San Diego State Aztecs
Mountain West (22-10, 9-7)
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The Aztecs probably won’t be a favorite in the field, but they’ve proven that in a particular game they can play with just about any team in the country. Following an opening game loss to Syracuse, the Aztecs won 14 of their next 15 games in an impressive non-conference stretch with the only loss coming to then third ranked Arizona. With a conference record that doesn’t really shine, San Diego State’s hot start kept them in consideration for postseason play when they slipped some down the stretch.
Big Wins: 12/01 vs UCLA (78-69), 1/12 Colorado State (79-72), 1/26 New Mexico (55-34)
Bad Losses: 1/19 at Wyoming (45-58), 2/02 at Air Force (67-70), 3/9 at Boise State (65-69)
Coach: Steve Fisher (14 seasons at San Diego State)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Aztecs may not have been on many people’s radars during the regular season, but in the Mountain West where there are strong teams who should make noise in the tournament, the Aztecs were always a tough opponent. Against the three toughest teams in the Mountain West, New Mexico, UNLV and Colorado State, the Aztecs went 2-4 during the regular season, beating New Mexico by 20 and Colorado State in overtime. The four losses were all close games with the losses by an average of just six points a game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
San Diego State is led by Jamaal Franklin, who in his 32 minutes of play per game led his team with 17 points and nine rebounds. But behind Franklin the statistics drop off with Chase Tapley and J.J. O’Brien. If Franklin gets into foul trouble and has to sit, the Aztecs would probably struggle to keep pace with other opponents in the field. However, along with Franklin, San Diego State has six other players who average at least 5.9 points per game and are vital to pulling pressure away from Franklin if they have a good night shooting. However, if they are having a bad night, defenders will start to leave them open and focus on Franklin.
Probable Starters:
Jamaal Franklin, Junior, Guard, 16.7 ppg, 3.2 apg, 9.5 rpg
Chase Tapley, Senior, Guard, 13.5 ppg, 2.8 apg
Xavier Thames, Junior, Guard, 9.8 ppg, 2.2 apg
Deshawn Stephens, Senior, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg
J.J. O’Brien, Sophomore, Forward, 7.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
James Rahon, Senior, Guard, 6.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Winston Shepard, Freshman, Forward, 6.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.7 (116th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 60.5 (37, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.2 (124, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.8 (25, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (190, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.7 (221, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.0 (247, 9)
Rebound Margin: 3.9 (66, 4)
Assists Per Game: 12.4 (196, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.0 (63, 6)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Round of 64 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
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
