Where to watch, stream UCLA vs. Utah State NCAA Tournament men’s basketball game; TV channel, tipoff time

Seventh-seeded Bruins, 10th-seeded Aggies to meet in opening round

Utah State Aggies guard Mason Falslev. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Utah State men’s basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. 

The 10th-seeded Aggies (26-7) of the Mountain West Conference will take on seventh-seeded UCLA (22-10), a first-year Big Ten member, in Thursday’s first round. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:25 p.m. Mountain time at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. 

“We’re playing probably the most storied basketball program in the history of college basketball in one of the most historic venues,” Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “So a pretty neat experience for our group. We’re excited.”

The Aggies finished third in the MWC to earn their third consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament. All three NCAA Tournament trips have come under different coaches. 

Ryan Odom led Utah State to the 2023 tournament before heading off to VCU. Danny Sprinkle took over for Odom, won the 2023-24 MWC regular-season title and guided the Aggies to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sprinkle left for Washington in March 2024. 

Calhoun, who came to Utah State from Youngstown State, kept the momentum going. The Aggies are the second program in men’s college basketball history to reach three straight NCAA Tournaments with three different non-interim coaches.

Calhoun and UCLA head coach Mick Cronin are longtime friends who separately worked under legendary coach Bob Huggins. Calhoun also knows UCLA lead assistant Darren Savino. 

“It’s kind of strange seeing them in the Big Ten, I’ve watched them a lot in the Pac-12,” Calhoun said of the Bruins. “Mick does a great job. His teams are really, really physical, they’re tough. The tenacity they play with on both sides of the ball is very real. Ball security will be critical, and we’re going to need to try to speed them up and force tempo.”

The Aggies are led by a pair of star guards in senior Ian Martinez (16.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists) and sophomore Mason Falslev (14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals).  

Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau averages 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Bruins, who finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten. 

Four MWC teams reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament: Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Utah State. Boise State was among the first four out. 

The MWC has received four or more NCAA Tournament bids in four consecutive seasons. 

Utah State vs. UCLA TV channel, live stream, betting odds

Who: Utah State and UCLA meet in NCAA Tournament first round

When: 7:25 p.m. Mountain time | Thursday, March 20

Where: Rupp Arena | Lexington, Kentucky

Live stream: Watch Utah State vs. UCLA live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

TV channel: TNT

Betting odds: UCLA -5.5

ESPN BPI prediction: UCLA has a 62.5 percent chance to win

Odds are courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.