San Diego State Basketball 2019-20 Men’s Basketball Prospectus Mike May, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Communications & Media Relations • E-Mail: [email protected] • Office: 619.594.5547 • Cell: 619.957.8372 Richard Stern, Assistant Media Relations Director • E-Mail: [email protected] • Office: 619.594.5548 • Cell: 408-318-8111 TEAM INFORMATION 11-TIME MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONS 2018-19 Overall Record: 21-13 (H: 15-3, A: 4-7, N: 2-3) SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS Mountain West Record / Finish: 11-7 (H: 8-1, A: 3-6) / 4th 2018-19 Record: 21-13 (11-7 Mountain West) 2018-19 MW Tournament: Runner-up (2-1) Head Coach: Brian Dutcher (Third Season) 2018-19 Postseason: NA Career Record: 43-24, Record at SDSU: Same 2018-19 Final National Ranking: NA (AP) / NA (Coaches) Starters Returning/Lost: 2 / 3 PRESEASON NOTES Returning: Nathan Mensah, Matt Mitchell • San Diego State preps for the 2019-20 campaign after finishing runner-up in the 2019 Mountain West Championship. The Aztecs have Lost: Jeremy Hemsley, Jalen McDaniels, Devin Watson captured a league-high 11 conference titles and have finished champion or runner-up in 11-of-20 Mountain West Tournaments. Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7 / 3 • Entering the 2019-20 season, SDSU will look to return to the NCAA tournament after missing the postseason in 2019. The Aztecs’ NCAA Returning: (7) - Aguek Arop, Joel Mensah, Nathan Mensah, Matt Mitchell, appearance in 2018 was their 12th postseason berth in the last 14 years (8 NCAA, 4 NIT). Nolan Narain, Jordan Schakel, Adam Seiko • Head coach Brian Dutcher is set for his third season after guiding San Diego State to a 21-13 record in 2018-19 and a career mark of Lost: (3) - Jeremy Hemsley (graduation), Jalen McDaniels (turned pro), 43-24. He is the only head coach in program history to record 20+ wins in each of his first two season. Devin Watson (graduation) • In 2018, Dutcher was the only first-year head coach to lead his team to the NCAA ournamentT and in the previous 96 seasons of SDSU Newcomers: (7) - KJ Feagin (Santa Clara transfer), Malachi Flynn (Washington basketball, no other coach has won more games and/or won a conference title in his initial season. State transfer), Caleb Giordano (redshirt sophomore), Keshad Johnson (fresh- • Dutcher is the only coach in program history (since 1921-22) to lead his team to 40 or more victories in his first two seasons as a major man), Mike Pope (freshman), Trey Pulliam (Navarro College (Texas) transfer), college program (Tim Vezie (1974-75 & 75-76) ranks second with 30 wins). Dutcher and Vezie are the only coaches to lead their programs to the Yanni Wetzell (Vanderbilt transfer) NCAA Tournament in their first season coaching at San Diego State. • Dutcher welcomes back two returning starters in junior forward Matt Mitchell and sophomore forward Nathan Mensah. The pair played in all 34 games a year ago with Mitchell starting 33 times, and Mensah receiving the opening nod in each of the final 20 contests. The only other 2018-19 RESULTS returners who have started a game for SDSU are junior guard Jordan Schakel, who got 16 starting assignments last year, and senior forward Nolan Narain, who made one start in 2017-18. Date SDSU Opp. Opponent (TV/Stream) Result • Schakel returns as one of the team’s top three-point threats. The Torrance, Calif., native ranked second on the team last year in three-point N.6 Arkansas-Pine Bluff W, 76-60 makes (44) and led the team in three-point percentage (.415; min. 40 3-PT FGA), while playing in 28 games (23.3 mpg). Schakel averaged N.14 Texas Southern W, 103-64 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds, and took great care of the ball, committing 15 turnovers in 651 minutes. In two seasons, he has committed just 24 N.19 1/1 #vs. Duke (ESPN2) L, 64-90 turnovers in 1,106 total minutes (less than one turnover (.086) per 40 minutes played). • In 2019-20, SDSU will replace its leader in scoring average (Devin Watson - 16.0), rebounding average (Jalen McDaniels - 8.3), assists N.20 #vs. Xavier (ESPN2) W, 79-74 (Watson - 142), steals (Jeremy Hemsley - 38), and minutes (Watson - 1,155) from last year’s team. N.21 #vs. Iowa State (ESPN2) L, 57-87 • SDSU has three Division I transfers on the 2019-20 roster. KJ Feagin (Santa Clara) & Yanni Wetzell (Vanderbilt) are grad transfers who N.27 Jackson State (FOX Sports SD) W, 87-44 will play immediately. Malachi Flynn (Washington State) sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules and will have two seasons, beginning in D.1 ^at Illinois State (ESPN3) W, 75-65 2019-20, to compete for the Aztecs. D.5 San Diego (STADIUM) L, 61-73 • San Diego State has lost three starters (Jeremy Hemsley, Jalen McDaniels & Devin Watson) from its 2018-19 squad that reached the