No. 15 Utah State (5-0) vs. LSU (3-1)
Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James, Jamaica; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: LSU goes for its fifth straight win over ranked opponents against No. 15 Utah State . LSU's last loss vs a ranked opponent came against the then-No. 24 Houston Cougars 82-76 on Dec. 12, 2018. Utah State is looking to extend its current five-game winning streak.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: The versatile Skylar Mays has averaged 17 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals to lead the way for the Tigers. Complementing Mays is Emmitt Williams, who is accounting for 12.5 points and seven rebounds per game. The Aggies have been led by Sam Merrill, who is averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.MIGHTY MERRILL: Merrill has connected on 54.5 percent of the 22 3-pointers he's attempted and has gone 9 for 15 over his last three games. He's also converted 90 percent of his foul shots this season.
ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Aggies have recently created buckets via assists more often than the Tigers. LSU has an assist on 35 of 88 field goals (39.8 percent) across its previous three games while Utah State has assists on 62 of 95 field goals (65.3 percent) during its past three games.
STIFLING STATE: Utah State has held opposing teams to 33.4 percent shooting from the field this year, the ninth-lowest percentage among all Division I teams.
