Ryan Odom Brings Unique NCAA Tournament Experience In First Big Dance With Utah State

SACRAMENTO, California – Entering his first NCAA tournament with Utah State, head coach Ryan Odom is no stranger to the madness of March.

Utah State (26-8, 13-5) received an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA tournament. They will face the No. 23 Missouri Tigers (24-9, 11-7) in the Round of 64 on Thursday, March 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. (MT).

🚨 Tip-Off Time 🚨

🆚 Missouri
⌚️ 11:40 AM MT
📍 Sacramento, CA
➡️https://t.co/IhTNEuwmb8#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/Fsixi1leEz

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 13, 2023

In 2018, Odom’s UMBC Retrievers team became the first 16-seed to advance, blowing out No. 1 overall seed Virginia, 74-54.

RELATED: Utah State Basketball Relies On Trust Entering NCAA Tournament

“That game was special,” Odom reminisced on the eve of the five-year anniversary of the that historic victory. “It’s a moment that I’ll remember forever with that group of people that I was fortunate enough to be able to coach with.”

UNREAL.

UMBC becomes the first 16 seed to upset to beat a No. 1 seed!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/iLdbVhNC0A

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 17, 2018

Odom relayed a story from a text message chain he is a part of with coaches and players from that team celebrating the anniversary of their conference championship win over Vermont that season. “It reminded me of why we do this. We coach to have those interactions, to have those special memories.”

RELATED: Utah State’s NCAA Tournament History As Aggies Prepare For Missouri

Odom, in his second season in Logan, now leads a Utah State program looking to end a nine-game losing streak in the NCAA tournament. Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year Dan Akin played on that UMBC team. Akin played 22 minutes, finishing with two points, two rebounds, and an assist.

“It takes a special group. It takes a lot of luck to win any game in the NCAA tournament. That certainly is a memory that will last a lifetime.”

Where to watch No. 10 Utah State vs. No. 7 Missouri

The Aggies and Missouri Tigers are scheduled for an 11:40 a.m. (MT) tip at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA on Thursday, March 16. This game will be broadcast on TNT.

‼️@usuHURD Watch Party‼️

➡️ The Spectrum
➡️ Thursday 11:40 AM
(Doors will open one hour prior)

FREE 🍕🍕🍕and t-shirts. We will also be raffling off a Segway Scooter, Cotopaxi Backpacks and Utah State Hydroflasks! #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/rYYo4hCg93

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 15, 2023

The winner of this game will face either the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats or the No. 15 Princeton Tigers on Saturday, March 18.

Every Utah State basketball game can be heard on the KSL Sports Zone with Scott Garrard on the call.

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