San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball

For information on all San Diego State University sports, see San Diego State Aztecs

The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The team plays its home games at Viejas Arena.

San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
2024–25 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team
University	San Diego State University
First season	1921–22
All-time record	1,485–1,125 (.569)
Head coach	Brian Dutcher (8th season)
Conference	Mountain West (Pac-12 in 2026–27)
Location	San Diego, California
Arena	Viejas Arena (capacity: 12,414)
Nickname	Aztecs
Student section	The Show
Colors	Scarlet and black
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
NCAA tournament runner-up
2023
NCAA tournament Final Four
2023
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1957*, 1967*, 2023
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1957*, 1967*, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament round of 32
1957*, 1967*, 1968*, 1975, 1976, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1957*, 1967*, 1968*, 1975, 1976, 1985, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 *at Division II level
Conference tournament champions
Mountain West: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023 WAC: 1985 PCAA: 1976
Conference regular season champions
Mountain West: 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2023 PCAA: 1977, 1978

The Aztecs have been to sixteen NCAA Division I tournaments since joining NCAA Division I in 1969, last appearing in the tournament in 2024. In the 2023 NCAA tournament, they reached the Final Four for the first time in program history, losing to UConn in the championship game. The Aztecs have won seven Mountain West Conference tournaments and nine regular season titles.

Notable alumni include NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gwynn, who played both basketball and baseball for the Aztecs.

Team history

See also: List of San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball seasons

The Aztecs first began play during the 1921–22 basketball season. The team played that season, as well as the next three, as part of the Southern California Junior College Conference due to proximity to other schools, despite the fact that SDSU (then known as San Diego Normal School) was not a junior college itself. The Aztecs joined the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) in 1926 following a season as an independent, and competed in the NAIA until 1956, when they transitioned to the newly founded NCAA Division II. They competed in six NAIA Men's Basketball Championships. Finishing as runners up in 1939 and in 1940, the Aztecs finally prevailed and won the 1941 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament. After competing in NCAA Division II from 1956 until 1969 they became an NCAA Division I school in the fall of 1969. The Aztecs moved from the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), which is now known as the Big West Conference, to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 1978. In 1999, the Aztecs left the WAC and became a charter member of the Mountain West Conference. Prior to entering the Mountain West, the team had been to three NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments. During their time in the MWC, the Aztecs have won several conference championships and have been to nine NCAA tournaments and four NIT tournaments. In the 2010–11 season, the Aztecs were ranked as high as 4th in the nation and won their first ever games in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Following the 2013–14 season, the team reached its second Sweet Sixteen. In the 2019–20 season, the Aztecs finished with a 30–2 record for their best winning percentage in team history. The team spent seven straight weeks in the top 5 of both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, finishing the season at #6 in both polls. The 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was cancelled at the end of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2022–2023 season, the Aztecs reached their third Sweet Sixteen, first Elite Eight with a win over #1 Alabama, and first Final Four. The win over Creighton on March 26 in the South Region Final gave them their first Region championship in program history. On April 1, they became the first team from the Mountain West Conference to reach the National Championship after defeating FAU 72–71 on a buzzer-beating shot by point guard Lamont Butler. In the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, the Aztecs were defeated by the University of Connecticut Huskies by a score of 59–76.

Rivalries

The Aztecs have three rivalries, the UNLV Rebels, the USD Toreros, and the BYU Cougars. The rivalry with the Rebels was especially fierce between the years 2010–2013, however the rivalry has cooled down significantly due to the one-sided nature of the affair. San Diego State has won 22 of 24 games against UNLV from 2014 to 2024. The USD Toreros are the Aztecs' crosstown rivals and play them near-annually in the City Championship. The Aztecs' rivalry with the BYU Cougars has been partially dormant since 2011, when the Cougars left the MWC for the WCC. The teams still play occasionally in non-conference games.

Viejas Arena

Facilities

Viejas Arena

Viejas Arena (officially Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl) is a multi-purpose arena located in San Diego, California on the campus of San Diego State University. The arena opened in 1997 and seats 12,414 for basketball and up to 12,845 for concerts.

Viejas Arena is the home of the San Diego State Aztecs men's and women's basketball teams. The arena also hosts the San Diego Mojo of the Pro Volleyball Federation. The arena features an "open-air" concourse design that allows fans to experience breaks, concessions, and event activities for games, concerts, and other events outdoors.

