All Quiet on Floor at SDSU

Looking for a quiet place to go with someone special?

You might try a pond on the shoulder of Palomar Mountain or a desert hideaway outside Borrego or maybe a beach in Mexico.

Or, should you not care to drive quite so far, you could go to a San Diego State basketball game. Peace, tranquillity and, most importantly, privacy are virtually guaranteed.

I dropped in on the Aztecs’ Western Athletic Conference opener Thursday night against Wyoming. I was sorry I forgot the cards and poker chips. Probably could have gotten a good game going.

San Diego State’s is not a program that greatly interests the community these days. The pregame stories, in fact, did not make the front page of any newspapers I read, which was all of them. That does not speak well of what is happening with a major sport at the largest university in town.

Attendance, in fact, has exceeded 3,000 on only two occasions. The first was when SDSU played USD, and USD’s following had much to do with that. The last was when SDSU played UCLA, and UCLA’s following had much to do with that.

It would seem SDSU is wasting electricity at the Sports Arena. The Aztecs probably could play their games in Peterson Gym, which was not exactly the on-campus facility they have had in mind for so long. However, it is perfectly adequate for the following they now have. Heck, they could probably play in Monty’s Den.

For heaven’s sake, why is San Diego so apathetic to this basketball team?

Because San Diegans are not blindly faithful, as fans can be in hamlets where there are not so many alternative things to do. I encountered considerable traffic leaving I-5 onto Rosecrans and then turning right onto Sports Arena Boulevard Thursday night, but all of it thinned out past the movie theaters.

This basketball team and this basketball program are not good.

Period.

And San Diegans can see through the excuses.

You know, the team is young, the team is shallow, the team lacks scoring punch, the team lacks a true center.

The team lacks. The program lacks.

As the clock wound down on that 85-72 loss Thursday night to Wyoming, a fan in the first row was shuffling toward the aisle muttering to no one in particular: “It’s gonna be a long season, folks.”

Folks know that. A total of 2,246 folks attended the game. Don’t expect too many more folks in the near future, folks.

This basketball team stands at 2-10 going into a home date tonight with Southern Utah University. You figure this to be one of those “scheduled victories” coaches relish. SDSU should be able to beat the Southern Utahs of the world with its fraternity all-stars.

It made the mistake of sending its basketball team to Cedar City two weeks ago and absorbed a 104-82 drubbing.

Maybe, playing at home tonight, the Aztecs will be able to come away with a victory.

So what?

SDSU’s problem is that its program is in no shape to be competitive where it should be, which is against WAC opponents. It has to hope Air Force is as bad as it usual is to simply hope to stay out of the cellar and win one or two games.

So what of these excuses?

What of the fact that the Aztecs started two true freshmen at guards against Wyoming? What of the fact that Joe McNaull, a rather talented young man, is cast out of position at center? What of the fact that this team does not seem to realize it is possible to score three points on a single shot?

The temptation, obviously, is to kiss this off as a transitional year . . . a rebuilding year.

It doesn’t work.

Transitioning off what? Rebuilding from what?

Jim Brandenburg came to SDSU a rather ballyhooed selection to replace Smokey Gaines as basketball coach. He had had tremendous success at Montana and Wyoming. The theory was that anyone who could win (and attract players) to those places could put together a dynasty in a garden spot such as San Diego.

For whatever reason, it has not happened here.

This is Brandenburg’s fifth year as head coach. None of the previous four has produced a winning record. There is absolutely no reason to expect this year’s team will win as many as 10 games . . . more likely five, barely.

None of the excuses work for a coach in his fifth year, regardless of his background. By now, he should have established a consistent flow of players to cover the needs every coach knows he is going to have.

He will have veterans in key spots, particularly handling the ball and directing traffic.

He will have a center.

He will have outside shooters.

He will have a sub-level of experienced depth, a level capable of stepping up when the veterans graduate.

He will have promising youngsters learning while practicing and getting in some minutes in the garbage time of easy victories, such as over the Southern Utahs of the world.

None of this is in place with the SDSU basketball program. This is like a team struggling in the first or maybe second year of a new coach trying to establish a program. This is a program at its worst when it should be at its best.

Before this season is over, the games may be starting whenever the fan can get there.

After this season is over, SDSU’s powers-that-be should pay attention to what is being said by the fans who are not there. By their absence, they are yelling the loudest.