SDSU 72, BYU 54 (March 12, 2011)

About the Aztecs: • They have defeated Cal State Northridge (79-58), Utah (53-49) and CSU Bakersfield (51-27) and are ranked No. 16 in the country in the AP Top 25 poll. … They are led in scoring by 6-7 forwards Dwayne Polee II and JJ O'Brien, a former Ute. … They are averaging 6.3 blocked shots per game and holding opponents to 31.7 percent field goal shooting.

About the Cougars • This is their third appearance in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, having gone 1-2 in 2004 and 2-1 in 1992. … They have won seven of their past nine matchups with the Aztecs, all Mountain West Conference games when the Cougars were in that league. … Guards Chase Fischer and Tyler Haws are averaging 15.3 and 17.3 points per game, respectively.