“Game Day-SDSU”———-

San Diego State is no longer a ‘Cinderella team’.

They are expected to be in the Sweet 16 team almost yearly.

The national media now refers to Princeton or Florida Atlantic as wearing the surprise description.

Now it’s Big Boy basketball, as the Aztecs face #1 ranked Alabama.

Here are things to look for when the Aztecs meet the Tide.

REFS..Big question, will the striped shirts allow the bigs to bang on each other.  San Diego State mugged Furman and Charleston.

DEPTH CHART…San Diego State can go 9-deep with players they trust, and that includes 5-bigs.  Alabama has a big front line but very little big man depth.

WAR OF ATTRITION…Defending against a Tide frontline that goes 6’9…6’10 and 7’…San Diego State will have 25-fouls to give in the game to slow down Brandon Miller and Bama’s two other big men.  State hasn’t face this type of size since the Maui Classic loss to Arizona.

OFFENSE…The Tide are averaging (82) points per game.  They push the pace, they shoot 3’s (10) made per game and they want to dictate tempo.

PERSONALITY…SDSU wants to make this a half court game but that may be hard.  SDSU’s defense allows the other team to shoot just 32% in the tourney and only 29% from the 3-point line in the tourney.  But much of that comes from forcing the other guy into a half court game.  What if they can’t?

3-POINTS…SDSU has shown no consistency in hitting 3’s in the tourney.  Now you are facing a pretty fierce defensive team.  They have to hit 3’s because scoring inside may be a real problem against the Bama bigs.

BOARDS…You are always impressed  with what Nathan Mensah and the boys do off the glass, 42-rebounds a night.  But then you look at the guys from the SEC, and Bama averages 44-boards a game

POINT GUARDS…Doesn’t get any better than the Matt Bradley-vs-Juvon Quinney matchup, veteran guard vs hot young playmaker.

EXPERIENCE…An intangible that bears watching.  SDSU’s roster carries volumes of experience, all those 4th-5th and a 6-year player.  Alabama is really young, and really thin along the front line.  And their roster has limited tourney experience.  Big difference maker here.

KEYS TO THE GAME…Aztecs have to keep their key big men out of early foul trouble.  Brian Dutcher has to find someone with a hot hand on offense early in the game.  Does State double the likely player of the year Brandon Miller and dare Alabama to beat them with everyone else.  But the Tide did win a first tourney game when Miller went scoreless.

Watch it, enjoy, and dream maybe there is an upset here for SDSU and a chance to play for a Final 4-slot come Sunday.  The way to you play the day you play will determine this Friday night game.
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“Aztecs Football…A Critical Spring”

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Was it a 1-off bad season or the beginning signs of slippage in San Diego  State’s football program?

That’s why this spring football schedule is so important to Brady Hoke.

It might be a launching point for SDSU to join the Pac 12 Conference in months.  It might be the turning point to return to dominance in the Mountain West Conference.  Or it might be a dropoff in a program that has peaked.

The Red-Black Spring game is next with tons of questions yet to be answered.

All this after suffering thru a disappointing debut season at Snapdragon Stadium; wretched play at quarterback; injuries and player defections; and the sordid alledge sexual assault incident hanging over the team from the 2021 season  And all that piled on top of the Covid years.

Looks like a rebuild year on the field, and a rebuild for credibility too with the community and student body.
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Coach Brady Hoke:

Aztecs nation is doing pretty good

Looking forward to spring scrimmage..had good spring
We are really a young team on both OL-DL fronts
We are not perfect  but we have worked thru it
7-6 last year is not good enough
We want to live in 12-2 world
Being in Snapdragon on Thursday scrimmage will be good

Biggest question-development from offensive perspective
Ryan Lindley playbook will look alot like Utah
Use of tight ends-peersonnel groupings..mistmatches
Load one extra blocker
The QB run game is part of our new look
Transfers coming in May to aid the offense

Norv Turner visited practice and with Lindley
We may lose players in spring break

Jaylen Maden has had really good days and some not very good days
Must learn to read defenses better and not hold ball as long as he had

We have young offensive lineman to see what they can do
We rotate alot of people in defensive front
Have to replace 3-linebackers too..led by Cody Moon as replacements
Linebackers and back end are strength of our defense
Garrett Fountain has grown into starting DE

So disappointed not getting it done in how we play football
Disappointed for our senior class it did not get done for those guys

Transfer portal have 3-or-4 scholarships…
Need depth at WR and OC in transfer portal

Very colorful schedule…gonna play it no matter what
Front end schedule is loaded with home games and 2-bye weeks too

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“Aztecs Hoops”

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They are hot-they are ready.
Sweet 16-basketball is upon us and San Diego State is excited.

