alt=Jeff CallPROVO — It seems like a lifetime ago, but the last time San Diego State visited the Marriott Center, the eyes of the college basketball world were riveted on the showdown.
In January 2011, No. 9 BYU, led by eventual consensus Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette, hosted undefeated No. 4 SDSU, led by future NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard.
Some dubbed it the biggest game in the history of the Marriott Center. Several sports writers from national media outlets, and about two dozen NBA scouts, were in attendance.
In the end, Fredette poured in 43 points (Leonard had 22 and 15 rebounds) in a 71-58 victory over the Aztecs in front of a sellout crowd of 22,700. When the buzzer sounded, fans stormed the court to celebrate the Cougars’ first victory over a top-10 team at home since 1984.
Nearly a decade later, BYU and San Diego State renew their rivalry Saturday (2 p.m., MST, BYUtv) at the Marriott Center.
There are no ranked teams involved and there’s not much hype for this matchup. But it’s an important one for both programs as they attempt to return to national prominence.
But that game almost 10 years ago in Provo certainly was a memorable one.
As he tried to shake hands with Aztec players and coaches after the game, Fredette was mobbed by BYU fans.
”It was a little crazy tonight,” Fredette said in the postgame interview session. “That’s something I’ve never experienced, where they rush the floor. I just tried not to get trampled.”
The game dominated the internet and television and radio airwaves. Afterward, celebrities and athletes, like NBA star Kevin Durant, opined on Fredette through Twitter and Facebook. Durant, after scoring 47 points himself that night, tweeted that Jimmer is “the best scorer in the world!!”
BYU’s final game in the Mountain West Conference came in the conference championship that March in Las Vegas, where the Aztecs avenged their two regular-season losses to the Cougars.
The following season, BYU became members of the West Coast Conference and the two teams stopped playing each other. The Cougars have played SDSU a couple of times since, losing last year on the Aztecs’ home court, 90-81. The two teams also squared off in the 2014 Maui Invitational, where SDSU outlasted BYU, 92-87, in a double-overtime thriller.
This time around, the teams are coming off season-opening victories Tuesday. The Cougars defeated Cal State Fullerton while the Aztecs pounded Texas Southern, 77-42.
SDSU was led by guard Malachi Flynn, a transfer from Washington State, who scored 15 points, had five rebounds and five assists. Guard Jordan Schakel also scored 15 while 6-foot-10 forward Yanni Wetzell recorded eight points and nine rebounds. The Cougars are also familiar with another SDSU player, KJ Feagin, a transfer from Santa Clara of the West Coast Conference.
The Aztecs outrebounded Texas Southern, 62-41.
“We know they’re a big team. They’ve got a lot of length,” said BYU guard TJ Haws. “I know one of our biggest points of emphasis is to rebound the ball. I think if we can get stops and rebound the ball, then our transition offense pushing the floor is going to be really great for us.”
“They’re really long. Man, are they long. They have an all-star backcourt,” said BYU coach Mark Pope. “Their frontline is so long. So there might be some shock when people see us walk out onto the floor and watch San Diego State walk out onto the floor. What we’re hoping for is there will be some shock when we walk off the floor, too, that people will be like, ‘How did that happen?’ That’s what we’re hoping for.
“There’s a lot of work to do. They’re a big-time team right now. They are really potent offensively. Their hallmark has always been their length defensively. We know we’re in for a massive challenge. It’s going to be really fun and that’s why you play the game.”
Both programs have new coaches. BYU’s Dave Rose retired last spring while SDSU coach Steve Fisher stepped down after the 2017 season. The Aztecs’ coach is Brian Dutcher, Fisher’s longtime assistant.
Expectations remain high at both programs though both missed out on the postseason last season. SDSU posted a 21-13 record while the Cougars went 19-13.
Asked if his team can go to the NCAA Tournament in March, Dutcher said going to the Big Dance is always the goal.
“That has to be our belief. And that has to be the thought every time you step on the floor at San Diego State,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “That’s why these kids came here. They came here because of the winning tradition, the fact that we’ve been in the NCAA Tournament seven of the last 10 years.
“One of the years we didn’t go (in 2016), we won the conference by three games and lost in the conference championship. You’d say, ‘That was a bad year.’ It was a darn good year. We won 28 games. But it’s a high bar here.”
Cougars on the air
San Diego State (1-0) at BYU (1-0)
Saturday, 2 p.m. MST
Marriott Center
TV: BYUtv
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM