Aztecs and Rebels Meet in Rematch of 2002 MWC Championship Game

Feb. 10, 2003

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UNLV (13-7/2-4) at San Diego State (12-7/3-3)

Tuesday, February 11, 2003 7:05 p.m. PST (announced) Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl (12,414) San Diego, Calif.

Tip Time: Tip time is set for 7:06 p.m. PST.
Television: The game will be produced by Sportswest and televised locally by Channel 4 San Diego. Dave McCann (play-by-play), Bill Frieder (analysis), Mikel Minor (producer).
Radio: XTRA 690-AM. Jim Stone (play-by-play), Mike McGregor (producer).

SDSU Coach Steve Fisher: Fisher (Illinois State '67) is in his fourth season at San Diego State with a record of 52-56. Now in his 12th full season as a head coach, he has amassed a 236-138 mark. Fisher led Michigan to the 1989 national championship and made three trips to the national championship game in his eight full seasons in Ann Arbor. The 1991-92 national coach of the year, he led the Aztecs to a 21-12 mark last year en route to the NCAA Tournament. Fisher has helped the Aztecs increase their win total in each of his first three seasons (from 4-to-5-to-14-to-21).

UNLV Coach Charlie Spoonhour: Coaching his second season at UNLV and 18th overall as a Div. I head coach, Spoonhour (Coll. of the Ozarks '61) holds a career head-coaching record of 352-189, including a 34-18 mark at UNLV. Spoonhour and the Rebels are looking for a second straight postseason trip and the program's first NCAA bid in three seasons.

The Series: San Diego State and UNLV will meet Feb. 11 for the 29th time, with the Rebels having compiled a 22-6 lead in the series. UNLV has won eight of the 11 all-time meetings in San Diego. After dropping overtime decisions in the first two meetings last season, the Aztecs won the most important contest against the Rebels last year by claiming victory in the MWC Tournament final to earn a 2002 NCAA Tournament berth.

The Tickets: Tickets are available for the game through the SDSU ticket office (619-283-SDSU) or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets range in price from $10-20.

Aztecs and Rebels Meet in Rematch of 2002 MWC Championship Game
San Diego State (12-7 overall/3-3 Mountain West Conference) concludes a three-game homestand when the Aztecs play host to UNLV (13-7/2-4) on Tuesday night at Cox Arena.

The game is a rematch of last season's EAS Mountain West Conference Championship contest when the Aztecs defeated the Rebels 78-75 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. and will be televised by SportsWest, including locally on Channel 4 San Diego. The game is also available on ESPN's Full Court package. The contest can be heard along the West coast on XTRA-AM 690 (San Diego).

The Aztecs have been off since last Monday (Feb. 3), when they broke a three-game losing streak with an 80-70 victory over Wyoming. The Aztecs led all but 77 seconds of the contest, and were up by as many as 16 points in the second half in claiming their third straight victory over the Cowboys.

Senior guard Tony Bland scored a game-high 18 points and freshman forward Evan Burns tallied 17 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists in his first start. Junior forward Aerick Sanders posted his second career double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds as SDSU enjoyed a 39-23 advantage on the boards.

After a 98-73 drubbing at the hands of USC Sunday, UNLV has split its last four games. The Rebels turned the ball over a school-record 34 times, all but neutralizing their 62.8 percent shooting for the game. However, UNLV has won two of its last three conference games after an 0-3 start.

The Aztecs and Rebels are meeting for the 29th time with UNLV owning a 22-6 series advantage. The Rebels have won eight of the 11 games played in San Diego. In the last meeting between the teams, San Diego State defeated UNLV in Las Vegas for just the second time in school history and the first time since 1979 with a 78-75 decision in the championship game of the MWC tournament.

Last season's three games between the Rebels and Aztecs were decided by a total of 11 points with two of the three going to overtime.

Tickets are available for Tuesday's game and may be purchased through the SDSU ticket office (619-283-SDSU) or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

Streaks, Storylines and Sidebars

• Since Feb. 13, 2002, no Mountain West Conference team has posted a better league record than San Diego State. The Aztecs' mark of 8-4 is tied with Brigham Young, Utah and Wyoming for the best conference mark. It is worth noting that it does not include San Diego State's 3-0 record during last season's MWC tournament. Overall, the Aztecs have won 11 of their last 15 games against MWC teams (11-4).
• At 12-7, San Diego State has tied its best record after 19 games since the 1984-85 NCAA tournament-bound team opened with a 15-4 mark. The Aztecs are a game ahead of last season's pace, when SDSU got off to an 11-8 start before ending the season with a 21-12 record and a trip to the NCAA tournament. The 1984-85 squad also advanced to the NCAA tournament and ended the campaign with a 23-8 record. The 12-7 mark ties for the sixth-best 19-game mark of the team's Division I era.
• In each of the Aztecs' first six conference games this season, the result, for the opponent and location of the game, has been the opposite of last season. This season's wins - at Air Force, vs. Utah and vs. Wyoming - were losses last season, while this season's losses vs. BYU, at New Mexico and vs. Colorado State, were victories last season. Aztec fans hope the trend continues Tuesday when SDSU plays host to UNLV (an 80-79 overtime loss last season at Cox).
• The Aztecs opened league play 2-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 season (first time in seven seasons). In addition, the Aztecs' 3-3 record in conference is the best in the school's MWC history (2000: 0-6, 2001:1-5, 2002: 2-4, 2003: 3-3). The last time San Diego State posted a better league mark after six games was the 1995-96 squad was 4-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.
• It is no secret that the free-throw line has been unkind to the Aztecs this season. San Diego State has been outscored 296-258 from the charity stripe this season, including a 103-65 margin in six league games. That equates to 6.3 points per conference game. What makes matters worse is that SDSU's league opponents have connected on 76.3 percent of their free throw attempts. That percentage, compared to the 325 Division I schools, would rank 10th nationally. Going into Saturday's conference contests, the 76.3 free-throw percentage is 7.5 percentage points higher than the six MWC opponents' combined average (68.8) this season. Each opponent, except for Wyoming, shot better than its season percentage against the Aztecs.
• Another example of the disparity at the free throw line can be shown through field goals made. The Aztecs have made more field goals than their last seven opponents dating back to the Jan. 6 game against Texas Tech. Despite that fact, SDSU has posted just a 4-3 record.