Alabama is up ahead.  In the rear view mirror, a ton of accomplishments, from surviving the Maui Classic, to winning all those rugged Mountain West Conference road games, to doing it again the first weekend of March Madness.

A coaching staff that has built a really good program.  A veteran roster that has capitalized on a scheme.  A selfless attitude that allows SDSU to win with different heroes most every night.

What they said getting ready to head to the Sweet 16 in Louisville:
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(Adam Seiko)

Transfers have made great growth
This team is well connected
Team is wired differently…each player 1-thru-9 has had big moments
Injuries-guys-down and hurt ..guys step up
We can take a team from a 10-point lead to 20-points just like that
Not going to a tourney in 30-2 covid season..has been a motivation
Blessing to be able to make the tourney this far
We experienced players invested so much in this program
We knew in summer we could be really good team
We come to work to give 100-percent everyday

We learned how to deal with Charleston-Furman toughness
Our shooters need to hit to open things up inside for our big guys
We want to make teams come out and defend us
Alabama is top five defense in country…they get down the court
Have to keep them of the boards as well
We must hit shots in the game
In tourney-we watch games-Bama is aggressive
We know how refs call games that Tide plays
Bama shoots 3’s in transition…take lot mid range jumpers..they want to score
They run high octane offense
Bama played well despite the Brandon Miller situtation
He is a hooper-he plays at high speed-makes tough shots

We haven’t forgotten the opening round loss a year ago
Disappointment how close we could have been to the Elite 8-a year ago-lost it
This is incredible experience for us
My experiences have allowed me to become a good leader
—————
(AG Aroup)

We are a complete team
We have an inside presence to dominate
We have ability to hit 3s..allows u to hit be complete
Going against Alabama size-have to be alot smarter in the paint
Our offense should be inside and out

We embrace underdog role alot
So exicting to play a number 1-team in the nation

Road you travelled-could not ask for more in my career
This is what we all dream of
We stay together thru adversity

Brian Dutcher gave me all the space I needed to rehab
He has done so much for me
He is a calming presence-he is an unusual person

Team is equipped with talent-size-experience to get to Swett 16

We can slow down Alabama transition point..collapsing in the paint
We can defend their threes
———————
(Brian Dutcher)

We have been on the road 8-out of-10 days
Team looked tired even with day off on Sunday
Recovery period is important

Alabama has great offense..metrically really good defense
Play both ends of the floor.they are so good

Aztecs can be unstoppable if we hit 3’s.
Alabama is really long on defense-it takes you out of the game plan
Contesting shot harder..bigger players going over smaller players

Refs felt lst weekend too physical…have to see if adjustments are made

I was so disappointed in the 30-2 teams not getting chance to play
Malachi-Yonny-KJ never got a taste of March Madness

Deep roster determines who plays-that’s why our bench is so important
Strength is depth and numbers

Alabama problems off the court has not bled onto the court
Played hi level..win SEC…winning in March
Brandon Miller is rolling you have to double him
He is like Steph Curry when he gets going
Sears-Quninney are downhill guys going into the paint

Maui Classic..3-games in 3-nites…we made adjustments
Losing has greater effect-it helped us get better and grow

Adam is a run-screen and shoot player…Derriorn is a shooter off picks
Micah-Lemont-Matt..must get 3’s

Physical-tough teams have given Bama trouble..we are used to play physical
Their players get to their shots

We get paid to win..that’s how we are wired to do this
If we are the best version of ourself-we have a chance to win

Group is greatful for evrything they have
Not one player has come asked for more from NIL
The kids love this experience and the education
Kids picked best environment when they came to SDSU.

AG-Nathan..rode the roller coaster of life with injuries…to see them work their way thru that…getting Masters Degree..they have taken every opportunity

Biggest change in college basketball…Covid and NIL…getting 5th and 6th years players…NIL paying players to stay in school has changed alot of things especially for big men staying in school.

