BYU Hosts San Diego State For Renewal Of Competitive Rivalry

PROVO, Utah – It’s hard for BYU basketball coach Mark Pope to get quality teams to come to the Marriott Center. The third-year head coach offered three-for-one scheduling arrangements to try and get well-known programs into the Marriott Center. No one was biting.

One program, however, has consistently shown a willingness to play BYU basketball, that’s San Diego State.

on to the next. pic.twitter.com/xCfqQQ8nGR

— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) November 10, 2021

The former Mountain West Conference rival has become an annual fixture on Mark Pope’s non-conference schedules since he took over 2019. Today (7 p.m., BYUtv & KSL NewsRadio) marks the third consecutive year the two teams have met, and it’s the start of a new home-and-home series.

“I love this matchup,” said Mark Pope. “It was so devastating when we lost here [in Provo] two years ago. And then it was such a rush when we got to win there last year. We’re kind of like two Top 25, mid-major-ish, not in Power Five conference teams, and the fact that they are so excited to play us and we’re so excited to play them. There are so many people that it’s hard to get a game with; “Dutch” (Coach Brian Dutcher) is like, ‘let’s go, baby, let’s go play!'”

BYU (1-0) and San Diego State (1-0) have been some of the winningest programs in college basketball out west over the past 15 years. These teams each received 6-seeds in last year’s NCAA Tournament before falling to underseeded Power 6 six teams in the first round.

Last year’s 72-62 victory for BYU over a ranked Aztecs squad in San Diego is among the best wins in Mark Pope’s tenure so far with the Cougars.

The Aztecs come into tonight’s game ranked No. 33 in the Ken Pomeroy ratings. SDSU is far and away the highest-rated team BYU will face in the non-conference slate of games played at the Marriott Center this season.

BYU vs. San Diego State

Tip Time: 7 p.m. (MT)

Location: Marriott Center, Provo, Utah

TV: BYUtv

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM – Pregame begins at 6 p.m.)

Series: BYU leads 49-26

Last meeting: BYU 72, San Diego State 62 (December 18, 2020)

Resume building opportunity for BYU basketball

It’s the first week of the college basketball regular season, still a long way away from NCAA Tournament talk. But when you’re in a mid-major conference like BYU is, the opportunities to land resume-building wins are few and far between. San Diego State is one of those opportunities on BYU’s schedule.

BYU is coming off a 69-59 win over Cleveland State in the opener. Super senior guard Alex Barcello shined, setting a BYU record for most points (24) on the fewest field goal makes (6) in a game.

In the win over Cleveland State, Barcello displayed a clutch factor that makes him so reliable for Mark Pope, and why Pope will be the first to tell you, he’s never won a game without Alex Barcello. Last season’s victory at Viejas, Barcello poured in a team-high 22 points and dished out seven assists to upset the Aztecs.

The Cougars are expected to be without big man Richard Harward once again tonight against the Aztecs. Harward is dealing with what Pope classified as “cardiovascular issues.” In the starting lineup, Gavin Baxter was stepping in for Harward, who logged 16 minutes with two points and a block in the win over the Vikings. It was Baxter’s first game action since a season-ending ACL injury in November of 2020.

#BYU coach Mark Pope on Richard Harward: “He has a cardiovascular issue right now.”

Doctors haven’t gave a definitive timetable for his return.#BYUHoops @kslsports pic.twitter.com/VaIzdgmoaU

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 10, 2021

He might not start, but the frontcourt player to watch for BYU against SDSU is freshman Fousseyni Traore. Traore scored five points, pulled down eight rebounds, and had three blocks in 24 minutes during his collegiate debut. The Mali native has shown a smooth touch around the basket and doesn’t appear phased by the big stage of his surroundings, having grown up in a prominent basketball family.

Keep an eye out for reserve guard Spencer Johnson. Johnson had one of the best performances in his BYU career against CSU, scoring 13 points off the bench and coming away with some clutch defensive stops.

Mark Pope on Fousseyni Traore's potential: "He doesn't know what he doesn't know yet…He's gonna be a big time player." #BYUhoops #GoCougs

📸: @BYUphoto pic.twitter.com/1kTtafRnOc

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 10, 2021

What to know about San Diego State

The Aztecs return two starters from last year’s squad that lost to BYU in point guard Trey Pulliam and senior center Nathan Mensah. But the leader of the Aztecs this season appears to be Cal transfer, former Wasatch Academy product Matt Bradley.

In his SDSU debut on Tuesday in a win over UC Riverside, Bradley scored 23 points, with all of his field goal attempts coming at the hoop or in the midrange. He’s a tough-minded 6-foot-4, 220-pound small forward that fits well with the DNA of SDSU coach Brian Dutcher’s program.

.@Bradley_Matty is 7-for-10 from the field and has 20 points. He is the first Aztec to score 20 or more in his SDSU debut since Jeremy Hemsley did it Nov. 13, 2015 vs Illinois State. pic.twitter.com/T1L8pWOlZj

— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) November 10, 2021

“They’re good, and they are physical, and they guard, and they’re long. They are just a problem. Every year we’ve played them, we’ve learned so much about our team. It’s given a chance to get so much better,” said Mark Pope. “It’s gonna be a great matchup, and it’s gonna be an unbelievable gym.”

Forward Keshad Johnson is a youngster in the frontcourt who people around the Aztecs program believe has a bright future ahead. However, he only played nine minutes in last year’s meeting against BYU. Caleb Lohner could be tasked guarding Johnson, and it might be one of the best matchups to watch.

Two years ago, SDSU’s win over BYU in Provo was only the Aztecs’ fourth win all-time in the Marriott Center. That victory springboarded SDSU to a magical run where they only lost two games the entire year and were in the mix for a one-seed before COVID-19 caused the tournament to be canceled.

Probable Starters

BYU (1-0)

G – Alex Barcello, 6-2, 192, Sr.

G – Te’Jon Lucas, 6-1, 187, Sr.

F – Gideon George, 6-6, 210, Sr.

F – Caleb Lohner, 6-8, 235, Soph.

C – Gavin Baxter, 6-9, 228, Sr.

San Diego State (1-0)

G – Trey Pulliam, 6-3, 180, Sr.

G – Adam Seiko, 6-3, 210, Sr.

F – Matt Bradley, 6-4, 220, Sr.

F – Keshad Johnson, 6-7, 210, Jr.

C – Nathan Mensah, 6-10, 230, Sr.

Prediction: BYU-San Diego State will produce another classic

Say what you will about the Mountain West Conference, but basketball has always been solid in that league. BYU’s annual rivalries with the original MWC members were some of the best stages BYU has ever played. Games against San Diego State provided many of those moments in the final years of BYU’s MWC membership.

This is an excellent series as both BYU and San Diego State are two of the best programs out west on an annual basis in college basketball. It’s a game that can strengthen both teams’ NCAA Tournament resumes with a victory.

The difference here is going to come down to three-point shooting. BYU only knocked down five three-pointers in the win over Cleveland State. San Diego State only hit two in their win over UCR. BYU’s makeup under Mark Pope is to own the shot. Now that BYU has a game under their belt look for the Cougars to be more aggressive from three. In a toss-up game, the three-point line will play a significant role.

This game will likely come down to the final minute, with one of the teams needing some late-game heroics to pull out the win. I’ll call for BYU to be that team to get it done.

BYU 72, SDSU 71

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

Follow @Mitch_Harper