Sept. 1, 2011
SAN DIEGO -
2011-12 SDSU Men's Basketball Prospectus
Inside Look at San Diego State
Starters Returning: 1 - junior guard Chase Tapley
Starters Lost: 4 - senior guard D.J. Gay, senior forward Malcolm Thomas, senior forward Billy White, sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard
Letterwinners Returning: 6 - sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, sophomore guard LaBradford Franklin, junior guard James Rahon, junior guard Chase Tapley, senior forward Tim Shelton, junior forward Alec Williams
Letterwinners Lost: 6 - senior center Brian Carlwell (graduation), senior forward Mehdi Cheriet (graduation), senior guard D.J. Gay (graduation), sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard (NBA Draft), senior forward Malcolm Thomas (graduation), senior forward Billy White (graduation)
Newcomers: 3 - senior forward Garrett Green (LSU transfer; eligible this season), junior forward Deshawn Stephens (Santa Monica College transfer; eligible this season), sophomore guard Xavier Thames (Washington State transfer; eligible this season)
Waiting in the Wings: 2 - sophomore foward J.J. O'Brien (Utah transfer; eligible in 2012-13), sophomore guard Dwayne Polee II (St. John's transfer; eligible in 2012-13)
* Head coach Steve Fisher loses six letterwinners from last year's 34-3 Sweet 16 team, but also returns six letterwinners and three experienced newcomers.
* Despite returning just one starter in Chase Tapley, the Aztecs bring back three players with SDSU starting experience in LaBradford Franklin, James Rahon and Tim Shelton. This does not include newcomers Garrett Green and Xavier Thames, who started games at LSU and Washington State, respectively. Collectively, they have started 111 ballgames.
* The Aztecs boast one of the deepest guard rotations in the West starting with Chase Tapley and James Rahon. Combined, they have played in 136 games and made 71 starts. Rahon comes into the season with a 9.0 career scoring average, while Tapley has scored at an 8.1 clip for his career. At Santa Clara, Rahon was a primary scoring option as a true freshman and averaged 11.3 points in 2008-09. In two seasons at SDSU, Tapley deferred to scorers such as D.J. Gay, Kawhi Leonard, Malcolm Thomas and Billy White, and still averaged 7.6 points as a freshman and 8.6 a year ago. Together, they have also knocked down 188 three-point field goals. Rahon is a 41.9 percent career three-point shooter, while Tapley has a 37.8-percent success rate from beyond the arc.
* In addition to Tapley and Rahon, SDSU returns sophomore guards Jamaal Franklin, who played in 22 games last year and went for 13 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes vs. Utah, LaBradford Franklin, who saw action in 17 games, and transfer Xavier Thames. The latter played in 31 games (four starts) for Washington State as a true freshman in 2009-10. Thames redshirted last season and should fit right into the rotation in 2011-12.
* The frontcourt may look thin on paper, but it is a seasoned group. Tim Shelton is a fifth-year player, who is a presence on the block, while also being able to shoot from the perimeter. Garrett Green brings three years of SEC experience after earning his bachelor's degree from LSU in August. Deshawn Stephens played in 55 games at the JC level and averaged nearly a double-double (9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds) for his career. Alec Williams, meanwhile, has spent the past two seasons going up against what could be argued as the top frontcourt in the West.
* San Diego State has won 20 or more games and advanced to the postseason six straight years for the first time in school history (The previous record was four from 1939-42). SDSU has also won at least 25 games in each of the last three seasons (26 in 2008-09, 25 in 2009-10, 34 in 2010-11).