A look at No. 17 San Diego State’s season opener against Cal State Fullerton:
Site/time: Viejas Arena/7:40 p.m. Monday
On the air: FS1, 760-AM
Records: Season opener for both teams
Series history: SDSU leads 23-10 and has won the last four, including 80-57 at Viejas Arena in last year’s season opener.
Titans update: They return three starters from a 20-13 team that reached the championship game of the Big West tournament: G Max Jones (12.5 points), 6-9, 235-pound F Vincent Lee and conference defensive player of the year Tory San Antonio. There are 10 newcomers, seven via the transfer portal and three freshmen. Dedrique Taylor enters his 11th season as head coach, posting back-to-back 20-win seasons and reaching the final in four of the last five conference tournaments. The big loss from last season is all-conference guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who finished fifth in the Big West in scoring (16.3 points) and transferred to Alabama. Also gone is Jalen Hill (12.4 points). This is the first of four Big West opponents on SDSU’s schedule. Long Beach State (Nov. 14) and UC Irvine (Dec. 9) also come to Viejas Arena, and the Aztecs go to UCSD (Dec. 1). Fullerton was picked to finish sixth in the Big West preseason coaches poll and is 174th in the Kenpom preseason rankings.
Aztecs update: G Darrion Trammell remains day to day after missing most of the past month with a shoulder injury. Sophomore F Elijah Saunders started in his place in the 81-50 exhibition win against Div. II Cal State San Marcos last Monday, and freshman C Miles Heide started the Oct. 21 closed-door scrimmage against Arizona State. Also possibly out is 6-9 senior Cade Alger, who broke his nose in practice and is being fitted for a protective mask. There will be a premium on perimeter defense against a Titans team that aggressively attacks the paint off the dribble. “It will be a challenge for a young team to step out there and see how they respond,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “The veterans, I’m not worried about. But the new guys, their first game against an aggressive, driving team, we’ll see if we’re able to stay out of foul trouble.” The Aztecs have won 16 straight season openers against unranked opposition, last losing in 2004 in double overtime against UC Santa Barbara.
Next up: at BYU on Friday (6 p.m. PST, ESPN+)
