Chances are, if you follow SDSU Basketball, you have been hearing the hyperbolic rhetoric surrounding SDSU’s chances of getting into the dance-the self-proclaimed ESPN egg-heads have all but ruled out that possibility. Allow me to prognosticate by saying their chances are good. Winning out would solidify them as a one of the 64 teams; certainly an at-large at the very least. A win over BYU all but guarantees them a place in march madness. Easier said then done when your trying to accomplish that feat on the road in Provo. Even a loss to BYU but two plus wins in the tourny will get them in.

SDSU has for the most part built a good resume. Yes, they have a few losses that by no means are justifiable; however, they have two wins against top 25 teams and have recently established a short winning streak with wins over both Utah and UNLV. The Utah win was a milestone because it ended a long standing record of not beating that team twice in one year since 1982.

It’s simple win and your in. That hill is one that may prove difficult to climb. The MWC tournament won’t be easy and if SDSU can win out they will at least seed 3rd and play the 6th seed; that will more than likely be Colorado State or Utah.

Brandon is currently playing for the 2010 APOEL Cypriot (aka Cyprus) basketball team in Europe. APOEL is a Division A team currently 12-3 and in first place.

Brandon if your read this the fans would sure appreciate any update from you. Good Luck this year.

Its interesting to note that SDSU has chosen Jim Sterk as the new AD. Interesting because UNLV recently chose Jim Livengood from Arizona; both are from the PAC-10. Couple these two new hires with Larry Scott’s, (the newly appointed PAC-10  commissioner), consideration for expanding the PAC-10 by two more teams, and you have a recipe that positions both of these schools as ripe candidates for selection into the PAC-10.

Recent National News media outlet reports have suggested several scenarios regarding the potential pool of candidates. Ted Miller from ESPN said: “the first issue is the small pool of potential candidates. The teams most often mentioned — mostly by fans — are Utah, BYU, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado, Fresno State, Nevada, UNLV and TCU.”

If one were to focus their attention on SDSU and UNLV for instance, the first thing that comes to mind is the potential revenue that can be generated within these two markets-it’s potential is huge! The San Diego market is the 28th largest market in the country and the SDSU-UNLV pairing would net an additional 4 plus million households. Having lived in San Diego for over 20 years and having attended SDSU, I can say from personal experience that San Diego State can be very appealing to any prospective athlete (especially those from out of town): it is a resort city after all. UNLV is, of course, located near Las Vegas and there is no shortage of entertainment in that city. All-in-all, there is plenty to do in both cities, and they both are within 6 hours of one another by car and 45 minutes by plane. Why is that important? When consider rivalries these two schools would pair together well in terms of  proximity and access; both are located near international airports and in terms of the PAC-10 alignment strategy, they align well.

Speculation aside, it does raise an interesting possibility when considering the fact that these two schools plucked two ADs from two PAC-10 schools.  Will it happen; well, that’s a conundrum that myself and others can’t answer. Nevertheless, PAC-10 admission would bode well for SDSU from both a recruitment level (i.e., 5-Star Athletes in local area), as well as, an added national media exposure (i.e., more highlights on ESPN).

I drool over this game every year; and this year is no exception. I take great satisfaction over the fact that SDSU swept these losers last year and will relish in the victory at vejas this year. UNLV no longer has “wink the fink” so, unfortunately I will have to assign a new UNLV player to the club of ridicule and contempt. Haven’t decided to whom that belated title goes to yet; however, after Saturday I’m sure I will have my favorite. Admittendly, UNLV has a “decent” team, certaintly worthy of the top 75 (LOL). I’m not sure who thought they were worthy of 23rd in the nation-but that’s a farce! Certaintly, after the pummeling they shall receive on Saturday, the polls will, hopefully, correct their egregious ranking error.

Ok, now for SDSU. Certaintly in trouble and once again, they have backed themselves into a corner. However, certain areas that were tagged as problematic (i.e., Free Throw Shooting and shooting from behind-the-arc) are starting to improve; although, ever-so slightly, they are improving. With that modest increase in team shooting percentage and Kawhi’s continued “Freshman of the Year” performances, look for SDSU to finish the conference with maybe one more loss.

Wins over BYU and UNLV will certaintly help the RPI; yet, it still will not be enough. The intrinsic NCAA committee bias is prevalent and will not go away anytime soon. Their biasness does not favor SDSU (never has), so, unfortunately SDSU fans, State will have to win the tourny to get into the NCAA’s. I mean, wins over both BYU and UNLV could be enough to tip the scales but don’t count on it.

I’ll be at the game on Saturday to jeer, taunt and slain the “wimP-and-prayer” UNLV fan with my truculent verbal lashing, whilst savoring over my beloved Aztecs as they destroy this team; moreover, it’s a game that seeks redemption for UNLV’s lucky win over the mighty Aztecs last month!

Jamal Franklin Profile: Shooting Guard from Serrano HS. A 90 scout grade and ESPN-U Top 100 player.

Update: Jamaal Franklin has accepted a scholarship and will be attending SDSU in 2010. This will prepare SDSU for the loss of DJ Gay (currently a Junior).

From ESPN: “Franklin is a high energy, hard playing, active, athletic wing. He excels in the open court, where he can use his running and jumping ability. Jamaal is always around the basketball making good things happen. Defensively, Jamaal can defend three positions because of his length and lateral quickness.”