SDSU Built a Talented Roster. BYU Will Show Whether It Has Built a Team

San Diego State has assembled one of the most intriguing rosters of the Brian Dutcher era.

The Aztecs added a productive young point guard, experienced shooting, frontcourt size and three international freshmen. On paper, SDSU has enough talent and versatility to compete during its first season in the rebuilt Pac-12. (San Diego State Aztecs) The larger question is whether those pieces can become a cohesive team.

BYU is coming off a 23-12 season and an NCAA Tournament appearance while returning All-Big 12 guard Robert Wright III (BYU Athletics). It may not be a must-win game, but it could be the most revealing test on SDSU’s nonconference schedule.

Can SDSU defend as a unit?

Dutcher’s best teams have rarely depended on one elite defender. Their success has come from five players communicating, rotating and trusting one another.

That will be the challenge for this roster.

SDSU’s projected active group combines returners such as Elzie Harrington, Tae Simmons, Latrell Davis and Thokbor Majak with transfers Chance Gladden, Isaiah Sy and Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry. Freshmen David Torresani, Luka Skorić, Luca Vincini and Zach White add even more new pieces to the rotation.

The collection is talented, but many of those players have never shared the floor. BYU is the type of opponent that can expose a defense still learning how to play together. Wright averaged 18.1 points and 4.6 assists last season while shooting 41 percent from three. He can score himself or force additional defenders to help, creating opportunities for his teammates.

Against lesser opponents, SDSU may survive a missed rotation or poor closeout through its size and athleticism. Against BYU, those mistakes are more likely to become open shots.

The final score will matter. How connected the Aztecs look defensively may matter even more.

Who controls the backcourt?

Gladden arrives after averaging 14.4 points and 4.5 assists as a freshman at Boston University. He finished with 150 assists, reached double figures in 24 games and earned third-team All-Patriot League honors. Those numbers suggest SDSU may finally have a guard capable of consistently creating advantages with the ball. But playing point guard for the Aztecs involves more than initiating the offense. Gladden will also be asked to pressure opposing guards, navigate screens and prevent the defense from being forced into early rotations.

Torresani gives Dutcher another option. The 6-foot-2 Italian guard shot 37.9 percent from three in his final professional season with Treviso and averaged 2.3 steals during the FIBA U20 European Championship.

Harrington and Davis could also spend time defending Wright.

SDSU does not need one guard to shut him down. It needs several players capable of making him work without losing track of the rest of BYU’s offense.

Does the frontcourt fit together?

The Aztecs should not lack size.

Cherry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks during a limited six-game season at Sacramento State. He gives SDSU a physical interior presence and an established rim protector. Around him, Dutcher can use Simmons, Skorić, Vincini and Majak in several combinations. Simmons averaged 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in only 14.3 minutes per game last season while shooting 64.7 percent from the field. Skorić and Vincini provide additional length and experience in European basketball systems. The concern is not whether SDSU has enough frontcourt bodies. It is whether those pieces can defend different styles. Can Cherry remain effective when pulled away from the basket? Can Simmons hold his own against larger forwards? Can the international freshmen adjust quickly enough to defend high-major actions?

BYU should force SDSU to show whether it can play big without becoming slow.

Who closes the game?

Without an obvious returning star, SDSU may need to identify its late-game option through competition.

Gladden is the most proven creator. Harrington averaged 8.0 points as a freshman while shooting 43.6 percent from three. Sy averaged 10.0 points at Oregon State and made 64 three-pointers. Davis averaged 11.1 points and shot 38.3 percent from deep during his last active season at San Jose State. Each offers something different, but none has yet filled that role for SDSU.

A close game against BYU could reveal who Dutcher trusts when the initial action breaks down and the Aztecs need someone to create a quality shot.

The matchup will not define SDSU’s season.

It could show whether the Aztecs are merely a collection of interesting pieces—or a team prepared to contend immediately in the Pac-12.