SDSU Men’s Basketball was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Preseason Poll. The Aztecs’ play on Wednesday night hinted at the wisdom of those lower-than-normal expectations. 

Cal State San Marcos, selected tenth in the Division II CCAA coaches poll, came to Viejas Arena after a road exhibition against UC Riverside. The Cougars fell to the Anteaters, chosen fourth in the preseason Big West poll, 89-61. Judging the quality of the 2024-2025 Aztecs against such an inferior opponent is impossible. But, there were troubling signs. 

SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher spoke of them postgame. He spoke of the Aztecs becoming a good team because they are not there yet.

“These guys were fun to watch, and we’re going to be good,” Dutcher explained “But, we have to be good in November, and that’s the challenge because of our schedule. So, we’ll get back to work, watch this tape, and get ready for UCSD, remembering that last year’s game went down to a tip-in by LeDee at the buzzer.”

The Aztecs are long and athletic, with multiple capable shooters. Their potential is undeniable. What they lacked was cohesiveness and playing together as a team. SDSU had 14 assists on 32 made baskets, but most came on fast breaks after steals or blocks on the defensive end. 

Fifty-six of the Aztecs’ 80 points resulted from second chances, fast breaks, or turnovers. The Aztecs showed well if SDSU is a team producing most of its points in transition or the offensive glass. Should better opponents force a half-court game, SDSU could struggle offensively, especially at the beginning of the season. 

Dutcher mentioned SDSU’s improved turnover numbers between scrimmages as a positive. While technically growth, the Aztecs’ 14 turnovers against the Cougars were the equivalent of the 24 they had against UCLA. CSUSM could not create many. Better opponents will.

Despite the defense leading to offensive production, there were troubles on that side of the court, too. Magoon Gwath was an eraser on Wednesday. His length and shot-blocking ability dominated the defensive end. The problem is that he had to because CSUSM drove past perimeter defenders with too much ease. Gwath even got in foul trouble as a result. 

Rebounding was also a concern. Despite an overwhelming height advantage, the Aztecs were not strong on the glass. As young interior players are prone to do, Miles Heide, Pharaoh Compton, and Gwath tipped the ball around instead of securing it with strength. Jared Coleman-Jones approximated his 4.6 career average with five. SDSU surrendered ten offensive rebounds. They were not the unpredictable variety. CSUSM was competitive in this facet. 

San Marcos could not provide the requisite resistance necessary to force structure on the game. Without it, evaluating SDSU’s ability to play together was challenging. Teams with elite chemistry find ways to complement each other no matter the circumstances. This quality was lacking against the Cougars.  

Exhibitions do not allow conclusions to be drawn. However, the reasons for the low external expectations were evident. 

“We played in stretches pretty well, but it’s a coach’s job to make sure you play more consistently for forty minutes, and I want to see more consistent play,” Dutcher added. 

What the Victory Means 

SDSU is aiming to conclude two decades of dominance. The Aztecs have had 19 straight seasons with at least 19 wins. Only Kansas and Gonzaga have more. 

Participants in six of the last seven NCAA Tournaments, SDSU is coming off consecutive appearances in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history. The Aztecs have danced in March 11 times in the past 15 tournaments. Only ten other programs have had that level of consistency. 

Elite defense has been the standard. If this incredible stretch is to continue in year 20, the suffocating, harassing pursuit of stopping the opposition will need to lead this year.

“We take pride in our defense, and we work on it every day,” Dutcher said. “It’s what we rely on. And these guys are good students because they learned their lessons watching a Lamont (Butler) and a Darrion (Trammell), guys that came before them. Picking up things from them and putting them to use when it’s their turn. It’s their turn now, so they’re ready for their moment.”

SDSU, as much as any team in the nation, benefitted from the extra eligibility granted to players due to COVID-19. The past two years, they defeated more talented opponents because they were older and had competed together longer. They no longer have that advantage.

While surpassing 19 wins is still the expectation, getting there might be hard for the Aztecs if the team does not gel. As always, Dutcher scheduled a challenging non-conference. 

Only four of them appear to be sure wins. Assuming one slip-up in conference at home would give them 13 victories. SDSU must find six wins against Gonzaga, Cal, the Player’s Era Festival, the road portion of the MW schedule, and the conference tournament.

In the scope of the season, Wednesday’s exhibition served its purpose. It allowed the new Aztecs to play in front of the Viejas crowd. They experienced the program’s legacy in the House that Steve Fisher and Dutcher built. Now, it is their turn to carry it on.    

Player of the Game: Nick Boyd

When Florida Atlantic University head coach Dusty May left for Michigan, Nick Boyd exercised his right to transfer. Eventually landing with the Aztecs, Boyd was appreciative postgame that Dutcher did not recruit another athlete when the transfer guard came down with a stress fracture in his foot. 

Boyd explained that the summer was the “toughest” time in his basketball career because he could not play. Only recently cleared to practice, Boyd displayed a veteran savy unmatched on Wednesday. 

Feel is a non-analytic term that describes the intangibles that elevate some athletes. “The ball seems to find him” is a cliche that expresses a similar idea. Boyd has it. That was evident on Monday.

With four seconds left in the first half, Wayne McKinney III launched a three that barely grazed the rim. Boyd snuck past taller defenders, the ball fell into his hands, and he converted an easy layup. 

Boyd only played 13:02 against San Marcos. Dutcher subbed him out of the game for good with 16:38 left in the contest. He was sensational in winning ways during his limited play. He finished with 18 points, three assists, three rebounds, and a steal. More than just the numerical production, he provided a veteran presence for a team that needed it.

