Boise State vs. San Diego State

Viejas Arena – San Diego State University

Saturday, January 3 at 7:00 p.m.

The Aztecs return home for a big-time matchup against the Broncos, aiming to win three straight.

San Diego State has a big test in front of it. Not only does this team take on Boise State on Saturday night, but they follow up with a date with Nevada in Reno on Tuesday night. These two games should give head coach Brian Dutcher a clear picture of how his team stacks up with the best teams in the Mountain West.

The Aztecs are coming off a gritty win over San Jose State on the road before the end of 2025. The Spartans took their first lead of the game in the second half, but the Aztecs took over from there, winning 81-68. BJ Davis helped his team turn things around with 18 points (15 in the second half) and has clearly been the best offensive player this season for SDSU.

“You just stay patient,” Davis said after the win over SJSU. “Everything will work itself out. If I would have worked myself up over having three points at halftime, I probably wouldn’t have had a successful second half. It’s important to stay ready and optimistic for the opportunities that come ahead.”

The opportunities ahead could lead this team to a strong start in conference play, which is what everyone predicted before the season started. The Aztecs are trending in the right direction to be a dominant team once again. SDSU is looking to take care of business against a team that is having almost an identical season.

Heading to the Stables

The Broncos are having a roller coaster of a season. Just about every team in the Mountain West outside of Utah State has lost a game against a team they should absolutely not have lost against. In the season opener, Hawaii Pacific came to Boise and won 79-78. That result is certainly a stunner, and it compares to the double overtime loss the Aztecs had against Troy early in the season.

Boise State is 9-4 on the season. They are 43rd in NET rankings, with two of their games not counting for or against them in the NET rankings. The loss against Hawaii Pacific doesn’t hurt them, and then winning over Chaminade in the 7th Place Game in the Maui Invitational doesn’t benefit them. UCLA is 42nd in NET, putting it in perspective of how Boise State stacks up with the best teams in the country. SDSU is 73rd but continues to climb.

Boise State has bounced back with key wins against Butler, Saint Mary’s, and New Mexico. The Broncos are 1-1 in conference play with a loss at Nevada and the recent win over the Lobos at home.

Saddling Up

The Broncos average 75.8 points per game and allow 69.1. They shoot 44% from the floor as a team and own a slight rebounding advantage over SDSU at 38.2 per game compared to the Aztecs’ 36.7.

Drew Fielder leads the squad in scoring at 13.5 points per game. He shoots at a high rate of 56.6% from the field, which is tied for 67th in the nation. The 6-foot-11 junior center is a transfer from Georgetown after starting all 31 games last season for the Hoyas. He adds 5.2 rebounds per game, which leads the team as well.

Andrew Meadow is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game, shooting 51% from the field. Javan Buchanan is third at 10.8 points, and Dylan Andrews is 4th at 10.0 per game. Those are the only four averaging double digits in scoring.

Andrews is a senior from Gardena, California. The guard has seriously struggled to score this season, shooting at a poor rate of 31.1% from the field. He shoots 29.6% from deep but makes up for it on the defensive end by averaging 1.2 steals per game. Andrews is the only one averaging at least one steal per game, and if his offense improves, the Broncos will have four legit threats on the floor.

See You at the Finish Line

The Aztecs have an opportunity to make a statement in the Mountain West. They have a chance to overcome a frustrating start to the season by defeating the Broncos at home. The Aztecs just need to win. They don’t need to feel the pressure of having to dominate this game. That likely won’t happen. The good news is this contest is at home, and the Aztecs fans are going to be loud for most of the game. The players need to feed off the energy from each other and the crowd, and they will be just fine on Saturday night.

This contest is going to be close in the second half, and it may come down to the wire. Look to see Dutcher use his four-guard lineup late in this game, hoping to wear out the Broncos in crunch time.

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.