Sanders Named MWC Player of the Week
Aztec junior forward Aerick Sanders was named Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his performance in the Aztecs' win over Wyoming Feb. 3. The Carson, Calif., native registered career-high totals of 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Aztecs upended the then-first place Cowboys for the third straight time, 80-70.

The honor marks the first career player of the week award for Sanders and the first for the Aztecs this season.

Sanders shot 7-of-10 from the field - hitting at least 50 percent of his field-goal attempts for the 13th time in 14 games - en route to his second career double-double. He hit 5-of-7 shots in the second half while the rest of the team went 9-for-22 as the Aztecs extended a 41-39 halftime lead into their second-largest victory (10 points) ever over the Cowboys.

Of Sanders' 14 boards against Wyoming, six came on the offensive glass as SDSU built a 39-23 rebound advantage over a Cowboy team that had fewer caroms than its opponent for only the third time this season. His 24 boards over the last two games has propelled the Aztecs to a 79-53 rebound advantage over the conference's top two rebounding teams, Colorado State and Wyoming.

He also registered two blocked shots, giving him at least one block in 13 games, and now has 66 rejections for his career (eighth all-time in SDSU history).

SDSU Mountain West Conference Player of the Week Award Winners2000-01 Randy Holcomb 12.18.00 Randy Holcomb 1.8.012001-02 Tony Bland 12.3.01 Al Faux 12.10.01 Randy Holcomb 1.14.022002-03 Aerick Sanders 2.10.03

Aztec Cliff Notes
Steve Fisher, who has authored one of the nation's most remarkable turnarounds at San Diego State, has San Diego State playing some of the best basketball in the Mountain West Conference and the entire West coast.

The Aztecs have won 12 of their last 17 games in posting an 12-7 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Mountain West Conference play. Two of the Aztecs' six losses have come to nationally ranked opponents in top-ranked Arizona and then-No. 23 Texas Tech and two others occurred prior to sophomores Travis Hanour and Chris Manker and freshman Evan Burns were cleared to play.

Statistically, solid defense and rebounding have been the Aztecs' two major weapons this season. San Diego State has only been out-rebounded three times this season and boasts a +5.7 rebound margin. Meanwhile on defense, the Aztecs have limited their opposition to 42.5 percent field-goal shooting with no opponent shooting better than 50 percent against the Aztecs this season.

The Aztecs sport one of the nation's most experienced backcourts in seniors Tony Bland and Deandre Moore. Both have played in more than 100 career games and are among the conference leaders in many categories.

Bland, who last season became the first player in MWC history to rank among the league's top 10 in points and assists and the top 20 in rebounds, ranks among the conference leaders in four statistical categories - points, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and free-throw shooting. Bland is averaging a team-high 15.8 ppg and is second in the league with a 1.69 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Moore, the quintessential point guard, is the second-leading assist man in the league and has become quite a threat from long range. He has connected on 44.4 percent from bonus distance and is fifth in the conference in three-point percentage and 11th in three-point field goals made (1.5 per game). Moore is averaging 8.4 ppg, 4.4 apg and 3.5 rpg.

San Diego State's inside game is led by one of the conference's premiere low post players in Mike Mackell. The senior is seventh in the MWC in scoring, averaging 15.5 ppg, and is 16th in rebounding at 4.6. He is also connecting on 57.3 percent of his shots from the field, second-best in the league.

Aerick Sanders has started all 19 games this season at the power forward spot. The junior is third in the league in rebounding and posting 6.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg. He has produced 12 games with nine or more rebounds.

The fifth starting spot had largely been determined by match-ups going into the Wyoming game Feb. 3 and was filled by wing players freshman Steve Sir and sophomores Tommy Johnson and Travis Hanour. All three contribute in different ways: Sir (5.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg) is an unbelievable three-point shooter who has made 32 treys and is connecting on 37.2 percent of his long-range attempts this season;. Johnson (5.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg) is an athletic wing with the ability to beat people off the dribble; and Hanour (3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg) is the most athletic of the three but has fought tendinitis in both knees throughout the season.

However, after coming off the bench since making his long-awaited Aztec debut on Dec. 7 against top-ranked Arizona, McDonald's All-American freshman Evan Burns made his first collegiate start against Wyoming and produced 17 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists in a career-best 29 minutes. Burns is fourth on the team in scoring with 8.2 ppg and third in rebounding at 4.5 rpg despite averaging only the sixth-most playing time at 18.4 minutes per game.

Fisher's bench is deeper than it has been in the past with three of the group of Burns, Sir, Johnson and Hanour coming off the bench and and sophomore center Chris Manker and freshman walk-on John Sharper ready to contribute.

Manker, the Aztecs' tallest player at 7-0, has shown guard-like skills. He can run the floor and pull up and shoot the three. He is averaging 2.9 ppg and 1.9 rpg and has played in all 15 games since he became eligible.

Sharper, who was originally recruited to back up Moore at the point guard position, has proven he can play both guard spots. He has averaged 2.2 ppg in 17 games and has turned the ball over just six times in 170 minutes of action, including just two turnovers in his last 116 minutes.

Aztecs Snap Three-Game Skid By Defeating First-Place Wyoming, 80-70
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State led for all but the first 77 seconds of the contest en route to a 80-70 victory over Wyoming on Big Monday at Cox Arena. The Aztecs snapped a three-game losing streak and defeated the first-place Cowboys behind a balanced scoring effort of four players in double-figures and a plus-16 advantage on the boards over the NCAA's 14th-best rebounding team.