Prior to the opening of the arena, men's basketball played its home games primarily at Peterson Gymnasium (located across the street from Viejas Arena and the current home to the Aztec women's volleyball team), and, for more than 30 years, played on-and-off at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Jeff Jacobs JAM Center

In 2015, the San Diego State Athletics Department opened an on-campus state-of-the-art practice facility, The Jeff Jacobs JAM Center, for the Aztec men's basketball and women's basketball teams.

Head coaches

Head Coach	Seasons	Overall	Pct.
C.E. Peterson	1922–1926	70–30	.700
Tom McMullen	1927–1929	23–17	.575
Morris Gross	1929–1942	190–85–1	.690
Don DeLauer and Dick Mitchell	1943	14–9	.609
Alex Alexander	1944–1945	17–26	.395
Charlie Smith	1946–1948	45–36	.563
George Ziegenfuss	1949–1969	316–229	.580
Dick Davis	1970–1974	65–67	.492
Tim Vezie	1975–1979	77–62	.554
Smokey Gaines	1980–1987	112–117	.489
Jim Brandenburg	1988–1992	52–87	.356
Jim Harrick Jr. (interim)	1992	0–7	.000
Tony Fuller	1993–1994	20–37	.351
Fred Trenkle	1995–1999	55–83	.399
Steve Fisher	2000–2017	386–209	.649
Brian Dutcher	2018–present	177–58	.753

As of the 2024 Media Guide

Postseason

NCAA Division I tournament results

The Aztecs have appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament 16 times, with a combined record of 13–16. They have reached the Sweet Sixteen four times, in 2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024; in 2023 they reached the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and the National Championship, all for the first time. Additionally, at 30–2 and ranked in the Top 10 they were considered a virtual lock for the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1975	N/A	Round of 32	UNLV	L 80–90
1976	N/A	Round of 32	UCLA	L 64–74
1985	13	Round of 64	(4) UNLV	L 80–85
2002	13	First Round	(4) Illinois	L 64–93
2006	11	First Round	(6) Indiana	L 83–87
2010	11	First Round	(6) Tennessee	L 59–62
2011	2	First Round Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	(15) Northern Colorado (7) Temple (3) Connecticut	W 68–50 W 71–64 2OT L 67–74
2012	6	First Round	(11) NC State	L 65–79
2013	7	First Round Round of 32	(10) Oklahoma (15) Florida Gulf Coast	W 70–55 L 71–81
2014	4	First Round Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	(13) New Mexico State (12) North Dakota State (1) Arizona	W 73–69 OT W 63–44 L 64–70
2015	8	First Round Round of 32	(9) St. John's (1) Duke	W 76–64 L 49–68
2018	11	First Round	(6) Houston	L 65–67
2021	6	First Round	(11) Syracuse	L 62–78
2022	8	First Round	(9) Creighton	L 69–72 OT
2023	5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	(12) Charleston (13) Furman (1) Alabama (6) Creighton (9) Florida Atlantic (4) UConn	W 63–57 W 75–52 W 71–64 W 57–56 W 72–71 L 59–76
2024	5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	(12) UAB (13) Yale (1) UConn	W 69–65 W 85–57 L 52–82

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1978 edition with the present seeding format beginning the following year.

Years →	'85	'02	'06	'10	'11	'12	'13	'14	'15	'18	'21	'22	'23
Seeds →	13	13	11	11	2	6	7	4	8	11	6	8	5

NIT results

The Aztecs have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) six times, with a combined record of 8–6.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1982	First round	UC Irvine	L 69–70
2003	First round Second Round	UC Santa Barbara Texas Tech	W 67–62 L 57–48
2007	First round Second Round	Missouri State Syracuse	W 74–70 L 64–80
2008	First round	Florida	L 49–73
2009	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Weber State Kansas State Saint Mary's Baylor	W 65–49 W 70–52 W 70–66 L 62–76
2016	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	IPFW Washington Georgia Tech George Washington	W 79–55 W 93–78 W 72–56 L 46–65

