SAN DIEGO – Not even five full minutes into the game Tuesday night and Head Coach Brian Dutcher had already used 9 different players into action from his roster. San Diego State was victorious in their season opener over Long Beach State in a decisive contest, 77-45 at Viejas Arena.
Did we fail to mention that two of the teams three All-Conference pre season players were out? It’s going to be that kind of a season Aztecs fans.
First off it was great to be back in the building for a game that counted towards the season’s standings. The energy was inside the arena was solid, though not quite at mid season form just yet. The same could be said for this Aztecs team that now after two exhibition games appears to be coming together as a unit in a few ways.
The Aztecs were explosive at times, lived up to their suffocating trademark defensive style, and had a few noteworthy moments from unexpected places. Here are a few thoughts after the successful night for this new look SDSU team.
Next Man Up
The obvious framing coming into this season is the undeniable depth on Dutcher’s roster. With a mix of returning veterans and both transfer & freshman incomers, there isn’t much drop off if at all when looking at the position groups from top to bottom.
With Magoon Gwath still out of the lineup and weeks away from his off season rehab return—on opening night that depth would be put to the test even further. Reese Dixon-Waters was also a scratch from the lineup after reports he suffered an eye scratch a day or so before game time.
The team responded by shooting 45% from the field, knocking down 11-23 three pointers for 48%, and with five scorers in double-digit scoring—there were still plenty of contributions all around from players in key spots.
A Game of Runs
The flow of the game at times wasn’t up to Coach Dutcher’s liking, but again knowing that on the opposite side of the floor stood Long Beach State HC Chris Acker, you knew there were going to be certain challenges presented by a former SDSU assistant coach.
The Beach at times in the 1st half knocked down big three’s and picked SDSU’s pockets to keep the score at arms distance. But this is a game of runs and when the Aztecs get their defense clamped down there are few teams that can keep up.
Miles Byrd led SDSU with 13 points on 5-10 shooting, 3-5 from behind the arc. He also grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the team. His shots from deep however were very impactful in mounting up leads towards the end of the 1st half that generated a lot of momentum for his teammates.
Though visibly not at 100% yet, Byrd’s leadership will be counted on even more this season to be consistently good. His always excellent attitude & energy will be even more important in helping set the tone for his teammates to play a united winning brand of basketball.
Miles Ahead
This subheadline covers two areas of focus. Miles Heide got the start at the center spot this night and boy did he come to play. Dutcher has stated he will be going back & forth between Heide and Pharoah Compton through out the season, starting each over the other depending upon matchup, how they are performing and to guide their stamina. Pretty great approach.
Both Heide and Compton played spirited minutes and got very much into the action finishing at the rim and being active on the defensive side of the ball. But it was Miles Heide on this night that showed he is progressing very nicely now in his Junior season.
Miles’ night reads as follows: 10 points on 4-4 FGs, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals—one of which was a breakaway streaking all the way to the basket. Heide drew in the contact from the trailing defender, faded back just enough after the foul was committed and he banked in the two with finesse not seen before in any of his plays prior.
It was a play that clearly demonstrated that his game is headed up another level this season. A few finishing dunks on the receiving end of terrific passes and being very active on the boards all night against former teammate Shay Johnson Jr. and it was a fun and very proud game to see come out of the young man.
To conclude in this Miles Ahead theme, not enough can be said about the two freshman on the Aztecs roster, Tae Simmons and Elzie Harrington. Both came in off the bench and when they came in, they let their presence be known with their play.
Elzie 13 points on 4-8 FG’s and 2-2 from deep, showed the kind of smarts, court vision, and athleticism that made him one of the nation’s top recruits.
Simmons 10 points on 4-6 FGs, 7 rebounds, and one 3-pointer put his wide range of skills on display. Defensively he was present in the moment and really showed he could impact the game by just doing all the fundamentals very very well.
The two played with a chemistry that was like gas on the Aztecs fire. Harrington’s explosive plays of the night were demoralizing to the Beach’s defenders, and the two really were catalysts in getting the Aztecs scoring up and going after another seemingly sluggish start to the game.
In the end, the Aztecs put together a terrific—though not complete performance. Foul trouble, turnovers, and inconsistency in the offense at times provided Dutcher & co. with plenty of work to refine. But it was a dominant win and a tremendous starting point for a team that is really all about, as College Basketball analyst Jon Rothstein perfectly phrased it, ‘Ruthless Aggression’.
Aztecs stand at 1-0 with their next game this Sunday, November 9th at 2pm vs Idaho State. The game will be televised locally on KUSI-TV and on radio at San Diego Sports AM760.
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