Optimism Puts a Bounce in Their Step : SDSU: Brandenburg’s new faces bring a new attitude. They’ll need it to overcome inexperience.

What’s this? A joke? Positive talk coming from the San Diego State men’s basketball team?

There is every reason for these guys to be gun-shy this season. They have had five consecutive losing seasons, have lost nine Western Athletic Conference games in a row, lost several players from last year’s team and . . . “The attitude this year is great,” senior Marty Dow said. “I really enjoy being around everybody. We have a lot of fun together. It’s a lot more like a family than 15 different guys. I feel confident we’re going to have a good year.”

Added senior Neal Steinly: “There’s a big difference. There were a few guys on the team (last year) I’m not going to mention who got carried away . . . You hate to say it, but a few guys ruined it for everybody by being jerks or whatever.”

Not that there were any major problems last year. Just subtleties. Guys talking too loud off the court and worrying too much about their statistics on the court. Attitudes.

And early on, that’s what this year’s Aztec basketball team has been about. Attitude. When the Aztecs open their season Saturday at North Carolina, and for the next three months or so, what they accomplish might depend on what they want to accomplish.

They are raw. There are nine new players--six newcomers plus three players who redshirted last season. Dow, a 7-foot-1 center, is the only true starter returning, although Vern Thompson started 20 of 31 games last season. They are big--seven players stand 6-7 or taller. They are shaping into a team, getting to know each other and having fun.

On campus, the attitude has already been noticed. The players wear their basketball sweat shirts in public, and they don’t feel awkward. Instructors are more willing to work with the basketball staff when a player needs to leave class early. Students--and players on other Aztec teams--are actually saying nice things about the basketball players.

So is their coach.

“I think this group has a lot of try,” Jim Brandenburg said. “They want to please. They are very conscientious about what they are attempting to accomplish.

“I just hope and pray this club improves from start to finish. That’s always the key--not just hitting a plateau and leveling off.”

The Aztecs lost their leading scorer over the summer when Shawn Jamison was declared academically ineligible and dropped out of school in July. Brandenburg thinks SDSU can make up for his 16.8 points and 6.9 rebounds with a group effort. They lost Michael Hudson, who also left school after being declared academically ineligible. They also lost guard Eeric White, who transferred to Southwest Missouri State. The most memorable thing he did in two years at SDSU was slug a teammate in the face during practice.

Attitude.

They basically have only four members of last year’s team back. This is from a team that finished 13-18, eighth in the WAC. And this from a team that was bounced out of the WAC tournament in the first round by Air Force, the only team to finish lower in the standings.

None of that seems to have dawned on these guys. They have played two exhibition games and won both easily. Granted, exhibitions don’t mean much, but still . . .

The Aztecs have a benchmark, and it is on a nicer bench than they thought. They whipped High Five America, a touring club team which had won at South Carolina and Memphis State, 115-96, and then defeated the Illawarra Hawks, an Australian team, 81-57.

“I was kind of surprised with the relative ease with which we went through these first two exhibition games,” Brandenburg said. “Each one had its own set of circumstances. We weren’t picture-perfect, but we scored effortlessly, we showed we can rebound a little bit, we shot good percentages . . . “

And they held High Five to 42% shooting and Illawarra to 33%.

The schedule will not be easy. There are road games at North Carolina, UCLA and USC. Five WAC teams won 20 or more games last season and three made the NCAA tournament.

“Truthfully, it sounds so corny, but what would make a successful season is steady progress from start to finish,” Brandenburg said. “If we keep making progress in all areas you need to to be successful, we’re going to have a success ratio down the line that’s going to make us feel pretty good about ourselves.

“As far as wins and losses, sometimes you miss a free throw, sometimes they throw one in from mid-court. There are all kinds of things that could change numbers. But nobody can refute from the time you start until the time you finish that this guy got progressively better.”

Brandenburg likes this team. You can see it in a periodic smile and sense it in his voice. But, for now, he is not about to do anything other than remain low key.

And that’s only the first thing you should know about this team. . . .

* For starters: Two newcomers who have not played any Division I ball will start Saturday in North Carolina. Chris McKinney, a 6-2 freshman who averaged 21 points a game while leading Lincoln High (East St. Louis, Ill.) to a third-place finish in the state tournament, will play the No. 2 guard. Keith Balzer, a 6-8 junior transfer from Imperial Valley Community College, will start at forward.

McKinney will play alongside point guard Arthur Massey (6-2), who averaged seven points a game and started 16 last year. Balzer will team with Vern Thompson (6-6; five points) at forward.

Dow (12 points, six rebounds a game last year) is a fixture in the middle.

Brandenburg is still unsure how his rotation will work. Several players could get a lot of playing time. James Lewis (6-2), an All-American last year at Northwestern Community College (Rangely, Colo.) who can shoot but needs to improve other areas of his game, and Ray Barefield (6-1), a quick sophomore who sat out last season because he didn’t meet Proposition 48 requirements, will round out an inexperienced guard line.

First off the bench at forward will be Joe McNaull, a 6-11 freshman who averaged 21 points and 17 rebounds at Monte Vista High last year, and Courtie Miller, a 6-7 redshirt freshman from Torrey Pines. Terrence Hamilton, a 6-6 redshirt freshman from Patrick Henry; Nelson Stewart, a 6-7 redshirt junior; and Mark Pollard, a 6-11 sophomore who was on a church mission the past two years, give the team depth at forward.

