No. 22 Aztecs at Nevada
Records: SDSU 17-4, 8-1 MW; Nevada 16-6, 6-3
Series history: SDSU leads 25-6 and has won nine straight but is 2-3 in its last five visits to Reno. The Aztecs won 74-65 at Viejas Arena three weeks ago.
Aztecs update: They returned to the top 25 at No. 22, appearing on 46 of 62 ballots and ranking as high as 16th on one. It is the seventh week (out of a possible 13 this season) that they’ve been ranked. The high was 17th in November, the low 36th (or 11th team among others receiving votes) in mid-December. They were third among others receiving votes last week, but three teams ahead of them (Charleston, New Mexico and Duke) all dropped after losses. The offense continues to improve, with the single-game offensive efficiency rating of 133.6 from the Utah State win last week being the season high against Div. I opposition and the 120 against San Jose State being fourth best. The defensive efficiency rating of 85 on Saturday was the lowest in more than a month. The Aztecs take a seven-game road win streak to Nevada, the second longest in the nation behind Charleston and Florida Atlantic (at eight each). They are 4-0 in Mountain West road games, three at altitude. A point of emphasis, no doubt, will be solving Nevada’s full-court press late in games. In their last two meetings, the regular-season finale last year in Reno and Jan. 10 at Viejas Arena, the Aztecs have been outscored a combined 34-13 over the final five minutes. In the first 35 minutes, SDSU was plus-31 points.
Wolf Pack update: The big question is whether leading scorer Jarod Lucas (17.0 points) will play after aggravating a left foot injury late in Saturday’s 68-62 loss at UNLV and needing assistance to get to the locker room. The Wolf Pack don’t have much depth, ranking 329th in Div. I with only 24.1 percent of their minutes coming from their bench. Nevada struggled in the first game against SDSU’s defense, trailing by 21 inside five minutes to go before mounting a 12-0 run late. “This is an elite-level defense,” coach Steve Alford told Nevada Sports Net after the game. “They hang their hat on that, and they’re good at that. It’s the first time we’ve seen that kind of pressure and physicality to that level. They say pressure makes pipes burst, and we just burst.” The Wolf Pack are 10-0 at Lawlor Events Center and 6-6 everywhere else. One area where they are elite is free throw shooting, ranking fifth nationally at 79.4 percent. That’s great only if you get to the line regularly, and the Wolf Pack do — 21.8 attempts per game ranks 26th. Center Will Baker had a career-high 28 points in the double-overtime win against New Mexico last week, then only two in the loss at UNLV. Nevada has two of the conference’s best freshmen in Nick Davidson (8.1 points) and Darrion Williams (7.4 points, 7.4 rebounds).
Next up: Friday vs. Boise State (6 p.m., FS1)