Eli Lucero/Herald Journal, Associated Press
Since joining the Mountain West Conference for the 2013-14 college basketball season, Utah State has managed to earn a first-round bye for the league's tournament only once, in 2015.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Aggies are in position to earn a first-round bye in next month's tournament, reserved for teams that finish conference play in the top five in the standings.
Five teams currently sit within a half-game of each other from the third to seventh spots in the MW standings, including USU. Of those, the Aggies — currently tied for sixth with New Mexico — hold the season sweep over Fresno State and were swept by Wyoming.