Mac Pham
Staff Writer, Daily Aztec
When Brian Dutcher became the head coach at San Diego State, the long time assistant didn’t have to stray too far from the Aztecs’ calling card—suffocating defense.
Last season’s National Championship appearance proved the Aztecs have dug even deeper—being especially good. Since the start of the 2022 season, SDSU is 35-0 when they surrendered 65 or fewer points.
Tuesday night on the road however, they took that unbeaten streak to the very edge.
The Aztecs came up on the losing end of a tightly contested 68-63 road contest Tuesday night against Utah State. The Aggies, who currently sit atop the Mountain West Conference, denied SDSU the chance to control their own destiny in winning the regular season in 2024.
Despite being one of only two teams in the Mountain West with an unbeaten record at home (Colorado State) the Aztecs continue to have the same issue as everyone else in the league—not being able to win a top tier game on the road.
With just a few matchups left in conference play, SDSU finds itself with no more attractive road tests to improve the rankings. Playing the Rebels in Las Vegas March 5th certainly presents a unique challenge, but hardly moves the needle. And Fresno State this Saturday? Ooof.
Either way, the Aztecs will likely need to win out if they plan on taking the #1 seed into the Thomas & Mack Center’s conference tournament. Winning out will take all that they’ve got.
SDSU will need to continue to rely on their brand of basketball, while also making a few adjustments along the way.
Here are Three things to be on the lookout for in this final stretch of games.
1. LeDee Versus Double Teams
As the season continued to progress, star forward Jaedon LeDee has started to see more double teams, most notably against Gonzaga, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Taking a look back at the footage against Nevada, when LeDee caught the basketball in the low post and a double came, SDSU struggled to generate open baskets.
In games against New Mexico and Utah State, when LeDee operated at the elbow and in the high post, SDSU was more efficient either finding space for himself to operate and score, or finding open shooters on the perimeter.
The All-American candidate put up another very good stat line Tuesday night with 23 points and 6 rebounds, all while limiting his turnovers to just one.
Off ball players were also finding angles to cut and get into LeDee’s sightline.
2. X-factors: Pal, Byrd, Saunders
Jay Pal, Miles Byrd and Elijah Saunders each contribute to SDSU’s production on both ends of the floor.
Pal has been a monster on the offensive glass. He had three offensive rebounds in the last matchup against Colorado State, including two boards off an SDSU missed free throw.
Though he did record 6 rebounds Tuesday night, against a team with a bonafide big man like Utah State’s Great Osobor, Pal found it a little tougher to impact the game with his size & length.
Miles Byrd is a gifted scorer but he’s embraced his role as a defensive disrupter this season. Tuesday night his presence was felt for 10 points and two steals.
He has a nack for attacking with timely steals in the passing lane and converting the turnover into fastbreak dunks. He’s hit catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and has made blocks from the weak side of the floor often as well. And the genuine energy that he brings to the floor each game is contagious.
Elijah Saunders brings necessary floor spacing and has hit catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. Last week against New Mexico, Saunders went on a personal 8-0 run to hand SDSU a comfortable 11 point lead late in the second half.
The sophomore has embraced his role coming off the bench after being a part of the starting lineup for much of the year. Last night was an example where his shot wasn’t hitting the same on the road as it was at home however.
3. Offensive and Defensive Strategies
Offensively, Darrion Trammell has knocked down bail out shots all year when the Aztecs are deep into the shot clock.
When SDSU has their top two scorers, LeDee and Reese Waters, in action together, that’s a recipe for success. A LeDee screen and roll for Waters on the clear side of the floor has teams picking their poison.
Defensively, SDSU typically sends a help defender to the baseline to take away any drives going in that direction.
That leaves rotation to the perimeter and perimeter defenders do a great job recovering back to the 3-point line and contesting shots.
Lamont Butler has been a menace on the perimeter. SDSU switches a majority of on-ball and off-ball screens. But when they don’t switch, Butler can fight through screens, keep the basketball in front of him or get his hands on the basketball before it enters the paint.
Tuesday night showed an off night for the Senior Butler, who did not record any points and was whistled 3 times on his defensive aggressiveness. We look for that to change on a neutral court come March.
The SDSU Aztecs basketball team next plays on the road at Fresno State this Saturday, February 24 at 7pm. Television broadcast via CBS Sports Network and local radio via San Diego Sports AM760.
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