SAN DIEGO – Looking to match its longest league win streak of the season, three games, San Diego State travels to Reno, Nev, to take on Nevada on Friday at 5 p.m. PT at Lawlor Events Center.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs and Wolf Pack are meeting for the 33rd time, with SDSU sitting on a 25-7 advantage in the all-time series. In the Mountain West era, SDSU has a 21-4 lead in the series, but since its opening on Nov. 4, 1983, is just 5-6 at Lawlor Events Center.
San Diego State is 5-4 in Lawlor Events Center since Nevada joined the Mountain West. Only one of those five wins has been by at least 10 points while the other four have been wins by no more than seven points, and its four losses are by an average of 16.3 points.
San Diego State owns a 126-28 record (81.8 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That is the third best record in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (137-19, 87.8 percent) and Houston (136-25, 84.5 percent).
Once again San Diego State is one of the elite teams when it comes to challenging itself. According to Kenpom, the Aztecs have the No. 15 strength of schedule rating, including the No. 9 rated non-conference schedule. SDSU has faced the No. 11 rated schedule in opponents adjusted offensive efficiency and the No. 26 rated schedule in opponents adjusted defensive efficiency.
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, when the current slate of MW members was finalized, SDSU has an 58-34 (.630) record in Mountain West ROAD games, the best mark in the conference. Boise State has the second-best record 48-46 (.511).
The Aztecs are among the elite programs in the country and that includes winning on their opponent's floor. Since the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign, SDSU has the seventh best road record in the nation, 105-64 (62.1 percent).
Since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, SDSU has lost just 14 times in 48 road games (34-14, 70.8 percent), which is the THIRD fewest in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (6 losses) and Baylor (13 losses) and its 70.8 winning percentage in road games in that time frame is the SECOND best in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (32-6, 84.2 percent) with one of the Zags' six losses coming at the hands of the Aztecs, 84-74 on Dec. 29, 2023.
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, when the current slate of MW members was finalized, SDSU has an 85-11 (.885) record in Mountain West HOME games, the best mark in the conference. Boise State has the second-best record 76-20 (.792) and Colorado State is 61-33 (.649).
The Aztecs metrics rank among the best in the nation. Through the games of February 6, the Aztecs were ranked No. 20 in the NET, No. 20 in Kenpom, No. 23 in T-Rank, No. 17 in KPI and No. 36 in BPI. San Diego State's strength of record is No. 19.
San Diego State enters the Nevada game with a 7-5 record in Quad 1 & 2 games this season, including a 3-5 record in Quad 1 games. Its five losses have been on the road at some of the toughest venues to play in for an opposing team. The Aztecs lost at Brigham Young (65-74) in front of its second largest crowd of the season, at Grand Canyon (73-79) in front of its largest crowd, at New Mexico (70-88) in front of the largest crowd it has had since the 2009 season, at Boise State (66-67) in front to its second biggest home crowd this year and at Colorado State (71-79) in front of its largest home crowd of the year.
Senior Jaedon LeDee surpassed the 1,000-career point milestone at Colorado State and enters the Nevada game with 1,041 points, 749 of which have come in 61 games with the Aztecs while in his first 79 games at both Ohio State and TCU he totaled 292 points.
San Diego State, which won both the 2022-23 Mountain West regular season and tournament titles and reached the league tournament championship game for the sixth time in head coach Brian Dutcher's six seasons, looks for its unprecedented 17th Mountain West men's basketball title. Entering the 2023-24 season, San Diego State has won nine regular season and seven Mountain West tournament titles.
At Air Force, San Diego State shot a season-high 70.0 percent (14-of-20) from the field in the first half, which marked the second time in the Mountain West era that the Aztecs have shot at least 70 percent in the first half (also: at Air Force (.704 on Jan. 22, 2021) and the fourth time since 1999-00. [SDSU shot at least 70.0 percent twice in the second half of a game: vs. UNLV (70.8 percent) on Jan. 26, 2019 and at Fresno State (77.8 percent) on Feb. 20, 2021]
Junior wing Reese Waters, at Air Force, led San Diego State in scoring (15 points) for the fourth time this season and in doing so was successful on 5-of-8 shots from the bonus distance, a career-high for made triples.
At Air Force, senior wing Micah Parrish reached double figure scoring for the 13th time this season, 22nd as an Aztec and 55th time in his career.
Senior forward Jaedon LeDee grabbed 9 boards at Air Force and led the Aztecs in rebounding for the 18th time this season and 37th time in his college career. He also scored in double figures for the 22nd time in 22 games in 2023-24.
Lamont Butler, a senior guard, finished the Air Force game with 11 points to lock up his 10th game this year and 36th game in his career in which he has reached double figure scoring.
Senior forward Jay Pal recorded a season-best three blocks at Air Force.
Brian Dutcher is in his seventh season as San Diego State's head coach and his 25th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his six-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to five conference titles, six Mountain West championship game appearances, a 169-52 (.765) overall record, the 2023 NCAA national championship game, has been named the national coach of the year, and twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.
No. 24 Men’s Hoops at Nevada Friday Night
