San Diego State Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Aztecs
By Joey Loose
Season Outlook
It’s very easy to look at a team that made the national championship game and have heightened expectations, but let’s pump the brakes a little. It’s extremely true that this San Diego State team has quietly been one of the most productive mid-major programs in the country in recent years, but it’s not such a quiet fact any more.
The losses of Bradley, Mensah, and several others are meaningful, there’s no dodging that. What has made Dutcher and this program so successful is how effectively they’ve reloaded talent with relative ease. The Aztecs squad that nearly went unbeaten in the regular season from three and a half years ago shared very little with last year’s run to the national title game.
Yet it wasn’t Dutcher catching lightning in a bottle; this Aztecs squad was built for this. The returns of Trammell, Butler, and Parrish paired with the addition of Waters gives San Diego State a backcourt that could be even better this season. There were times, especially in the national title game, where offensive struggles doomed the Aztecs, but this year’s squad has even more balance and talent on the offensive end.
The problems could start in the frontcourt. LeDee is a great piece, but he’s now the full-time starter and focal point at the back end. Pal has started for just a single season and it was over in the Big South. Behind them there’s a lot of youth and inexperience. If San Diego State is going to have another phenomenal season, they’ll need some of these young pieces to make those major strides they’ve seen before, whether it be Byrd, Saunders, Johnson, or someone else.
Next. 2023-24 Mountain West preseason power rankings. dark
Technically, this season is going to be a step back unless the Aztecs cut down the nets in early April, but that’s not a huge problem. They’re ranked in the preseason because this is a very solid starting squad with a combination of talent and youth on the bench that should have the people in San Diego very excited. There will be growing pains, things won’t come easy, but the defense looks as strong as ever and you can bet Dutcher and crew will get the best out of this unit.