Aztecs Go Looking for Better Days : Struggling San Diego St. Faces New Mexico Today in Conference Opener

Whenever Coach Smokey Gaines needs motivation, he watches films of San Diego State winning the 1985 Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament.

It’s a reminder of how things were two years ago--but certainly not how they are today.

SDSU, which opens its conference season at 2 today against New Mexico in the Sports Arena, has a 2-8 record, the victories against Cal State Los Angeles, a Division II team, and Manhattan, which had the second-worst Division I record in the country last season. “I was hoping to have a better record than we have at this point,” Gaines said. “I was hoping to be at least .500, rather than 2-8. But there again, those are the trials and tribulations you have with a young team.”

As if things weren’t bad enough, SDSU will be missing one or two starters today. Guard Josh Lowery, the team’s second-leading scorer, will serve a one-game suspension for being involved in a fight during last season’s WAC Tournament. Center Gerald Murray, the team’s second-leading rebounder, may not play because of back spasms.

Lowery will be replaced by freshman Tony Ross, the team’s leading scorer, who has been a reserve. Ross is still bothered by a thigh bruise, however. William Campbell, a walk-on, has played well enough to replace Tracy Dildy at point guard. The other starters are expected to be center Kevin Brown and forwards Juan Espinoza and Rodney Hawkins.

Brown, normally a forward, quit the team for 2 1/2 weeks when he became homesick, but returned the first week of December. He is averaging 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds.

“We have to get something out of Kevin,” Gaines said. “He played better last year.” Brown averaged 2.9 points and 4.6 rebounds last season.

The Aztecs finished 7-9 in the WAC and 10-19 overall last season with a veteran team.

This season, SDSU does not have a senior on its roster--and has yet to find a player capable of controlling the game down the stretch.

“We won seven WAC games last season, but it’s hard to say what we’ll do this season,” Gaines said. “I have no predictions at this time. Right now, we haven’t been getting the breaks down the stretch that good teams make. We’re still trying to find ourselves. It’s frustrating for young kids.”

Aztec Notes

New Mexico has a 10-3 record. The Lobos are led by junior forward Hunter Greene, averaging 20 points a game. Senior guard Kelvin Scarborough averages 19.5 points. . . . SDSU is 3-5 in its previous WAC openers, including a 2-2 record in the Sports Arena. . . . The Aztecs are 8-2 against New Mexico the past five seasons. SDSU holds a 13-6 series edge.