Nov. 2, 2005
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men's basketball team will open its 2005-06 season with an exhibition game Thursday night against St. Xavier. Tip-off for the game is set for 7:05 p.m. PST. Thursday night's game marks the first time the Aztecs have faced St. Xavier in either regular or preseason play.
SDSU, preseason favorites to win the Mountain West Conference, returns four of its five starters from last season, including MWC preseason Player of the Year Marcus Slaughter (17.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg in 04-05) and preseason all-MWC first-team guard Brandon Heath (18.3 ppg, 3.7 apg). The Aztecs roster also features preseason MWC top newcomer in forward Mohamed Abukar.
Coming off a season in which they finished with a 30-7 overall record (10-2 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference), the St. Xavier Cougars are ranked No. 16 in the nation in this year's preseason NAIA poll. The Cougars reached the elite eight in the NAIA tournament for the first time in school history last season.
San Diego State will open its regular season schedule at the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, where they will face off with Alaska Fairbanks on Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. PST.
Tickets for Thursday night's exhibition game, as well as individual and season tickets, are still available by calling (619) 220-8497, by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com, or by visiting the Cox Arena Box Office.