San Diego State at UNR: 3 Things to Know About the Wolf Pack

If you suffer from cardiovascular health conditions, please consult your doctor before watching San Diego State men’s basketball games. 

Last Saturday night’s 110-107 Aztec heart palpitating victory in triple overtime over Boise State was an instant classic and set off health warnings on more than a few smart watches in Viejas Arena. 

After catching their breath and exhaling a sigh of relief, SDSU must reset and focus in on its next conference opponent Tuesday night: UNR on the road in Reno, NV. 

Why do I call them UNR? 

Per our East Tahoe podcast host Mike Tourtellott, their fans hate the name because UNR was the first university in the state of Nevada and thus take great pride in calling themselves by their state’s name. However, If you know me, I’m all about upsetting opposing fanbases so UNR they shall be called. 

The Aztecs (9-4) are 1.5 point underdogs to the Wolf Pack (11-3) and both teams are undefeated in conference play at 3-0. Tip off is scheduled for 8pm and can be viewed on FS1. Here are 3 things to know about UNR. 

Hot Streak 

The Wolf Pack started the season 4-3 with losses to Santa Clara, UC Davis and Washington.  Then they ripped off 7 wins in a row including a 15 point win at home vs Boise State and a 13 point win on the road at Colorado State. 

Even more impressive than the margin of victory is the fact that 2 starters Corey Camper and Joel Armotrading have been sidelined with injuries. Camper returned against Fresno State and Armotrading is close to returning to action. 

Point guards Tayshawn Comer and Tyler Rollison, guard Chuck Bailey III and forward Elijah Price have all stepped up for their injured teammates during the win streak on both ends of the floor. 

Getting Fouled 

Jarod Lucas played his last 2 seasons at UNR and was known for his theatrical acting on the court to induce foul calls from referees. Now he roams the bench as an assistant coach for the Wolf Pack passing on his bag of tricks to his players. They have responded well to his teaching and lead the conference by a large margin in free throw attempt rate. 

Even at a below average game pace, Nevada gets to the free throw line almost 28 times. They shoot 74% as a team. That’s 20 free points off the mistakes of their opponent. 

SDSU veterans like Reese Dixon-Waters, Miles Byrd and Miles Heide who played against Lucas in 2024 need to educate their young teammates on the foul drawing trade craft that has been passed down to the younger generation of Wolf Pack players.

Tight Handles

UNR is exceptional at not committing turnovers. They rank 5th nationally in that category. The Wolf Pack have turned the ball over 10 or more times in only 4 games. 

The Aztecs, on the other hand, thrive at creating turnovers with ball pressure. However, in 4 losses this season to Troy, Michigan, Baylor and Arizona- teams which exceptional guard play- SDSU forced the least amount of turnovers. 

Another downside to not getting turnovers is getting burned when SDSU traps in the corner with the intention of creating a turnover. When the opponent’s offense is able to pass out of the trap, it triggers a scramble for the SDSU defenders to try to recover leaving perimeter shooters with uncontested shots or an open lane to drive to the hoop.

The Aztecs prefer to trap when the ball handler is facing them which makes it easier for the ball handler to anticipate the trap and pass out of it creating a domino effect of the defense breaking down.

The Aztecs better use caution when pressing and trapping the sure-handed Wolf Pack. In the half court defense, sending double teams from the blind side where the ball handler can’t anticipate the trap while defenders press on the strong side to deny passing lanes might yield more steals or turnovers and less chaos for the defense. 

Bottom Line 

SDSU is playing UNR when the Wolf Pack are playing their best basketball of the season. Factor in that UNR plays really well at home and have the advantage of playing at altitude. The Aztecs are coming off an emotionally and physically exhausting win with added travel to Reno and must erase the Boise State game, lock in their focus for 40 minutes, rotate fresh players through the game and limit Wolf Pack runs on the offensive end if they want to return to San Diego with a victory.

The outcome of this game may come down to if the Aztecs decide to trap (please don’t do it) and how well they share the basketball in the half court game for quality shots with run outs in transition limited. UNR is ranked #68 in the NET rankings so a win for the Aztecs could be Quad 1 at the end of the season, a precious commodity SDSU has been missing from their resume. 

Either way win or lose, let their fans on social media and in-person know they are still THE UNR.