San Diego State Aztecs
2020-2021 Overall Rank: #47
Conference Rank: #1 Mountain West
San Diego State started last season 26-0. The Aztecs were eying a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament at that point. A couple losses down the stretch probably would have forced SDSU to settle for a #2 seed, but obviously they never got the opportunity to see what they could do in the NCAA Tournament. Now Coach Brian Dutcher and company lose three starters and will have to do a little reloading. This group may not be among the elite in the nation like last season, but they are talented enough to win the Mountain West and get their shot at the NCAA Tournament.
2019-20 Record: 30-2, 17-1
Coach: Brian Dutcher
Coach Record: 73-26 at San Diego State, 73-26 overall
Key Departed Players:
Malachi Flynn, Guard, 17.6 ppg
Yanni Wetzell, Forward, 11.6 ppg
KJ Feagin, Guard, 9.1 ppg
Nolan Narain, Forward, 1.9 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Matt Mitchell, Senior, Forward, 12.2 ppg
Jordan Schakel, Senior, Guard, 10.0 ppg
Nathan Mensah, Junior, Forward, 6.4 ppg
Trey Pulliam, Senior, Guard, 3.3 ppg
Aguek Arop, Junior, Forward, 3.0 ppg
Adam Seiko, Junior, Guard, 2.9 ppg
Keshad Johnson, Sophomore, Forward, 1.9 ppg
Key New Players:
Cade Alger, RS Freshman, Forward, Transfer from Seattle
Triston Broughton, Freshman, Guard
Tyler Broughton, Freshman, Guard
Lamont Butler, Freshman, Guard
Keith Dinwiddle Jr, Freshman, Guard
Che Evans, Freshman, Forward
Terrell Gomez, Senior, Guard, Grad Transfer from CSUN
Derek Morhar, Freshman, Guard
Joshua Tomiac, Senior, Forward, Grad Transfer from Maryland
Projection:
San Diego State will reload around returning seniors Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel. Mitchell, a 6-6 forward, was second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game. He has a nice outside shot and can do plenty of damage around the basket as well. Schakel also reached double digits in the scoring column and is a superb outside shooter. Schakel connected on 43.6 percent of his 163 attempts from beyond the arc. Nathan Mensah should see an expanded role during his junior campaign. Last year the 6-10 forward averaged 6.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks and he is ready to dominate the defensive end of the floor. A couple graduate transfers will add even more experience to the Aztecs. Terrell Gomez averaged over 19 points per game during his last two seasons with Cal State Northridge. The point guard is a proven scorer and do not be surprised if his scoring only drops to around 15 points per game despite the tougher competition. Joshua Tomiac did not see much playing time while at Maryland, but the 6-10 senior has the talent to at least add some quality size off the bench at San Diego State. With upperclassmen like Aguek Arop and Adam Seiko joining a decent crop of freshmen, Coach Dutcher should find the depth he needs to play San Diego State’s typical tough defense and take his team back to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.8 (76th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 59.4 (3, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.8 (34, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.7 (10, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.1 (33, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.0 (13, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 77.1 (16, 1)
Rebound Margin: 3.3 (80, 3)
Assists Per Game: 14.8 (46, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.8 (16, 1)
