San Diego State Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Aztecs

Brian Dutcher and the San Diego State Aztecs finished fourth in the MWC during the regular season but a late push propelled to the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

The San Diego State Aztecs shocked the whole Mountain West Conference when they won last year’s conference tournament and earned an automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Head coach Brian Dutcher can consider his first season a success behind the play of some very talented underclassmen. The Aztecs finished the 2017-18 campaign with a record of 22-11 overall and 11-7 in the MWC by the end of things. They have some key pieces returning as they look to build on last year’s success.

6-foot-10 forward Jalen McDaniels is back for is sophomore season after producing 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his first year of college basketball. He had nine double-doubles and is sure to do more damage in his second full season. Forward Matt Mitchell is also back after a solid freshman season. He put up 10.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 35.8 percent from behind the arc.

The San Diego State Aztecs lose some key players from their 2017-18 rotation, but there’s an opportunity for some newcomers to shine. The Aztecs still have some experience but just three seniors on the 2018-19 roster, there’s room for an underclassman to step up. Here’s a look at the season preview for the San Diego State Aztecs.