Aztecs Debut at No. 25 in AP Preseason Poll
This is the first time the basketball program has been ranked in school history.
Entering its 90th season and its 41st at the Division I level, SDSU received 158 votes to earn its No. 25 ranking. San Diego State is the lone team from the state of California in the poll, which has been in existence since 1961.
“This is a testament to the program we have established,” San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher said. “This is not only about what we were able to accomplish last season, but the success that we have been able to sustain over a period of years. I think people now look at this program as one that is not only good regionally, but one that can compete on a national level.
“I am very happy for our student body and fan base. The students have created an atmosphere that helped us be successful and have a home court advantage. This program has grown not just because of the players we have now, but because of the players that have been with us the previous 11 seasons. Every player and every student at San Diego State can take pride in their contribution toward the success of our basketball program.”Making history
According to collegepollarchive.com, San Diego State becomes the seventh school since 1974 to make its AP poll debut in the preseason rankings. The Aztecs join University of Nevada Las Vegas (1974), University of North Carolina Charlotte (1977), University of Alabama at Birmingham (1982), Cleveland State University (1987), University of Rhode Island (1998) and Gonzaga University (2000) as the only schools to have accomplished the feat.
This marks the first time since the 2000-01 season that a team has made its debut in the AP poll. That season, Gonzaga was coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the Bulldogs went on to post a 26-7 record and advanced to the 2001 NCAA Sweet 16.
The reigning Mountain West champions return all five starters and nine letter-winners off a 2009-10 team that won the conference tournament, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished with a 25-9 record. The 25 victories are the second-most in school history and marked the fifth straight season in which the Aztecs have won 20 or more games. Additionally, the NCAA appearance was the fifth consecutive postseason berth for the Red and Black.
Preseason accolades
The Aztecs enter 2010-11 as one of four 2010 NCAA Tournament squads to return their entire starting lineup.
SDSU is led by seniors D.J. Gay, Billy White and Malcolm Thomas, who each earned all-Mountain West honors a year ago. The fourth and fifth members of the starting five are sophomores Kawhi Leonard and Chase Tapley.
Leonard was an all-MWC first-team choice, MWC tournament MVP and the only freshman to lead his team in scoring and rebounding for a team that advanced to the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Tapley, meanwhile, was one of just two freshmen in 2010 to average at least 7.0 points, have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.50 or better and shoot 50.0 percent or better from the field.
Head coach Steve Fisher, entering his 12th season on Montezuma Mesa, has guided SDSU to its most successful period in the history of the program. The national championship coach inherited a four-win ballclub when he arrived at San Diego State.
In his first season, the Aztecs won five games and went winless in the MWC in 2000. A year later in 2001, SDSU won 14 games, before winning 21 games in 2002 and capturing the MWC tournament title en route to the school's first NCAA appearance since 1985. Since that initial conference championship and postseason berth, Fisher has led the Aztecs to six postseason tournaments, three MWC titles and five 20-win campaigns.
Season tickets still available
Season tickets are currently on sale at GoAztecs.com and start as low as $99 for reserved chair-back seats and five-game packages, including tickets for high-profile games against Brigham Young University and University of San Diego, are available for $60.
Individual game tickets go on sale at 9 a.m., Monday, Nov. 1. For more information on season or individual tickets, please contact the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-7378 or visit GoAztecs.com.
