A three-games-in-three-days stretch awaits Utah State in the Cayman Islands, starting with a matchup with Marshall. Who the Aggies play after that will depend on the result of not only USU’s game, but also results across the board, as is typical of non-conference multi-team events.

If the Aggies beat Marshall, they’ll play the winner of Florida International and Akron, but if they lose they’ll face the losing team from that same game.

How to watch

• Tip-off: 3 p.m. MT on Sunday, Nov. 19






• Location: John Gray Gym (George Town, Cayman Islands)






• KVNU Aggie GameDay with Al Lewis: 2 p.m. 






• KVNU Aggie Call with Al Lewis: Immediately after Coach Sprinkle’s post-game comments






• TV Broadcast: FloHoops






• Radio Broadcast: KVNU (102.1 FM, 610 AM) in Logan; KVNU (98.3) in Tremonton; KVNU (93.5) in Garden City; KZNS (97.5 FM, 1280 AM) in Salt Lake City; KRPX (102.7 FM) in Green River, Utah; KRPX (100.3 FM) in Moab; KRPX (95.9 FM) in Orangeville; KRPX (95.3 FM) in Price; KVSI (1450 AM/104.5 FM) in Montpelier, Idaho.

Injuries

Projected Starters

Utah State (2-1)

• G – Darius Brown (6-2, Sr.) – 15.0 points | 3.7 rebounds | 7.7 assists






• G – Mason Falslev (6-3, Fr.) – 9.3 points | 5.0 rebounds | 3.7 assists






• G – Josh Uduje (6-5, Jr.) – 12.3 points | 3.0 rebounds | 0.7 assists






• F – Great Osobor (6-8, Jr.) – 22.3 points | 8.7 rebounds | 3.7 assists






• C – Isaac Johnson (7-0, So.) – 6.7 points | 3.7 rebounds | 1.0 assists

Marshall (1-1)

• G – Kamdyn Curfman (6-1, Sr.) – 16.5 points | 2.5 rebounds | 4.5 assists






• G – Kevon Voyles (6-3, Sr.) – 13.0 points | 3.5 rebounds | 2.5 assists






• F – Jacob Conner (6-8, So.) – 2.0 points | 4.0 rebounds | 2.5 assists






• F – Obinna Anochili-Killen (6-8, Sr.) – 13.0 points | 5.0 rebounds | 0.5 assists






• F – Nate Martin (6-8, Jr.) – 15.5 points | 10.0 rebounds | 0.5 assists

Team Statistical Ranks

Pace and offense/defense efficiency ratings via Ken Pomeroy. All ranks are out of 363 Division I teams.

Summary

Utah State’s time in the Cayman Islands will be, as head coach Danny Sprinkle called it, a “business trip.” They’ll be there to build toward the expectations Sprinkle has for this team.

“I told our guys that today, ‘Don’t be bringing your swim trunks. We’re not going here for fun. We’re going here to compete and play. And we have a long way to go to get better,’” Sprinkle said.

Sprinkle wasn’t exactly thrilled by his team’s performance against Southern Utah despite a nine-point victory. The defensive effort simply wasn’t up to the standard he wants things to be at. After the game against Southern Utah, Sprinkle said he told the players, “I’m not happy with our defensive effort. “My expectations are a lot higher than theirs are. “And my expectations aren’t going nowhere.”

Marshall will bring a fast-paced offense that the Aggies will need to work hard against, giving them a chance to get closer to those high expectations. According to KenPom.com, the Thundering Herd play at the 19th-fastest pace in Division I.

That pace helped Marshall be the eighth-highest scoring offense in the league last year and feature two 20-point per game scorers. But with both of those top scorers now gone, the Thundering Herd haven’t yet managed to get back to last year’s prolific offense.

Dan D’Antoni’s team will try to do a lot of damage inside the 3-point line, last year’s team ranking eighth in 2-pointers made and this year’s team ranking 64th so far in the same category, but will certainly show a willingness to take 3-pointers. They aren’t an elite group of 3-point shooters, with the team as a whole shooting 26.7 percent, but multiple players are quite capable of letting it fly from deep and hitting from that distance. Kamdyn Curfman has a career 3-point percentage of 39.6 percent, spanning 124 career games. Cameron Crawford, who will come off the bench, has shot 45.2 percent from three, albeit on much less volume than Curfman (only 31 attempts so far).

With how much Marshall will attack the paint, it will be a prime opportunity for the Aggie perimeter defenders, particularly the guards, to get better at staying in front of their mark. It’s something Sprinkle highlighted earlier in the week.

“Our guards have to start guarding the basketball and, and keeping guys in front,” Sprinkle said. “And a lot of it is not only the guy guarding the ball, it’s the other guys that are supposed to be in gaps are just. We’re just being lazy.”