Tag: Brian Dutcher

2024 Mountain West Championship: New Mexico Secures First MWC Tournament Title in Over a Decade with 68-61 win over SDSU

Game Recap: No. 6 New Mexico 68, No. 5 San Diego State 61 Jaelen House get’s his moment & secures his first MWC title in his last conference game. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico secures first conference tournament title in a …

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 Game Recap: No. 6 New Mexico 68, No. 5 San Diego State 61

Jaelen House get’s his moment & secures his first MWC title in his last conference game.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico secures first conference tournament title in a decade, thanks to the play of Jaelen House & JT Toppin.

Las Vegas, NV–If there were any better cherry on top of what has been one of the more competitive & entertaining Mountain West seasons in recent years, it was the championship game slated for Saturday afternoon in sin city. A showdown between longtime conference rivals No. 5 seed San Diego State & No. 6 seed New Mexico.

Two teams that may not have been on everyone’s bracket in the MWC Tournament title game, but two deserving programs nonetheless. New Mexico won three straight games in three straight days to get here. Beating Air Force on Wednesday (82-56), Boise State (76-66) on Thursday & Colorado State (74-61) late Friday night.

While San Diego State got a bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday, where they narrowly squeezed by UNLV 74-71. Then upsetting No. 1 seed & regular season champion Utah State 86-70 on Friday.

It isn’t unfamiliar territory for either program, but it’s been a second home for one & a once in a while destination for the other. San Diego State have become fixtures in the Mountain West Tournament title game the last decade. Making nine appearances in ten years & cutting the nets down four times in that span.

While New Mexico made a Cinderella style run in Paul Weir’s first season in Albuquerque back in 2018. That game was also against the Aztecs & their “first year” Head Coach Brian Dutcher. The Lobos fell 82-75 to their conference rivals that year.

Missing out on the title, one they haven’t brought home to Albuquerque since Craig Neals first year in charge in Albuquerque back in 2014. Noodles inherited a Steve Alford built roster to help lift that trophy. With history & an automatic berth to the big dance on the line, each team needed to cap amazing individual seasons with an amazing win Saturday afternoon.

The Lobos momentum was still in full swing at tip-off. Hitting the floor hard in the opening minutes on a 6-2 run. A Darrion Trimmell three pointer brought the Aztecs to within one. Sparked by Jaelen Houses’ energy, New Mexico found their offensive rhythm, though San Diego State kept things close.

Richard Pitino’s squad enjoyed small runs all throughout the first half. The first thanks to five straight Jamal Mashburn Jr. points, giving New Mexico their biggest lead to that point, 16-8 approaching the ten minute mark. To be followed with four straight three point field goals (3-House & 1-Mashburn Jr.) to extend their lead to double-digits, 30-18.

After a JT Toppin layup gave the Lobos the 34-20 lead approaching the two minute mark, the Aztecs made their stand. Going on a 10-2 run before half-time, with all points coming in the paint from their frontcourt duo of Jay Pal & JaeDon LeDee. As the buzzer sounded, New Mexico went into the locker rooms up 36-30.

Second Half

Even though the Lobos surrendered the closing minutes of the first half to the Aztecs, they wouldn’t let that influence how they emerged from half-time. Earning a quick five points from their backcourt duo before San Diego State decided it was time to put the clamp down.

The Aztecs fell victim to New Mexico’s fast pace style of play most of the game. Leading to their deficit & leadless first half. But Brian Dutcher’s squad wins their games in a much slower & physically charged way. San Diego State made a stand that would turn what was a comfortable Lobo lead most of the game into a one procession dogfight the rest of the way.

The Aztecs would turn to a style of play called, pass the ball to Jaedon. A play that would see LeDee vie for position in the post, receive the ball & eight times out of ten get fouled & head to the line. The other two times out of ten he would make the shot.

Creating quite a conundrum for New Mexico, who became spooked & decided their approach would be fouling the Aztec big to make him earn his points at the free throw line. Well, it sounded nice in theory. But LeDee came into this one shooting 72.4% from the free throw line. LeDee would go to the line multiple times over the next ten minutes, slowing the game down & taking New Mexico out of their offensive rhythm almost immediately.

A Jaelen House technical foul approaching the ten minute mark would trigger a series of plays that ultimately gave San Diego State their first lead of the game at 44-43 thanks to a Reese Waters jumper.

The next ten minutes were an exchange of free throws with a few genuine field goals scattered about. It brought everything down to the final two minutes of the game. Were both squads were tied at fifty-nine a piece, a time where the only way New Mexico would pull the upset would be if someone scored true field goals & rebounded when their opponents didn’t.

In comes MWC Freshman of the Year JT Toppin, Who grabbed four rebounds & scored five points, which became the cushion needed for third year Head Coach Richard Pitino to secure his first conference title.

The Lobos began to celebrate their 68-61 win at the buzzer, as the first No. 6 seed to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament ever. Jamal Mashburn Jr. joined House & Toppin in double-figures 21 points thanks to some very clutch shooting from all three-levels of scoring.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico–JT Toppin & Jaelen House

Stat line: House-28 points, 5 rebounds & 3 steals on 10-22 (45.4%) from the floor & 3-7 (42.8%) from deep in 36 minutes of action Toppin-13 points & 11 rebounds on 6-8 (75%) from the floor in 35 minutes of action

The performance House had in the first half is the reason the Lobos were able to stay competitive as the Aztecs began chipping away at their grip on the lead. But it was also his level head in the second half as his team struggled, continuing to give effort & not letting it get to his head. His game high 28 points help attribute to an amazing final MWC game ever. And to go out cutting down the nets in the Pit West, there is no better feeling.

