San Diego State’s 2023-2024 campaign ended with a loss to UConn in the Sweet 16 and several key players leaving through the transfer portal. The roster turnover created opportunities for less-experienced players to develop more prominent roles.
Sophomores BJ Davis, Miles Heide and Cam Lewin hope to increase their minutes in year two and build off last season’s Sweet 16 appearance.
Of the three second-year players, Davis might be poised for the largest jump in playing time. He played in just 12 games last year, averaging just 5.6 minutes, but stepped up big in the Oct. 20 scrimmage against preseason No. 22 UCLA. The 6-foot, 2-inch guard led the offense with 28 points and shot 6 of 7 from deep. Despite having only eight healthy players, SDSU pulled off the 72-67 victory on the road. Davis commented on the success he and his team had against the Bruins.
“It’s kind of just reassurance, of you know, all the work that I’ve put in, and the team we’ve put in,” Davis said at Aztec media day. “So seeing the results doesn’t really surprise me. It just lets me know to keep working.”
Injuries are already a huge issue for the 2024-2025 Aztecs. Projected starting guards Reese Waters and Nick Boyd sat out the scrimmage which cleared the way for Davis to play. Waters is expected to miss six to eight weeks and senior guard Wayne McKinney III also sat out against UCLA. Davis commented on his team’s ability to overcome injuries.
“It’s definitely plaguing us, you know, just people being banged up and not being able to be there,” Davis said. “But there’s opportunities there, people are going to step up, and hopefully we get those guys back quickly.”
Heide saw the most floor time of the three last season. He appeared in all 37 games, including one start vs. UC Irvine. Heide was the first freshman to play every game since Lamont Butler in 2020-2021. He averaged 8.7 minutes per game and shot 63.3% from the field. Heide’s standout performance came against St. Katherine, where he secured a season-high nine rebounds.
The 6-foot, 10-inch forward traveled home to North Bend, Wash this offseason, and continued to work on his game. He discussed becoming a better long-range shooter at this year’s media day.
“My three-point shot was a big thing for me over this off-season, I want to be able to expand my range and just space the floor out,” Heide said in an interview. “I have a lot of confidence in the shot.”
Heide also went over his personal goals for the season ahead.
“I want to start, but I also want to get on the defensive team [All-Mountain West Men’s Basketball Defensive Team] this year,” Heide said.
After playing in every game of his freshman season, Heide now finds himself in a veteran leadership role for year two. He spoke about his experience and helping out the younger guys.
“I think a lot of it’s going to be leadership. I mean, I’m one of the guys that’s got a little bit, a year, of experience under his belt. I feel like a vet,” Heide said. “For me to be able to share that knowledge to the younger guys and the guys that are coming, that are new transfers, it’s gonna be big for me to be able to use my voice.”
Lawin, a walk-on from Chicago, appeared in nine games off the bench last year as a redshirt freshman and scored all six of his points against St. Katherine. He discussed what he’s been improving on over the offseason at men’s basketball media day.
“I’d say just the ability to create my own shot,” Lawin said. “When I came here, I was more just a catch-and-shoot guy, but I’ve definitely been working on my game so I can create for myself.”
The Aztecs were voted to finish fourth in the Mountain West men’s basketball preseason media poll announced on Oct. 17. A drastic difference from a year ago when the Scarlet and Black were favored to win their conference. The low preseason ranking caught the attention of the players.
“It’s given us some extra motivation for sure, just because they don’t believe in us,” Lawin said.
As for the team’s goals, players expect the same winning culture that the Aztecs are always built on. Anything short of securing the conference title and making a deep tournament run is seen as underperforming.
“We’re obviously trying to make it to March Madness, but we want to get back on top of the Mountain West too,” Lawin said.
SDSU’s first game of the season is Nov. 6 at home against cross-town rivals UC San Diego. The Aztecs also play powerhouse Gonzaga at home on Nov. 18.
