NCAA Basketball: North Carolina, Gonzaga still sit atop updated top 25 ranking
By Joey Loose
17. San Diego State (2-0)
San Diego State lives and breathes defense, but they’re no one-trick pony. Brian Dutcher has led this program to phenomenal success since taking over five seasons ago and might have his most talented team since 2020. That Aztecs squad was undefeated into late February and had the potential for a deep postseason run; can this team measure up to that?
The Aztecs won 82-57 over Cal State Fullerton to get their season started back on Monday. Transfer Darrion Trammell led the way with 18 points while fellow newcomer Jaedon LeDee added 11 points off the bench. Friday’s matchup was much more anticipated, and the Aztecs dug out of an early hole to deliver an 82-75 win over BYU. LeDee has become a revelation for the Aztecs, leading the way with 23 points in that win. Trammell had 21 points while Nathan Mensah (14 points, 10 rebounds) had his first double-double of the year.
They survived a challenge from BYU. They’ve got two new faces that look like stars in the making. What’s not to like about San Diego State early in the year? One issue is the defense, which isn’t yet firing on all cylinders, though it’s not horrendous considering their opponent was a strong BYU squad. They’ll take their show on the road to Stanford next year, hoping to upend a Pac-12 team yet again. Could we see a lockdown defensive performance against the Cardinal?