SAN DIEGO - After sweeping it's two game road trip to the state of Colorado with wins over Colorado State and Air Force, the San Diego State basketball team returns to Viejas Arena for game one of what may be its most difficult stretch of play this season: four games in 10 days, starting with Wednesday's matchup against Utah State.
OFF THE BOUNCE
San Diego State has won 27 of its 31 conference home contests (27-4) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, and overall has emerged the victor in 10 of its last 11 Mountain West games, regardless of location.
The Aztecs are battle tested having played the seventh toughest schedule in the nation based on its average opponent's NET rank. Only two schools in the AP Top 25 have played a tougher schedule than the Aztecs; No. 2 Kansas with the toughest schedule and No. 4 Alabama with the second most difficult schedule. Tonight's opponent, Utah State, has played the 25th most difficult schedule.
Since the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign, San Diego State's 193-25 record in home games is the seventh best in the nation and overall the Aztecs' 347-113 record is also the seventh best in the nation.
The last time out, San Diego State completed a sweep of its Colorado foes with a 70-60 win at AirForce. SDSU beat Colorado State, in Fort Collins 82-76 in overtime, three days before the Air Force game.
SDSU is 19-2 in its last 21 Mountain West home games since January 1, 2021.
SDSU is 50-1 in its last 51 games, and has won 38 straight games, in which it has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field which it last did against Nevada on January 10 in a 74-65 win.
With its 82-76 win at Colorado State (January 18), the Aztecs improved to 18-3 in their last 21 games immediately following a loss. In situations where a loss is followed immediately by a home game, San Diego State has won 24 consecutive games.
On Wednesday evening, San Diego State and Utah State will meet for the 25th time overall and the first time during the 2022-23 campaign. The Aztecs own a 15-9 series advantage. In Viejas Arena, SDSU is 8-1, including wins in each of the last eight meetings there.
The last time San Diego State played Utah State was on February 15, 2022, which resulted in a 75-56 win for the Aztecs. The 19-point loss was tied for the worst beating the Aggies took last season and it's the worst before a 23-point loss at Boise State earlier this season.
San Diego State's calling card is defense, and it is playing it at an elite level, according to Kenpom, which has the Aztecs ranked No. 27 nationally in adjusted defense. In addition, the SDSU offense, which ended the 2021-22 campaign ranked No. 167 in adjusted offense, slots in at No. 50 through 19 games this year and SDSU is No. 27 in adjusted efficiency margin.
San Diego State has appeared in the Associated Press' Top 25 Poll for 94 weeks since the start of 2010-11 season. SDSU's 94 weeks in the top 25 are the 18th most nationally and are the most for any California school in that time.
SDSU enters tonight's game battle tested, including having played the fewest Quad 4 games among the 363 Division I schools who compete in men's basketball. The next fewest are No. 3 Alabama, No. 8 Kansas and No. 20 Creighton which have all played three games against Quad 4 competition.
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, the most successful program in conference history, has won eight regular season and six Mountain West tournament titles.
San Diego State owns a 91-20 record (82.0 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That's the fourth best record in the nation, trailing only Gonzaga's 107-11 (90.7 percent), Baylor's 96-18 (84.2 percent), and Houston's 101-20 (83.5 percent).
Senior Keshad Johnson led the Aztecs' attack at Air Force with 13 points and 10 rebounds. It is his first double double of the season and his third as an Aztec. He led the team in scoring for the second in his Aztec career and for the first time this season. He reached double figure scoring in three of the last four games. His seven free throw attempts are a career-best and his six makes matches his single-game high, and he shot 50.0 percent or better for the fourth straight game.
Junior Micah Parrish totaled seven points at Air Force, going 7-of-7 from the line, but missed on all four of his field goal attempts, including his only shot from beyond the arc. He is the second Aztecs since at least the start of the 1999-2000 season to finish a game at least 7-of-7 from the line without scoring a field goal. (also: Winston Shepard, vs. Long Beach State on December 1, 2015). In addition, he led the team in assists for the first time in the Scarlet and Black.
SeniorMatt Bradley finished the Air Force game with 13 points, the 12th time this season and 109th time in his career (136 games) he has reached double figure scoring. He knocked down a trey for the eighth straight game and in 31 games as an Aztec, when he makes at least five field goals (5-of-11 against AFA), his teams are 24-7).
Darrion Trammell, a senior guard, finished the game at Air Force with 12 points, reaching double figure points for the 59th time in his college career and the 10th as an Aztec. He also led the team in assists for the 15th time in 18 games played and the 63rd time in his career.
Brian Dutcher is now in his sixth season as San Diego State's head coach and his 24th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his five-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to four conference titles, five Mountain West championship game appearances, a 134-44 (.753) overall record, and has been named the national coach of the year and twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.