While the Aggies will have a hard time containing the explosive Golden Eagles' guardline, Marquette will struggle with Wilkinson and Wesley.

"We will have an advantage inside," Wesley said. "Coach has been telling us that they crowd hard with their perimeter players. So we'll probably look to go inside-out first and try to attack them on offense that way."

MU's Dwight Burke is 6-foot-8 and a strong player but not an offensive or rebounding threat. If the Aggies can get him in foul trouble, there is little depth on the inside for Marquette to rely on. 6-6 Lazar Hayward is a ferocious rebounder at 8.6 per game, but will struggle to contain either Wesley or Wilkinson.

That likely means USU will see some double-down defense.

"That's the game we played all year, and I think we have always had an advantage in the post," Wilkinson said. "I think that's one of our largest strengths, and then our outside guys are deadly."

Also making matters difficult for Marquette is the loss of starting point guard Dominic James. The senior ran the team well and averaged more than five assists per game while scoring nearly a dozen points every time on the floor.

He broke his foot, though, a few weeks ago, and the Golden Eagles are still a team trying to transform itself and find a new identity with 5-8 Maurice Acker running the show.

"We miss him," Marquette's Williams said. "But I think that with each passing day we have continued to get better and learn to be more efficient within what we have to do on both ends of the floor."

Neither team is particularly deep, with playing rotations down to eight or nine players for both teams and the starters getting the overwhelming bulk of the minutes.

The ability to keep key players fresh and out of foul trouble will be critical for Utah State's chances to advance.

"I think it's just going to be about playing solid defense and then help defense," Wilkinson said, "isn't so much about fouling but creating harder shots or getting in the way."

Aggies on the air

Utah State (30-4) vs. Marquette (24-9)

Taco Bell Arena, Boise

Friday: 10:30 a.m.

TV: CBS; Radio: 1230 AM, 610 AM, 95.9 FM

E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com