“(Boyd) is a guy that knows how to play and is dangerous offensively, both penetrating and shooting the three, and a good teammate,” Dutcher said. “Nick is a good player. I just think as he continues to work himself back into game shape and game rhythm, we’ll see an even better version of what he was tonight.” 

Unsung Hero: BJ Davis

SDSU’s potential is evident, but its ceiling might be a year or two away when the young stalwarts are more seasoned. If the Aztecs are going to approximate their success of the past two seasons, they will need multiple underclassmen to have a leap in production. 

After mostly sitting out his freshman year behind more experienced and developed athletes, BJ Davis appears to be someone Dutcher can count on this season. Davis’ role is undetermined, but he flashed potential in all he was asked to do. 

“For me, (last) year was a learning process,” Davis explained. “I took a lot of time to really evaluate what I want to do, who I wanted to be. With that, just coming out working as hard as I can. That’s what I really took from that year, just continuing to do that night in and night out.”  

Defensively, he displayed the on-ball pressure that makes opposing point guards uncomfortable. He had a steal where he reached across Donavan Watkins’ body, poked the ball behind him, and raced for an uncontested layup.

Watkins can play. He is a redshirt junior, prepped at Corona-Centennial, and has 26 career turnovers across 52 college games. Davis’ rip was inexcusable from Watkins’ perspective but impressive from a defensive point of view.

Postgame, Davis owned the press conference. His voice is another attribute he adds to this team. Without many returners, the newcomers need a teammate who can articulate the nuances SDSU needs to achieve excellence. For one night, Davis exhibited that quality. 

Fast Breaks:

• SDSU played UCLA in a closed-door scrimmage. After that, both teams hosted exhibitions. The announced crowd at Pauley Pavilion for the Bruins’ matchup with CSULA was 3,055. While fans in the seats for the Aztecs game were far fewer than the official 12,164, the support was terrific. It was the first thing Dutcher mentioned postgame.
• The best moments from the crowd was singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Dutcher, the groan when Gwath pulled up for a three from NBA range, and The Show chanting, “You let the whole team down” on any CSUSM missed free throw.
• As has been the tradition for years, the Aztecs concluded pregame warmups with a thunderous dunk. Pharaoh Compton had the featured throw-down.
• Unlike previous seasons, where inside players were scarce, the Aztecs’ bigs were numerous. Their length was impressive, but they lacked bulk. Even Jared Coleman-Jones is not as physical as Nathan Mensah or Jaedon LeDee. Miles Heide appeared to be the biggest. Compton is stout and will fill out even more with time, but how he will hold up against the likes of Graham Ike is unknown. 
• Compton’s Freshman of the Year honors could be accurate. He flashed aggressiveness on both ends. His hands were good and he converted numerous passes for easy baskets. Compton displayed one good post move in the flow of the offense. He also hit a midrange jumper that will be available to him all season until he proves capable of knocking it down. He appears ahead of Miles Heide in the pecking order for playing time.
• An interesting aspect of watching tall athletes is how lumbering younger players look compared to veterans. Coleman-Jones and Demarshay Johnson were more athletically polished than the rest. They were smoother. Heide has taken a step forward in this aspect from last season. 
• Dutcher has his players practice in warmups what he believes will be available to them in games. Judging from this, the bigs will be in the dunker spot along the baseline, rolling to the hoop from a pick-and-roll, elbow jumpers, pick-and-pop threes, and have low post looks. 
• Coleman-Jones has the best form and quickest release on threes among the bigs. Heide and Gwath have good form but are slow to get their shots up. The rest appear to have work ahead of them in that department.
• SDSU’s defense has switched every position on ball screens for years. With two bigs on the floor this season, the tallest Aztecs will be required to guard on the perimeter even more. They all showed a need for improvement. Coleman-Jones and Heide, in particular, had trouble staying in front of the ball. 
• Wayne McKinney III has great athleticism. He played in a reserve role and might fit best there because he can score the ball in isolation. On the other hand, the chaos he, Davis, and Boyd could cause together on the court is tantalizing. Against smaller teams, Miles Byrd as a fourth combo guard would be an interesting look. 
• The university does not have an official mascot, but that did not stop Monty from sitting in the student section. It showed the school needs one. 
• Byrd is a fan favorite. He was the last Aztec called in pregame introductions, and the arena erupted when his name was called. His father, Calvin, was in attendance. That had to be a special moment for the family.
• Byrd had a great game. His length, athleticism, and instincts made life miserable for the Cougars, as his four steals suggest. He also got to the free-throw line. His eight attempts doubled the rest of the regulars’ totals. With the rebounding questions, the Aztecs could use him there as well. 
• Byrd was 5-8 from the line. Of the three misses, two were on one trip. Byrd shouldn’t be blamed, though; most of the gathered forgot to put their fingers up on the attempts. Coleman-Jones corraled the offensive rebound after the second miss and immediately found Byrd, who was fouled again, resulting in a one-and-one. The crowd, realizing its earlier mistake, did their part on these shots and Byrd drained both. 
• UCSD is a sneaky-good opponent. They were picked to finish third in the Big West. The Tritons compete in SDSU’s shadow. Winning in Viejas is the best way to step out of it. 

Paul Garrison

My earliest sport’s memory involve tailgating at the Murph, running down the circular exit ramps, and seeing the Padres, Chargers and Aztecs play. As a second generation Aztec, I am passionate about all things SDSU. Other interests include raising my four children, being a great husband and teaching high school.