San Diego State basketball is just over a month away from another highly anticipated season, and coach Brian Dutcher has assembled a challenging schedule designed to boost the Aztecs' chances to make another trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The schedule, released this week, features marquee opponents including Arizona, Michigan and Oregon — all potential resume boosters when it comes time to select the field of 68 teams in March.
"I want to play as many good teams as we possibly can," Dutcher said. "I think there's an argument that if we don't beat Houston [last season] — and we were one of the last four teams in — whether we're going at all to the NCAA Tournament."
That's exactly why Dutcher is loading up his schedule again with early-season marquee opponents. The slate includes an exhibition game against UCLA on Oct. 17 at Viejas Arena to help raise revenue-sharing money to pay players on both rosters, part of the NCAA's new rules.
The only thing missing is a regular season non-conference home date against a big-name program, but it wasn't for lack of trying.
"You have to find someone who wants to come here," Dutcher said. "The success we've had, people don't want to come to Viejas to play us."
Especially this season. Once players like Magoon Gwath and Miles Byrd decided they were returning to San Diego State, Dutcher was left with a problem that makes him the envy of most basketball coaches.
"I usually don't want this many players on the roster that are this talented," Dutcher said. "And I don't want to get ahead of myself and say, 'Well, all the talent, they're going to win for sure.' Talent doesn't guarantee winning. Playing team basketball and playing the right way, and playing together — that guarantees winning."
Dutcher would very much like to go out as a winner in the Aztecs' final season in the Mountain West before moving to the Pac-12 next year. But he won't miss the road trips.
"Last trip to Laramie, last trip to Albuquerque, last trip to Air Force," Dutcher said. "I don't think I'm going to miss any of those sites."
The first official game is Nov. 4 against Long Beach State.
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