CBB Matchups

Every D1 game with tempo-free ratings, four factors and market lines, one place.

College basketball is being built for the 2026-27 season (tip-off Nov 3). What's here fills in as games are played.
Non-conferenceDee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan, UT
UC San Diego
Efficiency #121
2025-26: 23-11 · 13-9 conf
@
Utah State
Efficiency #24
2025-26: 29-7 · 18-5 conf
Fri, Nov 13 · TBD
68.0
win 16%
Projected
79.8
win 84%
No line posted yet.
Model: USU −11.8 · total 147.8 · ratings as of Sat, Oct 3
Preseason ratings start from 2025-26's final adjusted ratings, regressed toward the D1 average. The stats below are 2025-26's too; both update once 2026-27 games are played.

How the projection is built

each step, from an average D-I game to this one
Projected total
Average D-I game
148.2
PaceAdjusted tempo: Utah State 68.3, UC San Diego 68.2 → 68.2 possessions
−0.2
Utah State offense vs UC San Diego defense
+3.8
UC San Diego offense vs Utah State defense
−4.0
Projected total
147.8
Axis starts at 146 pointsPoints added or removed at each step
Projected margin
Even game
0.0
Utah State offense vs UC San Diego defense
+3.8
UC San Diego offense vs Utah State defense
+4.0
Home court+2.9 points per 100 possessions to the home offense, −2.9 to the visitors
+3.9
Utah State by 11.8
11.8
UC San Diego side ◂▸ Utah State side

Steps are rounded to one decimal, so they can differ from the total by 0.1: the margin steps add to +11.7 against +11.8. The margin is the same build seen from the home side; positive numbers help Utah State.

Pace & total

possessions per 40 minutes
Tempo, possessions per 40 minutes

Projected possessions: 68.2, from each team's opponent-adjusted tempo. On raw 2025-26 season pace, UC San Diego is the faster team (69.7, #102 of 365) and Utah State the slower (68.2, #191). When tempos clash, the slower team usually pulls the pace harder (study weights 0.80 vs 0.66).

Projected possessions
68.2
per team, 40 min
Projected total
147.8
model
Projected team totals
68.0 / 79.8
UC San Diego / Utah State
Adjusted tempo, vs an average opponent
68.2#190
UC San Diego
68.3#178
Utah State

How this game plays

what the study found each side's numbers actually do when these two teams meet
AdvantageUC San Diego
Where UC San Diego struggles: ball control
UC San Diego turns it over on 16.5% of possessions (#164); Utah State forces turnovers on 20.3% of opponent possessions (#18). Expect about 18.8%, 2.1 points above an average D1 matchup — worth roughly -2.6 points per 100 possessions.
ClashUtah State
Style match: ball movement
Utah State assists on 59.9% of its made baskets; UC San Diego allows assists on 56.9% of opponents' baskets (D1 average 52.4%). Expect about 60.2% — both habits push the same way.
AdvantageUtah State
Where Utah State scores: shooting
Utah State shoots an effective 56.3% (#18); UC San Diego allows 48.4% (#45). Expect about 52.7%, 1.4 points above an average D1 matchup — worth roughly +2.0 points per 100 possessions.
Watch for noise
3-point caution
A notable season 3-point number here (UC San Diego's defense) is close to a coin flip going forward — the study's model of next-game 3P% barely beats guessing the D1 average. Shot volume is what actually carries: expect UC San Diego at about 42.6% of its shots from three, Utah State about 43.4%.
DefenseUtah State
Utah State's ball-hawking
Utah State ranks #18 nationally in steal rate — one of the few defensive numbers that travels. Expect about 11.1% of UC San Diego's possessions to end in a steal against this defense.
ClashUC San Diego
Strength vs strength: 2-point shooting
UC San Diego (#56 in 2-point shooting) against Utah State (#45 in the same stat allowed) — both rank inside the national top 60. Expect about 51.8%. Historically UC San Diego's own number has carried a bit more weight in that exchange (0.61 vs 0.55).
UC San Diego has the ball
OffenseUtah State allowsvs D1 avg
52.6% #124
49.7% #87
-0.1 pt/100
16.5% #164
20.3% #18
-2.6 pt/100
26.1% #320
32.8% #290
-1.1 pt/100
31.2% #277
39.2% #292
+0.1 pt/100
69.3% #290
—
-0.3 pt/100
UC San Diego net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: -4.0 pts/100
Utah State has the ball
OffenseUC San Diego allowsvs D1 avg
56.3% #18
48.4% #45
+2.0 pt/100
15.1% #70
16.8% #168
+1.2 pt/100
32.7% #97
27.0% #38
-0.0 pt/100
38.8% #83
29.3% #48
-0.2 pt/100
71.0% #239
—
-0.1 pt/100
Utah State net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: +2.9 pts/100

Shot diet

Where each offense shoots from and where each defense lets teams shoot · 2025-26 numbers
UC San Diegooffense vsUtah Statedefense
Share of shots by zone
UC San Diego shoots
Utah State allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim60.3%#11255.1%#6358.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)42.6%#11038.5%#14539.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)38.1%#18333.2%#3338.0%
Three32.8%#24134.5%#22233.7%
Utah Stateoffense vsUC San Diegodefense
Share of shots by zone
Utah State shoots
UC San Diego allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim64.3%#3154.6%#5358.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)45.2%#6135.1%#5939.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)41.6%#6539.5%#21838.0%
Three34.3%#15531.5%#4533.7%
RimShort 2 (≤9 ft)Mid 2 (10 ft+)Three

Zones from play-by-play shot descriptions; garbage time removed. Bars show the share of field-goal attempts in each zone; where a slice is too thin for its number, the shares are listed under the bar. FG% ranks: #1 = best for that side (most accurate shooting, stingiest defense).

