SAN DIEGO - Coming off a 76-68 win at Boise State on Saturday, the San Diego State men's basketball team hosts the Air Force Falcons on Wednesday evening, in the 89th meeting in the series. The Aztecs have won 16 straight games at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena against Air Force and have not lost to the Falcons at home since the 2004-05 season.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs have a 64-24 advantage in the all-time series, including 35-14 in the Mountain West era, and has won 16 straight against the Falcons in San Diego. Those 16 victories have been by an average of 14.8 points per game.
After its win at Boise State on Saturday, the Aztecs are 34-4 in their last 38 games immediately following a loss, which includes wins in the first game of a season after a loss in its final game the previous season. In situations where a loss is followed immediately by a home game, San Diego State is 35-1 in its last 36 games.
San Diego State is the only Division I team leading its conference in blocks per game, scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense. The only MW team to ever do that in a full season was the Aztecs in 2021-22.
Just over a third 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 January 6, according to KenPom, the Aztecs are 2nd in block percentage, No. 9 in 2-point percentage defense , No. 8 in effective field goal percentage defense, 12th in adjusted defensive efficiency, and 24th in 3-point percentage defense.
The Aztecs are holding opponent shooters to 35.7 percent from the floor, which is No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 4 in the nation and is one of two programs who are limiting opponents to a combined maximum of 35.7 percent from the floor and 28.4 percent from beyond the arc (also: Tennessee).
The Aztecs are the No. 35 team in the NET, second best ranking in the league, but is No. 5 nationally in Average Opponent NET Rank with the next best rank among the rest of the league in No. 24 Nevada. SDSU’s Average Opponent NET is No. 99, with the next best rank among the rest of the league is No. 121 Nevada. San Diego State’s NET Strength of Schedule is No. 10, with the next best rank among the rest of the league is No. 75 Utah State. Finally, SDSU’s non-conference WAB (Wins Above Bubble) is No. 18, with the next best rank among the rest of the league is No. 20 Utah State.
San Diego State’s defense, despite eight newcomers, is...San Diego State defense. In its 11 Division I games, SDSU has held seven opponents to their worst shooting game of the season and for two of the remaining four, they had their 2nd worst field goal percentage games.
The Aztecs showed California what stifling defense looks like on December 21, in holding a Golden Bears team that shot 47.5 percent from the floor coming into the game to just 25.5 percent, Cal’s fourth worst shooting game in the last 30 years. SDSU also limited Cal, a 38.1 percent shooting team from the bonus distance to 20.8 percent.
San Diego State leads the Mountain West with 6.0 blocked shots per game, and is No. 5 in the nation. San Diego State has received 35 of its 72 blocks this year (45.6 percent) from freshman Magoon Gwath, who is No. 4 in the nation (2.92/g).
The Aztecs enter tonight’s game with six victories in their last seven games and the lone loss was by one point against Utah State. In those six wins, SDSU is shot .446 from the field, including .368 from the bonus distance, and is averaging 76.5 points per game, with an average margin of victory of 12.8 points. Defensively, the team limited its opponents to a .341 shooting percentage, including .272 from beyond the arc.
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, California Baptist & California in its last eight.
Freshman Magoon Gwath ranks No. 2 in the nation in blocks per game (3.2) and No. 12 Kenpom’s block percentage (16.6) and No. 5 in total blocks (35). Gwath has a triumvirate of five block games: vs. No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 6 Houston & Oregon.
In limiting California to just 25.5 percent shooting last Saturday, the Aztecs have held seven of its first 11 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, including six games of less than 35.0 percent and three 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.
With the Aztecs 71-50 win over California, San Diego State is 96-7 in the Brian Dutcher era, when it limits its opponent to 60 or fewer points. Overall, the Aztecs have won 30 straight when holding the opposition to 60 points or less and are 103-8 in its last 111.
In the team’s 73-70 overtime win against No. 6 Houston, the Aztecs 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.
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.
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 186-61 overall record and 93-33 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.