San Diego State vs BYU: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

A yearly highly-anticipated mid-major showdown sees San Diego State get their first road test at BYU; can the Aztecs maintain their ranking with a big win or do the Cougars pull it off?

TV schedule: Friday, November 10, 9:00 pm ET. BIG12/ESPN+

Arena: Marriott Center in Provo, Utah

Last season was extremely special at San Diego State (1-0) and the Aztecs no doubt want another taste of that success. Brian Dutcher’s program marched to the national championship game, becoming the first ever Mountain West team to reach the Final Four. Several of the important faces from last season are gone, but these Aztecs are still really good.

Senior forward Jadon Ledee had 27 points and 10 rebounds in their opening night win over Cal State Fullerton and slides into a more significant role in the frontcourt this year. Final Four buzzer beating hero Lamont Butler had 7 assists in their opening game while USC transfer Reese Waters had a brilliant 15-point effort.

Opening the season ranked #17 in the nation; the Aztecs sit at 24th in the KenPom rankings right now. This program is known for their elite defense, which has carried them to great success in the last half decade. We’re still seeing how this new-look Aztecs squad comes together, but you can expect San Diego State to play hard, especially on the defensive end.

Fresh off a rough season, BYU (1-0) is looking for that signature victory early in an important season. The Cougars have made the Big Dance just once in Mark Pope’s first four seasons in Provo but joined the Big 12 in the offseason. They face a significant challenge in the years ahead, but do bring back a talented roster that can cause damage this year, having already done so to Houston Christian.

The Cougars aren’t going to put up the same numbers they dropped on those Huskies, but a 20-point, 7-assist outing from Spencer Johnson was certainly a welcomed sight. Big things are expected of junior forward Fousseyni Traore, who was the leading rebounder on opening night. BYU also got a 19-point effort from Trevin Knell and 16 points and 8 rebounds from Noah Waterman, though we’ll have to see what these players can do consistently this season.

At the time of writing, BYU sits at 33rd in the KenPom rankings. There’s a lot of talent here for the Cougars, though the biggest issue might be how some of these new pieces adjust to the Big 12 and different roles on the team. They’ve certainly got a ton of experience and already showed their offensive capability in game one.

This has become something of a regular rivalry and always presents an intriguing matchup. Though it happened seven months ago, San Diego State is still riding high after their trip to the national title game and this matchup at BYU is their first real test to see just how good this team is. Even with new pieces all over the place for both squads, the Aztecs have the better team, but how important will that home environment be for the Cougars?

While the battle between LeDee and this BYU frontcourt will be must-see, the game likely boils down to the play of these guards. A lot of the action will take place in the paint, but a hot shooting night from someone like Micah Parrish or Knell could significantly alter this game. Although the Aztecs won this matchup at home last season, this year’s game is looking more evenly matched. We’ll ride with the Aztecs defense, but it could go either way.

Prediction: San Diego State 69, BYU 67