By: Leo Woronov, Sports Director
After legendary head coach Jay Wright retired in 2022, Villanova Wildcats fell out of national relevance, missing three straight NCAA Tournaments after decades as a “blue blood” program.
That changed with the arrival of former Maryland Terrapins head coach Kevin Willard, who led Villanova to a 24–7 record and a No. 8 seed in his first season, restoring hope in Philadelphia.
On the other side, Utah State Aggies have become a consistent March presence, making four straight tournaments, the latter two of which have come under second-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun.
With a 54–14 record over two seasons and a Mountain West title, Calhoun has quickly built a winning culture in Logan.
Utah State set the tone early behind 2026 Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev, who scored on three early layups, while Villanova relied on sophomore Bryce Lindsay, who knocked down back-to-back threes to keep the Wildcats close.
The Aggies dominated inside and capitalized on baseline inbound plays, so much so that Willard took his frustrations to national television during a media timeout:
“I’m going to fire my staff,” Willard said, sarcastically. “Because we’ve given up 8 points on underneath out-of-bounds defense. The only thing I’m [going to] do is fire them and get a new staff.”
Despite Utah State’s efficiency, Villanova clawed back. Senior forward Duke Brennan controlled the glass, sophomore Malachi Palmer added timely shooting, and leading scorer Tyler Perkins hit a desperation three to tie the game.
A layup from sixth man Devin Askew gave Villanova its first lead, and the Wildcats entered halftime ahead 39–37 thanks to seven made threes, including four from Lindsay.
Villanova carried that momentum into the second half, opening on a 9–1 run fueled by Perkins, Brennan, and Palmer to build a double-digit lead.
But Utah State responded quickly.
Leading scorer M.J. Collins Jr. sparked the comeback with a three-point play, and Drake Allen, the leading pick-pocket for the Aggies, added a steal and layup to tie the game at 54.
From there, it turned into a shootout. Falslev and Lindsay traded baskets on virtually every possession as both surpassed 20 points, with Lindsay hitting his sixth three to give Villanova a 73–71 lead with six minutes remaining.
That’s when Utah State took control.
After Allen converted on free throws, Collins erupted for eight points in a two-minute stretch, highlighted by a sweet behind-the-back move leading to an and-one finish that pushed the Aggies ahead late.
Collins credited his gaming console for the nifty move.
“I’ve been playing 2K a lot lately. Just natural instinct kind of took over, and-1,” Collins said postgame.
Falslev added a mid-range jumper before Collins delivered the decisive blow: a steal and one-handed dunk that ignited the crowd.
Villanova attempted to extend the game at the free throw line, but Utah State remained composed, maintaining a ten-point lead in the final minute.
As the clock wound down at Viejas Arena, the Aggies secured an 86–76 victory, continuing their March momentum. Utah State now advances to face the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats in the second round.
Allen credited his coach’s message to the team while facing adversity in the second half.
“Coach always talks about, especially as seniors, us older guys, he talks about we’ve got to be desperate,” Allen said. “This is our last go, really, then you know we’re going to be playing pro, playing overseas, wherever we’re going to be… I think that it showed tonight – we were desperate in that last 10 minutes to get a win.”
Calhoun, already garnering interest from power four programs, remains in the moment, focusing solely on leading the Aggies on a potential run to April.
“We’ve poured ourselves into Logan, my family and I, our assistants, our administration, our players,” Calhoun said. “And when you play for something bigger than yourself and you’re coaching for something bigger than yourself, you’ve got a chance to go a long way. And that’s what this group’s been able to do.”