Nov. 17, 2000
Game No. 1 UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS (0-0/0-0 CCAA) at SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (0-0/0-0 MWC)
GAME #1: UCSD (0-0) at San Diego State (0-0) Saturday, November 18, 2000/7:05 p.m. Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl/San Diego, Calif.
Tonight's game San Diego State leads the series 2-0, although the teams have not met since Nov. 30, 1981... Steve Fisher coached teams have won eight consecutive season-opening games and the 1992 national coach of the year is 6-0 lifetime in home games played in November... San Diego State is attempting to win consecutive season-openers after defeating UC Riverside 73-57 on Nov. 24, 1999... Fisher is trying to become only the second Aztec head coach since 1980 to win his first two season openers at San Diego State... San Diego State went 3-3 in non-conference home games in Fisher's first season... Newcomers accounted for 139 of 172 (80.8 percent) points scored, 45 of 72 (62.5 percent) rebounds, and 30 of 39 (76.9 percent) assists during the two exhibition games... This game begins a stretch of 10 of the first 12 San Diego State regular-season games at Cox Arena.
San Diego State (0-0/0-0 MWC): Off. PPG: 62.3, Def. PPG: 74.9 Probable Starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG APG 23 Randy Holcomb F 6-9 219 Jr. Chicago, Ill. - - - 33 Myron Epps F 6-6 210 Jr. Tulare, Calif. 14.4 5.9 0.6 42 Marcelo Correa C 6-10 226 Sr. Franca, Brazil 10.2 6.4 1.3 10 Karlo Kovacic G 6-5 204 Jr. Rijeka, Croatia - - - 1 Deandre Moore G 5-9 179 So. Compton, Calif. - - - Off the Bench 11 David Abramowitz G 6-0 170 Jr. Tijuana, Mexico 7.6 1.9 3.0 3 Chris Walton F 6-8 218 Fr. San Diego, Calif. - - - 5 Al Faux G 6-2 186 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. - - - 34 Aerick Sanders F 6-8 192 Fr. Carson, Calif. - - - 32 Michael Marion F 6-7 199 Sr. Portland, Ore. 5.7 2.4 1.0 12 Andre Torres G 5-9 170 So. Chula Vista, Calif. - - - 21 Ben Wardrop G 6-2 185 So. Anaheim, Calif. - - - 44 Tad Boyes F 6-6 225 Fr. West Palm Beach, Fla. - - - Inactive 0 Jim Roban G 6-6 210 Sr. Las Vegas, Nev. OUT-Injury Head Coach: Steve Fisher (Illinois State, 1967) *?189-105 (10th full season) overall and 5-23 (second season) at SDSU Assistant Head Coach: Brian Dutcher (Minnesota, 1982) *?Second season at SDSU Assistant Coaches: Marvin Menzies (UCLA, 1986), Jim Tomey (Michigan, 1981) Director of Operations: Gregg Gotttlieb (UCLA, 1995) Athletic Trainer: Mark Haines (Metropolitan State College, 1987)
UC San Diego (0-0/0-0 CCAA): Off. PPG: 62.3, Def. PPG: 74.9 Probable Starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG APG 20 Ryan Swed F 6-5 205 Fr. Tempe, Ari. - - - 22 Cole Miller F 6-5 185 Sr. Auburn, Calif. 6.7 3.8 1.0 24 Sam Higgins F 6-6 210 Sr. Rancho Sante Fe, Calif. 15.4 4.8 1.3 32 Nick Christensen G 6-2 175 Jr. San Rafael, Calif. 9.2 3.0 3.0 14 Cameron Jackson G 6-1 185 Fr. Westminster, Calif. - - - Off the Bench 10 Michael Martin G 5-11 155 Sr. Mill Valley, Calif. 9.9 1.7 2.6 12 Roger Curtis G 6-1 180 Fr. Lafayette, Calif. - - - 21 Ryan Rikansrud F 6-3 185 Fr. Corona, Calif. - - - 30 C.J. Duffaut F 6-3 200 Fr. Lafayette, Calif. - - - 31 Kyle Moyneur F 6-3 180 Fr. Escondido, Calif. - - - 34 Erik Ramp G 6-1 200 Fr. Lafayette, Calif. - - - 40 Michael DeGrazia F 6-2 185 Fr. Castro Valley, Calif. - - - 41 Michael Roberts F 6-3 180 Fr. Novato, Calif. - - - 42 Jerry Tennison G 6-2 195 Fr. Diamond Bar, Calif. - - - 50 Clark Goolsby C 6-7 220 So. Santa Rosa, Calif. 10.3 4.4 0.5 Head Coach: Greg Lanthier (Illinois State, 1967) *?189-105 (10th full season) overall and 5-23 (second season) at SDSU Assistant Coaches: David Dillon (UCSC, 1996), Spencer Kammeijer (St. Mary's, 1995), Chris Millette (Boston College, 2000)
* - All numbers refer to 1999-2000 averages.