NCAA Division II tournament results

The Aztecs appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament three times, with a combined record of 5–3.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1957	Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight	Chapman Regis Cal State Los Angeles	W 75–56 W 81–78 L 55–57
1967	Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight	Portland State Nevada Southern Illinois State	W 101–73 W 88–71 L 76–77 3OT
1968	Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game	UC Irvine UC Davis	L 69–78 W 79–72

NAIA tournament results

The Aztecs have appeared in the NAIA tournament five times. Their combined record is 15–4. They were NAIA national champions in 1941.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1939	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	Northern State East Texas State Manchester Peru State Southwestern (KS)	W 49–25 W 41–36 W 49–41 W 49–39 L 31–32
1940	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	East Central State (OK) Appalachian State Pittsburg State Delta State Tarkio	W 36–35 W 48–46 W 32–30 W 30–28 L 42–52
1941	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	Western Montana Culver–Stockton Texas Western West Texas State Murray State	W 46–29 W 46–41 OT W 44–42 W 43–40 W 36–34
1942	First round Second Round	Chadron State Bemidji State	W 36–29 L 32–41
1956	First round Second Round	Alderson Broaddus Gustavus Adolphus	W 77–64 L 60–69

Retired jerseys

Main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers

On January 16, 2020, the Aztecs announced that they would be retiring former small forward Kawhi Leonard's number 15 jersey on February 1, 2020. Following Leonard's jersey retirement, some confusion circulated regarding statements that Leonard was the first player in Aztecs history to have his jersey retired, as the school ceremoniously retired former power forward and center Michael Cage's number 44 jersey in 1984.

On December 29, 2023, the Aztecs announced that they would be retiring three more jerseys in a "Return to the Rafters" ceremony on January 17, 2024. The players honored were Milton "Milky" Phelps, Judy Porter, and Michael Cage. This ceremony resolved the prior confusion regarding Cage's jersey retirement.

San Diego State Aztecs retired numbers
No.	Player	Pos.	Career	Year ret.	Ref.
15	Kawhi Leonard	SF	2009–2011	2020
22	Milton Phelps	C/PF	1937-1941	2024
44	Michael Cage	C/PF	1980–1984	2024

Team records

All-time record vs. current MWC teams

Official record (including any NCAA imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current MWC opponents as of the completion of the 2022–2023 season:

Opponent	Games Played	Won	Lost	Percentage	Streak	First Meeting
Air Force	88	64	24	.727	Won 8	1973–74
Boise State	29	18	11	.621	Lost 1	1976–77
Colorado State	94	51	43	.543	Won 4	1961–62
Fresno State	126	70	56	.556	Won 8	1939–40
Nevada	32	25	7	.781	Lost 1	1956–57
New Mexico	93	44	49	.473	Won 1	1975–76
San Jose State	82	47	35	.573	Won 11	1936–37
UNLV	80	43	37	.538	Won 6	1965–66
Utah State	26	18	9	.692	Won 4	1962–63
Wyoming	91	50	41	.549	Won 10	1978–79
Totals	741	430	311	.580

Through March 14th, 2023.

Career leaders (DI era)

See also: San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball statistical leaders

As of the 2022-23 Media Guide [1]

Career Scoring Leaders
Seasons	Player	Points
2004–07	Brandon Heath	2,189
1981–84	Michael Cage	1,846
1983–86	Anthony Watson	1,735
2009–13	Chase Tapley	1,526
2017-21	Matt Mitchell	1,471
2015–18	Trey Kell	1,403
2012–16	Winston Shepard	1,403
2016–19	Jeremy Hemsley	1,392
1973–76	Steve Copp	1,307
2008–11	Billy White	1,294

Career Rebound Leaders
Seasons	Player	Rebounds
1981–84	Michael Cage	1317
2018-23	Nathan Mensah	899
2004–06	Marcus Slaughter	775
1973–76	Steve Copp	737
1982–85	Leonard Allen	724
2009–11	Kawhi Leonard	716
1974, 1976–79	Joel Kramer	711
2012–16	Winston Shepard	708
2000–04	Aerick Sanders	686
2013–16	Skylar Spencer	652

Career Assist Leaders
Seasons	Player	Assists
1978–81	Tony Gwynn	590
2006–09	Richie Williams	479
1994–97	Chad Nelson	412
2004–07	Brandon Heath	394
1974–77	Mark Delsman	376
1983–86	Anthony Watson	356
1982–83	Keith Smith	349
2008–11	D.J. Gay	344
2001–03	Deandre Moore	339
2015–18	Trey Kell	320

