San Diego State gets a quick shot at proving Tuesday night was no fluke.
The Aztecs welcome Colorado on Saturday afternoon in the Bill Walton Classic in San Diego, and forward Tae Simmons is already talking like a team that expects to keep climbing.
“I've been telling people, once we get in our flow, and once we start figuring each other out, we're going to be pretty dangerous,” Simmons said. “I think we saw a little glimpse of that (Tuesday) night. I think once we start limiting our turnovers and everybody's in that flow, it's going to be real dangerous.”
San Diego State opened with a 102-78 win over visiting Cal State Fullerton, and the numbers backed up the eye test. Latrell Davis poured in 25 points while hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, Simmons added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and the Aztecs controlled the game in the areas that usually matter most. They outrebounded Fullerton 50-28, went 28-for-34 at the foul line and still managed to win comfortably despite 15 turnovers.
“We won the game how good teams win games,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “We won it on the glass, and we won it at the foul line, and we shared the ball pretty well.”
That opener came with plenty of new faces. San Diego State has nine new players on a roster that went 22-11 last season, finished 14-6 in its final Mountain West campaign, and still missed the NCAA Tournament before declining other postseason bids.
“Everybody has new teams, and we're all trying to put it together as quickly as we can,” Dutcher said. “Some growth, but still a lot more room for growth with this team moving forward.”
Colorado arrives after handling its own business in a different way. The Buffaloes were tied by a two-point lead at halftime against visiting Abilene Christian on Monday night before blowing the game open in the second half and rolling to a 35-point win.
Jalin Holland, one of Colorado’s few returning players, led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Josiah Sanders and reserve Justin Neely scored 14 points apiece, while Barrington Hargress finished with 11.
Tad Boyle said the offseason work from several of those players showed up right away.
“Jalin, Josiah, Ian (Inman), and even Barrington really, really had good offseasons,” Boyle said. “They worked on their game.
They worked on their shooting. They worked on their ballhandling.
They understand now, as sophomores, what it takes. So it's nice to see that hard work in the spring and the summer and the fall pay off for those guys.”
The game also carries the name of Bill Walton, the Hall of Famer and well-known San Diegan, who died in 2024 at age 71.
In Other News...
Buffs Tennis Just Sent An Encouraging Early Message In San Diego
Colorados tennis team opened the San Diego State Invitational with a clean start in doubles, collecting wins from Lera Alexin and Ema Bubalo, Heidi Crncan and Willow Gretsch, and Pia Rebec and Louise Ternstroem. It was the kind of early showing that can settle a group in quickly, especially in a tournament setting where momentum matters and every court feels a little louder once the first results start rolling in.
The Buffs carried that edge into singles, where Crncan and Bubalo each added victories to keep the day moving in Colorados favor. For a team still trying to establish its rhythm early in the season, the mix of doubles sharpness and singles follow-through offered a useful first look, even if the bigger test in San Diego is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Recruiting Just Took Another Hit At A Crucial Time
Colorados 2027 recruiting class has taken another small but noticeable hit, with the Buffaloes now dealing with two decommitments as the staff keeps pushing to build out the next wave of talent. Even with the recent turnover, the class still includes 19 verbal commits and remains positioned near the top of the Big 12, a reminder that the overall foundation is still intact even as the process gets more complicated.
The latest movement only adds to the pressure on Colorados recruiting operation, especially at wide receiver, where the staff has made clear it wants to keep adding pieces. Rankings from On3, Rivals and 247Sports still place the Buffaloes in the national conversation, but the challenge now is holding the class together while continuing to target the spots that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads To Arizona State With A Road Problem Getting Worse
Colorado heads to Tempe on Saturday with the kind of road burden that keeps following a team from one week to the next. At 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play, the Buffaloes are trying to steady themselves against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium, where the Sun Devils sit at 4-4 and have their own issues to sort through.
The bigger concern for Colorado is how often promising starts have slipped away in league play. The Buffs have been in front in every Big 12 game this season, yet the results have not matched the early momentum, and the road slide has only made the margin for error thinner. Both teams have had turnover problems, so Colorados best path may be the simplest one: run the ball well, protect it, and avoid giving Arizona State extra chances. [Read more 🡒]