College basketball countdown: No. 20 San Diego State
THE FIRST WORD: Steve Fisher knows the curtains are closing on his coaching career. The former Michigan Fab 5 coach is entering his 16th season and the final year of his contract with San Diego State, a program he's transformed into a national power.
"I'm closer to the end than I am the middle," said the 69-year-old Fisher. "I know I'm going to have a job until I choose not to, but I don't have a goal to be the oldest coach in basketball. I'm taking it year by year at this point."
Nevertheless, Fisher hasn't slowed down, and it should come as no surprise that San Diego State's projected rebuilding years often turn into banner seasons. Last year the Aztecs turned a transition season — after losing their top players in Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley — into 31 wins, a Mountain West title and a Sweet 16 appearance.
"We're somewhat the new kid on the block," Fisher said. "When you think of San Diego State, we want people to say, 'They've got a program.' We went to the Sweet 16 last year, and that's the second time we've done that. Now we're talking about moving on and doing more than what we've done."
The Aztecs lose top player Xavier Thames, but Winston Shepard is back after a breakout sophomore campaign. Dwayne Polee II and J.J. O'Brien also return. But it's a strong recruiting class that should have the Aztecs poised for another strong season in a wide-open Mountain West Conference. Malik Pope has the athleticism to become an instant star, and Zylan Cheatham and Trey Kell are great fits for SDSU's system.
2013-14 IN REVIEW: 31-5 overall, 16-2 (first in Mountain West)
PATH TO THE DANCE: Mountain West auto-bid.
PROJECTED TOURNEY SEED: No. 5 seed.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE GRADE: B-. See full schedule here.
The Aztecs have a number of semi-challenging home games against UC-Riverside, Long Beach State and San Diego. The toughest home test will come Nov. 18 vs. Utah. They also face tough competition in the Maui Invitational, playing against BYU in their opener. SDSU also challenged itself on the road, traveling to Cincinnati and Washington.
TEAM BREAKDOWN: See full roster here.
STAR WATCH: Shepard (11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg), a 6-8 junior, is the top returning scorer and will be the primary post threat. He's great at drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line, but he'll need to improve his all-around game.
X-FACTOR: Polee (8.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) came on strong last season, averaging more than 14 points in the NCAA tournament. The 6-7 senior will become a starter and could transition into a go-to player. "He'll be one of the best in the Mountain West," Fisher said.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Pope. Fisher hauled in a top-20 recruiting class, and Pope leads the way as SDSU's first five-star recruit. The 6-8 forward chose the Aztecs over Arizona, Kansas and UCLA. He broke his leg twice in seven months in high school, so Fisher will try to be as cautious as possible. Pope probably won't play big minutes early on. But when healthy, his size, athleticism and finesse will make him one of the Mountain West's top freshmen.
TEAM STRENGTH/WEAKNESS: With Shepard, Polee, 6-7 senior O'Brien (7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg), 6-10 junior Skylar Spencer (4.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and 6-9 junior Angelo Chol (an Arizona transfer), the frontcourt should be one of the most athletic in the country. The Aztecs lost top rebounder Josh Davis but shouldn't skip a beat on the front line. Pope and fellow freshman Cheatham (out early on after having surgery on a broken foot in August) will allow Fisher to go 11-deep at least.
The backcourt isn't as secure, and the big area of concern will be finding a way to replace star guard Xavier Thames, who led the Aztecs in scoring, assists and steals. Fisher believes it'll be a collective effort. Freshmen Kell (6-4) and Kevin Zabo (6-2) should earn immediate minutes. And 6-3 senior Aqueel Quinn (5.0 ppg), 6-5 sophomore Dakarai Allen (2.5 ppg) and 6-2 sophomore D'Erryl Williams will all need to take on expanded roles. Expect this to be another standout defensive team after the Aztecs ranked second nationally in scoring defense last season (57.0 ppg) and eighth in field goal percentage defense (38.6%). Experience will be a major strength. "I think that'll give us an edge," Fisher said. This could and should be an Elite Eight team.
FUN FACT: During finals week each semester, students participate in an "Undie Run" — a race that sees hundreds of people running in just their underwear.
BASICS: San Diego State University is in San Diego, and the Aztecs play in Viejas Arena at the Aztec Bowl, which opened in 1997 and seats 12,414.
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About this post: Every week day for the next three months, one of the 68 teams in USA TODAY Sports' projected field will be dissected. In November, the final bracket will be revealed.