15 total team rebounds … in a 40-minute game in 2026?

A number so low, it’s been matched and exceeded by individual players against the San Diego State Aztecs this season. Back in December, Arizona’s Tobe Awaka grabbed 15 rebounds when the teams met in Phoenix. And New Mexico’s Tomislav Buljan had 18 rebounds against the Aztecs just two games ago. 

For a team that was “fighting” for a regular-season championship, grabbing only 15 boards is inexcusable. 

After the loss to Boise State, Brian Dutcher thought otherwise.

“We played competitive, we fought. You wouldn’t say we gave in. A lot of teams that give in, you’re gonna go from 20 down to 30. We fought our way back to 7 with a free throw and had the ball. We didn’t give in. We fought back twice. So I like our fight, I just don’t like some of the things we’re doing.”

Or not doing when it came to rebounding.

At its most basic form, rebounding is about effort and energy, hustle and determination. Who is willing to initiate first contact with their opponent and put their body on the line to get to the ball first? And while it’s true the Aztecs didn’t give up and cut the deficit from 21 to seven, getting out-rebounded by 22 in a must-win game shows it’s fair to ask if this team is willing to sacrifice what it takes to be successful in March. 

However grim that performance was against the Broncos, the reality is that all is not lost for the Aztecs, as it looks like Utah State and New Mexico don’t want to win the regular-season conference title either. Utah State and New Mexico both lost games they were favored to win this week. Utah State lost by 27 at UNLV just hours after SDSU’s loss at Boise State. The Aggies closed as 7.5-point favorites but no-showed in a game where they could have given themselves a bit of a cushion at the top of the league. The Lobos, 8.5-point favorites, went down by as many as 19 before losing to Colorado State at home by eight.

This week’s results are a double-edged sword for the Aztecs. While it helps them in the sense that if things break right, they could win a share of the regular-season title. That’s good. But winning the Mountain West Conference tournament is the easiest path to the Big Dance. And motivation was going to be a major driving force for Dutcher and his team. Now it’s looking like Utah State and New Mexico will need to win the conference tournament just as much as SDSU does. Plus, the surging Rams have to be added to the equation and will want to have a say on the final conference rankings. That’s bad. While the Aztecs should still be the favorites to be the last team standing in Las Vegas, this week has provided more questions than answers.

How many bids will the Mountain West get this year? Can SDSU reach its potential? Is Utah State a lock to get in if they don’t win the conference tournament? How serious is New Mexico? Is Colorado State the most worthy team to go dancing right now?

All these questions would have been answered if things had gone as expected this week in the Mountain West. But the calendar has flipped over to March. The month of upsets. The month of buzzer beaters. The month of brackets. The month of Cinderellas.

Anything can happen in the month of March. Hopefully, it’s not too late for this group of Aztecs to find an elite mentality to match their elite talent and depth so they can reach their ceiling when it matters most.

John Rodriguez

John is a graduate from the University of Arizona and recently moved to San Diego. He is passionate about most sports but focuses on all University of Arizona athletics, NFL, and college football and basketball the most. In his free time he enjoys running, biking to local coffee shops, and trying new craft breweries.