SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men's basketball team returns to its second home, Viejas North or more commonly known as Thomas & Mack, for the 2023-24 regular season's penultimate game facing UNLV on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs and Runnin Rebels are meeting for the 81st time, with SDSU holding a 43-37 advantage in the all-time series. In the Mountain West era, SDSU has a 39-20 lead in the series, is 22-22 in Las Vegas overall, and a robust 21-16 at Thomas and Mack Center.
The Aztecs once trailed in the series against UNLV, 26-6, but are 37-11 against the Rebels in the last 48 meetings.
San Diego State is 13-1 in its last 14 games at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center. Since March 5, 2014, San Diego State is 13-1 against the Rebels in TMC, while the rest of the country is 52-110 in the facility.
Since the start of the 2008-09 season, no Division I team has won more road games against a single opponent than San Diego State's 18 victories over UNLV at Thomas & Mack Center. Saint Mary's (at Loyola Marymount) and Gonzaga (at Pepperdine) are second with 15 wins.
San Diego State's 45 victories at Thomas & Mack Center since the start of the 2008-09 campaign (27 neutral and 18 road wins) are the most by any team in any building in which it has not played at least one home game. Villanova is second with 36 victories at Madison Square Garden.
Since the start of the 2019-20 season, SDSU has a 41-4 record in Mountain West home games and is in the midst of a 14-game win streak against conference opponents at Steve Fisher Court, while in league road games since the start of 2019-20, SDSU is 29-12, including four straight wins against UNLV at Thomas & Mack.
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, 106-66 (61.6 percent). Since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, SDSU has lost 16 times in 51 road games (35-16, 68.6 percent), which are the FIFTH fewest road losses in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (6 losses), Saint Mary's (12 losses) and Baylor & Houston (15 losses) and its 68.6 winning percentage in road games in that time frame is the SIXTH best in the nation.
San Diego State's seven losses have all come on the road against Quad 1 opponents, and six of its seven defeats have come by nine points or less. SDSU has lost by 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 & 18 points.
San Diego State, through the games of March 2, is one of five programs nationally whose only losses this season have come against Quad 1 opponents (also: Houston, Purdue, Connecticut, and Auburn).
With its 73-41 win at Fresno State (Feb. 24), Brian Dutcher has at least 21 victories in all seven seasons as head coach. Dutcher extended his school record for most consecutive 21-win seasons to start his coaching career.
San Diego State owns a 130-30 record (81.3 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That is the THIRD best record in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (145-19, 88.4 percent) and Houston (142-25, 85.0 percent).
Once again San Diego State is one of the elite teams when it comes to challenging itself. According to Kenpom, through the games of March 2, the Aztecs have the No. 28 strength of schedule rating, including the No. 11 rated non-conference schedule. SDSU has faced the No. 26 rated schedule in opponents adjusted offensive efficiency and the No. 51 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 88-11 (.889) record in Mountain West HOME games, the best mark in the conference.
The Aztecs metrics rank among the best in the nation. Through the games of March 2, the Aztecs were ranked No. 19 in the NET, No. 19 in Kenpom, No. 24 in T-Rank, No. 19 in KPI and No. 32 in BPI. San Diego State's NET strength of schedule is No. 28.
When it hosts Boise State on Friday, the Aztecs will put their 20-game home win streak, the second-longest streak in program history, on the line. The 20-game home win streak is currently the SECOND longest active streak in the country through the games of March 2 (Houston has won 21 straight at home).
Senior forward Jaedon LeDee recorded his sixth straight and 17th overall 20-point game of the season (SDSU is 13-4), totaling a team-high 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds vs. San Jose State (Feb. 27). It was his 11th double double of the year matching Jalen McDaniels (11 in 2018-19) with the most double-doubles by an Aztec since Jamaal Franklin had 13 in the 2012-13 season.
Against San Jose State, sophomore forward Elijah Saunders compiled his fifth game of 2023-24 and fifth of his career with double digit points (10 points). In addition, he did not commit a turnover for the third straight game and fifth time in his last six games.
Senior guard Darrion Trammelllogged eight assists against SJSU, his most as an Aztec and tied for the third most of his career. The eight assists were the most by an Aztec since Matt Bradley had eight vs. Occidental College on Dec. 2, 2022 and matches the most since Malachi
Flynn had 10 vs. LIU on Nov. 22, 2019... Led the team in assists for the 12th time this season and 79th time of his career.
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 173-54 (.762) 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.