Of Wyoming's last three losses to Mountain West teams, three have come at the hands of the Aztecs, who won their third straight in the series. At 3-3 in the MWC and 12-7 overall, SDSU earned its best-ever Mountain West start after six games and its best overall beginning after 19 games since the 1984-85 NCAA Tournament-bound Aztecs began 15-4.

Wyoming (16-4 overall, 4-1 MWC) trailed from the 18:43 mark of the first half on en route to only its second loss in its last 15 games. SDSU utilized a 14-2 run early in the first half and held a lead of 11 points once and margins of 10 points at five different times before Uche Nsonwu-Amadi's 6-for-6 shooting had the Cowboys back in it at 41-39 by halftime.

The teams battled back-and-forth for the first six minutes of the second half with the Cowboys coming within two points on four occasions. However, a 17-4 Aztec run sparked by six Mike Mackell points and capped by an Evan Burns three-pointer as he recovered a loose ball and faded out-of-bounds with the shot clock expiring gave the Aztecs their largest lead at 69-53.

A 13-2 run brought the Cowboys within 71-66 at 1:34, but the Aztecs converted 7-of-10 free throws (including 6-for-6 by Burns) to claim a 10-point victory, their second-largest margin ever against Wyoming.

With a 39-23 rebound advantage including 23-13 in the second half and a 14-6 edge on the offensive glass, SDSU out-rebounded its opponent for the 14th time in 18 games. The Aztecs also set a season-low for turnovers in MWC play with 11 as they won for only the fourth time in the Steve Fisher era when the opposition shot 50 percent from the field.

Senior Tony Bland led the Aztecs in scoring (18 points) and shot better than 50 percent from the field for the fifth straight game. Mackell added 17 points as did Burns, who also recorded eight rebounds and career-highs in assists (five) and minutes (29) in his first collegiate started. Junior Aerick Sanders registered career-best figures of 14 points and 14 rebounds, the Aztecs' highest-ever rebound total by an individual in MWC play.

Nsonwu-Amadi and David Rottinghaus led the Cowboys with 14 points despite each being held to just two second-half points. Donta Richardson, who came into the night averaging 20.1 points over his last 10 games, was harassed into 2-of-11 shooting and seven points by an Aztec defensive effort headed by Bland.

NOTES OF THE GAME: In its past two games, SDSU out-rebounded the MWC's top two rebounding teams (and two of the NCAA's top 14) by a combined margin of 79-53... The 13 made free throws, seven of which came in the final 1:09, matched SDSU's total free-throw makes from past two games... The Aztecs' three-game win streak over the Cowboys matches their longest against a MWC opponent since the league's inception.

San Diego State - UNLV: The Series
San Diego State and UNLV are meeting for the 29th time in history, with the Runnin' Rebels holding a 22-6 series lead including a 8-3 mark in San Diego.

• If the SDSU-Wyoming series has produced some great games in recent memory, the Aztecs-UNLV series is right there with it in terms of recent close outcomes. The Aztecs and Rebels played three times last season and produced a pair of overtime games and a title game for the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship, won 78-75 by the Aztecs.
• Three of the last five games (and three of the last four regular-season meetings) between the teams have gone to overtime, including both regular season meetings last season. The Rebels have won all three, as the Aztecs have yet to win an overtime game under Steve Fisher at 0-6 and have lost their last seven extra-period games overall. Of the team's last six meetings, three have gone into overtime, one was decided by three points and another was decided by five points.
• Three of the Aztecs' top six points allowed totals in MWC games have come against the Rebels, two of which happened in 2000 (64-85 on March 2 at home and 55-83 on Jan. 22 at UNLV) and the 76-83 overtime loss at Vegas last season. However, the Aztecs' second-largest MWC victory ever came in the 2001 season's second meeting on Feb. 24, an 83-66 win at home in which the Aztecs set a team MWC single-game record with 13 made three-point field goals.
• SDSU has faced UNLV three times in NCAA tournaments, more than any other opponent. The Aztecs are 1-2 in those games, earning a victory in the 1967 NCAA Div. II Tournament regionals but dropping first-round decisions to ranked Rebel teams in the 1975 and '85 NCAA Div. I Tournaments.
• A win Tuesday would give the Aztecs consecutive victories over UNLV for the first time ever. The Aztecs defeated the Rebels in the Mountain West title game in their last meeting.

San Diego State Players vs. UNLV

• Senior guard Tony Bland: Bland averaged 12.3 points in the three games vs. UNLV last season and shot 46.7 percent from the floor. However, he'd probably like to forget his free-throw shooting as he made just 8-of-16 attempts, including an 0-for-6 in the overtime loss on Feb.23 at Vegas. He grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in the Mountain West title game.

This season, Bland is not only the team's top scorer at 15.8 points per game, he has also become the Aztecs' top defensive stopper. Head coach Steve Fisher has tabbed Bland to match up with the opposition's top wing player and he has regularly held in check some of the nation's top players at the two or three positions. Bland should have his choice of match-ups against the athletic Rebels, with scoring guards like 6-2 Demetrius Hunter, 6-2 Marcus Banks and 6-4 Jermaine Lewis, as well as multi-talented 6-10 forward Dalron Johnson.

The following is a look at how the Los Angeles native has held several of the nation's top players in check and below their season shooting percentages and scoring averages.

Season GameOpponentPlayer FG% Avg. TP FG 3FG FT OutcomeHawai'i Carl English 43.5 19.9 16 4-15 3-7 5-7 W, 60-49Tx Tech Andre Emmett 53.7 21.1 16 8-21 0-1 0-0 L, 75-63Utah Nick Jacobson 41.9 12.6 11 4-16 0-8 3-3 W, 58-56BYU Travis Hansen 46.3 15.5 14 4-7 0-1 6-9 L, 80-69UNM Ruben Douglas 40.7 26.2 21 4-17 3-10 10-10 L, 62-66WYO Donta Richardson43.8 16.8 7 2-11 0-4 3-5 W, 80-70

• Senior center Mike Mackell: In his first trip through the Mountain West last season, Mackell put up perhaps his most impressive numbers against UNLV. He made 65.4 percent (17-26) of his shots against the Rebels and averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. Mackell scored in double-figures each game, including 15 points on a season-high seven field goals as the Aztecs defeated Vegas in the title game of the MWC tourney.

