Where San Diego State Aztecs rank in preseason AP basketball poll
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SDSU guard Lamont Butler drives to the basket in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship game. Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
San Diego State University's basketball team ranked 17th in the AP preseason poll released Monday.
Why it matters: It's the Aztecs' highest ranking since landing at No. 16 in 2014 and it sheds light on the team's reputation following its NCAA national championship run last season.
Catch up quick: The team defied the odds in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, competing for the national title after a thrilling buzzer-beater win in the Final Four.
- The Aztecs became the first Mountain West program to win a game in the Sweet-16, Elite 8 and Final Four.
State of play: The Aztecs have lost some high-profile talent, but two key players, Lamont Butler and Jaedon LeDee, withdrew from the NBA draft to return for their senior seasons.
- The Aztecs have eight returning scholarship players, including four of its top six scorers.
- They also picked up two freshmen and two transfer players: Jay Pal from Campbell University and Reese Waters from USC.
By the numbers: The Aztecs had 529 total voting points in the AP poll, falling just one point below No. 16 Kentucky.
- No. 9 was the teams' highest ranking, other voters had them at No. 10, 11 and 12, the Union-Tribune reported.
The intrigue: The Aztecs were also picked to win the Mountain West Conference in the preseason media poll, though it wasn't unanimous.
- SDSU openly pursued, but failed to move to the Pac-12 or another "Power 5" conference this summer, which would've brought heftier TV deals and payouts.
What they're saying: "The one thing I control is the narrative, and I've said from the start: We are a Power 5 team, I don't care what conference we're in," head coach Brian Dutcher told The Field of 68 website during Mountain West media day last week.
- Dutcher is entering his seventh season as head coach in his 24-year career at SDSU.
Of note: Top 100 recruit Pharaoh Compton this weekend committed to be part of SDSU's 2024 class, the first top 100 recruit the school has signed in nearly a decade, proving the benefits of last year's Final Four run are still coming in.
What's next: SDSU will play an exhibition game against Cal State San Marcos on Oct. 30 at Viejas Arena, but the regular season officially begins with another home game against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 6.