But now that they’re in, the Aggies face a similarly daunting prospect: Trying to beat the Big 12 powerhouse Texas A&M Aggies.

Few experts are giving Stew Morrill’s club much of a chance at knocking off Texas A&M, despite sporting one of the most efficient offenses in the nation that helped build a 17-game winning streak this season. And while it’s true that A&M isn’t an ideal matchup for the WAC regular season champs because of its size and athleticism (not to mention star guard Donald Sloan), Utah State is being sold far too short here.

The Aggies clean up the glass defensively and are one of the best shooting teams in the nation, hitting at a high clip from everywhere on the floor. Additionally, they refuse to let opponents dictate tempo, instead grinding games to a halt and forcing them to maximize possessions, something they can rarely do.

Some critics question whether Utah State belonged in the field at all. But expect them to be silenced after a good showing on Friday, and possibly even one of the first round’s biggest upsets.

The Aggies led virtually from start to finish, bosltered by a 32-18 scoring advantage in the post. One of the nation’s sweetest-shooting teams, they made 51 percent from the floor in front of a packed house, where they have now won 16 of their 17 games this season.

Once an afterthought for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Utah State is making that decision much more difficult for the selection committe with each win, should it stumble in the WAC Tournament. The Aggies are now 22-6 and 11-2 in the conference, and has one of the most impressive nonconference wins of any teams in the country, a win over BYU.

As important, Utah State is also one of the country’s hottest teams. The win over Wichita State was its 12 straight, and with a road game at lowly Hawaii followed by two more home games to close out the season, that streak should hit 15.