Aztecs Should Get a Stiff Test in Conference Opener

The San Diego State basketball team could think of a better way to open its Western Athletic Conference season than to play Colorado State.

But that is the assignment the Aztecs have tonight at 7:30 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Although Colorado State finished in a tie for fifth in the WAC last season at 8-8--one place ahead of SDSU--the Rams gave the Aztecs more problems than any other conference team.

SDSU split with conference champion Brigham Young, played runners-up Wyoming and Utah to 1- and 2-point games at home, played Texas El Paso to a 7-point game on the road and split with New Mexico.

The Rams were another story. The Aztecs lost two games by a combined 41 points and were not competitive in either. The first was such an early blowout (78-54 at Colorado State) that SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg, who spent most of the season stalking the sideline trying to squeeze every bit out of his frequently overmatched team, barely made a peep in the second half.

They were two frustrating games for Brandenburg, who was coaching against his alma mater and his former college roommate and teammate, Boyd Grant.

“Colorado State got us into a halfcourt game, and they got us into a thinking game,” Brandenburg said. “We were not a very good pass-and-catch basketball team last year, and it took us completely out of sync.”

That is why tonight’s conference opener could tell a lot about how much the Aztecs have improved from last season, when they finished 12-17 and 5-11 for seventh place in the WAC.

The first 5 weeks of the season have shown that while the Aztecs (6-4) have improved in several areas, much remains to be done before they are serious contenders.

“You take a look at us (in a 103-92 loss to No. 6 North Carolina last Thursday) and say ‘Wow!’ ‘ Brandenburg said. “But take a look at us (in an 83-76 victory over Vermont Saturday), and it’s ‘Whoa.’

“We have to show some consistency and maturity that we have not shown. Somehow, this consistency and maturity suddenly happens. Hopefully, it will happen once we start league play.”

Colorado State (7-4) is also looking for a little of that. The early rebound from a third-place finish in last year’s National Invitation Tournament has been a bit rough. Losses to North Texas State, Wisconsin Green Bay and Texas Tech have dulled what the Rams figured to be their strongest start in years.

Three starters return, led by Pat Durham, an All-WAC forward who tops the team in scoring (19.7 points per game) and rebounding (9.0 per game). But the Rams have only one other player averaging in double figures, senior guard Joe Tribblehorn (12.5 points).

But scoring never has been Grant’s way. His deliberate-style offense and zone defense is what did the Aztecs in last season. And with Air Force, another slowdown team, scheduled for Saturday night, the Aztecs had better get used to that pace--or change it.

It is a style SDSU already has had trouble with in a 58-43 loss to Texas Tech.

“This is a team that still has to learn to play at different tempos,” Brandenburg said. “We have to be able to adjust.”

That was Brandenburg’s common lament last season, but while the Aztecs still have depth problems, he has more players who can help effect a change than he did a year ago. Six are averaging at least 8.9 points per game.

His starting lineup has three senior holdovers--Sam Johnson at power forward, Mitch McMullen at center and Bryan Williams at point guard. Michael Best, a junior transfer from Clemson, has taken over at off guard, and Shawn Bell, a senior transfer from Chicago State, is at small forward.

Johnson, after switching from small forward, has taken on much of the role that Rodney Hawkins had last season. Johnson often draws the toughest defensive assignment and is being counted on as a strong rebounder. He has responded with 6.2 rebounds per game and strong defensive performances such as that against Tennessee forward Dyron Nix, an All-American candidate. Johnson held Nix without a field goal for the final 25 minutes of a 77-75 loss to the No. 17 Volunteers.

Williams once again is being counted upon to run the offense and has had two of the better back-to-back games of his career: 32 points and 19 assists in the Aztecs’ past two games. But unlike last season, when the Aztecs had no backup point guard, Williams is splitting his time with Best and Rodney Jones, a junior transfer. Williams is averaging 27.5 minutes per game after averaging 35.7 last season.

McMullen might be the Aztecs’ most improved player and, at 6-feet 10-inches, he is getting an increasingly longer look by pro scouts. McMullen leads the team in scoring (17.6 points per game) and rebounding (9.3). Both are up considerably from his 13.0 and 6.1 averages last season.

But he continues to be bothered by foul trouble. He has 40 in 10 games and has fouled out three times, just one less than all of last season.

Bell has given the Aztecs an athletic forward who jumps well, but his occasional defensive lapses have bothered Brandenburg. Bell has been one of the Aztecs’ best rebounders, averaging 6.2 per game, including 18 in his past two games.

Best has been the player of great expectations and mystery. He has bounced between brilliant and forgettable, sometimes on the same play. This inconsistency is illustrated by his assist-to-turnover ratio. He is second on the team in assists with 47 but leads the team with 36 turnovers.

He has had spectacular moments--as he did in the first half against North Carolina--and other times when he gets a quick hook from Brandenburg, such as an 8-point, 5-turnover game 2 nights later against Vermont.

Best is still trying to get comfortable in Brandenburg’s system after nearly 2 seasons away from game action. But it is telling that Brandenburg says that Best can be too generous and that he should shoot more.

“Sometimes Michael is overpassing,” Brandenburg said.

It is not often that Brandenburg can be heard telling anybody that.

The addition of Best has meant a big change for Tony Ross, the team’s 2-time leading scorer. Ross is out of the starting lineup for the first time in his three seasons at SDSU. He still is second in scoring, but his 12.1-point average is 4 below his career average.

Ross is being used as a designated scorer, inserted in the hope that his 3-point shooting ability will spark the Aztecs. When Ross’ shot is on, Brandenburg doesn’t hesitate to let him play. But when Ross is cold, Brandenburg has the option to put him back on the bench and use Best or Jones. That is a luxury he did not have last season when for the last 10 games, Ross and Williams were his only scholarship guards.

The Aztecs’ depth in the front court has improved as well. The only problem is that most of the players are young. Because Brandenburg has been unable to use Johnson as a backup to McMullen because of Johnson’s own foul difficulties, the job of relief at center has fallen to freshman Dana Jackson and sophomore Neil Steinly. Eeric White, another freshman, has backed up at forward.

Steinly has played nearly as much in the first 10 games (51 minutes) as he did all last season (68) but remains raw. Jackson helped as rebounder and has shown some offensive ability inside, but his free-throw shooting (7 of 18) is part of a team-wide problem.

The Aztecs are shooting 62.1% from the line, a carry-over from last season (61.4%). McMullen is responsible for much of that slump as he has missed more free throws (26 of 50) than any other Aztec has made. Adding to the problem is that the Aztecs have been fouling at a rate of 22.5 per game. Opponents have shot 283 free throws, the Aztecs 201.

The Aztecs’ preference for man-to-man defense has contributed to the problem. Teams tend to commit more fouls while playing man-to-man, but just as they did last season, the Aztecs have had trouble playing zone.

The foul problems, inability to play zone and general inconsistencies have bothered Brandenburg, but they have not lessened his assessment of his team. The Aztecs are about where Brandenburg figured they’d be at this point in the season.