SAN DIEGO - The No. 22-ranked San Diego State men's basketball team, in sole possession of first place in the Mountain West, faces Colorado State on Tuesday at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena, a venue where the Aztecs have defeated the Rams in nine of its last 11 meetings, including four of the last five.
OFF THE BOUNCE
San Diego State has won 31 of its last 35 conference contests (31-4), since the start of the 20219-20 campaign, and overall has emerged the victor in 13 of its last 14 (13-1) and 23 of its last 25 (23-2) Mountain West home games.
The Aztecs are battle tested having played the 10th toughest schedule in the nation based on its average opponent's NET rank, through the games of February 19. The only schools in the AP Top 25 to have played a tougher schedule than the Aztecs is No. 2 Alabama with the sixth most difficult slate, No. 3 Kansas with the toughest schedule in the nation, No. 9 Baylor which has played the fifth hardest schedule and No. 19 Creighton has played the ninth most difficult slate. Colorado State has played the 57th most difficult schedule.
San Diego State owns the seventh-best home record in the nation, since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, 197-25 (.887) and its 353-114 (.756) overall record in that time frame is the sixth best in the nation (see boxes on page 8).
The last time out, San Diego State defeated Fresno State, 45-43, in its lone meeting with the Bulldogs in the regular season. It was the 15th time since the start of the 1999-00 season (780 games), SDSU has totaled 45 or fewer points, but the first time it has won a game when doing so. The Aztecs improved to 16-8 against Fresno State in the Mountain West era and have won the last eight straight against the Bulldogs, regardless of location.
SDSU is 13-1 in its last 14 Mountain West home games and 78-11 since January 8, 2013, as a host in Mountain West games.
SDSU is 52-1 in its last 53 games and has won 40 straight games in which it has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field, which it last did against UNLV (51.7 percent) on February 11 in its 82-71 win.
San Diego State committed only three turnovers in its game against San Jose State. That is the fewest for an Aztec team, in a Division 1 game, since the start of the 1999-00 season, a span of 779 games.
On Tuesday evening, San Diego State and Colorado State will meet for the 93rd time overall and for the second time during the 2022-23 campaign. The Aztecs own a 49-43 series advantage. At home SDSU is 29-14 overall including a 19-4 mark at Viejas Arena. Since the start of the 2009-10, SDSU is 11-2 against the Rams on its home floor.
The last time San Diego State played Colorado State was just over a month ago, on January 18, 2023, in Fort Collins, Colo., at Moby Arena. The Aztecs defeated the Rams in overtime 82-76. It was the third slimmest margin of victory for SDSU in 13 wins at Moby since the inception of the Mountain West.
San Diego State's calling card is defense, and it is again playing it at a high level according to Kenpom, which has the Aztecs ranked No. 19 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. 49 through 25 games this year and SDSU is No. 17 in adjusted efficiency margin.
San Diego State has appeared in the Associated Press' Top 25 Poll for 98 weeks since the start of 2010-11 season. SDSU's 98 weeks in the top 25 are the 18th most nationally and are the most for any California school in that time frame (see graphic on page 9).
SDSU enters tonight's game battle tested, including having played the fewest Quad 4 games, one (1), among the 363 Division I schools who compete in men's basketball. The only team with fewer than three Quad 4 games, and ranked ahead of the Aztecs is No. 2 Alabama which has played two (2) 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 has a 29-8 record (78.4 percent) in true road games since the start of the 2019-20 season. That is the second best record in the nation trailing only Gonzaga's 29-4 record (87.9 percent).
San Diego State owns a 97-21 record (82.2 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That's the fourth best record in the nation, trailing Gonzaga's 113-12, Houston (107-20) and Baylor (101-20), and better than Kansas' 105-23.
Senior Matt Bradley finished the Fresno State win with 10 points. It was his 17th 10-plus point game of the season and the 114th double-digit scoring effort of his career. In addition, he led the team with three assists.
Senior Keshad Johnson led the Aztecs with 10 rebounds at Fresno State. It marked the third time this season he has grabbed double digit boards and the seventh time in his career. Every time he has had 10-plus rebounds, the Aztecs have won (7-0).
Brian Dutcher is now in his sixth season as SDSU's head coach and his 24th on the Aztec sidelines. In his five-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to four conference titles, five MW championship game appearances, a 140-45 (.757) overall record - eighth best in the nation, has been named the national coach of the year and twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.