SAN DIEGO – Leading the nation in NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) and the top team in the Mountain West Conference, the No. 13 San Diego State men's basketball team put its undefeated record on the line against the Utah State Aggies on Saturday night in Logan, Utah.
NEWS AND NOTES (through games of Jan. 1)
-Owners of the nation's longest win streak (14 games), San Diego State travels to Logan, Utah, for a game against Utah State, the unanimous pick to win the league title in the official preseason poll, in a rematch of the 2019 conference championship game.
-In the "something has to give" category, SDSU is 6-0 in road/neutral games this season. That is the most victories in the nation by a team that has yet to drop a road/neutral contest. Meanwhile, Utah State has won 15 consecutive home games and currently are tied with the seventh longest active home winning streak nationally.
-San Diego State has established itself as the most dominant team in road/neutral site games this season. As noted, the Aztecs possess the nation's best record away from at 6-0. SDSU's +18.8 also is the best in the country (Duke is second at 14.2 ppg). SDSU is also first in road/neutral games in the following statistical categories: FG percentage differential (+11.1) and three-point field goal percentage (+15.7)
-On game night, the Aztecs will have gone 294 days since its last loss (a 64-57 setback to Utah State in the Mountain West championship game), while the Aggies will have gone 360 days since their last loss in Logan (a 78-77 loss to Fresno State).
-Saturday marks the 17th meeting between the teams, with SDSU owning an 11-5 series lead. Last season, the Aztecs won in San Diego, 68-63, the Aggies won in Logan, 70-54, and Utah State claimed victory in the aforementioned conference title game.
-San Diego State is currently one of two unbeaten teams nationally. Auburn (12-0) is the only other undefeated team and the Tigers are off until Saturday when they play at Mississippi State (8-3).
-San Diego State's current 14-game win streak is the third-longest in school history. Overall, the Aztecs have enjoyed seven win-streaks of at least 11 games, with six of those coming with Brian Dutcher on the sidelines (five as an assistant coach).
-San Diego State's 6-game win streak in road/neutral games is tied for the fourth longest in school history and longest since a 10-game streak during the 2013-14 campaign. Brian Dutcher has been on the sidelines for the three-longest streaks in school history.
-This is the Aztecs longest win streak since a school-record tying 20-game win streak during the 2013-14 campaign (that team posted a 31-5 record and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16). San Diego State improved two positions to No. 13 this week in the AP Top-25 Poll. This is the fourth straight week the Aztecs have appeared in the poll, moving from 25-to-20 to 15-to-13. At No. 13, SDSU has matched its highest ranking since March 10, 2014.
-San Diego State is enjoying its 70th appearance in the AP Top-25 Poll this week (all have occurred since the start of the 2010-11 campaign). Since the start of the '10-11 season, SDSU's 70 weeks in the top 25 are the 23rd most nationally.
-San Diego State's metrics continue to pace at an elite level. The Aztecs are currently 1st in NET (the last time San Diego State was not at the top of this chart was Dec. 21),1st in strength of record, 9th in RPI, 8th in Sagarin, 18th in BPI, and 21st in KenPom.
-Through Dec. 28, San Diego State's 3-0 record in NCAA NET Quadrant 1 games was the second best in the nation, trailing only Duke (4-0). No other team with at least three Quadrant 1 games was undefeated in the category.
-With the fast start, San Diego State finds itself ranked among the nation's elite in several statistical categories, including 3rd in scoring margin (+19.6), 6th in three-point field goal percentage differential (+11.3), 7th in scoring defense (56.0), 8th in field goal percentage defense (36.1), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44), 13th in field goal percentage differential (+9.9), 10th in three-point field goal defense (26.5) and 33rd in three-point field goal percentage (37.7).
-This is the start of a challenging two-game road stretch for the Aztecs. After playing at Utah State, which has won 15-straight home games, San Diego State will play at Wyoming next Wednesday. The Cowboys have won two of the last three meetings between the teams in Laramie, Wyo. and the Aztecs are just 2-2 as a top-15 team at Arena-Auditorium since 2011.
-San Diego State improved to 14-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play on Wednesday afternoon with a 61-52 victory over Fresno State. For the fourth straight game and the 11th time in 14 games this season the Aztecs did not face a second-half deficit in picking up the victory. SDSU struggled on offense, but held the Bulldogs to 34.6 shooting, including 4-for-20 from three-point range (20.0 percent) and forced 18 turnovers. Malachi Flynn (16 points) and Matt Mitchell (14 points) reached double figures for SDSU.
-Junior guard Malachi Flynn surpassed 1,000 career points in the contest against the Bulldogs, and now has 1,008 career points.
-San Diego State has four players averaging in double figures (10.1 points or more) and six players averaging 6.9 points or more. Six Aztec players have scored 13 or more points in a game this season.
-Junior guard Malachi Flynn has been one of the best players in the nation through the opening two months of the season. A transfer from Washington State, Flynn leads the Aztecs in scoring (15.5), assists (5.1) and steals (1.6). He is the only player in the nation to average 15 and five while owning an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.40 or better. He is currently seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.43 (72 assists, 21 turnovers).
-Despite coming off the bench in 13-of-14 games this season, junior forward Matt Mitchell is second in the team in scoring (11.1) and is third on the team in rebounding (4.4), while shooting 39.0 percent from three-point range. He is averaging career bests in all three of those categories.
-Senior Yanni Wetzell has reached double figures in eight of his last 11 games after doing so nine times all last season at Vanderbilt. The transfer is averaging 10.7 points and 6.2 rebounds (second on the team), while shooting 59.0 percent from the field. In his last 11 games, he is averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and has made 54-of-85 field goal attempts (63.5 percent).
-Junior Jordan Schakel has eight or more points in seven of his last eight games (double figure in five of those contests). Not only is reaching double figures good for Schakel, it has proven good for the Aztecs. When Schakel scores 10 or more points in his career, SDSU is 16-2 with nine straight victories. The Aztecs are 12-0 at Viejas when the he reaches double figures. The sharpshooter has made 29-of-66 attempts from bonus distance (43.9 percent).
-SDSU-
No. 13 Aztecs At Utah St. For Saturday Matchup
