San Diego State Basketball: 2021-22 season preview, outlook for Aztecs

San Diego State Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Aztecs

By Joey Loose | Oct 19, 2021

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 13: The San Diego State Aztecs celebrate their 68-57 victory over the Utah State Aggies in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

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Keshad Johnson Trey Pulliam San Diego State Basketball (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Key Reserves

Forward – Keshad Johnson (Junior)

It wasn’t just that Johnson averaged 4.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game off the bench last season that makes him an intriguing prospect, it’s that Johnson seemed to flourish all over the place in a variety of roles and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get those same opportunities off the bench this year.

Guard – Lamont Butler (Sophomore)

Butler is a fast, dynamic guard who should continue to develop into a real weapon for the Aztecs, after a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.3 points per game mostly off the bench. He can make plays all over the court defensively; we’ll see if his shooting can take a step forward this season.

Guard – Keith Dinwiddie Jr. (Sophomore)

While Dinwiddie got limited opportunities last season, he rated very highly and could emerge as one of the next big weapons for the Aztecs these next few seasons. The talented young point guard also made nearly half of his three-pointers and put up 5.1 points a game, mostly in mop-up duty.

Guard – Chad Baker-Mazara (Sophomore)

As a freshman at Duquesne, Baker averaged 9.5 points per game and made nearly 42% of his long-range shots. Now with the Aztecs, he slides into an important role as someone who can not only be a sharpshooter off the bench but has the capability to play hard defense all over the court.

Forward – Tahirou Diabate (Senior)

Diabate joins the Aztecs after playing a pair of seasons for Portland, though he opted out of last season. A full-time starter two seasons ago, he could develop into quite a force on the defensive end, having put up solid rebounding and block numbers with the Pilots, numbers that could skyrocket in Dutcher’s system.

Forward – Joshua Tomaic (Senior)

Tomaic is a decent big who did solid work in relief of Mensah and the other forwards last year. He’s not exactly a talented shooter, but the former Maryland big man can rack up blocks and offensive rebounds in whatever opportunities he gets this season.