SDSU vs. Arizona Won’t Count—But It Will Tell Us Plenty

San Diego State will receive an early—and extremely difficult—measuring stick when it travels to Tucson for an exhibition against Arizona on October 16.

The game will be played at McKale Center, one of the toughest environments in college basketball, and will be Arizona’s second of three preseason exhibitions. The Wildcats are once again expected to enter the season among the nation’s best teams despite losing five of their top seven scorers from last year’s Final Four roster. Tommy Lloyd has reloaded with another talented group built around returning big man Motiejus Krivas, wing Ivan Kharchenkov, highly regarded freshman Caleb Holt and transfers Derek Dixon and JJ Mandaquit.

In other words, this is not the type of exhibition scheduled to manufacture confidence.

It is designed to expose problems.

The final score will generate plenty of reactions, especially after Arizona overwhelmed SDSU 68–45 in Phoenix last December. But that result should have almost no bearing on how fans evaluate this matchup. Both rosters have changed significantly, the game will not count, and Brian Dutcher will likely prioritize experimentation over maximizing SDSU’s chances of winning.

Instead, here is what Aztec fans should hope to learn.

Can SDSU handle Arizona’s pressure?

Arizona plays fast, attacks the glass and has the length to make every possession uncomfortable. McKale Center will add another level of chaos, even for an exhibition.

That makes this the perfect environment to evaluate SDSU’s new-look backcourt.

David Torresani, Chance Gladden, Elzie Harrington and Latrell Davis will all have opportunities to initiate the offense. Fans should not expect flawless basketball in mid-October, but they should want to see guards who remain composed, enter the offense quickly and avoid turning every possession into a late-clock rescue mission.

The Aztecs do not need one player to dominate the ball. They do need someone—or preferably several players—capable of settling the team when Arizona makes a run.

Does the offense have better spacing?

SDSU’s offensive ceiling may depend on whether this roster can consistently create room around the paint.

Luka Skorić arrives after shooting 40.9 percent from three while playing professionally for KK Cibona. Zach White adds another long perimeter option, while Gladden, Harrington and Isaiah Sy should give Dutcher more interchangeable pieces on the wing.

Against Arizona’s size, simply throwing the ball inside and hoping to finish over length will not work. SDSU must create advantages through ball movement, shooting and quick decisions.

Fans should watch the quality of the attempts more than the shooting percentage. Are the Aztecs creating open corner threes? Is the ball moving after the initial action? Are players attacking closeouts rather than holding the ball?

Even a poor shooting night could be encouraging if the offense consistently generates the right looks.

Who earns minutes in the frontcourt ?

The exhibition should provide the first real look at how SDSU plans to divide its frontcourt minutes.

Tae Simmons finished last season playing his best basketball and converted 64.7 percent of his field-goal attempts. Bear Cherry gives SDSU an established interior scorer and rebounder, while 7-foot-1 Thokbor Majak remains one of the roster’s biggest developmental wild cards. Skorić could also see time as a stretch forward depending on the matchup.

Arizona will immediately test their physicality, positioning and defensive communication. Can Cherry defend without fouling? Can Simmons continue his late-season development? Is Majak ready to contribute meaningful minutes rather than simply providing emergency size?

October 16 will not completely answer those questions, but it should offer the first clues.

What does Dutcher trust?

The most revealing portion of an exhibition often comes after halftime.

Which lineup opens the second half? Who plays when the opponent applies pressure? Which players are trusted together during the most competitive stretches?

Dutcher will almost certainly experiment, but coaches eventually reveal their preferences. Fans should pay attention to the combinations that produce stops, rebound and play connected basketball.