JT Toppin stepped up with his double-double as frontcourt mate Nelly Junior-Joseph was mainly tasked with keeping Aztec x-factor LeDee unimpactful until he absolutely couldn’t. So Toppin contributed in all the best ways down low, blocking & altering shots, securing boards of both variety & making shots when no one else could. I couldn’t give the spotlight to just one players as the game was won with the performances of both.

San Diego State F-Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists on 7-12 shooting (58.3%) from the floor & a whopping 11-11 (100%) from the free throw line in 37 minutes of play

LeDee went scoreless in the first fifteen minutes of the game. Which is something no one realized until he began scoring every single minutes of the game going forward. The Aztec big man found his confidence late in the first half & found his role going forward, wrecking ball who can shoot free throws, exactly to his liking. LeDee can score at all three levels but is his most consistent battling for space in the paint.

No other Aztec scored in double-figures & his 100% performance from the charity stripe is the a huge piece of why the momentum of the game was laid gently in their hands most of the second-half. It was an All-Tournament level performance for the ages, a great way to cap a great career in the Mountain West.

Next Up:

With the final buzzer in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the conference postseason comes to a close with an incredible performance from all teams involved. The only thing left to do is tune in tomorrow Sunday March 17th for this year’s production of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.

You can watch Selection Sunday on CBS at 4:00 PM MT & 3:00 PM PT. A streamed version of the show can be viewed on NCAA.com during their March Madness Live Special.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Utah State Stands Tall at Home, Beating No. 19 Aztecs 68-63

Game Recap: Utah State 68, No. 19 San Diego State 63 Utah State Stands Tall at Home, Beating Aztecs 68-63 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Utah State take sole possession of first place with home win over No. 19 Aztecs. A matchup that is …

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 Game Recap: Utah State 68, No. 19 San Diego State 63

Utah State Stands Tall at Home, Beating Aztecs 68-63

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Utah State take sole possession of first place with home win over No. 19 Aztecs.

A matchup that is appropriately dubbed the battle for first place in the Mountain West. Of course there is plenty of basketball left to play that could alter anyone’s course to a regular season championship.

But with both Utah State & San Diego State tied for first place in the conference heading into Tuesday night’s primetime matchup, all eyes had to be glued on the heavyweight game happening in Logan. As the fate of the regular season conference race could very well be decided tonight.

The last time these two programs met was earlier this month inside Viejas Arena. The Aztecs received a stellar three-point performance (9-20, 45%) and found their way to the line all night (20-28, 71.4%). Slowing down the game allowed San Diego State to slowly mount a comeback late in the first-half.  Using that same strategy in the second-half ensured they never lost their lead & beat a than No. 17 ranked Utah State team 81-67.

With the tables turned as Utah State welcomed a No. 19 ranked San Diego State squad to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, hoping for a little bit of payback.

A packed homecourt can give teams a spark right out of the gate, something the Aggies took full advantage of with a 6-0 run in the game’s opening minutes. The Aztecs nearly leveled things before back-to-back baskets by Utah State star Great Osobor kept them at bay.

Brian Dutcher’s group took their first lead of the game (11-10) with a Miles Byrd alley oop. That was just one of five lead changes over the next five minutes or so, along with several other ties. A 6-2 run in the final two minutes of play gave the home team some cushion. As a Darius Brown II jump shot as time expired gave the Aggies the 31-26 lead heading into half-time.

With all of the offensive firepower the Aggies boast, floor general Darius Brown II led all scorers at the half with 12 points, off of 5-7 shooting, which included two threes. While LeDee led the Aztecs with 8 points off of 4-6 shooting down low.

The beginning of the second-half began with a quick five points from the Aggies. San Diego State was quick to respond, or should I say Jaedon LeDee was, with two quick field goals of his own.

After that, Osobor responded with his own 5-0 run on the other end. San Diego State would then go on to miss three consecutive three point jumpers on consecutive possessions, before an Aggie defensive board ended their misery.

As the Aztecs struggled to find success from the floor for the next couple of minutes, they earned their points elsewhere. With four straight free throw makes to bring things to within four (41-37).

Utah State would respond with scoring from three different players, to go on an 8-2 run which included back-to-back three points. Extending their lead to double-digits & ignited the crowd heading into the media timeout.

Brian Dutcher’s group took that time to regroup, with a quick 5-0 run out of the timeout to bring things back to within single digits. It became the theme of the night, as the Aztecs would gain a little momentum & shrink their deficit just for Utah State to do the same & extend it again.

Osobor & Brown II had plenty to do with that for the Aggies, while LeDee had the hot hand for San Diego State. Things slowed down as the game approached the final five minutes of play, but as that happened the Aztecs went on yet another run.

This time a 7-0 run that brought their deficit to just one point (59-58) and was filled with defensive stops. That was enough to force Coach Sprinkle to call a timeout, with 4:37 left in the game.

Luckily for the home crowd, Isaac Johnson was able to capitalize out of that timeout after a missed three pointer by Ian Martinez. This would be followed by a couple of misses from each squad before a Lamont Butler offensive foul ended things before the last media timeout.

