4 Questions with SDSU Hoops: Aztecs have been Naughty Naughty
The Sun Devils have a big road basketball contest tonight against San Diego State. To get ready for the game, we asked the sports editor for The Daily Aztec four quick questions about the Sun Devils’ next opponent.
Leveraging the power of our new Facebook page, we asked The Daily Aztec sports editor Eric Shannon four questions to acquaint us with San Diego State.
Q: Every team has a go-to guy. Tell us about yours.
A: Senior forward Lorrenzo Wade is a special player. He led SDSU in scoring (14.8) and assists (3.6) last year and was named first-team All-MWC. With him, the Aztecs had their sights set on a conference title and an NCAA berth. Unfortunately, he allegedly thought it would be a good idea to help steal a TV from someone’s apartment. He’s facing a felony burglary charge and is suspended indefinitely. So if the game comes down to one shot, SDSU would probably rather be on defense.
Q: Is there anyone else we need to know about?
A: The two guys to watch that are smart enough to not get suspended are sophomore forward Billy White and senior forward Kyle Spain. Okay, that’s actually a lie. Spain is coming off a suspension that kept him out of the last month of last year, but he was reinstated in September. When he’s in there, he’s a very good player in every facet, but doesn’t do anything exceptionally. He was second on the team in scoring before getting the boot last season.
White is a different story. He’s not especially big, and should probably play the 3, but for us he plays power forward. His outside shot is ugly at best, but he has phenomenal footwork. NBA scouts are looking at him, simply because of how good he is around the basket, with or without the ball. He is also a big part in the Aztec press, which creates a lot of points off turnovers. He could easily lead the team in scoring this year, all while shooting nearly 65 percent from the field.
Q: What should college basketball fans expect from your squad this year?
A: With Wade, this was a team right on the cusp of making the NCAA Tournament. Traditionally, the Mountain West gets at least two teams to the tourney, and it was probably going to come down to them or BYU for the second spot, behind UNLV. But the Cougars lost Trent Plaisted, and with all five starters returning, I think the Aztecs were making the tourney. Although I actually think Wade should return by midseason, it isn’t a guarantee. Without him, they will be lucky to finish third, and even Utah or New Mexico could sneak past them. Even though this team didn’t lose ANY relevant players during the offseason, this looks like another NIT year for SDSU.
Q: OK, the Devils are 3-point favorites. Who you got straight up? Who you got in Vegas?
A: The Sun Devils are just too talented and complete for the line to be that low. Look for the Aztecs to be competitive, but this team hasn’t figured out how to score without Wade in the lineup. As much as I’d love to see an upset over a national contender, it just isn’t in the cards. This one ends ASU 74, SDSU 64.
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