Villanova has spent the last two days studying Utah State. What have the Wildcats learned?

Logan, Utah, a city of more than 50,000 near the southern border of Idaho, was founded in 1859 by settlers sent by Brigham Young to establish a fort near the banks of the Logan River, and less than 30 years later, Utah State University was founded as a federal land-grant institution.

For the last two days, Villanova has been obsessed with Utah State, though not so much for its historical facts — like Logan’s namesake being a fur trapper, or its notable alumni including the likes of Harry Reid and Jordan Love.

No, the Wildcats are more interested in MJ Collins Jr. and Mason Falslev, the physical, experienced guards who power the Aggies’ basketball team, and the matchup zone coached up by Jerrod Calhoun, who once played for Rollie Massimino at Cleveland State.

Eighth-seeded Villanova (24-8) heads to San Diego on Wednesday ahead of its first-round NCAA Tournament West Regional matchup with No. 9 Utah State (28-6), and the last few days have revealed the challenges the champion from the Mountain West will present to Kevin Willard’s team on Friday (4:10 p.m., TNT).

Willard said the staff has watched the last six or so Utah State games. The three-guard lineup — two seniors and a junior — sticks out, as does a frontcourt that, while not overly imposing from a size perspective, is deep and can rebound.

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The Aggies run one of the most efficient offenses in the country (28th by KenPom metrics) and have the eighth-highest make percentages on two-point baskets in the country (59.3%).

“We’re going to have to do a really good job of keeping them out of the paint,” Willard said Tuesday afternoon before practice. “They have big, physical guards that can get downhill and get in there.”

Villanova senior center Duke Brennan said the team watched film Monday night. Willard said the coaching staff has been hard at work on the game plan and on Tuesday was starting to install it more extensively.

“We’re just now starting to get the guys introduced to it,” Willard said. “They have an attention span of a gnat, so if you give it to them too early, they’ll forget it by Friday.”

Villanova knows it needs to rebound better. The Wildcats were bounced from the Big East tournament on Thursday by Georgetown because they were outmuscled on the glass. The Hoyas nearly doubled them up with a 46-25 advantage and had as many offensive rebounds as Villanova did defensive rebounds. Utah State is 89th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (33.1%). It is not an overwhelming number, but it is impactful.

Brennan, who averages more than 10 boards per game, pulled in just six against Georgetown. It was only the fourth time this season he had fewer than seven in a game.

“I do take pride in that, so I put that on myself, especially having a terrible rebounding night,” he said. “That’s got to be a focal point, especially for me, but our whole team. I take that on the chest. I’m the responsibility, being a senior, being the guy that gets the rebounds.”

Falslev, a 6-foot-4 junior who is a three-year starter at Utah State, a rarity in the modern college basketball world, averages nearly six rebounds per game. Falslev and Drake Allen are capable penetrators in the backcourt who pass effectively. It’s Collins, who scores 17.6 points per game and shoots 36.6% from three-point range on more than six attempts per game, who Villanova needs to worry about most from a scoring perspective.

That will happen, like Willard said, if the Wildcats limit touches in the paint.

Villanova guard Tyler Perkins said he thinks his team, while younger (Utah State is 19th in KenPom’s experience metric), is ready for the challenge, thanks to the rigors of conference play.

“That’s what the Big East is. It’s all physical, tough guards,” said Perkins, a junior. “We practice against each other all the time, beating each other up and stuff like that. We’re used to it.”

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Perkins also will see plenty of the power forward spot with Matt Hodge sidelined by an ACL injury. Villanova has been starting sophomore forward Malachi Palmer in Hodge’s stead and using Perkins, who is 6-4, as a small-ball forward when Palmer is on the bench. Willard has hinted at deploying both centers, Brennan and backup Braden Pierce, at the same time, but said Tuesday that Utah State’s rotation won’t require that new-look lineup.

Villanova has two more days to prepare for its first-round game, a luxury of playing on Friday instead of Thursday, Willard said, but Brennan already took it upon himself to try to get an extra edge.

Grand Canyon, where Brennan played the last two seasons, spent its first season in the Mountain West this year after being in the Western Athletic Conference. Grand Canyon played Utah State twice, winning the home game by 10 and losing the road game by five. Brennan said he reached out to a few former teammates and managers for tips and insight.

“We’ll keep it under wraps, but we got some inside information for sure,” he said.

By Friday afternoon, we’ll find out how much the pursuit of information paid off.