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LOCATION: San Diego, CA
CONFERENCE: Mountain West
LAST SEASON: 4-22 (.154)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 2-12 (8th, WAC Pacific)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Aztecs
COLORS: Scarlet & Black
HOMECOURT: Cox Arena (12,414)
COACH: Steve Fisher (Illinois State '67)
record at school First Year
career record 184-82 (9 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Brian Dutcher (Minnesota '82)
Marvin Menzies (UCLA '86)
Scott Sandler (Michigan '86)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 11-15-12-13-4
RPI (last 5 years) 218-170-198-158-285
1998-99 FINISH: Did not qualify for postseason.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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San Diego State athletic director Rick Bay wanted to make a statement when he was looking for a coach last spring. He tried Utah's Rick Majerus. He flirted with New Mexico's Fran Fraschilla. He called on Gonzaga's Dan Monson. He finally settled on Steve Fisher, grabbing the 1989 national championship coach from Michigan away from his post as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings. It worked. Fisher's name immediately brought credibility to the program, not to mention a rise in season ticket sales. But it will take more than Fisher's name to turn around a four-win program. The Aztecs have been one of the worst programs in the nation, with one winning season since 1984-85. They do have their own arena, a 12,000-seat on-campus facility. But they haven't been able to attract the elite athletes in southern California, let alone San Diego. Fisher, 54, won't have the luxury of the school recruiting players on its own like he had at Michigan.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT D BENCH/DEPTH D+
FRONTCOURT C- INTANGIBLES B
There are too many question marks around the backcourt to give it a higher grade. The same is true with the unknowns on the bench. The frontcourt has rebounders and finishers in Epps and Okotie. Fisher's experience has uplifted the team and gives it a chance to win a few more games. But the Aztecs are still at the bottom of the Mountain West and will fight with Air Force to stay out of last. They'll struggle to beat Utah, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming but need to find a way to beat the other three teams BYU, Air Force and Colorado State at home to erase a two-win WAC season of a year ago. Give Fisher three years to see if he can get higher quality talent in San Diego before passing judgment. He's got his work cut out for him. |
"Basketball can move very quickly in one direction or another," Fisher said. "The expectations are lifted from the old regime and they should be. We have a new arena that they didn't have two years ago. The fact that I'm here, and that may sound conceded, helps." Fisher is banking on recruiting Southern California heavily and luring a top player from the Midwest that may want to get out of the area. "I can give someone from the midwest, maybe Michigan, maybe someone Michigan and Michigan State can't take, a scholarship,"' Fisher said. "San Diego isn't unlike many communities. If you win, a la the Padres, they'll come out and support. If you don't, it'll be harder to build a fan base, than other schools because the tradition isn't there." Fisher needs to build credibility in the program not just in recruiting this fall. He needs to win, at least more than four games. "We feel confident and comfortable we can get into the tournament," Fisher said. "Will we get there in 1999-2000? We'd need to be lucky. But no one thought Ohio State would get to the Final Four. Truthfully, I don't have a clue where we'll finish." The Aztecs have two players who are legitimate Mountain West talents returning. Sophomore forwards Vincent Okotie (8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 44.4 FG) and Myron Epps (11.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 48.1 FG) can play in the low post and grab rebounds as well as anyone in the league. The 6-7 Okotie was one of the top recruits in San Diego while the 6-6 Epps was a sleeper recruit who blossomed last season. Epps was the team's top rebounder and second-leading scorer. Okotie struggled at times but when he turned aggressive, he was tough to stop. "We've got to find ways to help them score," Fisher said. "We've got to accent their strengths and hide their deficiencies. They're not Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, but they want to get better. I know they'll work hard and be fun to watch. I know they'll help us be a ton better than last year." Fisher got the job in March but had little time or scholarships to land recruits. He did bring in 5-10 point guard Bradley Jackson (Inglewood, Calif./Bridgton Academy/Maine) and 6-6 junior forward Jim Roban (Dixie JC/Utah) to start. Roban averaged 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds a game while Jackson scored 15 points and dished out six assists a game. "Bradley brings in a strong, positive addition to the team," Fisher said. "Roban is an outstanding wing and scorer for us. I brought them in to start." Having Jackson back moves 6-3 senior Donte Wilson (8.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.9 apg) to shooting guard. Wilson led the team in assists and averaged 10.9 points in WAC games. He was one of the better shooters (42 percent) on a team that shot 41.1 percent 30 percent on threes. Jackson is a true point, allowing Wilson to nestle in at shooting guard, next to Roban, Epps and Okotie. David Abramowitz, a 6-foot sophomore, struggled in his first season in Division 1, averaging only 5.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He started five games but can settle in as a limited backup and probably be more productive. The Aztecs have some depth on the wings with 6-6 junior Michael Marion (College of Eastern Utah JC) and 6-3 sophomore Jeffrey Berokoff (4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.6 apg). Marion averaged 15.2 points and 4.3 rebounds last season. Berokoff is a role player who won't give you more than hustle. San Diego State is deeper up front where they can go with 6-10 junior Marcelo Correa (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 apg), who has yet to live up to his potential, 6-10 sophomore Joe Mann (2.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.1 apg), who is the same category, 6-9 freshman Eric Rohwer (Burbank HS/Calif.), 6-4 sophomore Walter Small (2.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.4 apg) or 6-6 sophomore forward Julien Sormonte, who was ineligible last season because he played professionally in France. The Aztecs need help on the boards after being outrebounded by almost eight boards a game. They also didn't fare well at the free-throw line (61 percent). "The good news is that everyone is back," Fisher said. "But everybody only won four games last year."
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