Out of that timeout, the man with the hot hand took the three point shot. As Brown II’s shot failed to go in, a Utah State offensive board led to another opportunity from beyond the arc, that one was clean from the graduate transfer.

With time in short supply in Logan, the ball went to LeDee & as he attempted to make the layup, Osobor was there to send it away.

Jay Pal would go on to miss a three on the other end, but LeDee wasn’t prepared to quit just yet and drew a foul that sent him to the line. He would drain those free ones, but it was still a two possession game (64-60).

The Aztec gameplan after that you may ask, foul. Mason Falslev would drain his two shots at the line and made way for Brown II to head to the line immediately after him. As things seemed out of reach for San Diego State, now down 68-60. Miles Byrd hit his only three pointer of the game. But it was too late.

The W stayed in Logan Tuesday night, with Utah State defending their home court with a 68-63 win to take sole possession of first place in the Mountain West.

San Diego State was led by Jaedon LeDee and his 23 points, 15 of which came in the second-half. He was joined in double figures by Reese Waters (11 points) & Miles Byrd (10 points). The Aztecs had a decent night shooting from the floor (24-56, 42.9%), but struggled from deep (3-19, 15.8%).

Utah State simply shot just a tad better. Shooting 25-51 (49%) from the field & a poor but respectable 7-22 (31.8%) from beyond the arc. That figure not see that impressive, but the Aggies sank 4-10 three pointers in the second-half.

Thanks to Darius Brown, who had 13 of his 25 points during that time (including 3-5 3FGs). Other Aggies in double-figures include Mason Falslev with 10 points & Great Osobor with 17 points (13 also in the second-half.

“Everybody had their hand in it, our team is so together. That’s what makes this group special. They know we didn’t win a championship tonight, we have to continue to get better.” said Coach Sprinkle in the post game press conference. “I’m just really proud of their effort & the response they had coming off the Colorado State game.”

Player Spotlights

San Diego State F-Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 23 points & 6 rebounds on 8-13 (61.5%) from the floor & 7-9 (77.7%) from the line in 33 minutes of action

You can’t say LeDee didn’t bring his A-Game to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Tuesday night. Accounting for over a third of his team’s offensive production as the Aztec’s attempted to keep up with the second highest scoring team in the conference (80.1 PPG).

His consistent scoring is a big part of the reason why the Aztecs were able to hang around until the final buzzer. It wasn’t enough to help his squad secure the road win but LeDee continues to make his case for All-American Honors.

Utah State G–Darius Brown II

Stat line: 25 points, 4 rebounds, & 2 assists on 8-13 (61.5%) shooting from the floor, including 5-9 (55.5%) from deep in an impressive 39 minutes of action

Brown II left everything on the floor Tuesday night, only missing one minute of action as the offensive threat Danny Sprinkle couldn’t afford to leave on the bench for a single minute longer. As the Aztecs created continuous defensive spurts to keep their hosts within arms reach, not all of Utah State’s usual offensive weapons were firing.

In comes Brown II, who although has proven himself as a scorer in Logan multiple times this season. Isn’t Utah State’s go-to scorer most nights either. But against the Aztecs he flourished, especially from beyond the arc. His game high 25 points were the difference maker for his squad tonight.

Three Takeaways:

  • Both sides plaid to their advantages on Tuesday night. The Aztecs were able to slow the Aggies down at times, but those defensive stops came in spurts. Which was what the high scoring offense of Utah State needed to pull the “upset”. It may not have been a nail biter but the Aggies showed up and handled their business. Further feeding into the legend that is Danny Sprinkle in Logan.
  • San Diego State didn’t come into this one with the offensive firepower capable of outscoring the Aggies. Yes they had LeDee & some other players certainly capable of scoring, but they excel when they can strongarm their opponent defensively. Utah State simply made more shots, not a bad loss for San Diego State but indicative of the Mountain West gauntlet.
  • Utah State took sole possession of first place in the Mountain West with their win Tuesday night. It was an important win, as the Aggies only have four more games in conference play before head to Las Vegas in March. The only truly threatening game left on their schedule is at home against New Mexico in the last game of the regular season. Yes all aspects of that game would likely paint Utah State as the favorites, but this conference championship could be decided by just one game or even a half. So a major win at home against the conference juggernaut was key.

Next Up:

The Aggies get some time off before they head on the road to take on the Bulldogs in Fresno next Tuesday. Justin Hutson’s squad doesn’t necessarily exuberate upset alert this year. But remember any team can win on any given night.

that game tips off on February 27th at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on the Mountain West Network.

While the Aztecs stay on the road to take a run at Fresno State themselves on Saturday February 24th. San Diego State needs to win every single remaining game on their schedule. Especially with a rematch against Boise State to end the regular season.

Their clash with the Bulldogs can be seen on CBS Sports & tips off at 7:00 PM PT.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Jaedon LeDee Helps Lift San Diego St. Past Colorado St., 71-55 At Home

Game Recap: San Diego State 71, Colorado State 55 San Diego State capitalizes on a poor second-half from Colorado State. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire San Diego State stands tall against visiting Rams, thanks to huge second-half from …

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 Game Recap: San Diego State 71, Colorado State 55

San Diego State capitalizes on a poor second-half from Colorado State.

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San Diego State stands tall against visiting Rams, thanks to huge second-half from Jaedon LeDee.

Both the Aztecs and Rams have experienced high & lows this season. A theme no Mountain West team has evaded thus far. Still, both programs find themselves in a four-way tie for second place, just one game behind league leader Utah State.

