San Diego State Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Aztecs to sweep New Mexico

Slow the game down

These two teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to pacing. New Mexico averages 74.6 possessions per game while SDSU is the 30th slowest team in the country at only 67.9 per game. That’s the big difference between these two offenses. Both teams score a ton of points, but the Aztecs score efficiently while the Lobos depend on volume to fuel their offense, which scores the 11th most points per game in the country.

The key for SDSU in this game is going to be slowing this game down and force New Mexico to try to keep up with them in a half-court battle. One of the only times that New Mexico had any success the first time these teams met is when SDSU got sloppy at the end of the first half, started turning the ball over, and allowed the game to speed up. On the other hand, we know that the Aztecs can score at will in a half-court offense, especially against New Mexico.

If SDSU can turn this into a slowed-down game where each team needs to capitalize on every possession, it swings this matchup even further in their favor. I don’t believe that New Mexico could keep up with SDSU if they are forced to consistently try to score against a set defense. They’ll become disjointed and begin to force shots while the Aztecs easily navigate through their defense on the other end. If this game is played at SDSU’s pace, I think it gives them a huge advantage over New Mexico, even with the Lobo offense back to full strength.