No. 20 San Diego State vs. Utah State

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Viejas Arena

On the air: Fox; 760-AM

Records: SDSU is 8-2 (1-0); Utah State is 11-1 (1-0)

Series history: SDSU leads 20-10 and is 10-1 at Viejas Arena. The last four home meetings have been by an average of 17.5 points, including 86-67 last season.

Aztecs update: This is the first of three Saturday games on network TV, followed by Jan. 4 at Boise State and Jan. 11 at New Mexico, both on CBS. The Aztecs went from playing six games in 16 days to just one in the next 16, the 71-50 win against Cal last Saturday in San Jose. After this, they get a midweek bye, then go the remainder of the season with two games in every week except one. The Aztecs climbed three spots in the latest AP poll to No. 20, yet 15 of the 60-odd ballots still don’t list them. Two voters have them at No. 13 and five in the top 15. The two keys against Utah State are solving its matchup zone, something the Aztecs didn’t do well against UCSD in the opener; and rebounding, which they haven’t done well most of the season but did well against Cal. Still, the numbers are concerning. SDSU ranks 295th nationally in keeping opponents off the offensive boards, and Utah State ranks ninth in the rate they rebound their missed shots (39.5%). “I’m proud of how we did in the nonconference, especially without having Reese Waters,” Miles Byrd said. “If you would have told us that at the beginning of the season, you would have sounded crazy to say we’d be the 20th team in the country without one of our best scorers.”

Aggies update: The game matches teams picked fourth (SDSU) and sixth (Utah State) in the Mountain West preseason poll but have separated themselves as the conference’s best through November and December. SDSU has the conference’s top Kenpom ranking (36); Utah State is the best in the NET (29). Unlike the previous season, when new coach Danny Sprinkle had to build a roster with zero returning points, new coach Jerrod Calhoun from Youngstown State had two major pieces back from the regular season champs in guards Mason Falslev (17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Ian Martinez (17.0 points) – one of just two Division I duos averaging at least 17 points and 3.0 assists per game. “They know how to play, and they know how to win,” SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said. “You don’t win a regular-season title without knowing how to win.” Isaac Johnson, a 7-0 center who started his career at Oregon, returns as well but 6-8, 230-pound Karson Templin (10.3 points) has been getting most of the minutes inside. The 10-0 start, which includes a neutral-court win against Iowa, was the best in program history before UCSD handed the Aggies the only loss, 75-73 in Logan on Dec. 17. They rebounded from that with a 75-68 win at St. Mary’s last Sunday.

Next up: Jan. 4 at Boise State (1 p.m. PST, CBS)

–MARK ZEIGLER