The change has been very, very subtle.
It arrived in the form of the tiniest of summer breezes. It carries an almost imperceptible change of direction.
But it is there. And it has started.
It might happen on a stroll through campus...or in the Gaslamp Quarter on a Friday night...perhaps on a sunny Saturday on a LaJolla beach. But occasionally, just occasionally, the conversation in Southern California is turning toward San Diego State basketball.
Aztec basketball has been around since 1922. But in many ways it is the newest lifeform in San Diego County. Director of Athletics Rick Bay put the first stone of the foundation in place in March when he named Steve Fisher head basketball coach.
Yes...That Steve Fisher.
The man with the Final Four warmups, the national championship ring and some of the biggest recruiting coups in the history of the sport.
Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl, the newest facility in America?s newest conference, has a new tenant. And it is causing some talk, as well as some excitement.
However, the introductory news conference in March and the steady stream of national media attention that has followed is only the first step.
Fisher inherits a program with loads of potential, but perhaps shy on morale. The Aztecs are coming off of a 4-22 campaign that included a 2-12 record in the Pacific Division of the Western Athletic Conference. Only one of those victories is represented by foes on the 1999-2000 schedule and there is just one senior on the roster.
The immediate challenge seems daunting. The new boss, however, has no qualms.
?My goal is to maximize every ounce of talent and energy out of every player we have,? said Fisher of his first Aztec season. ?That is my charge, although I can?t say I am sure of what that means right now because I am not very familiar with team.?
When Fisher came on board during the spring, he had two scholarships to award. Those offers were accepted by forward Jim Roban and guard Bradley Jackson. The rest of the roster is still becoming acquainted with the head man.
?I am getting to know them and they are getting to know me,? Fisher said of the squad. ?That will be an ongoing process throughout the course of the season.?
Despite the change in scenery, Fisher?s philosophies should be stamped on the Aztecs at an early date.
?I think in order to win at any level you need some easy baskets,? he said. ?We can?t walk the ball up the court for 40 minutes and win a lot of games. We have to defend well, force our opponents into some mistakes, and score some easy points.
?As a team we have to rebound well,? he added. ?We need to rebound better than what our size would indicate.?
The Aztecs head into the season in limbo. The early task for the coaching staff is identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each player and building a cohesive unit. It may be easier said than done during the fall semester.
?We have to identify who our shooters are and then get them shots,? Fisher said. ?This will not be an equal-opportunity offense where everyone gets 10 shots a game. The guys that can do it will get the shots.?
Fisher feels he has three possibilities at point guard. David Abramowitz (6-0, 170, sophomore) and Donte Wilson (6-3, 175, senior) are returning, and Bradley Jackson (5-10 freshman) signed on in the spring.
?We have three candidates and they all bring different characteristics to the equation,? Fisher said. ?David is one of our best shooters and Bradley is the quickest and best penetrator. I have been impressed with the decisions he makes.
?Donte Wilson brings a little of both of those qualities to the table,? the first-year coach added. ?We need to find out if we can play any combination of the three at the same time. We need to know what options are available to us.?
The theory of interchangeable parts will be a recurring one throughout the season as Fisher sees his team?s versatility as one of its stronger characteristics.
?I feel that there are certainly areas in which we have more strengths than others,? he said. ?I think our ability to give opponents a lot of different looks is a plus for us.?
The backcourt certainly qualifies. The shooting guard could feature any of the point-guard candidates, along with Jeffrey Berokoff (6-3, 190, sophomore), who is one of the better backcourt shooters.
If the coaching staff decides to go bigger in the back, look for newcomer Michael Marion (6-6, 190, junior) to get a look. He will, of course, also be a candidate for playing time along the front line.
?We are strongest in the 6-4 to 6-7 range,? Fisher said. ?Forget positions.?
The parade of players fitting the category include Marion and another newcomer, Jim Roban (6-6, 210), who has been slowed early on with a sore back.
The two top returning scorers from a year ago, Myron Epps (6-6, 210, sophomore) and Vincent Okotie (6-7, 230, sophomore) also fit into the picture and all could play small forward. So could Walter Small (6-4, 215, sophomore). He is coming off an injury-filled freshman season.
Of the group, Epps is the most likely candidate to move into the power-forward position.
?Myron may be the best on our team at penetrating and scoring,? Fisher said. ?We need to get him into the open court.?
Epps is the only player returning from last year?s squad with a double-figure scoring average in tow (11.8). He had a strong rookie season.
Okotie is perhaps the best athlete on the squad. He was a keystone player a year ago, despite his freshman status.
At center, San Diego State has several options. Junior Marcelo Correa (6-10, 220) may head the list.
?Marcelo may be our most accomplished big man,? according to Fisher. ?I like what I have seen of him in practice.
?Joe Mann (6-10, 265) is a big body who needs to be a factor inside. We need him to be a strong defender.?
New to the mix is freshman Eric Rohwer (6-9, 235). He was sidelined much of his senior season by injury and may need time to work off the rust.
Awaiting the new cast of Aztecs is a schedule that features an interesting blend of local flavor as well as headline competition. Six games will feature opponents that participated in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
?Oklahoma State, Southern California and Arizona State give us a good national feel,? said Fisher. ?I think the non-conference schedule provides us with some challenges as well as some opportunities for success.?
A key to the season might be a six-game homestand that envelopes the holidays. On the docket will be Southern California, UC Santa Barbara, Ball State, Loyola Marymount, High Point and Cal State Fullerton.
At the end of the non-league schedule is the first tour of the new Mountain West Conference.
?It is a tremendous league,? said the new Aztec boss. ?It is a very, very good basketball league. It will be extremely competitive and hard fought. It will be fun to be a part of it.?
The league has its staples of perennial contenders in the form of Utah, New Mexico and UNLV.
The Aztecs may enter the 1999-2000 season still looking for their place in the new conference pecking order. But with Steve Fisher at the helm of the new outfit in Cox Arena, San Diego State basketball should continue to be a hot topic of conversation in America?s Finest City.