Steinly, 6-11, McNaull and Pollard will back up Dow.

“I don’t think we’ll really get into feeling comfortable with a rotation for two or three weeks yet,” Brandenburg said. “We’re so slow starting. I just haven’t had these players available.”

That’s because of . . .

* Groins: And feet. And knees and hips and the flu. Dow missed 1 1/2 weeks with a strained groin, Balzer was out two weeks with a strained knee; and Massey, McNaull, Miller, Steinly, McKinney, Stewart, Hamilton and Bart Brandenburg have all missed practice time this year as well with nagging injuries.

All are healthy now except Steinly, who has a strained left Achilles tendon but is hopeful for Saturday.

* Family Ties: Yes, Bart Brandenburg is Jim’s son. He is a freshman from Torrey Pines and he will redshirt this season. The Aztecs also have an assistant coach named Jim Harrick Jr., the son of the UCLA coach. He is not to be confused with Jim Herrick, SDSU associate athletic director for business affairs.

Harrick Jr. will meet Harrick Sr. Dec. 29 when the Aztecs are at UCLA.

* Keith Balzer’s Smile: Back to this attitude thing for a minute. Balzer has earned the award for Most Valuable Newcomer. Granted that, after four weeks, this award consists of not much more than a handshake, but in the two exhibitions he has showed he can shoot, rebound, pass, hustle . . . and smile.

“From what I hear, (the team is) totally different from last year,” he said. “Some people didn’t get along with others. I don’t know if that came out on the court. Right now, it’s kinda fun.”

* The broad side of a barn: At times last year, the Aztecs would have trouble hitting it. They shot 45% from the field, but the majority of that came from their inside game. SDSU needs better perimeter shooting this season. For that, they will count on Balzer or Lewis, the two best outside shooters.

* They weren’t free throws: The Aztecs shot only 64% from the line last season. If they do that again, you can figure on another frustrating season.

* The freshman: It’s early and you don’t want to put too much pressure on a young kid. But after four weeks of practice and two exhibition games, McNaull--who has been moved from center (his high school position) to forward--looks like the real thing. He is 6-11, but in an exhibition game last week, he ran the length of the court and swatted away a fast-break layup attempt like there was nothing to it.

He has the tools to be, in Vitale-ese, a PTP--prime-time player. He made a recruiting visit to Arizona State and then canceled trips to Nevada Las Vegas, Utah and DePaul after deciding to stay in San Diego.

“I’m pleased with his progress,” Brandenburg said. “He has to really work on his stamina. . . . But he has adapted fairly well. He has a nice pair of hands in traffic.”

* On guard: Inexperience? Only two of seven guards have played at the Division I level. And one of those two is Thompson, who probably will play more forward than guard.

Brandenburg began preparing for this last spring, when he talked to Massey about stepping up and becoming a leader this year. Massey has worked on that, along with the rest of his game. Brandenburg thinks Massey has moved his game up a level from last season, but says he needs continued work as a leader.

“He is going to have to share more of himself,” Brandenburg said. “He’s a quiet, inward guy.”

Said Massey: “I’m not really a person to yell out. I’ve been happy with (this leadership role) so far, but it needs to get better.”

* Road trip: Most college students love this phrase. The Aztecs hate it. They had one victory in 10 attempts on opponents’ home courts last season. Over the past five seasons, the Aztecs are 5-54 on their opponents’ home courts.

* Dow factor: The Aztecs were 12-10 a year ago before Dow was lost for the season with a torn tendon in his foot. They lost eight of their last nine to finish 13-18. He improved all season a year ago and has played well in practice this year. Obviously, SDSU needs him.

* It’s a hard life: So, coach, what concerns you about this season?

“Adaptability worries me,” Brandenburg said. “Can we go from a fast-paced game to someone who slows it down?

“Consistent perimeter shooting worries me. Leadership and toughness is still to be decided. The jury is still out in those areas.”

The jury begins to convene Saturday.

SDSU BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT TIME Nov. 24 at North Carolina 4:30 p.m. Nov. 27 USD 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at USC 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 Midwestern State* 8:00 p.m. Dec. 8 Cal Poly Pomona* 8:00 p.m. Dec. 15 UC Irvine* 8:00 p.m. Dec. 21 Texaco Star Classic 8:30 p.m. Dec. 22 Texaco Star Classic TBA Dec. 27 Baylor 7:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at UCLA 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3 Brigham Young 9:00 p.m. Jan. 5 Utah 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at Air Force 6:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at Colorado State 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 New Mexico 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 Texas El Paso 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at New Mexico 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Texas El Paso 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 Wyoming 6:00 p.m. Feb. 7 at Brigham Young 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Utah 6:30 p.m. Feb. 14 Colorado State 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 Air Force 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 Hawaii 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at Wyoming 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27 USIU 7:30 p.m. March 2 at Hawaii 9:30 p.m. Mar6-9 WAC tournament TBA

Home games at San Diego Sports Arena except where marked by asterisk, at Peterson Gym

All times Pacific.