Oct. 29, 2010
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men's basketball team has been picked to win the Mountain West Conference by the college sports website, Rivals.com.
The conference preview picked the Aztecs to top the conference ahead of Brigham Young, UNLV and New Mexico. SDSU was also the only school to have two players named to the conference's first team. Forwards Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas were joined by BYU's Jimmer Fredette, New Mexico's Dairese Gary and UNLV's Tre'Von Willis.
"(Kawhi) Leonard teams with Malcolm Thomas and Billy White to form a frontcourt trio that can stack up with just about any other in the nation," said Steve Megargee of Rivals.com. "(Their presence) should help the Aztecs outrebound nearly all their opponents."
San Diego State also received praise from Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com, who ranked the Aztecs among the best teams from non-automatic BCS qualifier conferences. Four other schools appearing on the list (No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 6 BYU, No. 8 UNLV and No. 9 Wichita State) appear on SDSU's 2010-11 schedule.
"They won 25 last season, and a similar total is possible this season with Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas leading the effort," Parrish said of the Aztecs this year.
Leonard, the reigning MWC tournament MVP, was also named the 11th-best wing player in the nation. Leonard was one of just four freshmen to lead his team in points and rebounds, and the only one to do so for a 2010 NCAA tournament team.
The San Diego State men's basketball team starts the 2010-11 campaign ranked 25th in the preseason Associated Press Top-25 poll, it was announced Thursday. The Aztecs' preseason ranking marks the first time the program has been ranked in any of the two major polls (AP, Coaches) in school history.
Season tickets are currently on sale at GoAztecs.com and start as low as $99 for reserved chair-back seats and five-game packages, including tickets for high-profile games against Brigham Young and San Diego, are available for $60.
Individual game tickets go on sale Monday, Nov. 1, at 9 a.m. PT. For more information on season or individual tickets, please contact the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-7378.