Hello, and wishing all a Happy New Year. Hope all enjoyed the holidays and some football on New Year’s Day. Phil Kasiecki gets a break from all his hard work on the Dish a couple more times this week as we have a little free time over the holidays.
One of the two unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I hoops remained unbeaten on New Year’s, continuing a run that though not quite in the ‘improbable’ category, certainly has been unlikely.
San Diego State moved to 14-0 on the season on Wednesday, grinding out a 61-52 win over Fresno State in both teams Mountain West re-opener. (Both teams played two league games in December) The Aztecs struggled against a program that has been a thorn in their side in recent years (the Bulldogs had won three straight at Viejas Arena) but again were lifted by Washington State transfer/revelation Malachi Flynn (16 points) and a stingy defense holding Fresno to 34.6% shooting.
SDSU won shorthanded in the frontcourt, with Aguek Arop missing another game but starting center Nathan Mensah also out, and perhaps for some time. In fairness, Fresno State also had a key player out with leading scorer and rebounder Nate Grimes sidelined by an injury. (Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune had a terrific recap of the game and the injury situation here) The Aztecs’ unblemished mark could be short-lived, with a trip to MWC favorite and what should be steaming mad Utah State (more on that below) coming this weekend.
Regardless, San Diego State has been one of the best stories of the first two months of the season. The Aztecs last year finished 21-13 and after losing to Utah State in the Mountain West tourney final didn’t even participate in postseason of any kind. If one were making a list before the season of teams most likely to be undefeated going into January, SDSU likely wouldn’t have made the top 50. Maybe not the top 100.
The Aztecs are winning with a revival defensively, where they allow 56.3 points per game (No. 7 in Division I), hold teams to 36.1% from the field (ninth-best nationally), force 15.8 turnovers per game (part of a plus-4.6 turnover margin) and also are outrebounding foes by a plus-6.6 margin. At the same time, SDSU is shooting a respectable 46% from the field, including 37.7% from three-point range, and has four players scoring in double figures led by Flynn, who is scoring 15.5/game and shoots over 43% from long range.
San Diego State has four regulars (Flynn, Matt Mitchell, Jordan Schakel and Adam Seiko) all shooting at least 39% from beyond the arc, a real accomplishment in this year of the longer three-point line. Making it more noteworthy is this is a program that has traditionally struggled to put the orange in the basket.
How well the Aztecs can continue that will be worth watching. SDSU already has wins at BYU and rival San Diego on the road plus over Creighton, Iowa and Utah at neutral sites, including blowouts of both Creighton and Utah. Even if or when they lose a few in conference, the Aztecs going into the heart of league play are in a prime position to build a primo resume for a lofty seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Side Dishes:
- San Diego State pulled through, but the new year brought some big surprises in the Mountain West. First it was San Jose State upsetting previously 13-2 New Mexico 88-85, with Richard Washington hitting a three-pointer with 5.8 seconds left for the go-ahead points. Washington finished with 25 points including seven threes. The Lobos continue to play without suspended Carlton Bragg and J.J. Caldwell, two starters including one averaging a double-double (Bragg) and the other leading the MWC in assists.
- That may not have been even the bigger stunner, for soon after UNLV polished off a 70-53 rout of Utah State. The Runnin’ Rebels are a team that already has lost to teams like Pacific and Texas State this year, but they also have three overtime losses and have now won three straight. Vegas cut off virtually all the Aggies’ strengths, limiting an excellent shooting team to 33% shooting and 2-for-19 from three-point range, holding Sam Merrill to 10 points and also punishing USU on the boards 41-29.
- Another ranked team that had to sneak out a win at home was Wichita State, which got a battle from East Carolina before scoring a 75-69 victory. The Shockers struggled to slow ECU’s Jayden Gardner (29 points) but Erik Stevenson continues to emerge as a leader and put up 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Also in the American, Cincinnati drilled Connecticut 67-51, as Northern Kentucky transfer Chris Vogt (19 points) continues to be a major surprise this year. The 7-foot-1 center averaged less than five points and four rebounds a game last year for the Norse but for the Bearcats is their No. 2 scorer and rebounder (13.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg). SMU also is now 10-2 after a surprisingly easy 82-64 win over South Florida.
