San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Dutcher must be tempted to look back
Sez Me … Relentless and long of arm, COVID-19 blocked the Aztecs’ wide-open shot.
And, as with many things it has touched along its path, all that’s left to look back on is sickness, fear, heartache and what might have been.
As The Temptations sang, “Don’t Look Back.”
Brian Dutcher tries not to, and, as the lyrics go, “keep on walking ... forget about the past.”
In his business, as a college basketball coach, he knows he can’t dwell on what might have been, only what lies ahead.
But, if I can’t help thinking about it — and I often have since the virus just as assuredly halted our games as the filthy, sticky Russian mud grounded the Nazi army — I wonder how Dutch can.
Because his San Diego State men’s basketball team could have won the men’s NCAA Tournament.
“Could have” are the operative words. The Aztecs were 30-2, 17-1 and unbeaten out of town in conference play, and anybody who even pretends to know college basketball is aware winning on the road in the elevated Mountain West for a sea level team is a, well, tall order.
There weren’t many feats in the 2020-21 college basketball season. That was one.
Thing is, they were going to have a chance, a good chance before COVID got a hand on their ball.
There were no clear favorites, and they probably were going to be a No. 2 seed — no worse than a 3 — in the Tournament.
“Yeah, we had a chance,” Dutcher says. “I honestly believe we would have had Nathan Mensah (the big who had been out since December with a blood clot issue) back. And nobody else in the country was going to be able to add a piece like that.
“We were good. I never thought going in we’d be as good as Kawhi’s (Leonard) team (2010-11), but we had a dream season. I feel awful for the guys.”
The Kawhi team, also featuring point guard D.J. Gay, was more athletic, but this team was smarter. And Dutcher also had a go-to guy in Malachi Flynn, an Allamerican and conference Player of the Year.
“We had a high IQ, no question,” Dutcher says. “We had veteran players playing smart basketball. And we shot the ball better than the Kawhi team. We had Malachi, and coaches are smart enough to get the ball to their best player. There was great chemistry and players were willing to sacrifice. We had great mental toughness.”
Ever notice that, when the Tournament comes around, it’s the smart, veteran, mentally tough teams that have the best chance?
Now, all Dutcher can do is look ahead. There may be no 2020-21 season.
“Whatever happens, we’ll fall in line, like we all fell in line after the NBA shut down,” Brian says. “Right now, I’d say we have a season with minimum capacity. I don’t see full arenas. The NBA will set the tone. There is no clear answer.
“But I really like this team. We’ve added some good pieces. The question is, how do we monitor everything? It’s almost impossible.”
It’s not impossible for me to look back and wonder what might have been. They were like a smart fighter with some muscle.
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