Sept. 21, 2010
SAN DIEGO -
2010-11 San Diego State Men's Basketball Preseason Accolades in PDF Format
The San Diego State men's basketball team has earned a preseason No. 22 national ranking, which can be found in Lindy's Sports College Basketball 2010-2011 Preview. The magazine is on newsstands now and features sophomore standout Kawhi Leonard on the cover.
In the publication's preseason top-25, the Aztecs are the highest rated team from the state of California and the Mountain West Conference. SDSU is also projected to earn the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after being picked to win the league.
In addition to the team accolades, Lindy's recognized Leonard, seniors Billy White and Malcolm Thomas and freshman LaBradford Franklin.
Leonard was tabbed as a preseason all-Mountain West first-team choice, one of 10 players nationally listed in the "Keep an eye on these guys..." category and the league's "Top NBA prospect" and "Top rebounder." The sophomore also landed at No. 11 on the magazine's top-25 power forward list.
White and Thomas joined Leonard on the Lindy's preseason all-conference team earning second-team accolades, while Franklin was chosen as the conference's "Best playmaker/passer" among all newcomers.
The Aztecs return nine letterwinners, including all five starters from 2009-10. Leonard leads the way for San Diego State and comes into the upcoming year ranked 18th nationally in career double-doubles. Also returning is White (2010 MWC honorable mention), who enters the year as the nation's active leader in field-goal percentage, Thomas (2010 all-MWC second team) and senior D.J. Gay (2010 MWC honorable mention).
SDSU enters the 2010-11 season fresh off one of its most successful efforts after winning the MWC tournament crown, advancing to the NCAA Tournament and compiling a 25-9 record. The Scarlet and Black have won 20 or more games and advanced to the postseason five consecutive seasons. San Diego State inches toward the `10-11 season with much anticipation as it is ranked No. 23 in Vitale's preseason poll and No. 24 in Andy Katz's rankings. ESPN.com's Pat Forde and FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman, meanwhile, have tabbed the Aztecs as one of their top teams heading into `10-11.
San Diego State men's basketball season tickets are currently on sale at GoAztecs.com and start at $99 for reserved chair back seats. For more information, please contact the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-7378.