Friday night agaisnt UCI.
The road is calling calling the San Diego State men’s basketball team. So off they’ll go to Eugene, Ore., and off to fabled McArthur Court to take on the University of Oregon tonight at 7:05.
Off to face a team tabbed by College Sports magazine as No. 25 in the country in its preseason poll.
Off to face a team picked to finish third in the always competitive Pacific 10 by Athlon magazine.
Off to face a Ducks squad that has returned all five starters from last year’s team, ended the year with a record of 16-13 and recorded the first back-to-back winning seasons in school history.
Off to face a UO team that is led by one of the John R. Wooden award finalists point guard Kenya Wilkins.
However, with all the intangibles that the Ducks will bring to the table tonight, the Aztecs will look to counter those with some intangibles of their own.
The main ingredient being the potent backcourt combination of Chad Nelson and Jason Richey.
In Friday’s season opener, the duo meshed for 44 points, shooting 13 out of 21 from the field. In the process, Nelson and Richey continuously led SDSU on fast-break after fast-break as the Aztecs unveiled their pressure defense.
But pressure defense and an up-tempo style of game is exactly what the Ducks want, as they see Wilkins as a more than capable ball-handler who can break the press.
His matchup with Richey at the point will be looked upon as crucial to each team’s chances for winning, since each offense depends so heavily on the point guard.
“At the guard position we will probably neutralize each other,” Aztecs head coach Fred Trenkle said of the Wilkins-Richey matchup. “What might give us some trouble are the big guys Oregon has.”
The Ducks’ big men are led by power forward Kyle Milling. The senior from Poway led UO in rebounding last season with 7.6 per game and will combine with 6-foot-10 center Rob Ramaker to provide a considerable inside presence.
The points in the paint will definitely be something to watch. The UCI forward/center combinations combined for 51 points, in a losing cause, against the Aztecs Friday night.
With the talented Milling and Ramaker in the frontcourt for the Ducks, the Aztecs will undoubtably need big games out of center Tye Fields and forwards Jacobi Thompson and Kevin Betts.
The trip to Eugene represents the first time in 14 years SDSU has traveled to Oregon to take on the Ducks. Overall, the series between the two teams is knotted at 2-2.