The last time these two teams met was on January 30th in Fort Collins. That first win stayed with the hosting Rams, thanks to two twenty point performances from Isaiah Stevens & Nique Clifford. Now fast forward a couple of weeks and both squads are in very similar places. Fighting the juggernaut that is the top-7 or so teams in the Mountain West at the moment.

With only six remaining regular season games to not only help these teams vie for beneficial seeding in the Mountain West Conference Tournament but also boost their chances at at-large bids should things not pan out in Las Vegas, time and winning are of the essence.

The Rams didn’t let a second go to waste. After giving up the first points of the game to a Jaedon LeDee Dunk, Colorado State went on an 14-0 before the Aztecs found their next point. The credit for that run goes to the outstanding three point shooting of Josiah Strong, who made three of Rams four opening three pointers.

The Aztecs needed a few moments but they responded. Chipping away at their visitors lead while Colorado State continued their long distance bombardment inside Viejas Arena. Sending their hosts back to their locker rooms down 44-30 at the half.

Brian Dutcher’s group didn’t necessarily have a bad offensive half. Colorado State simply had a great first half from beyond the arc & the Aztecs didn’t have many free throw opportunities to help fill the gap. While Niko Medved’s squad shot over 50% from the floor (16-28) & from deep (7-14).

San Diego State utilized the break to regroup and come out swinging. With the Aztecs going opening the scoring with a 7-0 run, including 5 straight points from their potential All-American Jaedon LeDee.

Colorado State responded with a 5-0 run of their own to help extend their lead back to double-digits (49-37). After that the Rams went several minutes without a made field goal. Which was enough for LeDee to go to work, scoring his team’s next seven points to add to his already fourteen.

The profound defensive juggernaut that is normally San Diego State held the Rams to just 10 points off of 3-17 shooting in the first thirteen minutes of second-half action. Outrebounding Colorado State 22-5 during that same stretch.

Though it wasn’t until the 9:47 mark that the Aztecs too their first lead of the game with a Jay Pal free throw, putting them up 53-52. San Diego State would slow the game down & rely on knocking down free throws to extend their lead.

Scoring became scarcer for the Rams. With a 7-1 run capped by a Lamont Butler Layup before a media timeout grew the Aztecs’ lead to a whopping fifteen points with 3:39 left in the game.

Both sides went scoreless over the next few minutes as Colorado State found themselves still down by fifteen points with a little over a minute to go. After that Brian Dutcher cleared the bench. Sending his star big man to the bench for the night with 27 points, a whopping 22 of them coming in the second-half.

With that San Diego State secured the 71-55 win at home and took sole possession of second place for the time being. LeDee was joined in the scoring column by two 11 point outings from backcourt members Darrion Trammell & Lamont Butler. While Niko Medved had four rams reach double-figures, with the lone exception being starter Joel Scott. Also receiving little to no help (4 points total) from their bench.

Player Spotlights

Colorado State G-Josiah Strong

Stat line: 14 points, 2 assists on 5-12 (41.6%) from the floor & 3-7 (42.8%) from deep in 29 minutes of action

Strong started things off, well strong for the Rams Tuesday night. Although recruited as a scoring sharpshooter, Strong has struggled with his rhythm & injuries during his time in Fort Collins. His three made 3-pointers were a season high and his most since transferring from Illinois State back in 2022.

It’s hard to highlight a good first-half performance after a nearly completely absent second-half (3 points, 1-6 shooting, 0-3 from deep). But let’s look for the silver lining Rams fans.

San Diego State F–Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 27 points & 6 rebounds on 10-14 (46.6%) shooting from the floor, including 7-11 (63.6%) from the line in 26 minutes of action

After beginning the season averaging 26.8 PPG & 10.6 RPG over the Aztec’s first five games. LeDee placed his name in contention for national award watch lists. Not to say that reputation has dimmed over the course of the season, I mean the 6-9 big man hasn’t failed to reach double-digit scoring not once the entire season. Not to mention his current season averages of 20.0 PPG & 8.6 RPG thanks to his 54.9% field goal percentage.

But, his effectiveness to not only dominant a game but help his team win one came into question after San Diego State dropped four games since conference play began. None of that came into LeDee’s head on Tuesday night. As his team emerged from half-time down by 14 points, he went to work. Scoring 22 of his 27 points all in the second half and shooting an impressive 8-11 (72.7%) while doing it.

I can’t see the Aztecs winning so comfortably without that second-half dominance. Which could be extremely useful going forward in San Diego State’s remaining six regular season games.

Three Takeaways:

  • San Diego State made a comeback that came with a side of defensive stalwart that only the Aztecs could have made. It spoke to the always dangerous program that Brian Dutcher has continued to mold since taking over. It made for must see Mountain West TV while kicking off what turned out to be an exciting night for basketball in the conference.
  • Colorado State shot lights out in the first half. It’s always hard to keep offensive momentum going after a half-time break. Which, combined with the Aztec’s infamous defense, led way to a horrendous second-half performance inside Viejas Arena. As ugly as this loss became, it doesn’t spell doom for the Rams. There are plenty of other opportunities to help climb themselves up the conference ladder & better build their Tournament resume.
  • With the Aztecs win, the conference race was better defined Tuesday night. Gone was a huge four way tie for second place. And with it San Diego State helped further solidify their place as a top-3 finish team in this league.

