SAN DIEGO – Ranked No. 19/20 in the AP and USA Today Coaches top 25 polls, respectively, the San Diego State men's basketball team opens the 2022-23 season on Monday evening at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena against the Cal State Fullerton Titans. The game is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. PT and will be carried on YurView (Cox channel 4/1004) and Spectrum (channel 4) in San Diego.
OFF THE BOUNCE
San Diego State enters its 102nd season of basketball, its 53rd at the Division I level and the sixth under the direction of Brian Dutcher on Monday evening, when the Aztecs play host to Cal State Fullerton.
The Aztecs and Titans are meeting for the 33rd time in school history, with the Aztecs claiming 22 of the previous contests. From Jan. 18, 1964, to Jan. 4, 1969, San Diego State won 10 straight games against Cal State Fullerton. That 10-game win streak is tied for the seventh longest in SDSU program history against a single opponent.
San Diego State has won 15 straight season-openers against unranked teams, a run dating back to the start of the 2005-06 season. SDSU's last loss to an unranked opponent on opening night came on Nov. 19, 2004, when it came out on the wrong end of a double-overtime 80-72 defeat at the hands of UC Santa Barbara.
San Diego State has won nine straight season openers and 16 of the last 17 to begin a campaign. The lone blemish during the stretch came at the start of the 2012-13 season when SDSU fell to No. 9/9 Syracuse on the USS Midway. Taking into account that the Syracuse game was played outdoors on the flight deck of the USS Midway, the Aztecs have come out victorious in its last 16 season openers played indoors.
The Aztecs are currently in a 12-game winning streak in season openers that have taken place at home.
San Diego State, which in 2021-22 reached the Mountain West championship game for the fifth time in head coach Brian Dutcher's five seasons, looks for its unprecedented 15th Mountain West men's basketball title. Entering the 2022-23 season, San Diego State has won eight regular season and six Mountain West tournament titles.
For the fourth time since the start of the 2010-11 season, San Diego State is ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. The Aztecs No. 19 ranking in the initial poll is the second highest in program history, trailing only the 2014-15 preseason poll in which it was No. 16. Since the start of the 2010-11 SDSU has appeared in the AP poll for 89 weeks, more than any program in the state of California, ahead of UCLA (68 weeks), Saint Mary's (44 weeks), Southern California (35 weeks) and California (11 weeks).
San Diego State owns a 76-16 record (82.6 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That is the third best record in the nation, trailing only Gonzaga (90-7) and Baylor (81-13).
San Diego State prepped for the regular season with a 102-52 victory over San Diego Christian College. The Aztec defense was in regular-season form, limiting the opposition to 21 points in the first half and only allowing consecutive made field goals on four occasions during the contest.
Senior transfer Jaedon LeDee announced his presence with a team-high 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, while adding a game-high nine rebounds in just under 17 minutes of action.
Senior forward Keshad Johnson also contributed 13 points in an uber efficient 6-of-7 from the floor, including 1-of-2 from the bonus distance, three rebounds, four assists and a steal in just over 17 minutes.
Senior guard Matt Bradley was the third Aztecs to compile 13 points on 4-of-9 from the field and made 5-of-6 free throw attempts. He added a rebound and an assist in the win.
Among the freshmen, Elijah Saunders, was the top point producer with 11 on 5-of-6 shooting. He grabbed five rebounds and had a pair of assists in 14-plus minutes on the floor.
Brian Dutcher enters his sixth season as San Diego State's head coach and his 24th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his five seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to four conference titles, a 119-40 overall record, has been named the national coach of the year and twice named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.
No. 19 Men’s Hoops Open 2022-23 Season Monday Night
