SAN DIEGO – San Diego State men’s basketball’s Elzie Harrington and Tae Simmons have earned inclusion on the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List, and the team has been predicted to finish in third place by a vote of the media which will regularly cover the conference. The announcement came from the league office in San Ramon, Calif., on Thursday.
The pair, both sophomores, are part of an 18-player list, which is made up of two student athletes from each of the nine basketball playing schools in the conference.
Harrington started 17 of the 23 games in which he appeared as a freshman; missing the final 10 games due to a leg injury. His 17 starts as a true freshman are the third most of any Aztec true freshman in the Brian Dutcher era (Matt Mitchell got 32 starts in 2017-18 and Nathan Mensah earned 20 starts in 2018-19). He garnered the Mountain West Preseason Freshman of the Year award last season and led the country’s freshman in 3-point percentage through the first 12 games of the 2025-26 season.
A classic Aztec guard, Harrington plays the game at his pace, is long, can run the floor, score from three levels and play tenacious defense. He returns as the squad’s leading scorer, assist & steals producer, and its second leading rebounder and shot blocker.
The Long Beach, Calif., native has averaged 12.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor, including 66.7 percent from beyond the arc. He is a perfect 8-of-8 from the line and averaged 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in a little over 25 minutes per outing during the team’s three exhibitions.
Simmons, a physical player who initiates contact and uses his strength around the hoop to his advantage, started each game for the Aztecs in their run to the 2026 Mountain West Tournament championship game. He returns to the program as its leading rebounder and field goal percentage shooter.
In the team’s three exhibition games, the Simi Valley, Calif., native averaged 10.0 points on 68.8 percent shooting from the field, including 50.0 percent from the bonus distance, with 5.7 rebounds and a block in an average of 23.0 minutes per game.
In the preseason predicted order of finish the Aztecs were picked to slot into third place. Gonzaga was selected to finish first, followed by Utah State, the Aztecs, Colorado State, Oregon State, Boise State, Texas State, Washington State and Fresno State.
San Diego State opens its inaugural season in the Pac-12 against Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. PT, on Tuesday, November 3, at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena.
For information on 2026-27 season tickets and single-game options please visit https://goaztecs.com/tickets/mensbasketball or contact the Aztec Athletics Ticket Office at 619-283-7378 or via email at aztix@sdsu.edu.