Next Up:

The Aztecs will stay in San Diego to end their two game homestand against longtime conference rivals New Mexico. The Lobos won the first leg of this series back in Albuquerque on January 13th. That 88-70 loss came at the hands of a red hot New Mexico squad. Since then Richard Pitino’s squad has succumbed to the gauntlet that is the Mountain West.

Regardless of previous games, any team can win on any given night, so Viejas arena needs to show up to help avenge their loss at home last season to New Mexico. That rare Friday night game will tip-off at 7:00 PM PT and can be seen on FS1.

While Colorado State returns home to defend Moby Arena against league leaders Utah State on Saturday February 17th. Aside from being the feel good story of the year, the Aggies are a dangerously good team.

But the Rams gave them a run for their money last time out in Logan, so stay tuned for what could be the marquee game on Saturday.That game tips off at 3:30 PM MT and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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New Mexico blows out No. 19 San Diego State, 88-70

Game Recap: New Mexico 88, No. 19 SDSU 70 New Mexico enjoyed a double-digit win over rivals San Diego State in front of a sold out crowd. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Lobos received a team effort to put away top-25 ranked Aztecs at …

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 Game Recap: New Mexico 88, No. 19 SDSU 70

New Mexico enjoyed a double-digit win over rivals San Diego State in front of a sold out crowd.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Lobos received a team effort to put away top-25 ranked Aztecs at home.

Albuquerque, NM–A conference rivalry that was on the verge of extinction this time last season was truly alive in Albuquerque on Saturday afternoon. In front of a sold out crowd inside the Pit, two of the Mountain West’s best hit the hardwood.

For the No. 19 Aztecs it was an opportunity to put the smackdown on a talented Lobo team who is coming off of a tough couple of road losses. For New Mexico, it was a shot at knocking off a top-25 opponent at home, who just happens to be one of your oldest rivals.

Things were tight from the opening tip. As the Lobos & Aztecs traded buckets most of the 1st half. With high energy, high emotion plays coming left & right. But the Aztecs began to play their game around the ten minute mark to separate themselves in front of an involved Lobo crowd.

A slowed down approach on both sides of the ball made every basket count. And when the Lobos went on a dry spell during that time, the Aztecs took advantage. Taking their first double-digit lead (29-19) behind offensive efforts from Darrion Trammell & Miles Byrd.

The Lobos weren’t going to take a beating like that lying down, certainly Jaelen House wasn’t. The graduate combo guard helped ignite a 17-0 run that would shrink their double-digit deficit and give them the 36-35 lead approaching the 2:15 mark.

Aside from House’s 14 first-half points, the Lobos were given the edge heading into the half by way of their free throw shooting. New Mexico’s three guard trio of Dent, House & Mashburn Jr. combined for 12-12 from the charity stripe. It’s hard to point to anything else offensively in the first twenty that gave them an advantage.

The second-half started out similarly, this time with the Lobos in the driver seat. Running and gunning off of defensive turnovers, the crowd inside the Pit was treated to highlight reel dunks left and right.

All of this until the Aztecs wore them out a tad. A few San Diego State buckets shrank the lead to within five. The Lobos answered as they had all game, with solid defensive plays from their guards & bigs.

A technical foul on San Diego State’s Miles Byrd around the 14th minute mark was a testament to how physical things were all night. The Aztecs were given two more technical just minutes later for some pushing & jarring once again. Those moments can be momentum killers but

The Lobos continued to trade buckets with their visitors. Eventually going on an 11-1 run approaching the ten minute mark to take their largest lead of the game (64-51). That lead would get as high as 19 behind the efforts of Mashburn Jr. and the rest of his team. The senior guard has looked out of rhythm since his hand injury back in November.

New Mexico never looked back, with multiple guards with red hot hands & JT Toppin in the post to defend and flush the ball any chance he got it was over.

“We were able to do it on a national stage against a nationally ranked team.” said Coach Pitino “A great day for our team and our fans”

Player Spotlights

New Mexico F-JT Toppin

Stat line: 17 points, 16 rebounds & 5 blocked shots

I changed this multiple times throughout the game, cycling through House, Mashburn Jr. & Toppin several times. But when I went to the box score & saw the freshman’s double-double and 4 blocked shots it felt necessary. Those four blocks could have easily been 8 or 10 as Toppin was active in the post all night, deflecting shots & passes.

“We knew we were going to win on defense, we knew we were going to score but we had to win on defense.” said Toppin on his squads defense

He also would have had over twenty points if he would have made some free throws (1-8). I don’t think the Lobos win without Toppin, their lack of interior defense has been an issue all season, not Saturday.

SDSU G– Darrion Trammell

Stat line: 12 points, 2 assists & 2 steals in 29 minutes on the floor.

There are not many stat sheet stuffing moments from the Aztecs during the season. They just aren’t that sort of team, they can get the job done as a team with no flashy stats. Trammell was one of the few Aztecs on the floor that looked to be score or create offense every time he touched the ball.

Three Takeaways

  • Sometimes passion is what’s needed when facing adversity. There isn’t another player on the court with House at the same time that has more passion than him. He was a maestro for his squad’s offense as well the crowd’s involvement all game.
  • The Aztecs played their game all game long. If your opponent is cold like the Lobos were in the first half you dominate and win. Once they find a rhythm as the Lobos did, the firepower isn’t always there to play catch up. A good showing by Brian Dutchers group, but let’s hope for a No. 25 ranking come Monday after that loss.
  • This has become a marquee Mountain West matchup in the Pitino era. Something the Lobo fanbase needed while also contributing to the juggernaut reputation of the conference. Games like this are good for fans, nothing more to be said.

