Mar 28, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the semifinals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images No. 23 San Diego State and Cal will look for a momentum-builder when they complete the non-conference portion of their schedules Saturday in the nightcap of the four-team San Jose Tip-Off in California.
The first game of the tournament will pit Stanford against No. 10 Oregon.
The Aztecs (7-2) will attempt to beat the Golden Bears (7-4) for the second time in 13 months, having recorded a 76-67 triumph at another neutral site — San Juan Capistrano, Calif. — last November.
San Diego State’s five leading scorers from that game won’t play in the rematch. Four no longer are with the team, while Reese Waters, who had 24 points in the win, has yet to suit up this season because of a stress fracture in his right foot.
That makes Miles Byrd, who had four points against Cal last season, the game’s top returning scorer. Now a sophomore, Byrd leads the Aztecs with a 13.1 scoring average.
Cal no longer suits up any of the 10 players who saw action against San Diego State last year. The Golden Bears have all transfers and freshmen this season.
Not surprising given their high amount of player turnover, both teams have struggled with consistency.
While earning a national ranking on the strength of wins over then-No. 21 Creighton and then-No. 6 Houston late last month, the Aztecs have beaten Fresno State, UC San Diego and, most recently, Cal Baptist 81-75 on Dec. 11.
With a matchup with once-beaten Utah State looming in the Mountain West Conference opener on Dec. 28, San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher hopes to see improvement over the effort against Cal Baptist.
“I’m just trying to get a young team better,” he said of the Aztecs, who have a four-game winning streak. “I have to coach them without tearing their confidence down, but being realistic with them.
“I like this team a lot, but obviously we’re entering a really tough three-game stretch with Cal, and then Utah State at home, and then Boise (State) on the road. We always get better as the season goes on. That’s the thing I like about our program.”
The Aztecs had hoped to get Waters back for the conference opener, but recent reports indicate his recovery has been slow and there’s no guarantee he’ll play this season.
Cal’s newcomers are still trying to make a name for themselves, as was evident in their most recent game, an 84-66 home win over Northwestern State last Saturday.
Star swingman Andrej Stojakovic played the game with a jersey on which his name was spelled “Stojajovic.” He responded with 31 points.
Given the option of changing to a jersey without a name on the back, Stojakovic elected to be misidentified. But just for one night.
“I want to fix it,” he responded when asked if superstition would prompt him to wear the same jersey a second time. “It’s my name.”
The son of former NBA player Peja Stojakovic actually has experience against San Diego State. He started as a freshman and totaled six points, missing 7 of his 9 shots from the field, when his previous school, Stanford, was beaten 74-60 in San Diego a year ago.
Stojakovic enters the game on a roll, having scored 20 or more points in six of his last eight games.
–Field Level Media
