USU 'Should be in'

Sports Illustrated’s bracket predictor Andy Glockner has been high on Utah State all year.

After last weekends’ game, Glockner has moved the Aggies to “should be in” status but admits USU could strengthen its chances with a WAC Tournament win or two.

“Utah State did exactly what it had to do, taking out New Mexico State to win the WAC by three games and end on a 15-game winning streak,” Glockner writes. “That and the wins over BYU and Wichita State make USU’s profile fairly strong in this season’s bubble battle. They could be just two wins away from the NCAAs now. More good news: Tourney host Nevada is on the other side of the bracket and wouldn’t be a possible opponent until the WAC final, which makes it a lot more likely USU could survive a road loss.”

With an RPI of 31, Glockner believes the Aggies deserve a favorable seed. In his latest bracket prediction , the Sports Illustrated columnist has Utah State as a 9 seed playing UNLV in Buffalo with a potential second-round contest against Syracuse waiting.

While most think a 10 or 11 seed is better if a Sweet 16 appearance is the goal, no one at Utah State would complain about a 9 seed. Heck, getting out of the first round would be a pretty significant accomplishment for the Aggies as they continue to fight for national respect and exposure.

Meanwhile, the experts at Bracketology 101 have Utah State in as a 10 seed playing Missouri in Milwaukee with a second-round date against the winner of a Purdue vs. Vermont game.