The words expectations and San Diego State have always been associated with low, in almost any sport.
That won’t be the case this year for the Aztecs basketball team.
Carrying their first national ranking ever and returning five starters, outsiders have pinned San Diego State as one of the best team’s in the nation.
And that’s almost new for any team on Montezuma Mesa.
“I think we're ready,” senior Billy White said in October. “It's a big year for us. The spotlight is on, and I think we can take that. We are prepared and ready to go.”
The Aztecs won 25 games last year. They won the Mountain West Conference Tournament title. They are just one of four teams in the entire nation to return all five starters from an NCAA Tournament team. They have nine returners from last year’s team.
Yet, they’re missing the most important—San Diego State still has not won a game in the NCAA tourney, though it took Tennessee to the wire last year.
And that’s how much improvement the Aztecs have gone under coach Steve Fisher. From conference also-rans to conference darlings in a decade, with the team’s goal not just being competitive in conference, but winning the conference and taking that next giant leap at the NCAA Tournament.
“I do like our team and the fact that other people like our team, and I expect us to do well,” Fisher said. “I much rather would have it this way then back in October of 1999 when they asked me if we had a chance to win a conference game.”
The schedule will be tough though, especially out of conference. Eight teams won 20 or more games last year and participated in some sort of postseason play.
Highlighting the schedule are trips to Spokane, Wash., to play Gonzaga and Berkeley, Calif., to play California. Saint Mary’s visits Viejas Arena this year.
Anticipation and expectations; that is what is fueling the media storm around this team this year.
Not only have the Aztecs been picked to be the top team in the Mountain West, they’re going to be out to prove it, which should make for a lot of fun this year.
“We are going to receive the best play from our opponent, which is going to force us to play our best as well,” senior guard D.J. Gay said. “It is a positive, and it is going to make us play even harder so we can produce every game.”
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For more info: Visit our College Basketball Examiner, Shawn S. Lealos. Check out the Examiner.com Top 25 poll. Follow me on Twitter.
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