However, as he was want to do last season in adjusting to the Div. I game out of junior college, Mackell fouled out of the first two UNLV contests, two of nine disqualifications for the Washington, D.C., native last year.

That trend has changed for Mackell this season, as fewer fouls have led to more time on the floor and increased productivity for the 6-9 center. This season, Mackell has played at least 20 minutes in every contest and has nine games with two or fewer fouls and just five foul-outs. The 6-9 senior is averaging 15.4 points, 27.7 minutes and 2.8 fouls per game this season compared to 10.6 points, 22.2 minutes and 3.4 fouls.

• Senior guard Deandre Moore: With five games and four starts against UNLV, Moore has played and started more times against the Runnin' Rebels than any other active Aztec (Chris Walton has appeared in five games with no starts against UNLV). He has also saved his best Mountain West play for UNLV, shooting 50 percent from the field (13-26) and 73.3 percent from the line (11-15) while averaging 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds. He has registered three of his 19 Aztec career double-doubles against the Rebels, including 11 points propelled by perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the free-throw line in the Mountain West title game last season.

• Junior forward Aerick Sanders: After missing both UNLV contests as a freshman due to a stress reaction in his right foot, Sanders played in all three games last year against the Rebels and totaled seven of the Aztecs' 12 blocks in just 42 minutes of action en route to finishing seventh in the league with 0.88 blocks per game.

Last Year's Meetings

• San Diego State 78, UNLV 75
  March 9, 2002 (MWC Tournament Championship - Thomas & Mack Center - Las Vegas, Nev.) LAS VEGAS -- Deandre Moore hit two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining as fifth-seeded San Diego State beat third-seeded UNLV, 78-75, to win the Mountain West Conference tournament and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1985.

The Aztecs led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but UNLV got within one point on two free throws by Marcus Banks with 4.8 seconds remaining. Moore was fouled with 3.3 seconds left, and went on to convert both free throws to clinch the win for the Aztecs.

Tournament MVP Randy Holcomb led SDSU with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Al Faux added 16 points and Mike Mackell had 15.

Lou Kelly paced the Rebels with 24 points. Dalron Johnson had 23 and Marcus Banks scored 18.

The Aztecs led 68-53 with five minutes left to play, but turned the ball over five straight times as the Rebels rallied to cut the lead to 68-62 with 3:55 left.

Banks and Johnson scored all nine points for the Rebels in that run. Mackell ended the streak with a layup to put the Aztecs ahead 70-62.

The Aztecs extended their lead to 74-68 on two free throws by Moore, but Banks made a three-point play to bring the Rebels to within 74-71 with 1:06 remaining. With 30 seconds left, Kelly connected on an inside jumper to pull the Rebels within two, 75-73.

Banks converted two free throws with 4.8 seconds left to bring the Rebels within one point of catching the Aztecs, but Moore's two free throws in the final seconds thwarted the Rebels' chances of a come-from-behind win.

• UNLV 83, San Diego State 76 (OT) Feb. 23, 2002 (Thomas & Mack Center - Las Vegas, Nev.) LAS VEGAS -- For the second time in the 2001-02 season, and the third time in two years, UNLV defeated San Diego State in overtime. This time, the Rebels rallied from a four-point deficit in the final 19 seconds of regulation to claim an 83-76 victory at the Thomas & Mack Center on February 23.

San Diego State never trailed in the first 40 minutes of the game, racing out to an 11-0 lead and settling for a 27-19 halftime advantage. The Aztecs enjoyed a lead for almost the entire second half and led by eight points with 3:43 left, six points with 2:55 remaining and four points with 19 seconds left.

Marcus Banks, who scored 34 of his 36 points after intermission, hit a layup to cut the deficit to two points with 13 seconds left. Al Faux converted one of two free throws to give the Aztecs a three-point advantage with 12 seconds left, but Banks capped his brilliant second-half by sinking a three-point shot with less than five seconds to play to tie the game and force the extra period.

The Rebels scored eight of the first 10 points in the extra session en route to the seven-point win.

San Diego State connected on 50.8 percent from the floor and out-rebounded the Rebels 43-35, but could not overcome 19 turnovers and 11-of-24 free-throw shooting in the loss.

Banks scored a game-high 36 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Randy Holcomb paced four Aztec players in double figures with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

• UNLV 80, San Diego State 79 Jan. 26, 2002 (Cox Arena - San Diego, Calif.) SAN DIEGO -- UNLV's Louis Amundson made a free throw with 2.4 seconds left in overtime to lead the Rebels, who withstood a 15-point second-half Aztec rally, over San Diego State 80-79 on January 26.

UNLV scored the first seven points in overtime, but had to fight to hang onto its 76-69 lead.

San Diego State's Al Faux made the first of two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to tie the game at 79, but UNLV picked up the rebound when his second shot missed. Amundson was then fouled by Tony Bland, but he too was unable to convert his second attempt, and SDSU rebounded with 2.1 seconds left.

Following a time out, Brandon Smith inbounded to Bland, whose shot from just inside half-court bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

San Diego State was down by 15 with 12:05 left, but rallied to force overtime. The Aztecs used a 24-12 run to cut UNLV's lead from 54-39 to 66-63 with 2:13 left in regulation. Randy Holcomb scored seven points in the run, including a three-pointer, and Mike Mackell had six.

Tony Bland drove the baseline with 26 seconds left to tie the score at 69, and UNLV's Vince Booker missed a last-second shot.

San Diego State suffered its second consecutive overtime loss. Coupled with the overtime loss to Wyoming, it marked the first time in school history that the Aztecs lost in overtime in two straight games.

