SAN DIEGO – In its final game prior to playing in the Las Vegas Invitational on Thursday and Friday, the San Diego State men's basketball team hosts the Tennessee State Tigers on Monday evening on Steve Fischer Court at Viejas Arena.
NEWS AND NOTES (As of Nov. 24)
-San Diego State and Tennessee State meet for the first time on Monday night.
-This game is part of the Las Vegas Invitational, a multi-team event which will culminate in Las Vegas on Nov. 28 & 29.
-Following Friday's victory over LIU, San Diego State is one of just 47 Division I teams with a perfect record (there are 351 Division I men's basketball programs).
-The Aztecs have opened the 2019-20 campaign with a 5-0 record, marking the best start for the program since the 2014-15 NCAA tournament and Mountain West Conference regular season championship team opened with the same 5-0 record.
-San Diego State moved to 5-0 with each of its wins coming by at least five points, the first time since 2007-08.
-San Diego State led 38-32 at the half against LIU and has gone on to win 12 straight games when having the halftime advantage, in addition, the Aztecs are 102-6 in the last 108 home games when they have led at the break.
-A win against Tennessee State would give San Diego State just its fourth 6-0 start in the last 51 seasons (since the program moved to Division I). The other instances were in 1982-83 (7-0 start), 1984-85 (8-0 start & NCAA appearance) and 2010-11 (20-0 start & Sweet 16 appearance).
-SDSU has enjoyed a huge advantage on the glass thus far, with a +8.4 margin. That margin ranks 50th nationally. The Aztecs are 4-0 this season and 36-8 in the Brian Dutcher era when owning an advantage on the glass.
-Junior guard Malachi Flynn has made his presence felt on The Mesa after sitting out last season. The Washington State transfer who was selected by the media as the preseason conference newcomer of the year, leads San Diego State in scoring (13.8 ppg), assists (6.2) and steals (6). He is shooting 41.7 percent from the field and has connected on 10-of-25 three-point attempts (40.0 percent).
-Junior guard Jordan Schakel has started the season scorching the nets from beyond the arc. Schakel, who shot 41.5 percent from beyond the arc last season, has made 15-of-26 three-point attempts (57.7 percent) through five games. He is 11th nationally and leads the Mountain West in the category and is averaging 12.2 points per contest.
-Senior Forward Yanni Wetzell is averaging 10.2 points and 7.6 rebounds through five games. At USD he recorded career-highs with 20 points and 12 rebounds, the most by an Aztec in the series since Josh Davis pulled down 13 boards on Dec. 5, 2013. It was his first double double as an Aztec, third of his career and the first for a San Diego State player this season. the most by an Aztec in the series since Josh Davis pulled down 13 boards on Dec. 5, 2013.
-So far this season, Wetzell is one of three players in the nation who has had a game where he shots at least .818 from the floor, grabbed at least 12 rebounds and was perfect from long distance. Wetzell accomplished the feat at USD (11/20).
-Senior guard KJ Feagin posted consecutive double-digit scoring games (at BYU & vs. Grand Canyon) and is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds in his five games as an Aztec.
-Sophomore forward Nathan Mensah posted his second straight double-digit scoring game with 10 points at USD. It was just the second time he has accomplished that in his 38-game career. Prior to the USD game, he was coming off a remarkable game with 14 points, a game-high nine rebounds and a career-high six dunks in the victory over Grand Canyon. He is averaging 7.2 points and 8.6 rebounds through the first five games and in his last three games he is 12-for-21 from the field, 24 points and 21 rebounds in 60 minutes of action.
-San Diego State outrebounded its first four opponents by a total of 175-to-129, an average of 11.5 rebounds per game, but was beaten on the boards by LIU 35-31. For the season SDSU has outrebounded its opponents 206-to-164, a +8.4 average.
-The USD game marked the first in a stretch of three games in six days for San Diego State. The Aztecs returned home to face LIU last Friday night and Tennessee State on Monday. Adding two games in the Las Vegas Invitational over Thanksgiving, extends it out to five games in 10 days.
-Since the inaugural year of the Mountain West (1999-00), San Diego State has started the season 5-0 four times. The 2010-11 team, which reached the Sweet-16 in the NCAA Tournament, reached No. 4/4 in the national rankings and had the best start going, 20-0, before a 68-55 loss at BYU on Jan. 19, 2011. In 2006-07, the Aztecs started 8-0 and in both 2007-08 and the aforementioned 2014-15 season, SDSU opened the year 5-0.
This is the first time since 2010-11 that the Aztecs have opened 5-0 with at least two of those victories coming in road games. That season, SDSU opened the year with wins at Long Beach State and at No. 11/12 Gonzaga en route to a 20-0 start, a 34-3 final record and the school's first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
-Since the start of the 2008-09 season and including the Aztecs' 66-49 win at USD (11/20), San Diego State is 127-81 in road or neutral site games. That winning percentage of .609 ranks 13th nationally.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
San Diego State has advanced to the NCAA tournament seven of the last 10 seasons and has a NIT national semifinalist appearance as well during that span. One reason for the success is that Viejas Arena is a very tough place for opponents. Since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, and entering this season, San Diego State has the ninth-highest winning percentage in the country, amassing a 143-20 home record, winning 87.7 percent of its home games during that span.
With the 2019-20 season underway, here are a few statistics to keep an eye on.
-In its last 169 home games, San Diego State has compiled a 149-20 mark, including a 72-9 record against non-conference competition at Viejas Arena.
-Since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, the Aztecs are 101-16 at home, including a 47-8 record in non-conference home contests during that stretch (45-6 against non-top 25 non-conference foes).
-The Aztecs are 39-7 in their last 46 non-conference home games.
THE SERIES AGAINST TENNESSEE STATE
San Diego State and Tennessee State meet for the first time on Monday.
-The Tigers are three-time men's basketball national champions, having won the NAIA title in 1957, 1958 & 1959.
-With a victory over Eastern Illinois (94-63 on Nov. 20, 2017) and a pair agaisnt Murray State (36-34 on March 15, 1941 & 87-84 on Nov. 10, 2006), San Diego State is 3-0 over teams currently in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).