Pick: Arizona -12
This is a horrible matchup for the Aggies. What they love to do - execute in the half court, generating a ton of shots near the rim - is not how you beat Arizona. They’re too big inside (8th tallest team in the country). You’ve got to be able to hit the three, and Utah State is a poor 3-point shooting team (141st) and was just 2-of-16 against Villanova. They did shoot 74 percent on 2s against the small Wildcats.
My guess is that Arizona puts elite freshman defender Ivan Kharchenkov on Utah’s State’s best player (Mason Falslev), and then Big 12 POY Jaden Bradley locks up Aggies guard MJ Collins and Arizona wins handily. I’m probably underestimating Jerrod Calhoun too much - he’s a great young coach who badly outreached Villanova’s Kevin Willard late in the game Friday.
I’d keep an eye on Adlan Elamin, a very promising freshman for Utah State who almost certainly will enter the portal and have many suitors. Elamin was terrific against Villanova with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He’ll face Koa Peat, Arizona’s lottery pick freshman.