Next Up:

The Lobos take their win and continue their two game homestand against a red & hot top-25 ranked Utah State. Danny Sprinkle has the Aggies rolling in year one and that 8:30 PM MT tip-off can be seen on FS1 on Wednesday night.

While SDSU returns home to face Steve Alford and his Nevada Wolf Pack on Wednesday night as well. Nevada is always a tough conference matchup and boast two of the better guards in the Mountain West in Kenan Blackshear & Jarod Lucas. That 8:00 PM PT tip-off can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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AP Top-25: No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Ranking Ever, No. 25 Aztecs Rejoin Top-25

No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Top-25 Ranking Ever Colorado State is unbeaten and ready to take on anyone. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Rams and Aztecs make this week’s AP Top-25 after strong finishes to the month of November. …

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No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Top-25 Ranking Ever

Colorado State is unbeaten and ready to take on anyone.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Rams and Aztecs make this week’s AP Top-25 after strong finishes to the month of November.

The fourth week of college basketball is here and with it, a newly released Associated Press Top-25 poll. And while fans around the Mountain West have had their share of Top-25 appearances over years. Monday’s edition was special for many reasons in Fort Collins particularly.

Colorado State make the Top-25 for the second straight week, rising from 20th to a program best 13th. The Rams also made the Coaches poll at No. 12 and a very impressive first NET ranking of 7th in the nation on Monday.

San Diego State rejoined the Top-25 after making the preseason rankings at No. 17 to start the season.

How they got here

No. 13 Colorado State was picked to finish 5th in the Mountain West preseason poll. Now, this feels rather low one month into the college hoops season. Though folks in the industry needed to see how head coach Niko Medved would put a decent sized freshman class, three transfers & arguably the best point guard the Rams have ever had together.

In short, they fit together rather well. Well enough to begin the season undefeated at 8-0, with four high major wins and a win over in-state rival Colorado (their first since 2017).

The No. 25 Aztecs make their return to the AP Top-25 since opening the season at No. 17. Brian Dutcher’s squad had a bit of a setback in week one of the season when they fell to Brigham Young in Provo.

That loss saw them knocked out of the Top-25 entirely, but still receiving votes each week. Since, they’ve won six straight games (four on the road), including wins over Pac-12 foes California & Washington.

Some Perspective

For the Colorado State program this is huge. Niko Medved’s best years in Fort Collins have come with floor general Isaiah Stevens healthy and locked in. Last season was a bit of a setback within the program, but injuries can do that. Though it appears last season is far in the rear view of the Rams at the moment.

It seemed as though the last time the Rams were consecutively ranked in the Top-25 may have been the peak of Medved’s squad building potential in Fort Collins. That was the 2021-2022 season, when Colorado State graced the Top-25 for a grand total of six weeks, made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed and had a first round NBA Draft pick in David Roddy.

Boy was I wrong, and in the world of the transfer portal, Medved has shown the ability to utilize every avenue available to build a quality roster in 2023. The Rams’ success has also given fans a great story to endorse when other programs have fallen short of expectations.

San Diego State is still nationally recognized as a dangerous team and still have challenging games ahead. Two road games against Grand Canyon & No. 7 Gonzaga and playing host to Stanford in between are all great opportunities to boost their resume.

With the Aztecs regaining their place, it gives the Mountain West two teams in the AP Top-25 simultaneously for the first time since the 2021-2022 season. Arguably more impressive is that it’s the first time two Mountain West schools have been in the AP Top-25 together in non-conference play since 2012-2013.

The non-conference momentum is trending completely upwards for the Mountain West. Which has solidified itself as the best mid-major conference in the country, at least according to KenPom ($). Schools across the conference need to attack December with the same energy they did in November to begin the 5+ bid-league conversations.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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SDSU coach Brian Dutcher explains why he didn’t call a timeout before amazing Final Four buzzer-beater

“I ran out of plays so I decided not to take a timeout.”

San Diego State had a timeout remaining as the clock neared an expiration, but Brian Dutcher trusted his players and didn’t use it.

After trailing Florida Atlantic by as many as 14 points earlier in the game, SDSU had a chance to secure the victory. SDSU big man Nathan Mensah grabbed a rebound following a missed shot by FAU, then Lamont Butler took the ball up the floor in transition.

Butler stepped up on the biggest stage and managed to take an incredibly impressive off-the-dribble jumper from midrange. The shot went in for a thrilling buzzer-beater, earning a trip to the national championship.

After the game, Dutcher was asked why he chose not to call a timeout and draw up a more intentional possession in a set offense.

Dutcher was perfectly candid about the decision to instead let everything just happen within the flow of the game:

Here was the full quote from Dutcher:

“I ran out of plays so I decided not to take a timeout. So Lamont said if we get the rebound, let’s get downhill, send all three bigs to the rim. He got downhill and made the play.”

SDSU was an average team when it came to their typical shot quality after a timeout, but they were also relatively inefficient in a transition offense during the tournament.

This decision was bold but brilliant and it worked like a charm.

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San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher did a celebratory trust fall after punching ticket to Final Four

When you’re a coach and you make the Final Four, you do a trust fall into the arms of your players.

After his team punched a ticket to the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament Final Four, San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher decided to put ultimate faith in his guys yet again.

