San Diego State Aztecs
Mountain West (29-4, 16-2)
We should all know better than to doubt Coach Steve Fisher and San Diego State. The Aztecs lost a lot of talent off of last year’s team that earned a #7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Oklahoma before falling victim to Florida Gulf Coast. But this group did not need time to replace their departing production. In non-conference play their only loss was to Arizona and they beat the likes of Creighton, Marquette, Washington and Kansas.
Big Wins: 11/29 vs Creighton (86-80), 1/5 at Kansas (61-57), 3/8 New Mexico (51-48)
Bad Losses: 11/14 Arizona (60-69), 2/11 at Wyoming (62-68), 2/22 at New Mexico (44-58)
Coach: Steve Fisher (15 seasons at San Diego State)
Why They Can Surprise:
This team is all about defense and rebounding. The defensive effort starts with point guard Xavier Thames up top and his 1.7 steals per game. After Thames, the Aztecs are loaded with size. Winston Shepard is practically a 6-8 guard and opposing shooting guards can have a very, very tough time shooting over his lanky frame. Unlike many bigger perimeter defenders, Shepard has the quickness to keep up with a 6-2 wing. The sophomore has also emerged as the team’s second leading scorer and a tough rebounder. JJ O’Brien, a versatile 6-7 forward, Josh Davis, at 6-8, and 6-10 Skylar Spencer round out the usual starting five. Davis is a double-double threat every game and spearheads the impressive effort on the glass. After setting the freshman Mountain West record for blocks in 2013-2014, Spencer continues to develop his all-around game. He will not score much, but attacking the basket is not easy against Spencer and the rest of the Aztecs.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The overall shooting for San Diego State is surprisingly poor. Thames is a great outside shooter and all-around scorer and Ageel Quinn, Dwayne Polee II and Matt Shrigley are capable of sparking the offense off of the bench, but the team as a whole shoots just 43.9 percent from the floor. That would not be a horrible number if this was a team that relied heavily on outside shooting, but that is not the case with the Aztecs. They are a big team that wants to attack the basket with their size and athleticism. That should result in much better shooting. The shooting woes are also prevalent on the charity stripe, where they rank among the worst in the country.
Probable Starters:
Xavier Thames, Senior, Guard, 16.8 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.7 spg
Winston Shepard, Sophomore, Forward, 12.1 ppg, 2.2 apg, 5.2 rpg
JJ O’Brien , Junior, Forward, 8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Josh Davis, Senior, Forward, 7.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg
Skylar Spencer, Sophomore, Forward, 5.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.5 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Dwayne Polee II, Junior, Forward, 7.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Ageel Quinn, Junior, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 1.0 apg
Matt Shrigley, Freshman, Forward, 5.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.3 (176th in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 57.2 (2, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.9 (191, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.5 (8, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (284, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.6 (117, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.2 (317, 11)
Rebound Margin: 5.3 (23, 2)
Assists Per Game: 10.1 (327, 11)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.2 (20, 4)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NCAA Second Round win over Oklahoma
2013 NCAA Third Round loss to Florida Gulf Coast
2012 NCAA Second Round loss to North Carolina State
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Northern Colorado
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Temple
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Tennessee
2009 NIT First Round win over Weber State
2009 NIT Second Round win over Kansas State
2009 NIT Quarterfinal win over St. Mary's
2009 NIT Semifinal loss to Baylor
2008 NIT First Round loss to Florida
2007 NIT First Round Win over Missouri State
2007 NIT Second Round loss to Syracuse
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