About UNLV
Tuesday's game will likely decide if either the Aztecs or Runnin' Rebels have a run left in them to contend for the Mountain West title. UNLV, tabbed for second in the preseason coaches' poll, enters the game a disappointing sixth place in the MWC at 2-4 after dropping its first three conference games.

Head coach Charlie Spoonhour, in his second season at UNLV and 18th overall, has assembled the conference's most athletic team. The Runnin' Rebels lead the MWC in scoring (77.2 ppg), steals (9.45 spg) and turnover margin (+2.35). With UNLV forcing turnovers to the tune of 18.5 per game, the Aztecs will have to protect the ball better than they did last year when they gave away a total of 56 possessions in the three games vs. the Rebels.

But with their up-tempo game, the Rebels are last in the league allowing 73.3 points per game and next-to-last in field-goal percentage defense (46.2 percent). They've also been out-rebounded by an average of 1.2 boards per game, sixth in the MWC and a good omen for the Aztecs who have averaged a plus-9.7 margin on the boards in conference play.

Senior guard Marcus Banks is putting together a potential conference player of the year season by posting impressive numbers on both ends of the floor. If it weren't for Ruben Douglas' scoring spree this season, Banks would be pulling off the rare feat of leading the league in scoring (19.2 ppg), assists (5.70 apg) and steals (3.15 spg). Senior forward Dalron Johnson is also an all-conference candidate with averages of 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Junior guard Demetrius Hunter, in his first year at Vegas after transferring from Georgetown, was voted the league's top newcomer in the preseason coaches' poll and is averaging 10.6 points, but he missed two of the past three games with an achilles injury.

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad
There have been four interesting statistics with the Aztecs getting off to a 3-3 league start, matching the school's best since a 4-2 record to open the 1995-96 Western Athletic Conference season.

Two have been positive and would lead you to believe SDSU is better than 3-3, while two are negative and lead you to wonder how SDSU has won a league game.

On the positive side, the Aztecs have posted a 47.6 field goal percentage while limiting opponents to 44.4 shooting in conference play. The second positive stat is in rebounding, where the Aztecs own a league-best +9.7 rebound margin with an average of 12.5 offensive boards per game to their opponents' 6.7.

In the negative ledger, San Diego State's turnover margin is -2.2, next-to-last in the conference, while the Aztecs are averaging only 15.7 free-throw attempts per game compared to their opponents' 22.5.

Baby Aztecs Makin' An Impact
San Diego State's freshman class of Evan Burns, Steve Sir, John Sharper, Trimaine Davis and Markee White have made have made quite an impact in their inaugural season wearing the scarlet and black.

The class has combined to average 16.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.6 apg and 47.5 minutes through 19 games this season. That is even more impressive when considering McDonald's All-American Evan Burns missed the first four games of the season.

Of the nine players that saw action in each of the four games this season, four were freshmen - Trimaine Davis, John Sharper, Steve Sir and Markee White (one other was a sophomore - Tommy Johnson). Additionally, freshman Evan Burns and sophomore Chris Manker debuted against Arizona and against Hawai'i sophomore Travis Hanour joined the mix. The three have received significant minutes even as they adjust to game action.

The five have given the Aztecs the most productive freshman class of the Steve Fisher era.

More on this season's freshman crop:

• Evan Burns: One of two true freshmen on the SDSU roster, Burns produced his breakout game of the season against Florida Atlantic Dec. 28... In only his fifth collegiate appearance, Burns produced 21 points, four offensive rebounds and four steals in only 18 minutes of action... He shot 7-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in becoming the only current Aztec to surpass the 20-point mark in a game in his freshman season... He registered his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Loyola Marymount in scoring in double-figures for three straight games, a career first... Despite reaching 20 minutes only five times in 15 games and being held scoreless against Hawai'i, Burns is the squad's fourth-leading scorer at 8.2 points per game... He is supplying instant offense off the bench, as he entered the Air Force game with the Aztecs trailing by five six-and-a-half minutes in and promptly reeled off eight straight points to give SDSU the lead... He scored a game-high 14 points vs. the Falcons... Then against Utah, Burns scored all five of his points in the Aztecs' game-breaking 18-4 run in the second half... Earned his first collegiate start vs. Wyoming and ended up 17 points, eight rebounds and career-highs in assists (5) and minutes (29)... Has six double-digit scoring games... Burns' stats averaged over 40 minutes per game translate to 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.9 blocks.
• Trimaine Davis: A redshirt freshman, Davis appeared in the first 12 games this season and has accumulated 31 points and 19 rebounds in 139 minutes of action... He is averaging 8.2 minutes per contest. Davis, who made all 15 of his shots during the preseason, went 3-for-3 from the floor in scoring a career-high six points against UCSD.
• Steve Sir: A redshirt freshman, Sir started the first six games of the season and the Aztecs' game at New Mexico... He registered a career-best six threes on Dec. 2 against UCSD... He has a team-high total of 32 three-point field goals and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line before missing his only attempt against USD... The sharp-shooter from Minnesota, who made at least two treys in each of his first five games and has multiple threes in 10 contests, boasts the MWC's 14th-best three-point percentage at .372 and is averaging 5.9 points per game.
• John Sharper: A walk-on freshman, Sharper has played 170 minutes including several at the point guard position.. Sharper has looked solid handling the ball and has committed just six turnovers in 170 minutes of action, including a career-high turnover-free 20 minutes against Colorado State largely spent spelling a flu-plagued Moore... He also played 16 minutes without a turnover against LMU, 15 turnover-free minutes vs. Wyoming 14 miscue-free minutes against New Mexico... He has committed just two turnovers over his last 116 minutes... Sharper grabbed a career-high five rebounds in 12 minutes and contributed a three-pointer to SDSU's record-setting barrage of 16 treys against UCSD, and his three-pointer capped the Aztecs' game-breaking 20-6 run in the win at Long Beach... He set his career high with eight points and hit two three-point field goals in a game for the first time against Florida Atlantic... Of his 26 field-goal attempts, 22 have come from three-point range, and his .455 three-point field goal percentage tops the team.
• Markee White: A redshirt freshman, has seen action in six games this season and scored the first points of his collegiate career on a pair of free throws against UCSD.

