Oct. 11, 2016
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State is Athlon Sports' choice to capture the Mountain West regular-season title for a fourth consecutive year and reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament this season.
After a one-year absence from NCAAs, the publication has the Aztecs slated to return to the Big Dance as a No. 8 seed facing ninth-seeded Baylor. Athlon has SDSU advancing past the Bears where they will meet the West Region's top seed, Oregon.
At the conference level, the magazine has San Diego State winning the Mountain West behind three preseason honorees in all-conference first-team member Trey Kell, second-team selection Jeremy Hemsley and third-team choice Malik Pope. Kell and Hemsley "form the best guard duo in the league," according to Athlon.
In its recruiting roundup, San Diego State owned the second-best group with just one player, Jalen McDaniels. Of the 6-9, four-star player, the magazine said, "Jalen McDaniels has the length and scoring ability to be an elite player in the Mountain West, but the Aztecs don't have to rush him into the lineup."
SDSU is currently in its second week of practice in preparation for Nov. 3, when it plays host to UC San Diego in a 7 p.m. PT exhibition game at Viejas Arena. The Aztecs will also play Cal State San Marcos at home on Nov. 7 in their final tune-up before the 2016-17 season opener vs. cross-town foe San Diego on Nov. 11.
San Diego State returns three starters and eight letterwinners off a Mountain West championship team that ultimately advanced to the semifinals of the NIT and finished with a 28-10 record (16-2 MW).