San Diego State Basketball

SDSU Wins Conference Opener

By Brad Best

bestbrad4@earthlink.net

January 12th

SDSU Wins Conference Opener at BYU

When the words “find a way to win” come to mind, history would not bode well for San Diego State. They’ve been in every game they’ve played this year, except for a loss at Washington. All their other games could easily be considerable winnable, but the Aztecs allowed themselves to be beatable all too often. Saturday night’s most recent trip to Provo was a welcome detour.

Streak Snapper

The BYU Cougars had a 12-game conference home win streak snapped as the Aztecs came up with a 59-57 victory. This was only the third time the Aztecs have defeated BYU in Provo, with the last one coming on December 31, 1996. In the process, SDSU also snapped their own 9-game conference road losing streak and an overall 3-game road losing streak. This was the third year in a row that the Aztecs have started conference play with a win.

The Walton Effect

The Aztecs are simply a better team with Chris Walton on the floor. The fifth-year senior has a higher basketball IQ than most and typically knows where to go and what to do. In essence, he does the little things right that can end up paying big dividends in crucial moments. In the BYU game, Brandon Heath finally came alive down the stretch, scoring 9 of his 11 points in the final three minutes of play. He also made the final drive to the basket with the clock running out. But it was Walton on the spot who scooped up the offensive rebound and put up a soft shot that hung on the rim before falling through the bucket for a victory at the buzzer. There was much rejoicing among the Aztec players. Even Coach Steve Fisher jumped up and down, no doubt elated with a tough road win. It was a rare sight indeed for a team that went 2-10 on the road last year and didn’t have a single conference road victory.

Walton continues to experience pain from a hip/groin injury but has been cleared by doctors on both coasts to continue playing this season. His senior leadership will be one of the keys to the Aztecs playing well in conference.

SDSU vs. SDSU

Will the real SDSU please stand up? The first meeting of San Diego State versus South Dakota State was held on January 5, 2005. When the chants rang out, SD-SU, SD-SU, both sides probably felt right at home. But it was the Aztecs who prevailed on their home court 64-49. The Jackrabbits of South Dakota State will become a D1 team next season.

Additions and Deletions

Wesley Stokes has been dropped by the San Diego State men’s basketball program after failing to meet academic standards. He was on probation in the fall semester and expected to rejoin the team for the spring semester. On the bright side, Florida’s Mohamed Abukar has transferred to San Diego State and should be eligible to play second semester of the 2005-06 season. Abukar is a graduate of Rancho Bernardo High School in the San Diego area and will have 2 ½ years of eligibility. The 6’ 10” forward saw only limited minutes at Florida but could make an immediate impact with the Aztecs.

The point guard of the future could be Richie Williams of Steele Canyon High School. He recently gave a verbal commitment on the heels of leading his team to first place in the Torrey Pines Holiday Prep Classic. He averaged 23.5 points and 7 assists during the tournament.

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