San Diego State returns to the familiar confines of Viejas Arena on Wednesday night, looking to reset after a rough stretch in Las Vegas. The Aztecs, now sitting at 3-3, are set to open a three-game homestand against Utah Valley (5-2), a team riding high after a dominant showing in the Cancún Challenge. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time, with the game airing on KUSI-TV.
Let’s be honest-last week’s trip to the Players Era Festival didn’t go as planned for the Aztecs. What was supposed to be a proving ground against top-tier competition turned into a defensive wake-up call.
San Diego State gave up 94 points in a lopsided loss to Michigan, a team that has since climbed to No. 3 in the AP Top 25. That was followed by a 91-81 defeat to Baylor, another high-octane offense that exposed cracks in SDSU’s normally disciplined defense.
There was a bright spot in between-an impressive 97-80 win over Oregon in which the Aztecs shot a blistering 67.2% from the field, the highest mark in Brian Dutcher’s nine seasons at the helm. But even that performance couldn’t erase the bigger concern: SDSU has now allowed 80 or more points in four straight games. That stretch includes a 108-107 double-overtime heartbreaker at home against Troy on November 18.
Senior guard Sean Newman Jr. didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I think we're just not making it tough enough for our opponents right now,” Newman said. “They're shooting 50% from the field, almost 40 from 3, and then we're putting them on the line too much. We have to be more disciplined, be more solid, and then we have to execute our game plan better because that's not winning basketball on the defensive end.”
He’s not wrong. For a program that’s built its identity on gritty, suffocating defense, the recent numbers are jarring. Opponents are finding too many clean looks, and the Aztecs are giving up points at a clip that simply doesn’t align with their usual blueprint for success.
Enter Utah Valley-a team that’s trending in the opposite direction. The Wolverines just swept the Cancún Challenge, going 3-0 with a mix of offensive firepower and defensive dominance.
They opened with a 79-72 win over UC Irvine, the preseason favorite in the Big West, before heading to Mexico and cruising past South Dakota State (75-52) and Samford (89-45). In those two games in Cancún, UVU outscored its opponents by an average of nearly 25 points per game.
This will be the first-ever meeting between San Diego State and Utah Valley, and it comes at a pivotal moment for the Aztecs. With the bulk of their marquee non-conference schedule now behind them, this homestand offers a chance to regroup, tighten the screws on defense, and build some momentum heading into the heart of the season.
Wednesday night’s game won’t just be about getting back in the win column-it’s about reestablishing identity. For San Diego State, that starts with getting stops, communicating on the perimeter, and rediscovering the kind of defensive intensity that’s long been the program’s calling card.
The Aztecs have the talent. Now they need to bring the toughness.