The Aztecs were not afraid to schedule tough competition to open up the new season.
The Aztecs Were Battle Tested With a Tough Non-Conference Schedule
Despite going just 6-4 in non-conference play, San Diego State got its money's worth in perhaps the most valuable way possible. San Diego State has played games against the now number one-ranked Arizona and the now number two-ranked Michigan.
Unfortunately, San Diego State lost big in both games, but on the flip side, it gives the team significant experience against the best teams in the nation and allows them to fix miscues that occurred in each game. Additionally, the Aztecs faced the Oregon Ducks, a fifth-seeded tournament team from a season ago, and came away with an impressive 17-point victory. We have seen the beneficial effects that tough schedules have on teams as the season progresses.
Conference Opponents Have Lost Significant Pieces
San Diego State will get a little bit of help from its conference. The 2024-25 Mountain West Player of the Year, Donovan Dent, who was a member of the New Mexico Lobos last season, is now playing in the Big Ten with UCLA. New Mexico also lost its head coach from a season ago to the Big East Conference, where Richard Pitino is now leading the charge at Xavier. As if that was not enough, long-time Colorado State Rams head coach Niko Medved took the head coaching job at Minnesota this past offseason.
The Rams also lost their star player, Nique Clifford, to the NBA. The list goes on and on. There were several new roles to fill with new faces in the Mountain West conference, which will certainly help the Aztecs down the stretch.
Tournament Experience
As we know in college hoops, experience plays a magnificent role. The best coaches across the nation are always heavily relied on and play perhaps the most crucial role in getting their teams ready for the big dance. Luckily for the Aztecs, Brian Dutcher has been their head coach since 2017 and has been with the program since 1999. Impressively enough, Dutcher has gotten his Aztecs to the NCAA Tournament in every season he has coached them except for one (except the canceled tournament in 2020).
Dutcher had the Aztecs toe-to-toe with the UConn Huskies in 2023, bringing his team all the way to the National Championship. Coach Dutcher knows what he has to do to get his team prepared down the stretch, and he will most definitely have his team's trust.