This time, it came on a trust fall after cutting down the nets for winning the South Region.

Indeed, Dutcher’s SDSU topped Creighton, 57-56, in Sunday’s Elite Eight game to grab one of the spots in this year’s Final Four.

It’s the school’s very first Final Four appearance, one that came with plenty of drama during its nail-biting finish.

Dutcher trusted his team to close things out when the game went down to the wire, and he trusted his players to catch him as he fell into their arms off the ladder he went up to cut down the net.

Dutcher threw his hands up and fell backwards into the arms of his players, who caught their coach and cheered their coach on during the postgame celebration.

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Each college basketball head coach that has a chance to win national championship for first time

One of these coaches will be cutting down the nets for the first time ever on April 3.

We’ve been treated to a historic NCAA Tournament thus far. Continue reading “Each college basketball head coach that has a chance to win national championship for first time”

2022 Mountain West Tournament Championship: Boise State vs. San Diego State Preview, How To Watch & More

Boise State vs. San Diego State: Championship Game Preview San Diego State hoping to foil the Broncos net cutting ambitions. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State is in unfamiliar territory, San Diego State is not. Both are primed and …

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Boise State vs. San Diego State: Championship Game Preview 

San Diego State hoping to foil the Broncos net cutting ambitions. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State is in unfamiliar territory, San Diego State is not. Both are primed and focused to secure the cherry on top of a super competitive Mountain West season. 

WHO: Boise State (26-7, 17-3 in the MWC) vs. San Diego state (23-7, 13-4 in the MWC)

WHEN: Saturday 12th, 4:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM PT

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center

TV:  CBS

STREAM: FuboTV – Get a free trial

SERIES RECORD: San Diego State leads all time series 9-17

The Mountain West Regular Season Champions Boise State are striving for a sweep of conference hardware. With last night’s 68-61 semifinal win over the Wyoming Cowboys, the Broncos set a program record of 26 wins and will be heading to their first ever Mountain West Championship game in school history.

In their way is Mountain West championship game juggernaut San Diego State. Who are playing in their fifth consecutive tournament championship game on Saturday, having won six all time. Both squads have been playing for three days straight and have been challenged along the way.

Most recently the Broncos downed Wyoming in a hard fought 7 point win, led by Abu Kigab’s 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals Friday night. Kigab came out red hot, scoring the team’s first 15 points along with Serbian big man Mladen Armus who had his a double double with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 steals of his own.

San Diego State finds themselves in the championship game again after fending off the Fresno State Bulldogs in the quarterfinals behind 11 points from both Adam Seiko and Chad Baker-Mazara. And lastly last night in their 63-58 win over #2 seed Colorado State. In which Seiko chipped in 10 points and the Aztecs were led by Trey Pulliam, with a team high 11 points.

This Mountain West conference season has been rough for most teams and absolutely entertaining for fans and those covering it alike. Saturday’s championship matchup is the culmination to that great season, both teams would love to climb the ladder, but only one will.

Last Time Out

The Aztecs have dominated won 17 of the total 26 meetings between these two all time. With the majority of those meetings coming in after 2011 when the Broncos joined the Mountain West from the WAC. Boise State secured the sweep of the Aztecs this season.

Both games were displays of just how good each teach is defensively. As the Broncos secured a 42-37 win inside Viejas Arena on January 22nd. Then again a month later on February 22nd keeping the W at home in Boise with a 58-57 over the Aztecs inside ExtraMile Arena. Before this season though, coach Leon Rice and his program lost 6 straight to San Diego State.

Players to Watch:

F-Abu Kigab Boise State

After a shoulder injury that ended Kigab’s postseason early this time last year. The 6-7 Canadian forward decided to return for his extra season of eligibility. Since, he has helped lead this Boise State squad to their first outright conference championship and anchoring one of the toughest defenses in the country. The combo forward posted regular season averages of 14.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG 2.4 APG & 1.3 SPG. Earning Second-Team All-Mountain West honors along with a spot on the All-Defensive Team.

Kigab is all over the floor and makes his money taking tough defensive assignments, attacking the glass and getting to the free throw line while doing it. As the team’s leading scorer he doesn’t need to have the most points every game for Boise State to win, his contributions pile up elsewhere for his team to survive and advance.

G-Matt Bradley San Diego State

Upon transferring from Pac-12 member California last offseason. Opposing coaches in the conference knew the 6-4 220 guard from San Bernadino, California was going to be a problem, and he has lived up to the hype. As the offensive spearhead to this Aztec offense, Bradley posted averages of 17.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG & 1.1 SPG in 30 games (All Starts) this season. Earning the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year awards and a First Team All-Mountain West selection.

Bradley’s frame and strength and 6-4 allows him to take his game to multiple positions on the floor. A guard who can knock down the three pointer but also take the ball in and play with his back to the basket. And even though he is the lone double digit scorer for Brian Dutcher’s squad. San Diego State teams rely on top tier defense and high energy to get the job done.

Keys to the Game

For Boise State: Neutralize Matt Bradley, Secure the Basketball and knock down the three.

For San Diego State: Flash that Top-3 nationally ranked defense, Neutralize Abu Kigab, Crash the glass and avoid fouling

Prediction: Boise State 65, San Diego State 64

KenPom ($) has the Aztecs as 1 point favorites and given their recent run of form that makes total sense. In both Boise State wins this season, the Aztec’s biggest offensive weapon was also the kink in their armor. Bradley averaged just 9.5 PPG while shooting an abysmal 26.8% on 7-26 shots from the field. He also failed to get to the charity stripe and capitalize, going just 2-5 in their February loss and failing to shoot any free throws at all in January.

