LAS VEGAS-Wednesday, Utah State men’s basketball (13-2, 2-0 in Mountain West Conference play) continues its Mountain West season by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center to face the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (6-8, 1-0 in Mountain West play).

The Aggies continue to excel under second-year coach Craig Smith (41-9, .820 at Utah State, .120-64, .652 as a collegiate head coach).

In Smith’s tenure, the Aggies are 17-3 in Mountain West play and 8-2 in road contests.

The Aggies score 81.8 points per game, ranking them 18th nationally in scoring offense.

Utah State also leads the nation in net rebounds (654) and is second in rebound margin per game (+11).

The Aggies out-rebound opponents 43.6-31.7 per game.

Senior guard Sam Merrill (17.7 points, 5.4 rebounds per game) continues to be Utah State’s leading scorer.

Sophomore forward Justin Bean (14 points, a team-best 11 rebounds per game, a team-best 19 blocked shots) continues to be indispensable especially as sophomore center Neemias Queta is having an injury-ravaged season.

Junior forward Alphonso Anderson (11.9 points, 5 rebounds per game) and sophomore guard Brock Miller (10.3 points per game) also score in double figures on-average for the Aggies.

Senior guard, Portuguese national Diogo Brito, has 27 steals on the season to lead the squad. Junior guard Abel Porter leads the Aggies with 59 assists.

Utah State’s stingy defense surrenders only 61.9 points per game. This ranks the Aggies 42nd nationally in scoring defense.

UNLV is coached by first-year Rebels head coach T.J. Otzelberger (6-8, .429; 76-41, .650 as a collegiate head coach).

The Runnin’ Rebels score 68.2 points per game which ranks them 260th nationally in scoring offense.

Junior guard Amauri Hardy (15.2 points per game, a team-best 45 assists and 15 steals), Canadian national, senior center Elijah Mitrou-Long (12.9 points, 4 rebounds per game) and former University of Utah forward, junior Donnie Tillman (12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds per game) each score in double figures on-average for the Runnin’ Rebels.

Senegalese national, junior forward Cheikh Mbacke Diong leads UNLV in rebounds (9.1 per game) and blocked shots (15).

The Runnin’ Rebels surrender 68.5 points per game, which ties them for 176th nationally in scoring defense with George Washington.

UNLV has traditionally dominated this series as the Runnin’ Rebels lead 32-8. The Aggies have won four out of the last five games in the series.