SAN DIEGO – San Diego State's men's basketball program has been predicted to finish in second place in the league's annual preseason media poll, the conference announced Wednesday morning ahead of the start of its two-day virtual media event. In addition, senior guard Matt Bradley, a transfer from California, has been named the league's preseason newcomer of the year. The announcements were made from the Mountain West's office in Colorado Springs, Colo.
According to the media members that regularly cover the conference, the Aztecs, who have won back-to-back regular-season titles, the 2021 Mountain West tournament crown, finished last year 23-5 and No. 16 in the nation, will finish in second place at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. The Aztecs garnered 201 points and seven of the 20 possible first-place votes to finish just behind Colorado State and its 207 points and 11 first-place votes.
After the Rams and Aztecs, Nevada has been predicted to finish in third place in this year's preseason poll. The Wolf Pack picked up 189 points and two first-place votes to finish ahead of fourth-place Boise State (147 points) and fifth-place Utah State (127 points).
Fresno State (6th; 119 points), UNLV (7th; 109 points), and New Mexico and Wyoming (T-8th; 79 points) were the next four teams to fall in line behind the Aggies. San Jose State (10th; 40 points) and Air Force (11th; 23 points) round out the poll.
SDSU has been predicted to finish either first or second in the Mountain West preseason poll in each of the last eight years. It is also the 13th time in the 23 seasons the Mountain West has been in existence that San Diego State has been picked first or second in the preseason poll. Additionally, those 13 times have occurred in the last 17 years. The Aztecs have garnered at least one first-place vote in the preseason poll in seven of the last eight years.
Bradley, a senior out of San Bernardino, Calif., who joined the Aztecs after three years at California, was selected as the league's preseason Newcomer of the Year. The 6-4, 240-pound guard averaged 18.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists last season while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor, including 36.4 percent from distance and was hitting his free throws at the 82.1 percent clip. His points, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage would have all ranked the top-5 in the MW last season. In addition, he was one-of-five players in Division I to average 18.0 points per game, while shooting at least .455 from the floor, .364 from distance, a minimum of .821 from the line, and to grab 4.6 rebounds per game. He has scored 1,292 points in 85 career games (one-of-12 players nationally to score at least 1,290 points in the last three seasons) and left Cal as the program's No. 21 career scorer.
Last season, he reached double figures in 21 games, finishing with 15 or more points 15 times, and 20 or more points 11 times, including a career-high 29 points vs. Colorado on Feb. 13, 2021. His 11 20-plus point games ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in 2020-21 and he was one of 23 players in a Power-5 conference to shoot at least .455 from the floor and .364 from distance last season and would have been the only player in the Mountain West to compile those stats in the 2020-21 campaign.
A second-team All-Pac-12 honoree in 2020-21, Bradley was the No. 3 scorer in that league and ranked No. 8 and No. 9 in free throw percentage and 3-point field goals, respectively. In 2019-20, he was named a second-team All-Pac-12 performer after he finished the year in the top-10 in the conference in free throw percentage (No. 2), scoring (No. 5), 3-point field goals (No. 7), minutes (No. 8) and 3-point field goal percentage (No. 10).
In addition, yesterday he was included on the watch list for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2022 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the most prestigious distinction for the position in college basketball.
In 2021-22, San Diego State welcomes back two returning starters from the 2020-21 Mountain West regular-season and tournament championship squad in senior guard Trey Pulliam and senior forward Nathan Mensah. In all, the Aztecs return seven letterwinners and have brought six newcomers into the fold: featuring Bradley, and transfers Tahirou Diabate, a graduate student, sophomore Chad Baker-Mazara and senior Jaedon LeDee.
SDSU is one of just eight schools nationally to win at least 19 games each of the last 16 seasons, and since 2006 trails only Gonzaga among most conference championship game appearances in Division I. The Aztecs have 12 to the 'Zags 16. In addition, San Diego State has won a conference-record 14 Mountain West championships (regular-season and tournament) and is one of 25 schools to play in eight of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments.
San Diego State opens the 2021-22 season on Nov. 3 with an exhibition game against Saint Katherine in Viejas Arena. Six days later, on Nov. 9, the Aztecs will host UC Riverside in the regular season opener.
2021-22 Mountain West Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
Pl. Team – Points (1st-place votes)
1. Colorado State – 207 (11)
2. San Diego State – 201 (7)
3. Nevada – 189 (2)
4. Boise State – 147
5. Utah State – 127
6. Fresno State – 119
7. UNLV – 109
8. New Mexico – 79
Wyoming – 79
10. San Jose State – 40
11. Air Force - 23
2021-22 Preseason All-Conference Team
David Roddy, Jr., F, Colorado State
Isaiah Stevens, Jr., G, Colorado State
Orlando Robinson, Jr., F, Fresno State
Grant Sherfield, Jr., G, Nevada
Bryce Hamilton, Sr., G, UNLV
2021-22 Preseason Player of the Year
Grant Sherfield, Jr., G, Nevada
2021-22 Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Matt Bradley, Sr., G, San Diego State
2021-22 Preseason Freshman of the Year
Keshon Gilbert, G, UNLV
-SDSU-