March 5, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
By Mick McGrane, GoAztecs.com Senior Writer
(@MickOnTheMesa)
Forget everything you thought you knew about Skylar Spencer.
Suspend every belief about that gentle giant nonsense, about the "aw-shucks" grin and the "just doing my job" routine.
Because if Winston Shepard is telling the truth, and Winston Shepard is nothing if not brutally honest, the player they call "Sky" is, in reality, the fabled wolf in sheep's clothing.
"There are times in the huddle when he's cussing us out," said Shepard, who along with Spencer and Angelo Chol will be making their final appearance at Viejas Arena on Senior Night when the Aztecs host UNLV on Saturday. "I'm not lying. There are times he's cussed guys out and went off (vocally) in the locker room. He's a total team leader.
"I just think the media has painted Sky as this quiet, easy-going guy, and he is. But he can definitely light a fire under you."
Blame it on a coaching staff that has never settled for second-best. Blame it on four years of incessant pounding in the post, where only the strong survive.
But, mostly, blame it on Jamaal Franklin, the former Aztec and NBA player whose passion for the game was exceeded only by his desire to destroy everything that stood between SDSU and its intended objective.
"I remember some of my first practices as a freshman, where every time I caught the ball it would just get swiped away," Spencer said. "It really got frustrating. I started wondering how I would ever catch the ball and score. As time passed, I finally started getting into the flow.
"All of the older players guided me, but Jamaal stayed on me and brought out the toughness. He was always making sure that I wasn't slacking off in practice. There were times when I'd mess up a play and be smiling and he'd scream at me to stop smiling. He just wanted to bring out that toughness."
Mission accomplished. As Spencer prepares to bid adieu on Senior Night, he does so as one of only four Aztecs with at least 100 carrier wins. Should the Aztecs beat UNLV, he would enter next week's Mountain West Tournament needing one victory to move into a tie with D.J. Gay (2008-2011) for most wins (105) in SDSU history. Spencer already is tied with Shepard for most victories (54) in league history, a record established in Tuesday's victory over New Mexico.
"I know who I am and my friends know who I am," Spencer said. "Some people think I'm quiet, but I feel like I talk more than anybody on the team. I'm a jokester who tries to keep the mood light. But when it's time to get serious, I know how to buckle down and get on people."
And leave them wondering if forays into the paint aren't merely perilous, but entirely pointless. The SDSU and Mountain West all-time leader in blocked shots (283), Spencer, who ranks fifth in school single-season history with 52, has blocked 22 shots in his last 12 games. In his last 18 contests, he also has collected 123 rebounds for a team that has enjoyed a rebounding advantage in 15 of its last 18 games.
Yet Spencer, who has played in every game since arriving at SDSU, is wholly indifferent to any number other than those reflected in the win column.
"Statistics don't matter, Skylar just wants to win," said Coach Steve Fisher. "Rarely in three years did Skylar speak up in the locker room. This year, as a senior, he selectively picked and chose when to talk and all of us listened, from coaches to players.
"What he does for us defensively is not measured just in blocks, he intimidates with his presence. He has been a huge factor in our field-goal defense being as good as it is, because he intimidates. They're worrying, 'Where is he? Will he block my shot? Where is he coming from?' He does a magnificent job of it.
"He shows up for everything. He doesn't let (injures) that might keep someone else out of a game keep him from playing. He's never hurt. And even when he is hurt, he's not hurt. He knows what it takes to win. I watched him as a high school player and he played with some terrific talent. But all he wanted to do was blend in and win. And he's done a tremendous job of that for us at San Diego State."
"Sometimes, if Skylar was a little more selfish when he got the ball in the post, he and we might be better," Fisher continued. "But he plays with no agenda. He never hunts his shot or hunts his points. He's always trying to make the right play. And it is infectious. If you were told to pick four guys that you wanted to play with, he'd be on everybody's list. He's the guy everybody would want to be on their team."
Particularly in the postseason, when senior leadership will prove paramount for a young team that appears to be coming of age as the stakes grow ever higher.
"I always felt like I was born for great things, so when I came here I wanted to leave my mark," Spencer said. "I came here to win. I've never done anything but try and be myself and play my game. If you do that, the accolades will follow. I'd like to have the most wins in the history of the school, but I'm still chasing that one. I'm a few games way, but I plan on beating it."
It might be wise to stay out of his way.