cham- pionship game of the 2019 Mountain West Tournament. The impact of the loss of trio can not be underestimated. They provided SDSU with 56.9 D.8 at California (Pac-12 Network) L, 83-89 percent of its scoring last season (1,389-of-2,437 points), 56.2 percent of its assists (274-of-487), 53.5 percent of its steals (105-of-196) and 39.6 D.12 Cal State Dominguez Hills W, 99-46 percent of its rebounds (487-of-1228). In addition, McDaniels and Watson were selected to the 2019 All-Mountain West Tournament Team. D.22 Brigham Young (CBS Sports Network) W, 90-81 • When the 2019-20 season tips off, the Aztecs will have seven players on the roster who have never played a game in a San Diego State uni- D.29 Brown (FOX Sports SD) L, 61-82 form. Guards Malachi Flynn (Washington State) and Caleb Giordano, a junior and sophomore, respectively, utilized redshirt seasons in 2018-19. J.1 CSUN W, 65-60 KJ Feagin (Santa Clara) and Yanni Wetzell (Vanderbilt) are grad transfers with one year of eligibility each. Trey Pulliam is a junior transfer from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas and freshmen (San Leandro, Calif.) and (San Diego, Calif.) J.5 *at Boise State (CBS Sports Network) L, 64-88 Keshad Johnson Mike Pope • Junior Matt Mitchell and sophomore Nathan Mensah, both forwards, are back for their respective seasons after receiving starting nods J.8 *Wyoming (CBS Sports Network) W, 84-54 throughout the 2018-19 campaign. Mitchell (10.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) played in all 34 games, starting 33 times, and enters 2019-20 with 65 starting J.12 *at Air Force (ESPN3) L, 48-62 assignments in 67 career games, which is the most on the active roster. Mensah started the final 20 games of the season and led the team in blocks J.15 *New Mexico (CBS Sports Network) W, 97-77 (39) and field goal percentage (.541), while scoring 5.6 points and ranking second with 5.5 rebounds-per-game. J.22 *at Fresno State (ESPNU) L, 62-66 • SDSU also welcomes back sophomores Adam Seiko (guard), Aguek Arop (forward), and Joel Mensah (forward) as well as senior Nolan J.26 *UNLV (CBS Sports Network) W, 94-77 Narain (forward). In 2018-19, Seiko averaged 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in his initial season on The Mesa. Arop (3.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Mensah (1.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg) and Narain (2.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg) are all forecast to play larger rolls and make larger contributions in 2019-20. J.30 *Air Force (STADIUM) W, 66-51 • The Aztecs bring in two freshman, Kesahd Johnson and Mike Pope, to make up the second smallest freshman class in more than a F.2 *at San José State W, 67-56 decade. The true freshman classes of 2011-12 (Ryan Staten) & 2016-17 (Jalen McDaniels) are the only smaller classes since the 2008-09 season. F.5 *at New Mexico (ESPN2) L, 70-83 F.9 *Utah State (ESPN3) W, 68-63 CONSECUTIVE 19-WIN CLASS OF THE BEST RECORD SINCE ’10-11 F.12 *at Colorado State (ESPN2) W, 71-60 SEASONS MOUNTAIN WEST Below is a list of the highest winning percentages since the beginning of 2010-11. F.16 *Boise State (CBS Sports Network) W, 71-65 Below is a list of the longest active streak of Below is a list of the most men’s basketball F.20 6/6 *Nevada (CBS Sports Network) W, 65-57 19-win seasons entering 2019-20. conference championships (regular season and tournament) won by current Mountain School W-L Pct. F.23 *at UNLV (ESPNU) W, 60-59 Gonzaga ......................277-49 ............. 84.9 School No. West institutions entering 2019-20. F.26 *at Utah State (CBS Sports Network) L, 54-70 Kansas .........................271-63 ............. 81.1 Kansas ................................................36 M.2 *San José State (Fox Sports SD) W, 84-56 Kentucky ......................270-68 ............. 79.8 Duke ...................................................23 School No. School No. Wichita State ................255-66 ............. 79.4 M.6 *Fresno State (CBS Sports Network) L, 74-76 Gonzaga .............................................22 San Diego State ...11 Colorado State ......1 Duke ............................264-65 ............. 80.2 M.9 17/18 *at Nevada (CBS Sports Network) L, 53-81 Louisville .............................................18 New Mexico ..........8 Fresno State .........1 Arizona ........................248-74 ............. 77.0 M.14 +vs. [5] UNLV (CBS Sports Network) W, 63-55 North Carolina .....................................17 UNLV ....................4 Utah State ............1 Virginia ........................239-73 ............. 76.6 M.15 14/17 +vs. [1] Nevada (CBS Sports Network) W, 65-56 Michigan State .....................................15 Nevada ................4 San José State ......0 North Carolina ..............257-79 ............