Record Attendance Pace
Through 13 home games, SDSU is on a record pace for average season attendance. The Aztecs are playing before an average home crowd of 7,376. Should this trend continue, Aztec teams under Steve Fisher would own three of the top five season attendance marks in SDSU history.

Largest Average Home AttendanceRk. Year HG W-L Total Average1. 2002-03 13 8-5 95,894 7,3762. 2001-02 15 12-3 92,475 6,1653. 1981-82 18 16-2 86,825 4,8244. 1980-81 14 9-5 67,011 4,7875. 2000-01 17 12-5 77,104 4,528

San Diego State's home attendance has shown dramatiuc growth, posting increases of 73.0 percent from the 1999-2000 to 2000-01 season, 36.2 percent from the 2000-01 to 20001-02 season and 19.6 percent from last season to this season. In all, San DIego State's attendance is up 181.7 percent over the last three seasons.

The Wyoming game crowd of 6,184, the 16th-largest ever in Cox Arena, marks the eighth game to break into SDSU's top 20 single-game Cox Arena attendance chart this season. The Aztecs have played before the first two sellout crowds of 12,414 in the six-year history of Cox Arena - against then-No. 1/1 Arizona (Dec. 7) and No. 23/21 Texas Tech (Jan. 6) - as well as crowds of 8,497 against BYU (sixth), 8,078 vs. San Diego (ninth), 7,102 against Utah (11th), 6,183 against Eastern Washington (17th) and 6,138 against Hawai'i (20th).

Largest Cox Arena AttendanceRk. Att. Day Opponent Date Result1. 12,414^ Sat. (1/1) Arizona 12-7-02 L, 81-89 12,414^ Mon. (23/21) Tx Tech 1-6-03 L, 63-753. 11,764 Sat. UNLV* 1-26-02 L, 79-80 (ot)4. 11,334 Sat. Fresno State* 1-31-98 L, 94-975. 8,554 Sat. Colorado State* 2-1-03 L, 69-726. 8,497 Mon. BYU 1-20-03 L, 69-807. 8,438 Sat. (21/16) Fresno 12-8-01 W, 93-788. 8,186 Sat. San Diego 12-9-00 L, 52-559. 8,078 Wed. San Diego 1-8-02 W, 78-7210. 7,232 Sat. Utah* (D) 2-9-02 L, 53-7011. 7,164 Sat. Utah* 2-10-01 L, 63-7612. 7,102 Sat. Utah* (D) 1-18-03 W, 58-5613. 6,967 Sat. Air Force* 3-2-02 W, 49-4714. 6,739 Mon. New Mexico* 1-8-01 L, 67-7515. 6,553 Sat. Colorado State* 1-19-02 W, 81-6916. 6,184 Mon. Wyoming* 2-4-03 W, 80-7017. 6,183 Sat. Eastern Wash. 11-23-02L, 70-7518. 6,171 Mon. Wyoming* 1-21-02 L, 85-88 (ot)19. 6,164 Sat. Utah* 1-16-99 L, 53-7920. 6,138 Sat. Hawai'i 12-14-02W, 60-49Opponent Associated Press/USA Today coaches pollnational ranking at game time left of team name.D - Indicates day game. * - Indicates conferencegame. ^ - Indicates Cox Arena capacity

Senior Dominant
San Diego State's senior class of Tony Bland, Mike Mackell and Deandre Moore held the shorthanded Aztecs together early in the season when SDSU was thin on reserves. Through the first four games of the season, the trio averaged 46.3 points, accounted for nearly 60.1 percent of San Diego State's scoring, and also combined for 17.0 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game.

But now that the Aztecs have 11 players averaging at least 8.2 minutes per game, the seniors are no less important, especially in conference play. Against Air Force, the trio combined for 32 of the Aztecs' 63 points, 15-of-29 rebounds and 8-of-12 assists. Then as the Aztecs snapped a 14-game losing streak to Utah, the seniors tallied 34-of-58 points, 19-of-38 rebounds and 6-of-9 assists. Against Colorado State: 45 of the Aztecs' 69 points. Those performances recalled the Nov. 30 contest at Cal Poly, perhaps the seniors' most important game of the season, when the Aztecs rallied from behind to gain their first victory of the season as the triumvirate accounted for 26 of the Aztecs' 31 second-half points.

Below is a look at what the three seniors have accomplished in each game this season.

Aztec SeniorsOpponent MP FG 3FG FT R F A TO B S TPEWU 103 15-36 2-11 11-13 15 11 6 8 0 1 43at UP 98 13-33 4-9 16-25 21 13 14 14 0 3 46at CP 109 18-41 3-6 13-20 20 5 8 5 2 5 52UCSD 81 16-31 7-12 5-8 12 3 15 4 0 2 44Arizona 95 19-37 4-9 5-7 15 10 9 9 0 5 47at LBSU 99 13-25 2-3 5-7 10 9 7 9 0 2 33Hawai'i 98 14-28 2-2 11-15 11 5 7 8 1 5 41at UH 87 13-26 2-8 11-15 9 5 7 8 0 6 39FAU 80 11-23 0-5 12-21 11 4 16 5 0 5 34IPFW 73 11-23 0-4 4-6 8 2 11 5 1 2 26LMU 89 15-30 0-4 14-18 3 7 8 6 1 2 44Tx Tech 73 14-32 2-7 2-5 9 7 6 13 0 2 32USD 81 12-24 1-3 11-21 9 7 12 10 1 0 36at AFA 103 11-20 2-4 8-8 15 5 8 5 0 3 32Utah 102 13-26 2-2 6-13 19 7 6 10 0 1 34BYU 102 16-30 5-9 15-20 12 11 6 8 2 0 52at UNM 87 14-22 1-3 2-2 4 8 7 8 2 6 31CSU 91 18-37 3-10 6-10 13 8 5 8 0 7 45Wyoming 91 17-33 2-3 6-12 8 10 9 5 0 3 42

In home games, the trio accounts for 54.2 percent of SDSU's points (520-of-959), 30.5 percent of rebounds (145-of-475 rebounds) and 57.1 percent of assists (116-of-203), translating to averages of 40.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 8.9 assists in 89.2 minutes.

