SAN DIEGO - Returning to the friendly confines of Viejas Arena for the first time in close to three weeks, a total of 19 days, the No. 24 ranked San Diego State Aztecs host the San Diego Toreros on Wednesday evening at Steve Fisher Court with the tip set for 7 p.m. (PT).
OFF THE BOUNCE
T he Aztecs and Toreros are meeting for the 52nd time, with San Diego State holding a 32-19 lead in the all-time series and a 21-9 advantage in games played on SDSU’s home floor, which includes a 8-3 mark at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. (see the box on the right and page four for the series history)
San Diego State jumped into the AP top 25 on Monday slotting in at No. 24. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Aztecs 111 appearances in the poll are the most of any program in the state of California and rank No. 20 in the nation.
Brian Dutcher has been on the San Diego State bench for the last 21 meetings against the Toreros. SDSU is 15-6 (71.4 percent) in those games, including a 2-1 record mark since ascending to SDSU’s top job at the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
The Aztecs enter tonight’s game off an 84-62 win at Fresno State in each team’s Mountain West Conference opener. The win was SDSU’s seventh straight against Fresno State in Fresno and its 11th straight against the Bulldogs, regardless of location.
Sophomore guard Miles Byrd averaged 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 Players Era Festival to earn All-Tournament Team honors and was also named the Mountain West Player of the Week. 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.
Once again San Diego State is trending as one of the best defenses in the nation. After the games of December 5, according to KenPom, the Aztecs are 1st in block percentage (21.4), No. 1 in 2-point percentage defense (39.1), 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency (93.7), and 15th in effective field goal percentage defense (42.4).
In limiting Fresno State to just 27.3 percent shooting, the Aztecs have held five of its first seven opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, including four games of less than 35.0 percent and two under 30.0 percent.
Freshman wing Magoon Gwath enjoyed a coming out party with 25 points and 10 rebounds in the team’s 84-62 win at Fresno State on Wednesday night. 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.
Despite the roster turnover, San Diego State ranks No. 222 in DI experience at 1.59 years, the Aztecs are once again trending as an elite defensive team. Through the games of December 5, according to KenPom, SDSU is rated 1st in block percentage (24.1), No. 1 in 2-point percentage defense (39.1), 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency (93.7), and 15th in effective field goal percentage defense (42.5).
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 Creighton win, 71-53, San Diego State is 94-7 in the Brian Dutcher era, when it limits its opponent to 60 or fewer points. Overall, the Aztecs have won 28 straight when holding the opposition to 60 points or less and are 101-8 in its last 109.
Freshman Magoon Gwath ranks No. 1 in the nation in blocks per game (3.7), No. 2 in Kenpom’s Block percentage (17.2) and No. 4 in total blocks (26). Gwath has a triumvirate of five block games: vs. then No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 6 Houston & Oregon.
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. He 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.
Players who distinguished themselves against Occidental, include Magoon Gwath who became just the second Aztec to record at least 15 points, 4 blocks and 2 three-pointers in the same game since the 1999-00 season. BJ Davis joined teammate Miles Byrd as the only Aztecs since the 2019-20 season to record at least 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals in the same game. Wayne McKinney III reached double figures in scoring just 5:36 into the game, accounting for 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting, including 3-for-3 from three-point range.
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 182-60 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.