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“Aztecs Basketball–Not What It Used to Be”

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So much expected. So much disappointment. The basketball program at San Diego State.

They won the game. They have another 20-win season for the media guide.

But that’s about all the good I can say about what San Diego State basketball has slithered off to.

A once dominant program, you do remember 30-win seasons, and stars like Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Russell, now struggles on the floor.

They found a way to beat an equally pitiful UNLV team on Thursday in the opening round of the Mountain West Conference tourney (63-55).

With legendary coach Steve Fisher sitting and watching, his stomach must be churning watching his program struggle, it was an unimpressive win. The late Jerry Tarkanian must be spinning in his grave watch the talent-less Rebels play boring-bad basketball, where once upon a time they owned the league and the community..

Jalen McDaniels, finishing up an erratic season, and likely to leave for the NBA, did score (25P) and Devin Watson added 19. But State survived a combined (1-14) shooting afternoon from Jeremy Hemsley and Matt Mitchell.

To watch this game, you’d think it would set the James Naismith game back 100-years, it was so poor.

The Rebels shot 32%, SDSU 29%.. The two teams were a combined (4-for-45) shooting 3-point shots

State won because they hit 24-free throws that’s all.

The first half was a nitemare, as SDSU went (3-for-15) shooting out of the gate. Then UNLV, in the second half, had 1-basket in a 9-possession stretch that put them behind, from which they never recovered.

And it wasn’t good defense, it was just plain bad shooting, by both sides.

I don’t know how Brian Dutcher gets this program out of its tailspin. McDaniels leaves for what he hopes will be an NBA career, but there are so many nights, you think he winds up in the NBA-G League.

Hensley and Watson graduate, leaving solid careers behind. You see anyone else on the roster, who is a difference maker? In a team with tradition, that always gave us college stars, there seem to be fewer and fewer yearly now.

The sellout streak at Viejas Arena is over. Empty seats lots of nights in the “Show” section where the students used to be.

A win in a win. Congrats I guess. Your reward, you play top seed Nevada on Friday and then you likely go home, without an NCAA nor an NIT tourney berth.

Aztecs basketball slipping away. Not what it used to be for sure.

So much expected. So much disappointment nowadays at SDSU.

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