- It seems to be a rite of passage in the college hoops season that about this time of year many want to believe in Creighton. Often that comes from the Bluejays excelling against friendly early season slates at home, and that’s certainly part of it again this year. (The Jays’ 12-2 record includes a 10-0 mark at home in Omaha.) Still, Creighton was impressive in a 92-75 win at home over Marquette Wednesday, leading by as many as 26 points late before the Golden Eagles made the final score look a little more respectable. Three-point bomber Mitch Ballock (24 points, five triples) led five in double figures as the Jays shot 50%.
- The Southern Conference is going to be a blast once again this year. East Tennessee State is the presumed team to beat, but the Buccaneers had to scrap out a 49-48 win over defending SoCon champs Wofford, a game where the Terriers had a chance to win it in the final seconds. Also, UNC Greensboro topped Mercer 72-63 as Isaiah Miller scored a career-high 31 and also set a school single-game record with nine steals. Not to be outdone individually, Furman ran by VMI 89-73 as Jordan Lyons broke out for 42 points, hitting 10 of 12 from three-point range. Lyons is the same one who scored 54 last year by draining 15 three-pointers in a game.
- The Summit League also had one game on New Year’s, and Purdue Fort Wayne came back from a 12-point halftime deficit with a dominating second half, outscoring contender South Dakota 47-24 over the final 20 minutes for a 70-59 victory.
- Finally, an in-case-you-missed-it plug for our column on Monday, looking at the first two months of the season where upsets have been fun but offensive play has not.
Today’s Menu: With the holidays past, a number of conferences now will waste no time getting into league play.
- Games start already at noon Eastern time with Texas-El Paso taking on Florida International in Conference USA.
- Two hours later, Stephen F. Austin tries to improve to 3-0 in the Southland when it goes to SE Louisiana, which is smarting from a 51-point loss at Oklahoma State last time out.
- Liberty gets a rare national TV date with its game at Florida Gulf Coast on ESPNU (5 p.m.). Also in the Atlantic Sun, Stetson returns to the court after its stunning win at South Carolina, the Hatters hosting Lipscomb.
- The CAA finally is back with a national TV contract and has its second game of the week on CBS Sports Network with James Madison at UNC Wilmington (6:30 p.m.). Also, William & Mary and Hofstra have had a host of entertaining games in recent years, and they meet for the first time this year (7 p.m.).
- Minnesota has looked like a different team its last three games since defeating Ohio State. The Golden Gophers have their first road game since then, though, traveling to Purdue (7 p.m., Big Ten Network). Also in the Big Ten, Illinois is at Michigan State (8 p.m., FS1), the teams’ first meeting since the Illini’s stunning upset in Champaign last February.
- Colgate has won eight of nine and the defending champs open Patriot League play hosting American (7 p.m.).
- Last year’s Big South regular season champion hosts the defending conference tournament champs with Campbell at home against Gardner-Webb (7 p.m.).
- Interstate rivalry game in Rhode Island, where the Rams have a tricky one at Brown (7 p.m.).
- Dayton is still firmly in the rankings, and the Flyers open their Atlantic 10 slate on the road at La Salle (8:30 p.m., CBSSN).
Pac-12 play opens, and there’s an especially big one early with top-five Oregon at Colorado (9 p.m., ESPN2). Among other games, UCLA goes to Washington (10 p.m.) and California is at Stanford (11 p.m., ESPN2). - Two undefeateds early in the Big Sky including defending champion Montana at upstart Southern Utah (9 p.m.).
- Top-ranked Gonzaga hosts Portland (10 p.m.). Also in the WCC, Saint Mary’s has an early tough one traveling to take on rival San Francisco (11 p.m., ESPNU). Coach meets former player here-USF head coach Todd Golden was coached in college by the Gaels’ Randy Bennett.
Have a terrific Thursday, which also is the ninth day of Christmas.
