SDSU hoops midseason check-in
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Jaedon LeDee has emerged as one of the best players in the country for the Aztecs. Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images
The Aztecs men's basketball team fell out of the top 25 Monday after a weekend loss snapped a seven-game winning streak.
State of play: The Aztecs's blowout loss to rival New Mexico on national TV Saturday pushed their record to 14-3, dropping them from 19th to one of the top unranked teams in the latest Associated Press poll.
- Saturday's loss in "The Pit," New Mexico's vaunted arena, brought their Mountain West record to 3-1 as they defend their conference title after last year's trip to the National Championship.
Mid-season catch-up: The Aztecs paved their road back into the top 25 by beating perennial power Gonzaga, then ranked 13th nationally, just before the new year, but are now into the heart of their conference schedule.
- They'll have a chance to respond tomorrow when they host Nevada, before traveling to Boise State on Saturday.
- The tough stretch starts January 30, when they play at Colorado State, who also just fell out of the top 25, before returning home to face 16th-ranked Utah State four days later.
A new star: Jaedon LeDee struggled against New Mexico, but has emerged as a star in his second season on the Mesa, averaging 22 points and 9 rebounds per game as the focal point of their offense.
- Last week, LeDee was named to the midseason top 25 list of the Wooden Award, the annual honor for the most outstanding player in the country.
- The Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award also named LeDee to its midseason watch list.
A balanced attack: The Aztecs' eight-man rotation leans on LeDee and USC-transfer Reese Waters, the second-leading-scorer in his first season with the team.
- Lamont Butler, last year's tournament hero, leads the team with three assists per game, while backcourt mate Micah Parrish is third in scoring with 10 a game.
- Jay Pal, a Campbell transfer, has emerged as an X-factor in his 14 minutes per night. His block in the closing seconds against San Jose State last week saved the game.
Marquee wins: Out-of-conference wins against Gonzaga, Washington, Saint Mary's and Stanford will beef up their tournament resume as they march through their conference schedule.
Road losses: All three Aztecs losses came away from the friendly confines of Viejas Arena. Their first loss was to BYU, now ranked 20th nationally, in November.
- Their December loss to Grand Canyon knocked the Aztecs from the top 25, but Grand Canyon now sports a 15-1 record and is a projected tournament team.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Jaedon LeDee has emerged as a star in his second, not first, season on the Mesa.