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“Padres–Do Not Push Panic Button”

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It’s not what you want to see nor hear just some 10-days before the Natioal League season opens.

Injuries are part of spring training, just ask the Mets-Astros or others who have guys headed to the disabled list and coming out of surgery.

The Padres will probably use the word ‘caution’ and not ‘alarm’ this week over the injuries the team must deal with.

JUAN SOTO….This mild oblique strain has to be handled with caution, because aggravating it could be devastating to the Friars big power hitter.  The big issue is the torque Soto puts on his body with his violent swings.  Alot of pressure on the rib cage area and the obliques with those home run swings.  The injury woill likely lead to a 10-day shutdown, then a ramp up to get him back in the lineup.  But the Cubs OF-Seiya Suzuki injured an oblique the opening week of spring trainiong.  Five weeks later, he is not back on the field yet.

AUSTIN NOLA…The 96mph fast ball to the face broke his now.  Luckily it not shatter his orbital bone or his cheekbone  Yet to be determined whether he suffered any concussion symptoms after getting dotted.  Hitters cannot become gun shy or tentative afer getting beaned.  He will need tije.  Now time for the rookie Luis Campusano to step up and show he can handle the defensive part of the game, and managed ptiching staffs, something he struggled with last season.

YU DARVISH…He is a scientist on the mound, and i preparing for a season.  Yes he did not pitching much in the JWorld Baseball Classic, a surprise, but he is such a veteran pro, you trust his WBC prep built up his arm strength for the start of the season.

ADRIAN MOREJON…This really concerns me, because of the location of the pain, inside the left elbow joint.  This too for a pitcher who has already had forearm surgery, and history of injuries all over his body coming up thru the farm system.  Does rest solve this?  Does he need a cortisone injection for inflammation?  Does a plasma platelet injection help the healing.  He likely stays in extended spring training to work thru this.  He heads to the IL list too.  A reminder, any type of injection could mean 2-to-4 weeks shutdown before a ramp up begins.  Pay attention to this.

CRAIG STAMMEN…A tough blow, the end of his career after 6-trustworthy seasons as a reliever in the San Diego bullpen and a leader in the clubhouse.  He squeezed every last ounce out of his arm with Washington then with the Friars.  His comment, I’m not sad, it’s baseball, and I loved every minute of this.

FERNANDO TATIS…He is back and seems to have found his batting eye after a rugged (1-19) start coming off his long suspension and the off season surgeries..  Now he won’t be able to rejoin the team till April 20th after his suspension ends for PED involvement.  Don’t like the idea of the Padres opening the season without Soto-Tatis-Nola plus the pitching issues.

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“March Madness–Why Does This Happen”

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Some shockwaves this past weekend in college basketball.

Top seeds Kansas-Purdue got taken out early.
Now the second seeds are getting run off too, goodbye Arizona-Marquette.

As we marvel at what San Diego State has done, the ‘choke hold defense’ is mugging both Furman and Charleston, we know they are about to play one of the surviving big boys, and we know it won’t be easy against the Tide.

The landscape of March Madness has changed.

Why, alot of reasons and you need to think about this.

Everyone has 3-point shooters now, and the bomb beyond the arc can keep a team in games, even if they don’t have the bigs incise to survive.

The transfer portal has changed the game too, because everyone now wants to play, and they are willing to go anywhere to get the chance to playt  That’s why people like Princeton or Colgate or Charleston get to play in the tourney.

Add in the Covid rules that are in effect, granting an extra year of eligibility to all players.  Teams are now more experienced than ever, with 5th and even 6-years players dotting rosters.  We don’t have the 1-and-done teams right now, you know the 18-year old herey then  gone immediately after the season is over.

No one talks about where the players come from and I think that carries huge clout too.  In the last five years, the massive recruiting of both Europe and Africa, notably for big men, has added huge bulk and strength to alot of rosters.

The Euros come ready made to play college ball.  The use of prep schools has helped a huge selection of African big men acclimate themselves to living in America and deal with the academic world they are entering.  They seem so developed for basketball, and stay multiple years at schools too.

On to yhe Sweet 16 next weekend aftef a wild weekend of 3-point shots, buzzer beater shots, and toppling of top seeds too.

Fun time in a different looking college game.

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