Many believe that Flynn was the best SDSU player of them all. You'll never hear me argue against that assertion. Even the great Kawhi Leonard might agree. Kawhi, a proud SDSU alum', has of course become a superstar in the NBA. But Flynn was even more impressive in college.
SDSU won the first 26 games of the season in 2020 and was the last undefeated team in Division I. The Aztecs finished with a 30-2 record.
Why bring this up now? Because I believe the 2022-23 San Diego State basketball squad could be nearly as good (not quite) as that legendary 2020 team. The Aztecs are loaded for bear, with superb veteran players in Matt Bradley, Nathan Mensah and more.
There are also some impressive transfers, including Seattle U point guard Darrion Trammell and Oakland transfer Micah Parrish. This year, the SDSU offense just might have caught up with the team's vaunted D.
It won't be easy. The Mountain West Conference is arguably the most underrated conference in the nation, and road wins are very hard to come by with all the rough-to-travel spots.
The experts are finally beginning to recognize the depth and quality of this league. Almost everyone expects big things from the Aztecs, but Wyoming, Boise State and Colorado State are on every smart basketball writer's radar this season, along with some conference sleepers.
Below is what the the alleged experts are saying about San Diego State hoops as we move closer to the beginning of what promises to be an exciting season. And I must also mention SDSU football, which debuts a brand new stadium in Mission Valley in a couple of weeks. No more "home games" in L.A. The football Aztecs are back home. It's good to be an Aztec!
But back to hoops...
Bottom line? I believe that if the transfers and the younglings gel and are as good as advertised, and everyone stays healthy, this SDSU basketball team can be a Top 15 squad. Or better. If all goes as planned and expected, I predict that SDSU will tie for the regular season title and then win the Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
On paper, SDSU is good enough to go deep into March Madness. And lest we forget, Coach Brian Dutcher has been masterful since taking over for the legendary Steve Fisher, who is now happily retired and attends every game. Dutch has proved, year after year, that he is every bit as skilled as a hoops leader as Fisher. Dutch learned from the best.
We'll all learn a lot about this team right out of the gate. They will play in the Maui Invitational against a rebooted Ohio State squad on Nov. 21. If the Aztecs win, they would face the winner of the Arizona-Cincinnati first-round game Nov. 22 in a championship semifinal.
Among the other top hoop programs that will be on Maui that week are Creighton, Arkansas and Texas Tech. It's an early and very tall order. This is the best early-season tournament of them all.
Below are several other preseason hoop fortune tellers' predictions. These alleged gurus are hit and miss. But then who isn't? This isn't science. Some of them get it, but others are completely in over their head.
The number below in bold is where SDSU is ranked in each respective poll. Check it out, and leave your thoughts at the bottom:
#14 - Sports Illustrated:
"The Aztecs sported the nation’s second-best defense, per KenPom, in 2021–22, and the return of defensive anchor Nathan Mensah means SDSU will be nearly impossible to score on yet again. What held Brian Dutcher’s team back this past season was an anemic offense, as evidenced by the fact that the Aztecs lost five games where they allowed fewer than 60 points (all five against top-50 KenPom teams). Enter Seattle U transfer point guard Darrion Trammell, a diminutive dynamo who’s proficient operating in ball screens and gets to the free throw line with regularity while fitting into SDSU’s defense-first mindset. Trammell and Oakland transfer Michael Parrish provide a much-needed jolt offensively to a team that didn’t have enough consistent shot-makers to take the next step last season. If San Diego State becomes a top-75 offense this season, it could be special."
# 21 -ESPN:
"San Diego State has ranked outside the top 30 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency just twice in the past 12 seasons, and with the return of Nathan Mensah and the addition of Micah Parrish, the Aztecs are likely to be closer to last year's No. 2 national ranking. But what about the offense? Brian Dutcher's team was in the bottom half of the Mountain West in adjusted offensive efficiency in conference play, with a low volume of 3-point attempts and a league-worst 47.2% field goal percentage inside the arc. Matt Bradley is back to shoulder the load, but the Aztecs have now improved his supporting cast. Darrion Trammell, a two-time first-team All-WAC selection, averaged 20.5 points in 2020-21 and 17.3 points last season at Seattle; Parrish was a double-figure scorer at Oakland; and early buzz on Jaedon LeDee, who sat out last season, has been positive."
# 23 - The Athletic:
"The Aztecs got a huge break when Nathan Mensah, the 6-10 center who was the Mountain West’s defensive player of the year, decided to return for a super senior season. Matt Bradley, the 6-4 senior transfer from Cal who led the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game, chose that same option before the season ended. Brian Dutcher has also since added a pair of transfers in 5-10 junior guard Darrion Trammell (Seattle) and 6-6 sophomore forward Micah Parrish (Oakland)."
# 28 - CBS Sports:
Unbelievably, CBS Sports has the Aztecs out of the top 25 at #28. But they have Boise State at 23 and Colorado at 24!
Meanwhile, USA Today has Boise State and Colorado State in the top 25 and not San Diego State. Dumb and dumber. And the Washington Post has SDSU at #33 — and no other MWC team in the top 45. That is just another case of East Coast lunacy.
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