Nov. 17, 2001
LUBBOCK, Texas - Postgame notes from the San Diego State-Northern Iowa men's basketball game on Friday night.
SAN DIEGO STATE POSTGAME NOTES
San Diego State vs. Northern Iowa
2001 Ford Red Raider Classic
Lubbock, Texas
TEAM NOTES/FISHER ERA NOTES
? San Diego State opened the season with a victory for the third consecutive year - all under Steve Fisher.
? Steve Fisher coached teams have won 10 consecutive season-opening games. His only defeat in a lidlifter came in his first full season at Michigan in 1989-90 (it was also his first defeat as a head coach).
? San Diego State's season-opening neutral-court victory marks the first time the Aztecs have claimed a win away from home to open a season since November 29, 1984 when SDSU won at UC Irvine 86-77. The Aztecs had lost seven straight season openers on neutral/road courts.
? San Diego State had lost five straight road openers prior to tonight's game. The last time, prior to the victory over Northern Iowa, that the Aztecs recorded a win in their opening road trip of the season was November 28, 1995. That day the Aztecs defeated Loyola Marymount 62-61.
? This was San Diego State first tournament victory (in-season or postseason) since winning a first round Western Athletic Conference tournament contest over Wyoming. SDSU defeated the Cowboys 60-57 in overtime on March 3, 1998. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in tournament play.
? This was the first San Diego State in-season tournament win since claiming a 90-79 victory over North Florida in the Texaco Star Classic on December 18, 1992.
? San Diego State is now 15-14 since the opening of the 2000-01 season, the best record in any 29-game span since the Aztecs were 18-11 from January 20, 1996 to January 16, 1997.
? The above .500 record posted in the last 29 games marks the first time SDSU has done that since going 15-14 from February 3, 1996 to January 30, 1997. The Aztecs had gone 147 games without posting an above .500 record in any span of 29 consecutive games.
? San Diego State's 15 victories in the last 29 games (15-14) is equal to the total number of wins the Aztecs had in the 69 games prior to the 2000-01 season when SDSU posted a 15-54 record.
? Tonight's victory coupled with a late-season win at Air Force last season has given the Aztecs a 2-1 record in its last three road/neutral court games. That is the first time SDSU has won two of three away from San Diego since winning consecutive road games at Rice and at Hawaii in the 1997-98 season. The Aztecs went 42 straight road games without winning two of three road contests.
? San Diego State's three road/neutral victories in the last 12 road/neutral games (3-9) is equal to the total number of victories in the 32 road/neutral games prior to the 2000-01 season when SDSU went 3-29.
? Steve Fisher Era vs. Pre-Steve Fisher Era. The amazing San Diego State turnaround continues under third-year head coach Steve Fisher. Below is a comparison between the Aztecs prior to the Fisher era and since Steve Fisher took over.
Before Fisher With Fisher
Overall Record 20-50 20-37
Home Record 17-31 17-15
PLAYER NOTES
? Junior guard Tony Bland recorded career highs with 24 points and eight assists in the contest against Northern Iowa. It was the first game for the junior since March of 2000 when he was playing for Syracuse. Bland had game-high honors in points, assists and steals (3).
? Senior forward Randy Holcomb scored 16 points on 7-of-13 attempts from the field. It was the 33rd career double-figure scorin ggame for the Chicago native. He has scored 10+ points in 27 of his 29 games as an Aztec.
? Playing in his first Division I college game, junior college transfer Mike Mackell scored 15 points in 25 minutes of action. He made 6-of-9 attempts.
ABNORMALITIES
? Neither San Diego State nor Northern Iowa scored a point from a reserve in the contest.
UP NEXT: TEXAS TECH
? This will be the fifth meeting between the Red Raiders and the Aztecs with the series tied 2-2. The home team has won all four meetings and no school has won consecutive games in the series. San Diego State won the last meeting, 51-50 at the Sports Arena on December 4, 1989.
? Coaches Bobby Knight and Steve Fisher have met 16 times while the two were in the Big Ten Conference. Knight owns a 10-6 edge in the series, although Fisher has won four of the last seven games between the two national championship coaches.
? This is the third consecutive season the Aztecs have played a member of the Big 12 Conference. Last season San Diego State defeated Oklahoma State 87-66 on December 30, 2001 at Cox Arena in San Diego.
? San Diego State is looking for its first tournament title (in-season or postseason) since claiming the Holiday Bowl Classic in December of 1987. Oddly enough, the Aztecs defeated Texas Tech 72-63 to claim that championship. Since then, San Diego State has competed in 18 tournaments (11 postseason tournaments and seven in-season tournaments) without a title.
? The Aztecs will attempt to go 2-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time since winning two straight in both the 1994-95 and 1995-96 campaigns. The last time the Aztecs opened 2-0, with neither win coming at home, was the school's third season at the Division I level. In the 1971-72 season, San Diego State won games at Colorado and at Nebraska to open the campaign. SDSU ended up 18-10 that season.
? San Diego State will try and improve to 2-0 away from home this season, marking the first time the Aztecs have won their first two away/neutral court games of the season since six straight away/neutral games to open the 1984-85 season. That is the last time the Aztecs advanced to the NCAA tournament, ending the season with a 23-8 record.