Conversely, the numbers are even more impressive when isolated to road games, in which the Aztec rotation has been tightened and the veterans have been depended upon for greater stretches. Bland, Mackell and Moore have combined for 233 points (56.7 percent of the Aztecs' 411 points on the road), 79-of-214 rebounds (36.9 percent) and 51-of-91 assists (56.0 percent). That works out to an average of 38.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists in 97.2 minutes per game on the road.

Aztec Seniors On The RoadOpponent MP FG 3FG FT R F A TO B S TPat UP 98 13-33 4-9 16-25 21 13 14 14 0 3 46at CP 109 18-41 3-6 13-20 20 5 8 5 2 52at LBSU 99 13-25 2-3 5-7 10 9 7 9 0 2 33at UH 87 13-26 2-8 11-15 9 5 7 8 0 6 39at AFA 103 11-20 2-4 8-8 15 5 8 5 0 3 32at UNM 87 14-22 1-3 2-2 4 8 7 8 2 6 31

Bench Points
When the Aztec roster received reinforcements beginning with the Dec. 7 Arizona game, the SDSU bench has stepped up its productivity and relieved some the scoring slack from the seniors and starting five. Through the first four games of the season, the Aztec bench had accounted for only 48 of the Aztecs' 308 points (15.6 percent), an average of 12 points per game. Since freshman Evan Burns (NCAA Initial Eligibility Waiver Committee ruling) and sophomore Chris Manker (NCAA 4-2-4 transfer rule) became eligible for the Arizona game and sophomore Travis Hanour (NCAA 4-2-4 transfer rule) joined the fold against Hawai'i, the Aztec reserves have nearly doubled their production by averaging 21.0 points per game (29.6 percent of SDSU's scoring) over the past 15 contests.

The following is a look at SDSU's bench production in each game this season as well as its averages over the first four games of the season and the last 13 contests.

First Four GamesOpponent MP FG 3FG FT R F A TO B S TPEWU 36 4-6 0-1 2-5 1 6 4 1 0 2 10at UP 52+ 6-12 2-6 3-5 11 15 5 6 0 1 17at CP 45 1-12 0-3 2-2 7 4 6 3 0 2 4UCSD 64 6-17 3-11 2-3 11 5 5 5 0 1 17
Last 14 GamesOpponent MP FG 3FG FT R F A TO B S TPArizona 58 9-22 2-9 1-2 10 9 9 5 2 2 21at LBSU 65 7-19 4-10 7-9 14 7 2 5 1 3 25Hawai'i 50 4-14 1-4 2-4 8 6 3 3 2 3 11at UH 57 5-17 3-10 0-2 10 5 4 3 1 0 13FAU 72 14-31 4-13 11-15 12 8 1 10 2 5 43IPFW 91 10-23 7-15 6-11 17 10 7 8 1 3 33LMU 58+ 8-13 2-5 2-2 14 5 3 2 4 5 20Tx Tech 76 9-19 4-11 0-1 11 9 5 6 1 2 22USD 78 12-25 3-7 7-12 12 15 3 4 1 1 34at AFA 62 10-16 3-6 2-2 7 5 2 6 0 2 25Utah 37+ 5-15 3-9 1-2 6 6 0 1 1 1 14BYU 59 7-16 2-7 0-0 10 10 1 5 0 1 16at UNM 63 7-14 2-5 2-3 13 10 7 5 1 1 18CSU 57 5-16 2-7 1-2 9 8 2 2 2 1 13Wyoming 44 3-10 1-5 0-1 5 4 3 2 0 1 7

Aerick the Great
Forward Aerick Sanders got his junior campaign off to a fast start by registering 11 or more rebounds in a span of 5-of-6 games. For the season, Sanders has tallied nine or more rebounds in 12 games.

Sanders was an impressive presence in the post against Houston Dec. 21, as he recorded his first career double-double with career-bests in points (12) and rebounds (14) as well as a career-high four assists. He surpassed the points figure by scoring 14 and matched his career-high rebound total with 14 in the home win over Wyoming

Sanders is third in the Mountain West with 8.6 rebounds per game, including a league-leading 3.68 offensive rebounds, as well as the conference's seventh-most blocks at 1.16 per contest.

The 40 minutes of action for Sanders against Eastern Washington was not only a career-high, but was more court time than the junior saw in any two games last season (last season's high was 20 minutes, with his previous career mark of 24 minutes set during his freshman campaign).

Last season, Sanders blocked 29 shots to rank seventh in the Mountain West Conference, and just missed cracking the school's all-time top-10 list.

He recorded two blocks against Wyoming and he stands eighth on SDSU's career blocked shots list with 66.

Most Blocked Shots/CareerPl. Name, Years Blocked Shots To Tie1. Leonard Allen, 1982-85 2142. Michael Cage, 1981-84 1183. Joe McNaull, 1991-93 1144. Marcelo Correa, 1997-01 100 345. Rodney Hawkins, 1987-88 77 116. Eddy Gordon, 1980-83 71 57. Marty Dow, 1990-91 68 28. Aerick Sanders, 2001-02 669. Leon Carter, 1995-96 5810. Marc Carter, 1994-95 55

Moore is Better
Healthy for the first time since becoming an Aztec, Deandre Moore has overcome previous season injuries such as a separated shoulder and shin splints to participate in every practice this season.

That, coupled with a rigorous off-season workout schedule, has the Aztec point guard 16 pounds lighter than a season ago and playing some of the best basketball of his career.

