Fight Causes Aztecs’ Sund to Transfer

Alex Sund, a freshman forward/center on the San Diego State basketball team, said Wednesday he will transfer rather than return next week for the start of the spring semester.

Sund has been at home in Golden, Colo., since shortly after he was suspended for one game following a fight with freshman forward Eeeric White Dec. 20.

Sund said his jaw and nose were broken, several teeth were chipped, and he sustained facial bruises in the fight. Sund said it strained relations with his teammates and that he felt it was best that he transfer.

“I came home and talked with my parents and grandparents, and we decided it was the best thing,” Sund said. “I know the coaches wanted me back, but my family felt leaving was best.”

SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg, in Honolulu for a game against Hawaii tonight, said he spoke with Sund Wednesday and agreed that he would be allowed to transfer.

Brandenburg said shortly after he suspended Sund that Sund would return for the spring semester but that he would not play this year and would receive a medical redshirt. Sund played in four games and averaged 0.8 points and 0.8 rebounds.

“Initially, that was the plan,” Sund said. “But later I felt it wasn’t the right situation for me.”

Said Brandenburg: “I’m not sure what happened, but he has decided to leave. What changed, I’m not sure.”

Sund, a 6-foot 8-inch, 230-pounder, said he has enrolled at a community college near his hometown for the spring semester but will not play basketball and intends to transfer to another 4-year school in time for the fall semester. Sund said he did not know where he would transfer but said he would consider UC Irvine, a school that recruited him out of Golden (Colo.) High School.

Sund was suspended, along with White and freshman forward Dana Jackson, following a dormitory incident on the eve of the Aztecs’ game against Hardin-Simmons in the first round of the McDonald’s tournament. White, 6-6, 192 pounds, was suspended for two games and told to return briefly to his home in Las Vegas. Jackson was suspended for one game. Sund and White were suspended for fighting, and all three were suspended for drinking and violating team curfew, Brandenburg said at the time.

Sund said all three had been drinking but that the fight was unrelated and took place “3 or 4 hours” later.

Sund said the fight was one of several that White had with teammates, but Brandenburg said he was unaware of any other fights involving White.

Sund also said his dorm room was ransacked and that money and blank personal checks were stolen last fall. Sund said his signature was forged to one of the checks and that it was cashed. He said he did not know who had stolen the items and did not pursue criminal charges because he did not want to go to that trouble.

The Aztecs will be trying to break a 4-game losing streak when they play Hawaii at 9:30 tonight in a Western Athletic Conference game at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.

The losing streak, which matches the Aztecs’ longest in 2 seasons under Brandenburg, has dropped their record to .500 (8-8, 2-4 in conference) for the first time this season.

The Aztecs also will be looking to improve on their WAC road record. SDSU has lost 20 of 21 conference road games over the past 4 seasons, its only victory a 59-58 decision over the Rainbows last year. The Aztecs have won only 3 of 15 road games overall under Brandenburg and have lost four in a row on the road since an 83-58 victory at Baylor Nov. 29.

Poor shooting has troubled the Aztecs in their recent slide. Their percentage has dipped to a season-low 49.4%, including 43.3% in conference games.

Senior center Mitch McMullen continues to lead the team in scoring (15.8 points per game) and rebounding (8.4 per game), but junior guard Michael Best has recently come on strong. Best scored a career-high 24 in an 83-76 loss to New Mexico Saturday and has averaged 18.3 points in the past four games after averaging 9.4 in the first 12.

Hawaii (10-7, 3-3) is off to its best start in 6 seasons and is coming off an 87-72 victory at home over Texas El Paso, the Rainbows’ first victory over the Miners in 10 games. Senior guard David Hallums scored a career-high 22 points as the Rainbows shot a school-record 71%.

Hallums has tried to pick up the scoring slack in the backcourt since junior guard Chris Gaines was declared academically ineligible at the start of the WAC season. Senior center Reggie Cross leads the Rainbows in scoring (19.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.2 per game).