For the 15th time in program history, San Diego State men’s basketball faces the Golden Bears of the University of California on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs hold an 8-6 advantage in the all-time series, are 3-0 in neutral site games, including last year’s 76-67 overtime win at The Pavilion in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., in the SoCal Showcase.
San Diego State maintained its spot in the AP top 25 on Monday slotting in at No. 23. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Aztecs 113 appearances in the poll are the most of any program in the state of California and nationally rank No. 20 in that time frame.
In a little over a quarter of the way through the season, San Diego State is once again trending as one of the nation’s best in defense. After the games of December 918, according to KenPom, the Aztecs are 2nd in block percentage, No. 5 in 2-point percentage defense , 10th in effective field goal percentage defense, and 30th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Aztecs are holding opponent shooters to 35.9 percent from the floor, which is No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 5 in the nation and is one of five programs who are limiting opponents to a combined maximum of 35.9 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc.
The Aztecs enter tonight’s game on a run of four consecutive wins and five victories in their last six games. San Diego State has wins over No. 21 Creighton and No. 6 Houston, to take third place at the inaugural Players Era Festival, at Fresno State and versus the University of San Diego and California Baptist in its last six.
Freshman Magoon Gwath ranks No. 1 in the nation in blocks per game (3.4) and Kenpom’s block percentage (17.6) and No. 6 in total blocks (31). Gwath has a triumvirate of five block games: vs. No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 6 Houston & Oregon.
In limiting San Diego to just 30.9 percent shooting, the Aztecs have held six of its first nine opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, including five games of less than 35.0 percent and two under 30.0 percent.
Freshman wing Magoon Gwath enjoyed a 25 point, 10 rebound and four block game in the team’s 84-62 win at Fresno State on December 4. He became the first Aztec freshman to have a game of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds since Kawhi Leonard totaled 25 and 12 against Wyoming on January 9, 2010, and is the only freshman in the nation with a game of at least 25 points, 10 boards and four blocks this year.
San Diego State, which in 2023-24 reached the Mountain West Tournament championship game for the seventh time in head coach Brian Dutcher’s seven seasons, looks for its unprecedented 17th Mountain West men’s basketball title. Entering the 2024-25 season, San Diego State has won nine regular season and seven Mountain West tournament titles, the most of any program that has ever been a member of the league.
At the Mountain West Media Day in Las Vegas, by a vote of media members who regularly cover the league, Aztec senior guard Reese Waters and freshman forward Pharaoh Compton were named Preseason All-Mountain West and Preseason Freshman of the Year, respectively. Waters returns as the team’s leading scorer, rebounder and assists man, but is expected to be out until early January. Compton was the No. 80 rated player in the nation and is the first top 100 signee since Jer’Vaughn Johnson, ranked No. 26 nationally, signed in 2005.
With the San Diego win, 74-57, San Diego State is 95-7 in the Brian Dutcher era, when it limits its opponent to 60 or fewer points. Overall, the Aztecs have won 29 straight when holding the opposition to 60 points or less and are 102-8 in its last 110.
In the team’s 73-70 overtime win against No. 6 Houston, the team overcame both a 5-point halftime deficit and trailed by 11-point with 14:58 to play to send the game to overtime and ultimately its 3-point win. The victory was Brian Dutcher’s 15th win in 26 games against top 25 opponents. Dutcher is the only head coach in program history with a winning record against ranked teams and it was the program’s first win against a top-10 team since a 71-64 victory over No. 1 Alabama in the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
In the Aztecs 100-49 win over Occidental on November 12, numerous highlights were achieved both as a program. It was the first time since the 2018-19 season SDSU scored 100 points in a game, not including overtime games. The team’s 37-point halftime lead was its biggest since a 46-point lead in the 2013-14 campaign. The Aztecs’ 18 three-pointers were one off the Viejas Arena and program record, set on Dec. 2, 2022, against Occidental.
Pharaoh Compton, who averaged 10.5 points, on 76.9 percent (10-of-13) shooting, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.5 assists and blocks per game in a pair of Aztec wins, was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week last Monday. It is his second FoW award from the conference in as many weeks.
Sophomore guard Miles Byrd earned Players Era Festival All-Tournament Team honors and was also named the Mountain West Player of the Week for averaging 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks and had a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio at the event. Freshman forward Pharaoh Compton was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week for his efforts at the tournament. He posted a season-best 13 points against No. 6 Houston and in three games he averaged 9.0 points, on 65.0 percent (13-of-20) shooting, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.7 assists and 0.3 blocks per game.
Brian Dutcher is in his eighth season as San Diego State’s head coach and his 26th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his seven-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to five conference titles, seven Mountain West championship game appearances, a 184-60 overall record and 93-32 mark in league games, has been named the national coach of the year, twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and led this team to back-to-back Sweet 16s including a run to the 2023 NCAA national championship game.