SAN DIEGO – Coming off its biggest margin of victory against New Mexico in 42 games in the The Pit, 28 points, the San Diego State men's basketball team is set to host the Utah State Aggies on Saturday night in Viejas Arena. The Aztecs defeated the Aggies 77-68 last month in Logan and in a halftime, ceremony will retire the jersey of Aztec Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard.
NEWS AND NOTES (through games of Jan. 30)
-On a night when it honors the most decorated men's basketball player in the history of the program, San Diego State looks to continue its historic season when the Aztecs face unanimous Mountain West Conference preseason favorite Utah State.
-At halftime, San Diego State will honor Kawhi Leonard, an Aztec All-American who helped guide the 2010-11 team to a 34-3 record and posted the program's first Division I NCAA tournament victories en route to the Sweet 16.
-San Diego State, the nation's lone undefeated team, carries a school-record 22-game win streak, into Saturday's contest against the Aggies.
-SDSU is playing its third game in seven days in three different states. The Aztecs became the first team in the history of the Mountain West Conference to win at UNLV and New Mexico State in consecutive road games. San Diego State defeated UNLV for the 16th time in 17 meetings with a 71-67 victory on Sunday and posted its largest of victory over New Mexico in 42 all-time meetings at The Pit, 85-57, on Wednesday.
-Win streaks on the line Saturday: 22-game win streak overall (longest in the nation, longest in school history), 11-game conference win streak (3rd longest win streak in the nation, T-1st longest win streak in school history), 11-game home win streak (9th-longest win streak in school history).
-This is the 18th meeting between the teams, with the Aztecs owning a 12-5 series lead. The Aztecs are 6-1 lifetime against the Aggies in San Diego. San Diego State has won six consecutive games, by an average of 15.7 points, against Utah State at Viejas Arena.
-San Diego State is 4-0 in NET Quadrant 1 games and 8-0 in NET Quadrant 1 and 2 games, despite none of those eight games taking place at home. Both records are tops in the country.
-San Diego State is the seventh team to open a season 22-0 since the start of the 2010-11 campaign. Of the previous six teams, all reached the NCAA tournament and won at least one game, one won a national championship, two made the Final Four and three made the Sweet 16.
-SDSU's 22-game unbeaten streak to open the season is the longest by an NCAA team since Gonzaga started the 2016-17 campaign 29-0 (advanced to the national championship game).
-San Diego State remained at No. 4 in the AP Poll for a second consecutive week. Now nationally-ranked for an eighth straight week, this ties the highest ranking in school history, originally set on Jan. 24, 2011.
-San Diego State is enjoying its 74th 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 74 weeks in the top 25 are the 22nd most nationally.
-San Diego State's metrics continue to pace at an elite level. The Aztecs are currently 1st in NET (for a national-best 23rd non-consecutive day this season), 2nd in strength of record, 6th in KenPom (program best), 9th in Sagarin, 10th in BPI and 13th in RPI.
-With a win, San Diego State can match the school record for best start to a conference campaign. The 2015-16 team opened Mountain West play with an 11-0 record, before finishing with a 16-2 record.
-With the fast start, San Diego State finds itself ranked among the nation's elite in several statistical categories, including 3rd in scoring margin (+17.8), 3rd in three-point field goal defense (27.1), 4th in scoring defense (57.2), 4th in three-point field goal percentage differential (+10.6), 4th in field goal percentage differential (+10.1), 6th in field goal percentage defense (36.9), 8th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.41), 26th in three-point field goal percentage (37.8) and 29th in field goal percentage (47.0).
-San Diego State has four players averaging 9.8 points or more and six players averaging 6.9 points or more. Six Aztec players have scored 18 or more points in a game this season.
PLAYER TIDBITS
Junior guard Malachi Flynn - 16.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 39.8 3FG pct., 3.33 A/TO
-Only player in the nation averaging 16.5 points, 5 assists and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of at least 3:1.
-Eleven straight double-figure scoring games and 10+ points in 20-of-21 contests this season.
-Last 8 games: 18.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.8 apg, 49.5 (46-93) FG pct., 95.2 (40-42) FT pct.
-Leads the Mountain West Conference in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio.
-The Sporting News midseason second-team All-American.
-Made 30 consecutive free throw attempts, streak was broken, currently made 46 of last 48.
-18 straight games with a trey.
-4th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (min. 100 assists), 3.33.
-Has 1,155 career points.
-Made 13-of-23 FGA on shots taken with four seconds or less on the shot clock. His PPP in those situations is 1.360 and ranks 1st nationally among players with at least 23 possessions.
Senior forward Yanni Wetzell - 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 60.3 FG pct.
-Has 11 or more points in six of last seven games; Last 7 games: 14.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 64.7 FG pct.
-Last 19 games: 12.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 62.8 FG pct.
-Double-figures in six straight games (longest streak of his career) broken at UNLV (8 points) Sunday.
-15-of-24 double-digit scoring games have come this season.
-Was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and produced 17 points, four rebounds and two assists (became the fourth Aztec player during the Brian Dutcher/Steve Fisher era to make at least seven field goals in a game without a miss - joining Nathan Mensah, Aerick Sanders and Billy White).
-2-time Mountain West Player of the Week (1 of only 2 players this season; also: New Mexico's Joquan Lyle).
Junior forward Matt Mitchell - 11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 37.5 3FG pct., 83.6 FT pct.
-Despite coming off the bench in 13-of-22 games this season, Mitchell is third on the team in scoring and is third on the team in rebounding.
-He is averaging career-bests points, rebounds, three-point field goal percentage, steals and blocked shots.
-Scored 10+ points in five of last six games and seven of the last nine contests.
-In nine games as a starter: 11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 47.1 FG pct.
Junior guard Jordan Schakel - 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 44.9 FG pct.,43.1 3FG pct., 90.0 FT pct.
-Reached double-figures in career best four straight games.
-Has eight or more points in 12 of his last 15 games (double figure in 10 of those contests).
-Not only is reaching double figures good for Schakel, it's good for the Aztecs. When Schakel scores 10 or more points in his career, SDSU is 22-2 with 15 straight victories.
-The Aztecs are 14-0 at Viejas when the he reaches double figures.
-The sharpshooter has made 47-of-109 attempts from bonus distance (43.1 percent). He is 29th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (min. 45 3FG made).