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SDSU Put a Bear in the Paint. I’m Buying In.
I owe Bear Cherry some airtime. I’ve spent the offseason talking about SDSU’s guards, wings and all the different ways this lineup could look, while somehow giving less attention to the 270-pound big man standing in the middle of it. That needs to change. The more I look at Cherry’s résumé, the more excited I get about what he can bring to the Mesa. There is a lot to like about adding a veteran who can score inside, block shots and make opponents work for space around the basket.
SDSU lists Cherry at 6-foot-10 and 270 pounds. His path here included Saint Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, two seasons at New Mexico Junior College, a year at UNLV and an injury-shortened stop at Sacramento State. In junior college, he earned conference freshman-of-the-year honors and followed that with a sophomore season averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 62 percent shooting. Bear has taken the scenic route to San Diego State, and he brings a fifth-year player’s experience with him.
The UNLV season is where my interest starts getting serious. Cherry played all 33 games, started 32 and averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 2024–25. He shot 62.7 percent and led the Rebels in field-goal percentage, rebounding and blocks. Aztec fans know the teams on that schedule. We have already seen him produce against Mountain West competition, which makes it a lot easier to get excited about what he might do here.
Then he went to Sacramento State and started putting up bigger numbers: 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, with three double-doubles in six appearances. That stretch included 22 points and nine rebounds against UC Davis and 20 points with seven boards against UC Santa Barbara. An injury against UCLA ended his season, so the sample deserves some restraint. But a productive year at UNLV followed by that start? Yes, I’m interested.
The NBA reference for the role I want to see is Steven Adams. Set a screen that actually makes a defender change directions. Fight for position. Get your team another possession. Make life easier for the guys handling the ball. Adams led the NBA in offensive rebounds per game in consecutive seasons in 2021–22 and 2022–23, showing how much damage a big can do without needing the offense built around him. That is the appeal of an Adams-style role for Bear. The comparison is about the job description; Cherry still has to prove how well he can fill it at SDSU.
For the former Aztec comparison, give me Skylar Spencer’s defensive role with more scoring potential. Spencer was the interior anchor and won back-to-back Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016. That is a high bar, and Bear has to earn his own reputation here. But his shot-blocking gives SDSU something to build around, and his scoring résumé adds another reason to be excited. A big who can help clean up a defensive possession and give you useful offense at the other end? Sign me up.
Brian Dutcher sounds pretty sold himself. When SDSU announced the signing, he called Cherry “hard-nosed, smart, tough, and everything I want in a player.” He also praised Bear’s athleticism and the problems his size and strength can create around the rim. When Dutcher talks about a big man like that, I’m paying attention.
There are questions. Bear’s game belongs inside: he attempted no threes at UNLV and made one of eight at Sacramento State. Free throws are worth watching, too, after he shot 58.1 percent with the Rebels and 69.2 percent on 26 attempts with the Hornets. Coming off the injury, his availability matters, and defending ball screens without collecting cheap fouls will be part of the assignment. Nobody gets to skip those responsibilities just because they look like they could move your refrigerator.
Friday against Arizona is our first chance to see how it looks with this group. I want to see Bear establish position, connect with the guards and make the Wildcats earn their chances inside. There is already enough on his résumé to take him seriously. Now I want to see what happens when that experience and physical presence get plugged into Dutcher’s system. I’ve spent plenty of time being excited about this roster. It’s time Bear got his share.
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