San Diego State vs Cal Berkeley Preview: Aztecs’ Last Non-Conference Test

As Finals Week comes to a close and San Diego State students await their grades, the Aztecs have one final test to pass in their non-conference schedule. The Aztecs (7-2) face off against the UC Berkeley Golden Bears (7-4) at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.

For SDSU, they will be well rested after 10 days off from their last game- a lackadaisical performance against Cal Baptist in which the Aztecs almost blew a 19 point 2nd half lead at Viejas Arena, only to pull away at the end 81-75. 

Cal, meanwhile, has lost 3 of 4 games including a buy game at home to Cornell 88-80. A victory over a ranked Aztecs team would be a signature win for 2nd year coach Mark Madsen, so expect the Golden Bears to be extra focused and prepared for this game merely 50 miles from their campus. 

The two teams squared off last year in a thrilling 76-67 OT win for SDSU at tiny J Serra HS Pavilion in San Juan Capistrano. Reese Waters thrilled a packed house of mostly Aztec fans with a game high 24 points to earn MVP honors of the SoCal Showcase. 

Now the return game venue switches to a 13,900 seat arena home to the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Waters, the hero of last year’s contest, will be unavailable as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his foot. 

Boardman Gets Paid?

Rebounding has been a glaring weakness for the Aztecs this season as they have been outrebounded in 4 out of their 9 games and rank 286th in the percentage of offensive rebounds they give up on defense. Cal will test the young Aztecs team again as the Golden Bears rank 16th in the country in the percentage of offensive rebounds they grab at 38%. 

Despite the deficiency on the defensive glass, the Aztecs have been able to beat opponents by limiting turnovers, locking down opponents until the shot goes up and with efficient offensive possessions that result in points. 

Miles Heide had a breakout game vs Cal Baptist scoring 10 points while going 5-5 from the field with 4 offensive rebounds and putback buckets. It’s contributions like this that have lifted the sails of the Aztecs while they continue to figure out who will get paid on the defensive glass. 

Keys to the Game

The obvious number one priority is not allowing the Cal Bears on the offensive boards. This means a team effort of 5 guys crashing toward the paint and locating Cal players to box out.

This strategy may not result in quick transitions to offense but at least it saves the Aztecs from giving up easy 2nd chance points before their defense has a chance to reset.

Defend the 3 ball. Cal knocks down 3 point shots at 38%. Guards Jeremiah Wilkinson and Jovan Blackshear shoot over 40% from deep. This a game where the Aztec guards in Nick Boyd, Wayne McKinney, BJ Davis, Miles Byrd and Taj Degourville need to not leave Cal shooters open on the perimeter.

If the Aztecs play straight up man to man defense, stick to their man like glue, and force contested 3s they have a great chance to limit the damage Cal can do from beyond the arc.

Watch Party

Need a place to watch the game? Come join us at the official Sons of Montezuma Holiday Watch Party at Citizen Brewers (5837 Mission Gorge Rd A, SD 92120) from 7pm-10pm on Saturday night. You can meet the Sons of Monty crew and we will be releasing our new signature Black & Red Ale. Free entry,  ages 21+.

For those attending the game in person, the Mesa Foundation is hosting a pre-game fan meetup at The Brit Sports Pub and Patio in Downtown San Jose at 3:30pm.

You can register for the event here.