If you haven’t been paying attention to Logan, Utah lately, you’re missing the loudest party in college basketball. Most casual fans look at the Top 25 and see the usual suspects—your Dukes, your Kansases, your Gonzagas. But right now, Utah State men's basketball is doing something that shouldn't be possible. They aren't just winning games; they are systematically dismantling the idea that a mid-major program has to "rebuild" every time a coach leaves.
People thought the sky was falling when Danny Sprinkle took the Washington job. Honestly, it made sense to worry. Sprinkle took the entire roster with him or lost them to the portal. The Aggies were left with zero returning points. Zero.
Then came Jerrod Calhoun.
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The Calhoun Era isn't a fluke
Jerrod Calhoun didn't just walk into the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and ask where the lockers were. He brought a specific, high-octane brand of basketball that has the Aggies sitting at 15-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in Mountain West play as of mid-January 2026.
Yesterday, they just beat Nevada 71-62. It wasn't always pretty. Nevada actually erased a halftime lead and went up by four in the second half. Most teams would blink. But this Utah State squad just went on a 14-2 run like it was a light Sunday morning shootaround.
What most people get wrong about this team is thinking they rely on one "star." Sure, Mason Falslev dropped 26 points against the Wolf Pack, but this roster is a mosaic of transfers and overlooked recruits that Calhoun has glued together. Falslev, a local kid from Sky View High, is basically the heartbeat of the program right now. He’s averaging 15.5 points and doing the "dirty work" with 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.
Why the "Mid-Major" Label is Outdated
The Aggies are currently ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll. This marks the third straight year they’ve cracked the Top 25, which is actually a program record.
Think about that.
Three different head coaches in three years—Ryan Odom, Danny Sprinkle, and now Jerrod Calhoun—and the results haven't dipped. It suggests that Utah State men's basketball has moved past being a "spooky" mid-major and has become a legitimate developmental powerhouse. They currently sit at No. 12 in the NET rankings. That isn't a "lucky" number. That's a "we’re going to be a 4-seed in March" number.
The Roster DNA: Who is actually playing?
If you're looking at the box scores, you've probably noticed MJ Collins Jr. The Vanderbilt transfer has been a revelation, leading the team with 20.5 points per game. He’s shooting nearly 48% from deep. It’s hard to guard a team when you have a 6'4" guard who can pull up from the logo and a freshman like Elijah Perryman who just recorded the first double-double with assists by a USU freshman in over two decades.
- Mason Falslev: The glue. 26 points against Nevada. 15.5 PPG season average.
- MJ Collins Jr.: The flamethrower. 20.5 PPG.
- Garry Clark: The muscle. 6'9" and shooting 72% from the floor. He doesn't miss.
- Drake Allen: The veteran. He’s a grad transfer from Utah Valley who keeps the offense organized with over 5 assists per game.
The Spectrum Magic is Real
You’ve heard about the "The HURD." You’ve seen the videos of the winning team singing the "The Scotsman" while the whole arena jumps.
But it’s more than just atmosphere.
Utah State is 15-2 at home over the last year and a half. Opposing coaches talk about the "Logan Altitude" (it's about 4,535 feet), but it’s really the pressure. Calhoun’s defense set a program record with 291 steals last season. They play a style that feels like being trapped in a blender. They force you into turnovers, then MJ Collins hits a transition three, and suddenly you’re down 10 and the students are screaming in your ear.
Basically, it's a nightmare for visiting teams.
The Road Ahead: Can they win the Mountain West?
The Mountain West is a gauntlet this year. You've got San Diego State sitting right there at 5-0 in conference play too. New Mexico and Nevada are lurking.
Utah State has a massive test coming up this Saturday against Grand Canyon in Phoenix. Following that, they return home for a huge matchup against UNLV on January 20th.
The concern for some analysts is the depth. While the starters are elite, can the bench—guys like Karson Templin and Adlan Elamin—continue to provide enough production when the starters get into foul trouble? Against San Jose State earlier this month, the bench actually scored 30 points. If they keep that up, there isn't a team in the conference that can outrun them.
What you should do next
If you are following Utah State men's basketball, don't just check the final scores. To really understand why this team is a Top 25 mainstay, you need to watch the off-ball movement.
- Watch the "Calhoun Transition": Notice how quickly they get the ball from a defensive rebound to the opposite wing. It usually takes less than 3 seconds.
- Monitor the NET Rankings: Because the Mountain West is so strong, even a "good" loss on the road can actually keep their ranking high.
- Buy tickets early: The school already announced that season tickets for the 2025-26 season are completely sold out. If you want to see the Aggies in person, you'll have to hawk the secondary markets or wait for single-game releases.
Keep an eye on the January 17th game at Grand Canyon. It’s a non-conference "bracket buster" style game that will tell us exactly how high this team's ceiling really is. If they win that one, we might be looking at the best Utah State team in modern history.