The UC San Diego Series SDSU leads 2-0 Year Winner Site SDSU Opp. 1969-70 SDSU H 70 65 1981-82 SDSU H 105 70
Stat Comparison Category SDSU UCSD Record 5-23 5-20 Points Per Game 62.3 70.9 Opponent PPG 74.9 78.0 Rebound Margin -6.3 +0.2 Turnover Margin -1.6 -3.1 Field Goal Pct. 40.9 40.6 Opponent FG Pct. 45.6 45.5 Free Throw Pct. 68.0 69.3 3-Pt. FG Pct. 29.9 31.1 3-pt. FGS Per Game 4.3 9.1 * -?1999-2000 Statistics
SDSU Schedule N.18 UC SAN DIEGO 7:05 N.21 NEW MEXICO STATE 7:05 N.27 at Fresno State 7:00 N.30 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 7:05 D.2 CAL ST. SACRAMENTO 7:05 D.6 at UC Santa Barbara 7:00 D.9 SAN DIEGO 7:05 D.16 ARIZONA STATE 7:05 D.21 MORGAN STATE 7:05 D.28 NORFOLK STATE 7:05 D.30 OKLAHOMA STATE 7:30 J.4 TEXAS A&M-CC 7:05 J.6 at Loyola Marymount 7:05 J.8 *NEW MEXICO 7:05 J.13 *at Brigham Young 4:00 J.15 *at Utah 7:00 J.20 *AIR FORCE 7:05 J.27 *at UNLV 7:05 F.3 *at Wyoming 4:07 F.5 *at Colorado State 7:00 F.10 *UTAH 7:05 F.12 *BRIGHAM YOUNG 7:05 F.17 *at New Mexico 1:00 F.19 *at Air Force 7:05 F.24 *UNLV 7:05 M.1 *WYOMING 7:05 M.3 *COLORADO STATE 8:30 M.8-10 Mountain West Conf. Tourney Las Vegas, Nev. All times local to site and subject to change.
UCSD Schedule N.18 at San Diego State 7:05 p.m. N.20 at Cal Poly-SLO 7:00 p.m. N.29 Christian Heritage 7:00 p.m. D.9 *at Chico State 8:00 p.m. D.10 *at UC Davis 8:00 p.m. D.13 at UC Irvine 7:00 p.m. D.15 *San Francisco State 7:45 p.m. D.16 *Sonoma State 8:00p.m. D.30 at La Verne University 5:00 p.m. J.5 *at Cal St.-Bakersfield 7:45 p.m. J.6 *at Cal St.-Stanislaus 7:45 p.m. J.12 *at Cal Poly-Pomona 7:45 p.m. J.13 *at Cal St.-San Bernardino 7:45 p.m. J.19 *Cal St.-Los Angeles 6:00p.m. J.20 *Cal St.-Dominguez Hills 8:00 p.m. J.24 *at Grand Canyon 7:45 p.m. J.27 *Grand Canyon 8:00 p.m. F.2 *Chico State 8:00 p.m. F.3 *UC Davis 8:00 p.m. F.9 *at Sonoma State 7:45 p.m. F.10 *at San Francisco State 7:45 p.m. F.16 *Cal St.-Stanislaus 8:00 p.m. F.17 *Cal St.-Bakersfield 7:45 p.m. F.23 *at Cal St.-Dominguez Hills 7:45 p.m. F.24 *at Cal St.-Los Angeles 7:45 p.m. M.2 *Cal St.-San Bernardino 6:00 p.m. M.3 *Cal Poly-Pomona 8:00 p.m.
Aztecs Open 80th-Season of Basketball with Renewal of City Rivalry One of the most anticipating seasons in school history begins on Saturday when San Diego State opens its 80th season of basketball, and the second under 1992 national coach of the year Steve Fisher, when the Aztecs play host to UC San Diego at Cox Arena on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:07 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on KPOP-AM 1360 (San Diego). The Aztecs will blend four returning letterwinners with a top 40 recruiting class in facing a schedule which features a school-record-tying 17 regular-season home games. The opener begins a streak of 10 of the first 12 games at Cox Arena. Both schools have historically produced successful basketball programs with the Aztecs posting a 1,038-905 record (53.4 percent) and the Tritons owning a 468-420 record (52.7 percent) since their 1965-66 debut.
