MOSCOW--Utah State (22-2, 11-0), who is ranked No. 17 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and 21st in this week's Associated Press Poll, plays at Idaho (13-10, 6-5) on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. (MT). The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Dave Flemming (color) and Sean Farnham (analyst) calling the action.
The Idaho-Utah State rivalry dates back to the 1945-46 season. While Idaho held the early advantage, with victories in seven of the first nine meetings, the Aggies have controlled the series lately. USU has won 11 in a row against Idaho and 22 of the last 24. The last Vandal win in the series was on Dec. 23, 2004, at the Cowan Spectrum. The Aggies took a 60-48 win last year in Moscow. #17 Utah State is the highest-ranked opponent to play at the Cowan Spectrum since Feb. 12, 2009, when Utah State was also ranked 17th in a 62-53 Aggie win.
Idaho is now 6-5 in the WAC following its 75-61 home win against Hawai'i Saturday. The Vandals are 7-5 at home this year and are led by senior guard Jeff Ledbetter who is averaging 11.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point range and 90.0 percent at the free throw line. Sophomore center Kyle Barone is averaging 11.2 points and junior forward Luiz Toledo is averaging 10.0 points per game.
USU is on a 17-game winning streak and a record 25-game win streak in WAC play. The Aggies shoot a WAC-best .472 from the field and hold their opponents to a conference-low .385 shooting. They have the NCAA's eighth-best scoring defense (58.2) and rebounding margin (+8.5).
USU is led by senior forward Tai Wesley who is averaging 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field. Junior guard Brockeith Pane is averaging 11.1 points and senior guard Brian Green is averaging 11.0 points and shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range.
Idaho head coach Don Verlin and Utah State head coach Stew Morrill know each other pretty well. Verlin was an assistant under Morrill for 15 years, including 11 seasons at Utah State from 1999-2008. Vandal junior Deremy Geiger also started his college career at Utah State in 2008-09, when he played in 18 games before transferring to Grayson County College for 2009-10.