Shot volume

Extra scoring chances from rebounds, turnovers and the foul line · 2025-26 numbers
UC San Diego
+0.6extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#159 of 365
Off reb %
26.1%
#320
Def reb %
73.0%
#38
Turnover %
16.5%
#164
Forced TO %
16.8%
#168
FT rate
31.2%
#277
FT allowed
29.3%
#48
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding−1.4
Defensive rebounding+1.2
Ball security+0.2
Forcing turnovers+0.1
Foul shots drawn−1.0
Foul shots allowed+1.5
Utah State
+3.6extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#43 of 365
Off reb %
32.7%
#97
Def reb %
67.2%
#290
Turnover %
15.1%
#70
Forced TO %
20.3%
#18
FT rate
38.8%
#83
FT allowed
39.2%
#292
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding+0.8
Defensive rebounding−0.7
Ball security+1.2
Forcing turnovers+2.5
Foul shots drawn+1.0
Foul shots allowed−1.0

Utah State has more extra scoring chances per game: +3.6 (#43 of 365) to UC San Diego’s +0.6 (#159).

Grade = extra shots and foul-line trips per game compared with a D-I average team, built from six season rates. Cell shading is the national rank for each rate (greener = better for that team).

Rotation

UC San Diego2025-26 numbers
ESPN hasn't posted UC San Diego's 2026-27 roster yet — these are last season's players.
#PlayerPosClHtGP-GSMPGPPGRPGAPGTOVeFG%3P%3PA/gFT%UsageStatus
9Tom BeattieGJr6'5"34-3431.210.65.33.41.553.6%32.1%3.957.5%20.5%
8Leo BeathFJr6'8"34-3330.112.25.11.61.550.0%32.9%4.474.0%24.5%
10Alex ChaikinGSo6'5"34-1725.09.72.11.21.254.3%39.2%5.780.3%22.1%
7Bol DengditFJr6'11"34-3423.410.75.21.71.852.7%29.4%2.564.3%28.3%
0Hudson MayesGFr6'5"33-1223.911.15.71.71.256.8%35.5%0.979.8%24.4%
20Aidan BurkeGJr6'3"34-1721.76.22.51.50.754.4%31.9%3.475.0%16.4%
5Emanuel Prospere IIGSr6'5"28-2222.18.03.83.12.051.4%20.6%1.260.9%24.7%
13Jaden VanceFFr6'6"24-013.55.02.10.61.052.1%36.1%1.574.1%23.6%
23Trap JohnsonGFr6'6"24-09.22.61.30.20.348.1%30.6%1.566.7%17.6%
33Dimitrije VukicevicCFr7'0"25-07.22.61.70.60.660.0%0.0%0.050.0%23.0%
4Cade PendletonFJr6'10"19-17.72.11.50.60.141.3%27.0%1.966.7%18.7%
1Ryder ElisaldezGSo6'3"10-04.30.90.20.50.262.5%50.0%0.2100.0%10.1%
2Christopher CoxGFr6'8"5-01.40.60.40.00.050.0%50.0%0.40.0%31.0%
22Yaqub MirGSo6'2"1-01.00.00.00.00.00.0%0.0%1.0—59.8%
11Jasen BrooksGSo6'0"0-00.00.00.00.00.0——0.0——
3Tyson DunnGSr6'3"0-00.00.00.00.00.0——0.0——
Rosters come from ESPN and are still filling in; incoming transfers and freshmen may be missing.

Tale of the tape

national rank toned left for away, right for home
UC San DiegoUtah State
Efficiency
107.3
117.8
104.8
103.7
68.2
68.3
—
—
Shooting
52.6%
56.3%
55.0%
59.6%
32.8%
34.3%
69.3%
71.0%
31.2%
38.8%
Ball control & glass
16.5%
15.1%
16.8%
20.3%
26.1%
32.7%
27.0%
32.8%
8.7%
8.0%
10.2%
9.8%
Style
42.3%
40.8%
47.7%
47.4%
15.9%
16.2%
55.5%
59.9%
30.4%
37.8%
Roster
2.51
2.95
6'6.3"
6'6.4"
—
78.0%

Offseason

roster movement into this season — descriptive, not a model input
UC San Diego
Returning minutes: 100.0%Returning production: 100.0%
ESPN hasn't posted UC San Diego's roster for this season yet — no movement to show.

Returns 100% of last season's minutes. Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026). (ESPN hasn't posted this season's roster yet -- this may still be last season's list.)

Utah State
Returning minutes: 78.0%Returning production: 78.3%
Lost
  • Drake Allen 24.8 mpg, 7.7 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • Kolby King 19.3 mpg, 7.5 ppg · transferred to Auburn
Added
  • Kingston Tosi no D1 minutes last season
  • David Iweze no D1 minutes last season
  • Brayden Boe no D1 minutes last season

No incoming D1 transfers are listed on ESPN's roster yet — until they are, returning shares read high.

Returns 78% of last season's minutes; lost 2 of its top 5 (1 transferred). Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026).

Head-to-head

this season and last
No meetings the last two seasons.

The CBB Matchups tab lays out the day's Division I slate: matchup, tip time, records and rank, and — once posted — Pinnacle's spread and total (the median across books when Pinnacle has no line). Three views switch the table between projected scores, pace and totals, and each team's offensive and defensive tendencies. Each game opens into opponent-adjusted possessions, efficiency and four-factor tendencies for both teams, plus recent form, rotation and head-to-head history. Every game also carries our projected score, spread and total, built bottom-up from those same numbers: expected possessions times each side's opponent-adjusted points per possession, plus home court.

What these numbers mean: line shopping.