Moore is averaging a career-high 8.4 points through 19 games this season while dispensing an average of 4.4 assists, second in the MWC. He has also been one of the Aztecs' most indispensible player thus far, playing the team's second-most minutes (573) minutes for an average of 30.2 per contest.

The Compton, Calif., native produced his best game of the season to date against the best competition. Against top-ranked Arizona Dec. 7, Moore scored 16 points and dished out eight assists while limiting preseason Wooden Award candidate Jason Gardner to nine points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Moore has played 35 or more minutes in six games in 2002. Last season, due to nagging injuries, Moore logged 35 minutes in only three of 33 games.

The senior guard broke the 300-assist barrier for his career against Portland and the Vanderbilt transfer entered the Aztecs' career top-10 list against Arizona. He has since entered the 300 assist club as an Aztec in moving into seventh place with 301 assists with SDSU.

Most Assists/CareerPl. Name, Years Assists To Tie1. Tony Gwynn, 1978-81 5902. Chad Nelson, 1994-97 4123. Mark Delsman, 1974-77 3764. Anthony Watson, 1983-86 356 595. Keith Smith, 1982-83 349 486. Dean Decker, 1977-78 307 67. Deandre Moore, 2001-02 3018. Ray Leary, 1974-76 2799. Mike Dodd, 1976-79 27710. Creon Dorsey, 1985-86 263

Top Two Scorers Gone, No Problem for Fisher
Some might see the departure of the Aztecs' top two scoring averages from the 2001-02 season - Al Faux (17.0 ppg) and Randy Holcomb (16.9 ppg) - as a problem, but Steve Fisher has overcome scoring departures in the past to produce big seasons.

Three times in his coaching career Fisher has had his top two scorers depart, but all three times he has led his team back to the postseason the following year.

In the 1990-91 season, Fisher lost his entire starting five, including Rumeal Robinson and Terry Mills, off a squad that went 23-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That season, Fisher guided his squad to the NIT.

In 1994-95, Fisher overcame the losses of Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard to put the Wolverines in the NCAA Tournament.

Most recently, in 1995-96, Fisher lost Ray Jackson and Jimmy King but still put together a 20-win season and guided Michigan to the NCAA Tournament.

The Great Turnaround
Steve Fisher and the Aztecs' journey from perennial basement dweller to NCAA Tournament team is made all the more remarkable by the speed at which the turnaround was achieved.

Just three years ago in 1999-2000, the Aztecs won only five games, and two years ago in 2000-01, San Diego State finished seventh in the conference.

As if going from 5-23 in 1999-00 to 14-14 in 2000-01 wasn't enough, in the 2001-02 season the Aztecs went 21-12 for the second-highest win total in the school's Division I history.

Other accomplishments of the 2002 NCAA Tournament team:

• San Diego State made it to the postseason for just the fifth time in the school's 33 Division I seasons. The Aztecs advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1975, 1976 and 1985 and to the postseason NIT in 1982, prior to participating in the Big Dance in March of 2002.
• The RPI is one barometer that shows the program's dramatic rise. For the seven seasons from 1993-94 to 1999-00, San Diego State had an average final RPI of 190. In the 2000-01 season, the Aztecs jumped to 154 in the final RPI. In 2001-02 ,the Aztecs jumped more than 100 positions in the ratings and ended the regular season at number 39 in the RPI, ahead of perennial powers such as Notre Dame (41), Villanova (43), Arkansas (46), Virginia (50), UNLV (51), Missouri (54), Louisville (61), Fresno State (64), Purdue (100), North Carolina (119), Seton Hall (125) and Michigan (142).
• With 21 victories last season, San Diego State posted its highest single-season victory total since the 1984-85 team went to the NCAA tournament and finished 23-8. This marked the third consecutive year, all under Steve Fisher, that the Aztecs bettered their win total from the previous season (4 to 5 to 14 to 21). The 21 victories are the second-highest victory total of the Division I era (beginning with the 1970-71 season) and surpasses the school's total in the previous two seasons combined.
• The Aztecs posted consecutive .500 or better seasons for the first time since the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons. The Aztecs, who went 14-14 in 2000-01, were 21-12 in 2001-02. Prior to the last two seasons, SDSU went 147-280 in the 15 seasons between the two winning stretches. The Aztecs averaged 9.8 wins between the 1985-86 and the 1999-00 seasons.
• The Aztecs finished league play with a 7-7 record, marking the first time SDSU finished .500 in conference action since the 1984-85 team claimed second in the WAC with an 11-5 mark. In the previous 15 seasons, the Aztecs averaged 3.9 league wins. After finishing no better than sixth place in a conference (Western Athletic or Mountain West) since the 1984-85 campaign and having an average finish of 7.7 in the previous 16 seasons, the Aztecs claimed a share of fourth place in the MWC in 2001-02.
• San Diego State set a school record in the 2001-02 season in both total home attendance (92,475) and average home attendance (6,165). In 15 home games, San Diego State shattered the previous school record for highest average, set back in 1981-82 when SDSU averaged 4,824. The 2001-02 average was a 36.1 percent increase over the previous season and a remarkable 135.4 percent increase over Steve Fisher's first season (1999-2000).
• The success on the court has generated media coverage unparalleled in the program's history. The Aztecs made a school-record 25 appearances on live television during the 2001-02 season, a marked increase over the year before Fisher's arrival, the 1998-99 campaign, when SDSU was on television nine times. In addition, San Diego State made the first two network television appearances in the program's history. In 2002-03, the SDSU regular-season schedule includes 20 live television appearances.
• Below is a look at the Aztecs' records since the start of the 2000-01 campaign. The record on the right shows how many games it took San Diego State to win the same number of games prior to the 2000-01 season.

The Difference: Since/Before the '00-01 SeasonRecord Since BeforeRecord 47-33 47-87Conference 14-20 14-53Home Record 32-13 32-36Away/Neutral 15-20 15-64