Basketball fans of Kansas University and Utah State have much in common this week. They’re both miffed and mystified at their teams’ seedings in the NCAA Tournament.

“The way they run the NCAA is a joke,” Utah State fan Mick Perkins told the Logan Herald Journal after the 24-8 Aggies were awarded a No. 15 seed Sunday in the West Regional. “I think it’s pretty bad. We should have been a 13 or 14 seed.”

As a 15 seed, the Aggies could have been sent to nearby Salt Lake City. Instead they were air-mailed to Oklahoma City to meet powerful No. 2-seed Kansas, a team steamed after it was dropped from an expected No. 1 to a 2-seed.

Tip is 8:40 p.m. Thursday at Ford Center.

“I was hoping it’d be Salt Lake just for travel purposes and for our fans,” fifth-year USU coach Stew Morrill said. “It would have been awfully nice. But we’re just delighted to be in and you can never let yourself get disappointed about anything when you’re in the NCAA Tournament. It’s too easy to start bickering about seeds or location or whatever.

“You just can’t do that. You’re one of 64 teams that is in the event and happy to be playing.”

Still, the Aggies made a strong case to be a 13 or 14. One of the country’s strong, but truly unsung programs, Big West member USU has qualified for the NCAA tourney four of the last six years and compiled an incredible 103-28 record since 2000.

What’s more, the Aggies have had some tourney success, shocking No. 5-seed Ohio State as a No. 12 seed in 2001 before falling to UCLA in the second round.

As a reward, the Aggies get to play Kansas (25-7) in the Jayhawks’ backyard.

“From our league, we’re going to draw a Kansas or a Duke,” Morrill said. “That’s just the nature of the RPIs and the ratings of different leagues. Some of our kids didn’t care who we played, they’re just tickled to be in the NCAA Tournament.

Workers at the ford center install a basketball court in preparation for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Workers at the Oklahoma City arena put the 169-piece court together Monday. Kansas will play Utah State Thursday at Ford Center.

“Obviously, we’re an unbelievable underdog. That’s a great opportunity to have no pressure, get a game plan together, go play basketball and see what you can do.”

The Aggies are led by two-time first-team all-Big West pick Desmond Penigar. The 6-foot-7 Big West tournament MVP averages 15.2 points and 6.6 boards a game. Center Spencer Nelson, a 6-8 sophomore, averages 10.2 points and 7.2 boards while making 64.3 percent of its shots.

More than anything, USU is known for its rugged defense, allowing just 59.8 points a game. The Jayhawks average 82.8 a game.

“I’ve never faced Kansas before. I know what everyone in basketball knows — the tradition they have, what a great program they are. I’m very familiar with their system,” Morrill said. “And they’re a team that plays to beat you by 40 if they can. That’s just the way they play, running on every possession. That will be interesting and challenging from a coaching standpoint.”

The KU-Utah State winner will meet either Memphis (23-6) or Arizona State (19-11) at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday for the right to head to the Sweet 16 in Anaheim, Calif.