NCAA Tournament first round, San Diego, 6:45 p.m., Channel 7
Washington Huskies at a glance
Record: 24-6. Seed: No. 5
Conference: Pac-10.
RPI: 35. Bid: At large.
Tournament record: 12-13.
Last NCAA appearance: 2005.
Washington's style of play: Washington likes to run as much as possible on offense, ranking fourth in the nation in scoring at 82.4 points per game. Defensively, UW has used more zones and traps lately.
What Washington has to do to win: Three keys for the Huskies. Limiting turnovers to 15 or fewer, outrebounding Utah State by 10 or so, and hitting some three-point shots. Brandon Roy also has to get some scoring help from someone like Mike Jensen or Ryan Appleby.
Utah State Aggies at a glance
Record: 23-8. Seed: No. 12
Conference: Western Athletic.
RPI: 46. Bid: At large.
Tournament record: 6-18.
Last NCAA appearance: 2005.
Utah State's style of play: The Aggies will play a 2-3 zone most of the time on defense, pressing at times, but mostly to slow the game down, not to force turnovers. Offensively, Utah State is deliberate but will look to fast break when there are opportunities
What Utah State has to do to win: Defensively, the Aggies have to limit transition baskets and force the Huskies into a lot of jumpers. Offensively, the Aggies have to take care of the ball and hit more shots than they have recently.
WHO HAS THE EDGE?
Point guard
Justin Dentmon vs. David Pak
Maybe the most interesting matchup. Dentmon has had a solid freshman season for the Huskies, though his turnovers picked up and his shooting percentage decreased once Pac-10 play started. How he responds to NCAA tourney pressure will be key. Pak has a 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and at 29 years old, doesn't figure to be rattled by the surroundings. Edge: Utah State
Shooting guard
Brandon Roy vs. Jaycee Carroll
Give UW a big edge here. Roy was the Pac-10 Player of the Year and Washington's leader in every conceivable way. Still, the pressure is on him to lead UW deep into the tournament. Carroll is primarily a shooter and usually a good one — he averaged 45.3 percent on three-pointers during the season. But he has slumped lately, making just 2 of 17 the past four games. Edge: UW
Small forward
Bobby Jones vs. Durrall Peterson
Another spot where UW could have a big advantage. Jones' offensive numbers have been slightly down of late, but he's still a standout defender and sets a tone with his rebounding and hustle. Peterson is a JC transfer who stands just 6-3 and has been used as a backup point guard at times. Also has been in a shooting slump of late. Edge: UW
Power forward
Jon Brockman vs. Nate Harris
The one spot where Utah State has an unquestioned edge. Brockman might not have lived up to all the hype during his freshman year, but he's UW's leading rebounder and shot 51.9 percent from the field. UW will need him to be aggressive during the tourney. Harris is Utah State's best player, the one Aggie who would undoubtedly start for any Pac-10 team. Shot 62.2 percent this year. Edge: Utah State
Forward-Center
Mike Jensen vs. Cass Matheus
UW went 8-1 once Jensen was inserted into the starting lineup as his three-point shooting stretched the defense, and he plays solid defense. Matheus is a junior-college transfer who has decent size (6-10, 235) and has put up respectable numbers, but was overmatched going against Arizona's Channing Frye in the tournament last year. Edge: UW
First off the bench
Jamaal Williams vs. Chaz Spicer
This should be another big edge for the Huskies. Williams has been more consistent as a reserve than he was as a starter, and gives UW some solid bench scoring. Hitting 50 percent of his shots last four games. Spicer, more of a traditional power forward, is Utah State's sixth man, and shot 55.9 percent from the floor this year. Edge: UW
Coach
Lorenzo Romar vs. Stew Morrill
Romar has done an amazing job turning UW's program around. But if there's a possible nit to pick, it's that the Huskies have lost as a higher seed in the NCAA tournament each of the past two years. Stew Morrill is one of the most underrated coaches in the game and seems to always get the most out of his team. The Aggies won't be unprepared for what the Huskies do. Edge: Push
Prediction
Washington 75, Utah State 64
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