These are not your older brother’s San Diego State Aztecs. Kawhi Leonard is not walking through that door.
SDSU and head coach Steve Fisher have put together some pretty dangerous teams in the past few seasons, but this one doesn’t appear to be on that upper-echelon level.
The Aztecs, hoping to shock the college basketball world Tuesday night at Viejas Arena by knocking off No. 2 Kansas, already have lost five games this season — including a home setback to Grand Canyon just last week.
However, that doesn’t mean the Jayhawks (9-1) will cruise to a non-conference road win. San Diego State (7-5) is as stingy as ever on defense this season. SDSU opponents have only made 35.5% of their field goals — 6th-best FG% defense mark in the nation. And although there are 79 teams in the country better than the Aztecs according to [kenpom.com][1] (KU is No. 5), their adjusted defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possession, adjusted for opponent) ranks No. 7 in the country.
Still, San Diego State’s youth makes things a little more challenging offensively. Kenpom.com ranks SDSU 257th in adjusted offensive efficiency. For comparison’s sake, Kansas ranks 13th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 8th in defensive adjusted efficiency.
Here are the Aztecs whom the Jayhawks will have to hold back to enter their holiday break in festive spirits.
**SAN DIEGO STATE STARTERS**
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*No. 42 — PG Jeremy Hemsley | 6-3, 180, fr.*
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– A freshman, Jeremy Hemsley leads San Diego State in both scoring (13.4 points) and assists (2.4).
– Put up 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in his college debut, becoming the first SDSU freshman to hit those marks in a game since Kawhi Leonard in 2009-10.
– Hemsley is shooting 48.2% from the floor 12 games into his career, which is a bit better than Leonard did as a freshman (42.7%) in his first 12 showings.
– The freshman PG has scored in double figures 10 times, but averages 2.4 turnovers a game. Look for KU sophomore Devonté Graham to match up with Hemsley and try to shut him down.
– Has made 13 of 34 from 3-point range (38.2%).
*No. 14 — F Zylan Cheatham | 6-9, 215, RS-fr.*
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https://twitter.com/RubenMezaASR/status/674102073210699776
– San Diego State’s second-leading scorer among its starters also is a freshman: Zylan Cheatham (8.5 points), who leads the Aztecs in rebounding (6.2).
– Although SDSU lost to Grand Canyon, Cheatham had a career-best 11 rebounds before fouling out.
– The freshman big man tends to get in foul trouble. He averages 6.9 fouls per 40 minutes.
– Ranked No. 78 in the Class of 2014 by Rivals, Cheatham red-shirted his first year at SDSU and is shooting 50% from the floor in his first season of college basketball.
*No. 4 — G Dakarai Allen | 6-5, 195, jr.*
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– Junior guard Dakarai Allen has hit multiple 3-pointers for SDSU in 4 games this season — but he’s a bit streaky (13-for-45, 28.9%) from beyond the arc.
– Made 3 of 4 from distance at Utah in a loss.
– Stepping into a more prominent role more than 70 games into his career as an Aztec, all 5 of Allen’s career double-digit scoring games have come this season.
*No. 12 — G Trey Kell | 6-4, 210, so.*
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https://twitter.com/germ_net/status/675734538513854465
– Coming on of late for San Diego State, sophomore guard Trey Kell is averaging 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in his last 4 full games. Kell has made 45.5% of his 3-pointers in that same span.
– Kell’s long-range shooting (4 second-half 3-pointers) led SDSU to a win at Long Beach State.
– Kell averages 7.8 points and has made 15 of 41 (36.6%) of his 3-pointers this season.
*No. 3 — F Angelo Chol | 6-9, 215, sr.*
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#AztecMBB leads East Carolina at halftime, 44-21, thanks to the tip-in dunk by Angelo Chol before the buzzer. pic.twitter.com/VWCaxgDSoq
— San Diego State Aztecs (@GoAztecs) November 24, 2015
– A senior forward who doesn’t do much scoring (4.2 points), Angelo Chol does take high-percentage shots and has made 53.1% of his career attempts.
– Kansas will really need to keep a body on him on the offensive glass. Chol has 17 offensive rebounds in his last 9 games.
– 40.5% of his career rebounds have come on offense — 20 of 48 boards this season on offense (41.7%).
– The big man also has active hands on defense, with 9 steals and 12 blocks through 12 games.
– Played his first 2 seasons of college basketball at Arizona.
**SAN DIEGO STATE BENCH**
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*No. 13 — F Winston Shepard | 6-8, 210, sr.*
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– When San Diego State’s struggling offense needs a pick-me-up, Fisher can turn to senior forward Winston Shepard off the bench. Shepard has 1,000-plus career points and averages 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds this season.
– During his SDSU career, Shepard has scored in double figures 58 times.
– In his last 7 games, Shepard is 21-for-24 at the free-throw line. He’s a 79.2% foul shooter on the season.
– Shepard hasn’t found as much success from 3-point range. A career 25.4% 3-point shooter, he has made just 3 of 11 from deep this year.
*No. 00 — Skylar Spencer | 6-10, 240, sr.*
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– The Aztecs’ best rim protector, senior backup Skylar Spencer swats away 2.1 shots an outing.
– Has blocked multiple shots in 16 of his last 20 games and is the Mountain West’s career leader in blocks (256).
– Another big man who knows his limits offensively (4.1 points), Spencer is shooting 60.6% from the floor this season.
– Spencer is capable of putting up points if not properly defended, though. He scored a career-high 15 in a win over Cal (ranked No. 14 at the time) earlier this season.
– He’s the exact kind of big man that has given KU trouble in the past. In fact, his career-high of 10 field goal attempts came at KU in January of 2014, when the Aztecs won at Allen Fieldhouse, and Sepncer had 13 points and 9 rebounds (6 offensive).
21st-ranked Aztecs outplay Jayhawks inside to claim 61-57 victory
[1]: http://kenpom.com/