Career Steals Leaders
Seasons	Player	Steals
2006–09	Richie Williams	246
2004–07	Brandon Heath	217
1983–86	Anthony Watson	192
2009–13	Chase Tapley	197
1994–97	Chad Nelson	175
2007–11	Billy White	149
1978–81	Tony Gwynn	141
2006–09	Kyle Spain	137
1980–83	Eddie Morris	131
2017–21	Matt Mitchell	129

Career Games played Leaders
Seasons	Player	Games
2018-23	Adam Seiko	154
2018-23	Nathan Mensah	146
2012–16	Skylar Spencer	144
2007–11	D.J. Gay	140
2012–16	Winston Shepard	139
2018-23	Aguek Arop	135
2016–19	Jeremy Hemsley	134
2015–18	Trey Kell	134
2009–13	Chase Tapley	134
2007–11	Billy White	134

Career Minutes played Leaders
Seasons	Player	Minutes
2004–07	Brandon Heath	4,275
1981–84	Michael Cage	4,262
2007–11	D.J. Gay	4,222
2009–13	Chase Tapley	3,813
2006–09	Richie Williams	3,780
1994–97	Chad Nelson	3,692
2015–18	Trey Kell	3,640
2016–19	Jeremy Hemsley	3,632
2012–16	Winston Shepard	3,583
2007–11	Billy White	3,532

Career Blocks Leaders
Seasons	Player	Blocks
2012–16	Skylar Spencer	303
2018–23	Nathan Mensah	235
1982–85	Leonard Allen	214
2009–11	Malcolm Thomas	127
1981–84	Michael Cage	118
1991–93	Joe McNaull	114
2015–18	Malik Pope	113
2000–04	Aerick Sanders	105
2007–11	Billy White	102
1997-01	Marcelo Correa	100

Career Wins Leaders
Seasons	Player	Wins
2018–23	Adam Seiko	120
2018–23	Nathan Mensah	112
2012–16	Skylar Spencer	109
2007–11	D.J. Gay	105
2012-16	Winston Shepard	104
2009–13	Chase Tapley	103
2018-23	Aguek Arop	102
2007–11	Billy White	101
2013–17	Dakarai Allen	99
2017–21	Matt Mitchell	96

Single season leaders (DI era)

(*) Lead conference

Season Scoring Leaders
Season	Player	Points	PPG
1983–84	Michael Cage	686	24.5
2006–07	Brandon Heath	637	19.3
2013–14	Xavier Thames	633	17.5
1985–86	Anthony Watson	630*	22.5
2005–06	Brandon Heath	607*	18.4
2019–20	Malachi Flynn	564	17.6
2012–13	Jamaal Franklin	560	17.0
2001–02	Randy Holcomb	558	16.9
2011–12	Jamaal Franklin	557	17.4
2010–11	Kawhi Leonard	557	15.5

Season Rebound Leaders
Season	Player	Rebounds	RPG
2010–11	Kawhi Leonard	380*	10.6
1980–81	Michael Cage	355*	13.1
1982–83	Michael Cage	354*	12.6
1983–84	Michael Cage	352*	12.6
1971–72	Chris McMurray	350	12.5
2013–14	Josh Davis	342	10
2009–10	Kawhi Leonard	336*	9.9
2005–06	Marcus Slaughter	329*	11
2012–13	Jamaal Franklin	312	9.4
2010–11	Malcom Thomas	301	8.1

Season Assists Leaders
Season	Player	Assists	APG
1979–80	Tony Gwynn	221*	8.2
1981–82	Keith Smith	212*	7.3
1977–78	Dean Decker	176	6.3
2003–04	Wesley Stokes	175	5.8
1984–85	Creon Dorsey	171*	5.5
1980–81	Tony Gwynn	164	6.3
1975–76	Ray Leary	163	5.6
2019–20	Malachi Flynn	163	5.1
1978–79	Tony Gwynn	153*	5.7
2006–07	Richie Williams	151	4.6

