MORAGA, Calif.-Friday, No. 15 Utah State men’s basketball (7-0) returns to the hardwood by visiting the Saint Mary’s Gaels (6-1) of the West Coast Conference.

Under head coach Craig Smith (35-7, .833 at Utah State; 114-62, .648 as a collegiate head coach) in his second season at Logan, the Aggies are off to their best start since 1961-62 when they started 8-0. Smith’s 35-7 record represents the best overall record for any coach in program history. What makes the Aggies’ start all the more impressive is the fact that rising star sophomore center, Portuguese national Neemias Queta, has yet to appear in a game this season.

The Aggies are 63-18 (.778) all-time when ranked by The Associated Press.

Utah State currently scores 82.6 points per game, which ranks the Aggies 34th nationally in scoring offense.

Senior guard Sam Merrill (16.6 points, 4.6 rebounds per game, a team-best 33 assists) continues to be Utah State’s best overall player.

Junior forward Alphonso Anderson (14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) is a rising star for the Aggies, while sophomore forward Justin Bean (13.4 points, a team-best 11.4 rebounds per game) has been a double-double machine for Utah State.

Senior guard Diogo Brito, a Portuguese national, has a team-best 16 steals while Polish national, junior center Kuba Karwowski has posted a team-best 12 blocked shots.

The Aggies rank 18th nationally in scoring defense, surrendering 57.7 points per game. Utah State ranks 26th nationally in field goal percentage defense, only allowing opponents to shoot 36.2 percent from the field.

Utah State is +12.5 in on the glass per game-out-rebounding opponents on average 43.4-30.9 on the glass per game (7th nationally.). They also rank 18th nationally in rebounds per game.

They also rank 25th nationally in total rebounds (304 rebounds).

The Gaels are coached by Randy Bennett who is 419-175 (.705) in his 17th season at the helm at Saint Mary’s.

The Gaels score 76.6 points per game, ranking them 99th nationally in scoring offense.

Senior guard Jordan Ford (a team-best 20.7 points per game and a team-best 12 steals) leads the Gaels.

Redshirt junior forward Malik Fitts (13.1 points per game, a team-best 6.1 rebounds) and Australian national, redshirt senior guard Tanner Krebs (12.4 points per game) both score in double figures on average for Saint Mary’s. Krebs and Estonian national, sophomore center/forward Matthias Tass have 6 blocked shots apiece to lead the Gaels in that category.

Redshirt junior guard Tommy Kuhse has a team-best 23 assists for the Gaels.

Saint Mary’s also ranks 18th nationally by shooting 50.5 percent from the field.

The Gaels also get after it defensively as they surrender only 59.3 points per game, ranking them 33rd nationally in scoring defense.

The Gaels lead the all-time series against the Aggies 3-2 with the series tied 1-1 all-time at Moraga, Calif.