San Diego State Cruises to a 90-71 Victory in Exhibition Game Junior forward Randy Holcomb (Chicago, Ill.) connected on 11-of-14 attempts from the field en route to a game-high 29 points as San Diego State defeated L.A. Stars 90-71 in an exhibition game at Cox Arena on Wednesday night. A transfer from Los Angeles City College, Holcomb scored seven points during a 22-3 Aztec run during the first half. San Diego State led the final 30 minutes of the game and the L.A. Stars drew no closer than nine points in the final 27 minutes of the game. Joining Holcomb in double figures for the Aztecs were junior guard Karlo Kovacic (Rijeka, Croatia) and freshman forward Chris Walton (San Diego, Calif.). Kovacic came off the bench to connect on three three-point field goals and ended the game with 16 points. Walton, who made 5-of-7 shots from the floor, tallied 12 points. Sophomore Deandre Moore (Compton, Calif.) dished out a game-high eight assists and added three steals. The Aztecs, which shot just 40.9 percent from the floor last season, shot 54.7 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from three-point range in the contest.
Know Thy Enemy: About UCSD Location: San Diego, Calif. Founded: 1959 Enrollment: 15,000 President: Dr. Robert C. Dynes Athletic Director: Earl W. Edwards Nickname: Tritons Colors: Royal Blue and Gold Arena (Capacity): RIMAC (5,000) Conference: California Collegiate Athletic Assoc.
The UC San Diego Series This is the third all-time meeting between UC San Diego and San Diego State and the first time the teams have met since Nov. 30, 1981. The Aztecs have won both of the previous meetings with the Tritons, claiming a 70-65 decision in December of 1969 and a 105-70 victory back in '81. Both games were home games for San Diego State.
Noting the Aztecs San Diego State split a pair of exhibition games this presesason, falling to Branch West 83-82 on Nov. 1 and defeating L.A. Stars 90-71 on Nov. 8. The Aztecs took advantage of the two games to use different player combinations. Nine different players recorded at least 15 minutes of action. The balance carried over into the scoring column as only junior forward Randy Holcomb (24.5 ppg) and junior guard Karlo Kovacic (12.5 ppg) averaged in double figures. Four Aztec players -?Deandre Moore, Chris Walton, Myron Epps and Al Faux - averaged between 8.0 and 9.0 ppg while seven players scored between 3.5 and 9.0 ppg. Comparing the Numbers Despite having only four returning players, including one (Michael Marion) that did not play in either exhibition game, it has not taken long to see the improvement over the 1999-2000 squad. One of the biggest areas of improvement to date has been shooting. In the two exhibition games, San Diego State shot 48.2 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range. The field goal percentage is an improvement of 7.3 percent, while the three-point field goal percentage is 6.5 percent higher than last season. Below is a look at the final 1999-2000 numbers in comparison to numbers from the first two exhibition games this season. 1999-2000 2000-2001 PPG 62.3 86.0 Opp. PPG 74.9 77.0 Scoring Margin -11.6 +9.0 FG Percentage 40.9 48.2 3FG Percentage 29.9 36.4 Free Throw Percentage 68.0 65.0 Rebound Margin -6.3 -1.5 Turnover Margin -1.6 +2.0
Opening Remarks San Diego State is 49-30 in season opening games since opening play in 1921 with a 30-13 victory over the San Diego County All-Stars. The Aztecs are 15-16 in season openers since joining the Division I ranks prior to the 1969-70 season. Last year, the Aztecs snapped a two-game losing streak in season openers with a 73-57 victory over UC Riverside at Cox Arena.
Fisher in Lidlifters Steve Fisher is 8-1 in season openers, including a 7-1 record while at Michigan. Fisher has claimed eight consecutive season opening games dating back to an 82-75 loss to Arizona in the Tip-Off Classic in the opening contest of the 1989-90 campaign.
Thankful for November Steve Fisher's teams have been known for their fast starts, and no place is that better demonstrated than in his record in the month of November. Steve Fisher has a career 6-0 record in home games played in November. The veteran coached a 5-0 record in the month while with the Wolverines and then helped the Aztecs snap a six-game November slide with a 73-57 victory over UC Riverside last season. Fisher's teams have defeated Grambling State (1989), Central Michigan (1990), Cleveland State (1993), St. Francis (1995), Ball State (1996) and UC Riverside (1999).
Wired For Cox In Steve Fisher's first season, the Aztecs posted a 3-3 non-conference record in Cox Arena. That record was a substantial improvement on the 2-6 record the Aztecs posted in the 1998-99 season. If the Aztecs win Saturday and improve to 4-3 in their last seven non-conference home record, that would equal their win total in the 10 non-conference home games prior to Fisher's arrival.
The Future Two more newcomers who will not play this season are transfers Tony Bland (a junior from Syracuse) and Brandon Smith (a senior-to-be from Michigan). Both players will be eligible for the 2001-02 season.
The Schedule San Diego State will play a school-record 17 home games (not counting two exhibitions) this season, including visits from New Mexico State and Arizona State (both were NIT participants last year) and Oklahoma State, coming off an appearance in the Elite Eight. The squad will also visit Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara and Loyola Marymount during the non-conference season.