Season Steals Leaders
Season	Player	Steals	SPG
2008–09	Richie Williams	77*	2.1
1984–85	Anthony Watson	74	2.4
2006–07	Richie Williams	69*	2.1
1998–99	Matt Watts	65*	2.6
1989–90	Michael Best	65	2.2
2006–07	Brandon Heath	64	1.9
2004–05	Brandon Heath	63*	2.2
1995–96	Raymond King	63	2.2
1984–85	Creon Dorsey	63	2.0
2006–07	Lorrenzo Wade	62	1.9

Season Blocks Leaders
Season	Player	Blocks
2014–15	Skylar Spencer	91
2013–14	Skylar Spencer	89
1984–85	Leonard Allen	82
2010–11	Malcolm Thomas	75
2015–16	Skylar Spencer	72
2021-22	Nathan Mensah	71
2022-23	Nathan Mensah	64
2016–17	Valentine Izundu	53
2009–10	Malcolm Thomas	52*
2012–13	Skylar Spencer	51

Single game leaders (DI era)

Most Points in a game
Date	Player	Points	Opponent
February 20, 1986	Anthony Watson	54	USIU
March 3, 1979	Kim Goetz	44	Utah
February 9, 1979	Kim Goetz	42	Colorado State
February 5, 1980	Eddie Morris	41	UNLV
February 6, 1984	Michael Cage	40	Wyoming

Most Rebounds in a game
Date	Player	Rebounds	Opponent
December 29, 1980	Michael Cage	26	LaSalle
February 24, 1979	Steve Malovic	23	New Mexico State
December 21, 1971	Chris McMurray	23	Chapman University
March 13, 2010	Kawhi Leonard	21	UNLV
February 6, 1984	Michael Cage	21	Wyoming

Most Assists in a game
Date	Player	Assists	Opponent
February 5, 1980	Tony Gwynn	18	UNLV
March 7, 1981	Tony Gwynn	16	New Mexico State
February 14, 1980	Tony Gwynn	14	New Mexico State
December 11, 1976	Dean Decker	14	UNLV
February 12, 1985	Creon Doresy	13	LBSU

• All stats are from the [2] and are updated through the 2022–2023 basketball season.

Notable former players

Several former Aztec men's basketball players have gone on to play in the NBA, play in other professional basketball leagues, or achieve significant notability outside of basketball.

See also: Category:San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball players

National Basketball Association (NBA)
Player	Position	NBA Debut	Team (s)
Joel Kramer	SF	1979	Phoenix Suns
Steve Malovic	PF	1980	Washington Bullets, San Diego Clippers, Detroit Pistons
Rock Lee	C	1982	San Diego Clippers
Michael Cage	PF/C	1985	Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets
Steffond Johnson	PF	1987	Los Angeles Clippers
Randy Holcomb	SF	2006	Chicago Bulls
Kawhi Leonard	SF	2012	San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers
Malcolm Thomas	PF	2012	San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers
Jamaal Franklin	SG	2014	Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets
J. J. O'Brien	SF	2016	Utah Jazz
Zylan Cheatham	PF	2019	New Orleans Pelicans
Jalen McDaniels	SF	2019	Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors
Malachi Flynn	PG	2020	Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons
Jordan Schakel	SG/SF	2021	Washington Wizards
Nathan Mensah	C	2023	Charlotte Hornets

Overseas Professional Leagues
Player	Position	League	Team (s)
Brandon Heath	G	NBL (Bulgaria)	BC Levski Sofia
Hubert Roberts	C	Ligat HaAl (Israel)	Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa, Rishon LeZion
Marcus Slaughter	C/PF	Liga ACB (Spain)	Real Madrid Baloncesto
Jamaal Franklin	SG	CBA (China)	Zhejiang Lions
Yanni Wetzell	PF/C	NBL (Australia)	South East Melbourne Phoenix, New Zealand Breakers
Billy White	PF	NBL (Canada)	Halifax Hurricanes, Moncton Magic, Windsor Express
Xavier Thames	G	LKL (Lithuania)	BC Jonava

Other sports
Player	Known for	Team (s)
Tony Gwynn	Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder	San Diego Padres (MLB)
Tony Clark	Baseball first baseman and MLBPA union leader	Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres (MLB)

Media
Player	Known for	Appearances
Art Linkletter	Television personality	Host of House Party Host of People are Funny

See also

• San Diego Hall of Champions
• Breitbard Hall of Fame
• San Diego sports curse
• Basketball in the United States
• College basketball

External links

• Official website