After Almost Losing His Eligibility, Former Aztec Caleb Giordano Hopes to Make Up For Lost Time

When I was in Houston for SDSU’s amazing Final Four run, I lived it up. Late nights around town celebrating with fellow Aztecs fans, knowing just how precious our time at the top of the college basketball world might be.

I mean, this kind of achievement just doesn’t happen for a San Diego sports team … ever.

Before the games, the Sons of Montezuma crew were reveling with all the rest of Aztec Nation at the fan zone just outside of NRG Stadium. With Houston temperatures not quite Summer like, but definitely more heated than San Diego, we decided to stay near the refreshments all pregame.

Proudly I wore my SDSU replica championship ring given about a month earlier to hundreds who attended the official SDSU vs New Mexico watch party hosted at Alesmith Brewery. With that feaux gold & diamonds on my finger, I felt like a Champion.

And that’s when I saw what a real Champion looked like. Caleb Giordano the 6 foot 3, former SDSU shooting guard from La Mesa, CA saw me flashing my replica ring and promptly showed me his fist and the bulky, chiseled official championship ring he received in his time as an Aztec there upon his finger.

“Everyone’s family (at SDSU). Anyone that’s getting recruited by San Diego State, anyone that’s announced their transferring (out) … when you go through trials & tribulations of a winning program, you know obviously you may not win in the beginning, but the more you stick with it you’ll win in the end.” said a composed Giordano on the latest Sons of Montezuma Podcast.

Caleb made the trek to Houston to watch what his 2020 team would do. And there was no ounce of bitterness to it.

“It was so great to be around the guys again and just to see how supportive everyone was no matter what. You know we had everyone form Michael Cage, to Lorenzo Wade to Trey Kell … not only because the support of our brothers and our team, but because we all felt like we made it. We all felt like we were winning.“

Giordano who won his championship ring with the Aztecs was a member of the famed 2020 team that nearly went undefeated, rose to the tops of the Mountain West and had Final Four aspirations of their own. Only the wreckage of a global pandemic could stop that years mighty Aztecs from reaching their true destiny.

For Giordano, it was the forces that were yet to come after his SDSU time had ended that would try once again to derail his basketball future. Giordano after that 2020 season pursued his basketball dreams elsewhere for more meaningful playing time and an increased opportunity to showcase his skillset.

After transferring to Humboldt State University (now known as Cal Poly Humboldt) things did not go well with his time spent there derailing the rest of his academic and athletic eligibility after reports of coaching misconduct and academic misguidance.

To find out more how Caleb Giordano now finds himself back on the college basketball scene with his eligibility in tact, click below to listen or watch our full interview with Caleb now!