SAN DIEGO - Looking to bounce back from a 71-79 setback at Colorado State on Tuesday, San Diego State hosts the Mountain West's top team when its hosts Utah State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena.
OFF THE BOUNCE
The Aztecs and Aggies are meeting for the 28th time, with SDSU owning an 18-9 advantage in the all-time series. In the Mountain West era, SDSU owns an 18-6 lead in the series, including a 9-1 mark at Viejas Arena.
In its last 28 games immediately following a loss, the Aztecs are 25-3. In situations where a loss is followed immediately by a home contest, San Diego State has won 32 consecutive games.
It Colorado State, San Diego State went 7-of-7 from the line and in the Brian Dutcher era (since 2017-18) it is the most free throw attempts without a miss in a game. It marked just the third time since the start of the Mountain West era SDSU has been perfect from the line in a minimum of seven free throw attempts. (also: 12-of-12 at Air Force on Jan. 11, 2003 & 9-of-9 vs. Temple on March 19, 2011 in the NCAA Tournament)
Once again San Diego State is one of the elite teams when it comes to challenging itself. According to Kenpom, the Aztecs have the No. 11 strength of schedule rating, including the No. 10 rated non-conference schedule. SDSU has faced the No. 13 rated schedule in opponents adjusted offensive efficiency and the No. 17 rated schedule in opponents adjusted defensive efficiency.
Senior Jaedon LeDee surpassed the 1,000-career point milestone at Colorado State and enters the Utah State game with 1,011 points, 719 of which have come in 59 games with the Aztecs while in his first 79 games at both Ohio State and TCU he totaled 292 points.
The Aztecs are among the elite programs in the country and that includes winning on their opponent's floor. Since the beginning of the 2009-10 campaign, SDSU has the seventh best road record in the nation, 104-64 (61.9 percent). Since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, SDSU has lost just 14 times in 47 road games (33-14, 70.2 percent), which is tied for the third fewest in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (6 losses) and Baylor (13 losses) and tied with Houston in that time frame and its 70.2 winning percentage in road games is the third best in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (32-6, 84.2 percent) with one of the Zags' six losses coming at the hands of the Aztecs, 84-74 on Dec. 29, 2023 and Baylor (31-13; 70.5 percent).
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, when the current slate of MW members was finalized, SDSU has an 57-34 (.626) record in Mountain West ROAD games, the best mark in the conference. Boise State has the second-best record 48-45 (.516).
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, when the current slate of MW members was finalized, SDSU has an 84-11 (.884) record in Mountain West HOME games, the best mark in the conference. Boise State has the second-best record 75-20 (.789) and Colorado State is 61-33 (.649).
The Aztecs metrics rank among the best in the nation. Through the games of February 1, the Aztecs were ranked No. 22 in the NET, No. 24 in Kenpom, No. 32 in T-Rank, No. 22 in KPI and No. 41 in BPI. San Diego State RPI strength of schedule is No. 5 and its strength of record is No. 26.
San Diego State enters the Utah State game with a 6-5 record in Quad 1 & 2 games this season, including a 2-5 record in Quad 1 games. Its five losses have been on the road at some of the toughest venues to play in for an opposing team. The Aztecs lost at Brigham Young (65-74) in front of its second largest crowd of the season, at Grand Canyon (73-79) in front of its largest crowd, at New Mexico (70-88) in front of the largest crowd it has had since the 2009 season, at Boise State (66-67) in front to its second biggest home crowd this year and at Colorado State (71-79) in front of its largest home crowd of the year.
SDSU is 138-10 the last 148 times it has shot better than its opponent and the Aztecs have won 31 straight games when scoring between 80-89 points.
San Diego State, which won both the 2022-23 Mountain West regular season and tournament titles and reached the league tournament championship game for the sixth time in head coach Brian Dutcher's six seasons, looks for its unprecedented 17th Mountain West men's basketball title. Entering the 2023-24 season, San Diego State has won nine regular season and seven Mountain West tournament titles.
San Diego State owns a 124-28 record (81.6 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That is the third best record in the nation trailing only Gonzaga (137-18, 88.4 percent) and Houston (135-24, 84.9 percent).
Senior forward Jaedon LeDee passed the 1,000-career point plateau at Colorado State. He reached double figure scoring in the game, 13 points. It is the 20th time in 20 appearances this season and 39th time of his college career he has totaled at least 10 points in a game. Thirty one of his 39 double figure scoring games have come in the 59 games he's played for SDSU. In addition, he led the Aztecs with 7 rebounds, making the 16th time this season and 35th time in his college career he has paced his team in rebounds.
At Colorado State, senior guard Lamont Butlerled the Aztecs with four assists and four steals. It marked the sixth time in the last 10 games he has reached double figure scoring, the ninth time this season and the 35th time in his career.
Junior wing Reese Waters led the Aztecs with 17 points marking the 14th game this year he scored in double figures and 30th of his career.
Brian Dutcher is in his seventh season as San Diego State's head coach and his 25th season on the Aztec sidelines. In his six-plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to five conference titles, six Mountain West championship game appearances, a 167-52 (.763) overall record, the 2023 NCAA national championship game, has been named the national coach of the year, and twice the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.