SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's basketball team, undefeated at 24-0 and No. 4-ranked, hosts the New Mexico Lobos on Tuesday night in Viejas Arena. With a win or a Colorado State loss, the Aztecs can cut down the nets on the program's 12th MW men's basketball championship. Junior forward Matt Mitchell enters the game 15 points from reaching the 1,000-point career plateau.
NEWS AND NOTES (through games of Feb. 9)
-San Diego State, winners of a Mountain West Conference best 11 men's basketball championships, looks to clinch at least a share of the regular-season crown on Tuesday when the Aztecs play host to New Mexico.
-SDSU won regular-season MW titles in 2006, 2011*, 2012*, 2014, 2015* and 2016. * - indicates shared title
-The Aztecs current magic number to clinch at outright championship is two. San Diego State can clinch at least a share of the title with a victory or a Colorado St. loss.
-Winning streaks that are on the line Tuesday:
| Streak | No. | School | Active Division I |
| Overall | 24 | record | Longest active win streak |
| Conference Win Streak | 13 | record | 2nd-longest active win streak (New Mexico, 28) |
| Home Win Streak | 12 | 9th longest | Tied-14th nationally |
| Best Start to a Season | 24-0 | record | Best start by any DI team since Gonzaga, 29-0 (2016-17) |
| Best Start to a Conference Season | 13-0 | record | best start by any team in Mountain West Conference history |
-This marks the 90th all-time meeting between the Aztecs and Lobos with New Mexico owning a 48-41 lead. The Aztecs are 27-13 against the Lobos in San Diego.
-San Diego State has won three of the last four meetings between the teams, including an 85-57 victory at The Pit on Jan. 29 (13 days ago game night). The 28-point win by the Aztecs was their largest ever in the venue against UNM and is tied for the third widest margin of victory for a visiting school in the venue.
-San Diego State is currently ranked 4th in KenPom and has top 10 efficiency ratings on both offense (9th) and defense (10th). The Aztecs are the only team in the nation that can claim that. Only two other teams rank in the top 15 of both offensive and defensive efficiency (Kansas and Duke).
-San Diego State is the sixth team to open a season 24-0 since the start of the 2010-11 campaign. Of the previous five 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 24-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 fourth consecutive week. Now nationally ranked for a 10th-straight week, this ties the highest ranking in school history, originally set on Jan. 24, 2011.
-San Diego State is enjoying its 76th 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 76 weeks in the top 25 are the 21st most nationally.
-San Diego State's metrics continue to pace at an elite level. As of Monday, The Aztecs are currently 1st in NET (for a 12th straight day and a national-best 33rd non-consecutive day this season), 2nd in strength of record, 4th in KenPom (program best), 7th in Sagarin and 7th in BPI.
-San Diego State finds itself ranked among the nation's elite in several statistical categories, including 2nd in scoring margin (+17.5), 2nd in three-point field goal percentage differential (+10.6), 4th in scoring defense (58.3), 8th in three-point field goal defense (28.3), 5th in field goal percentage differential (+9.7), 9th in field goal percentage defense (37.7), 8th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.43), 11th in three-point field goal percentage (38.8) and 24th in field goal percentage (47.4).
-San Diego State has four players averaging 10 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.
-San Diego State leads the Mountain West Conference in many team stats, including scoring margin (+17.46), scoring defense (58.33), field goal percentage defense (37.7), turnover margin (+3.52) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.43), turnover margin (+3.46), three-point field goal percentage (38.8) and three-point percentage defense (28.3).
PLAYER TIDBITS
-Junior guard Malachi Flynn - 16.5 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 38.2 3FG pct., 3.44A/TO
-Only player in the nation averaging 16.5 points, 5 assists and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of at least 3:1.
-14 straight double-figure scoring games and 10+ points in 23-of-24 contests this season.
-Last 10 games: 17.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.2 apg, 46.7 (56-120) FG pct., 92.2 (47-51) FT pct.
-Leads the Mountain West Conference in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.44).
-The Sporting News midseason second-team All-American.
-Made 30 consecutive free throw attempts, streak was broken, currently made 53 of last 57 (93.0 pct.).
-20 straight games with a trey.
-2nd in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (min. 100 assists), 3.44.
-Has 1,187 career points.
-Made 14-of-25 FGA on shots taken with four seconds or less on the shot clock. His PPP in those situations is 1.393 and ranks 1st nationally among players with at least 23 possessions.
Senior forward Yanni Wetzell - 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 59.9 FG pct.
-Has 11 or more points in seven of last nine games; Last 9 games: 13.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 63.0 FG pct.
-Last 21 games: 12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 62.1 FG pct.
-Double-figures in eight of his last 10 games.
-16-of-26 career 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 3 players this season; also: New Mexico's Joquan Lyle & Nevada's Jalen Harris).
Junior forward Matt Mitchell - 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 42.0 3FG pct., 85.4 FT pct.
-Coming off the highest 2-game scoring total of his career: 44 points. 14-20 FGs (70.0 pct.), 7-9 3FGs (77.8 pct.), 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg.
-Scored 28 points (second highest output of his career) against Utah State (2-1-20).
-Despite coming off the bench in 13-of-24 games this season, Mitchell is second 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 seven of last eight games and nine of the last 11 contests.
-Has 56 points in his last three games, 9-13 3FGs (69.2 percent).
-In 11 games as a starter: 13.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 52.2 FG pct., 46.3 3FG pct.
-Enters the New Mexico game 15 points from 1,000 for his career and will be the 34th player in program history to reach the milestone.
Junior guard Jordan Schakel - 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 45.9 FG pct.,43.2 3FG pct., 91.7 FT pct.
-Reached double-figures in five of the last six games.
-Has eight or more points in 13 of his last 17 games (double figure in 11 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 23-2 with 16 straight victories.
-The Aztecs are 14-0 at Viejas when the he reaches double figures.
-The sharpshooter has made 51-of-118 attempts from bonus distance (43.2 percent). He is 24th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (min. 50 3FG made).