Now, Bradley did have a strong end to the season, averaging 23.8 PPG & 5.3 RPG. Shooting 50.8% from the field and 40.2% from deep. In tournament play he is struggling once again, averaging 6.0 PPG and shooting 28.6%. The Aztecs need him to score to be the difference maker and to find his rhythm for their March Madness run in the coming weeks.

Next Up

The winner of this one will cut down the nets inside The Thomas & Mack Center, receive the conference’s automatic bid and wait to hear their seed tomorrow on Selection Sunday.

Tomorrow’s NCAA Men’s basketball Championship selection show will have Mountain West fans around the country tuned in and eyes glued. As an four-bids are expected to be called. It won’t break the record of five, but it is a huge step in the right direction for the conference.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Mountain West Basketball: We’ve Got A Good Old Fashion Recruiting Standoff On Our Hands With Frank Anselem

Will the Aztecs or Lobos earn a commitment from center Frank Anselem?

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MW Basketball: We’ve Got A Good Old Fashion Recruiting Standoff On Our Hands

Four-Star Center set to make his decision on Wednesday June 3rd, the Aztecs and Lobos both land in his final-four.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Both teams make the final-four list of coveted center, Wednesday’s commitment will be reminiscent of past recruiting battles between these conference foes.

The recruitment of Frank Anselem has been full of surprises, to say the least, but at the onset of June, the highly sought after center looks towards the future. As he announced a scheduled commitment on Wednesday, June 3rd along with a final-four list of schools that includes Mountain West members New Mexico and San Diego State.

The 6-foot-10, 220 pound Center from Suwanee, GA opted to play his junior season at Prolific Prep in Napa, CA alongside and against some of the top players from around the country. His recruitment has been a bit all over the place in the last couple of months, as a previous commitment to LSU as a member of the 2021 recruiting class gave way to Anselem reclassifying to the 2020 class and was followed by his decommitment from the Tigers.

Then, while he began to reel in interest from dozens of programs nationwide, he announced a top-3 list that included Alabama, LSU and Georgia in mid-April. That seemed to be it for many programs recruiting the Nigerian big man until he announced a new final-six list a couple of weeks later that included Arkansas, Kentucky, San Diego State, Seton Hall, Syracuse and Western Kentucky.

As Aztec faithful prepared to do battle with some of the sports biggest programs, an elite recruiter at Western Kentucky in Rick Stansbury and the former Mountain West transfer whisperer himself Eric Musselman, things took another turn. More than a month later we have another group of finalists as Anselem announced a scheduled commitment date of Wednesday June 3rd while also announcing the four schools he will decide between.

The final-4 include Georgia who was included in his initial top-3, Syracuse and San Diego state who were both mentioned in the top-6 that followed and lastly New Mexico who seemingly came out of nowhere at the last minute to get folks out in Albuquerque excited for a possible mid-week four-star commitment.

San Diego State and New Mexico both being in the running for the same top recruit is reminiscent of years past when recruiting battles between these two conference rivals took place annually and only provided an added element to an already competitive rivalry. With San Diego State securing the commitments of top-ranked high school players like Zylan Cheatham, Winston Shepard & Trey Kell over New Mexico. While the Lobos secured transfers like Elijah Brown and Tim Williams over the Aztecs.

Now, a commitment from Anselem may mean two very different things for these two teams. San Diego State is coming off of one of their most successful seasons in school history, but lose most of their size from this past season. They secured the commitment of Big Ten transfer Joshua Tomaic this past month, in hopes of producing the same impact SEC transfer Yanni Wetzell had in 2019-2020.

Though aside from Tomaic there hasn’t been many additions to the Aztec frontcourt this off-season. Anselem would be one of three scholarship players standing above 6-7, and while possibly returning Swiss army knife Matt Mitchell can certainly defend some opposing big men if needed, you have to prepare for scenarios that could deplete your depth, like injuries, transfers, etc.

NCAA Basketball: New Mexico at San Diego State

While if he were to choose New Mexico he would join a similar situation where the Lobos only have three clear big men on their roster but possibly have a little more wiggle room for quality minutes down low.

Paul Weir and company return only two returning starters (Zane Martin & Makuach Maluch) and only one player (Keith McGee) who saw double-digit minutes last season, none should see any minutes in the post come fall. So the Lobos have the ability to offer quality playing time right away compared to the Aztecs, who field Matt Mitchell and two probable starters in Tomaic and Nathan Mensah.

Either way you look at it, a commitment to either Mountain West team should mean playing time for Anselem. Now whether he plans to spend that time on the court in Albuquerque, which seems very probable or possibly battling for minutes on a conference front runner next season in San Diego seems to be the big question.

But you also shouldn’t forget that these two teams only have a 25% chance to land his services next season, they have to contend with two power-five powerhouses who have just as equal of a shot.

24/7 Sports Scouting report on Anselem: Athletic center with outstanding frame. Good size, wide shoulders and very long arms. Strong kid but not maxed out. Still raw on offense but physical tools give him very high upside. Has budding elbow jumper and hook shot but footwork and post moves can improve. Has a chance to be a high-level rebounder and rim protector given size, length, and athleticism. Still inconsistent but the upside is very high. Projects as high major starter with professional upside dependent on the development of skill.

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