All About the Aztecs...March 17

The question, as far as I'm concerned is, how do Lorrenzo Wade, Richie Williams and Kyle Spain want to be remembed?

Throughout this season, the trio -- along with center Ryan Amoroso and backup guard Matt Thomas -- have been referred to on many occasions as the best Senior class in San Diego State basketball history.

The references, I'm sure, are flattering...but at this point in time, they are far from accurate. I mean, let's take a look at what they've accomplished: as freshmen, they rode the coat tails of Marcus Slaughter and Brandon Heath to a Mountain West Conference title -- then immediately were ridden out of the NCAA Tournament by Indiana....as sophomores, again it was Heath who led them, this time to the NIT where a magical shot by the sharp-shooting guard at least earned them one victory, over Southwest Missouri...as juniors, they again fell short of the big dance and hardly even looked the part of a postseason team, rolling over in favor of Florida. Spain, in fact, wasn't even around for the disasterous conclusion, having been suspended from the team for a second time.

Wade joined Spain on the police blotter prior to the start of this season, and Williams has been in trouble off the court as well during his career....So, back to the beginning: just how do they want to be remembered? What happens in the NIT, which begins tonight when the Aztecs host Weber State (7 p.m., Cox Arena), will go a long way towards defining their legacy.

To me -- as it stands now -- Wade, Williams and Spain are nothing more than an example of great talent frittered away. Sure they've won a bunch of games, and there have been some awards sprinkled in. Sure they've helped elevate SDSU basketball to the level of yearly contender (something that Aztec fans could only have dreamed of a decade ago).

But when the chips have all been on the table...when that one victory was needed to push the program over the top...the trio of stars have simply come up short.

How can this possibly be called the greatest Senior class in Aztec history without a single marquis victory anywhere on its resume'?...What I remember about this group is that it didn't even bother to show up last year against Florida....What I remember is that had it won any of its three important non-conference games this season (all losses to Arizona St., Arizona and St. Mary's), it would have made it to the NCAA Tournament...I remember a 14-point second-half lead blown against BYU, a loss that ultimately cost them a share of the Mountain West title and a No. 1-seed in the conference tournament.

Ultimately I remember Saturday afternoon when -- presented with one last chance at the Big Dance -- they rendered dramatic victories over UNLV and BYU useless by stinking up the joint worse than Utah did and losing the MWC Championship Game.

Honestly I'd rather remember Wade, Williams and Spain differently...The three of them have provided some spectacular moments...and perhaps they can provide a few more.

Yes, the NIT isn't the NCAA's...but once again a chance has been presented...a door has been opened...an opportunity has been offered...Beat Weber State, beat either Kansas State or Illinois State in the second round, and get revenge on (probably) St. Mary's in the quarterfinals.

End your careers in Madison Square Garden playing in the NIT semifinals (or even the finals)...Those are the memories I'd rather have.

Meanwhile, the San Diego State women's team -- to me anyway -- has become the polar opposite of the men's team...Beth Burns' squad has not just met expectations, but they have easily surpassed them.

And their reward was a Monday celebration in their Cox Arena locker room when they watched together on television and received news of their NCAA Tournament berth.

To really understand what this accomplishment meant, one needs only to go back three seasons, when SDSU won only three games total and finished an imperfect 0-and-16 in conference play. Change, of course, was needed...and it started with the signing of point guard Quenese Davis and the transfer from Cal to SDSU of athletic two-guard Jene Morris.

Two-time San Diego County Player of the Year center Paris Johnson (from San Diego High) joined the following year as did All-CIF power forward Allison Duffy (from El Capitan High).

Young and precocious, the kids took their lumps for two seasons, but steadily grew together...They made their first mark in last year's conference tournament, upsetting a pair of NCAA teams, Wyoming and TCU, before losing the MWC final to New Mexico.

This year, they shook off a season-ending suspension to Duffy (who is expected back next year) and became champions. They tied for the conference title with a 13-3 mark, and went 23-7 overall...Morris and Johnson were named first-team all-MWC, and Morris was named the conference's defensive player of the year...Davis earned second-team all-MWC honors and became the school's all-time leader in assists...Burns was named Coach of the Year (tends to happen when your team improves by 19 wins over a short three-year span).

Now they'll face 7th-seeded De Paul in the first round of the NCAA's on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Cox Arena...Can they beat the Blue Demons? They absolutely can, if for no other reason than the fact that they went 14-and-0 at home this season (including a win over No. 4-ranked Texas).

After that...they'd almost assuredly meet Pac-10 champ Stanford in the second round...Stanford was the NCAA runner-up last season (beating UConn in the National Semifinals), and they're ranked No. 2 in the country this season....No chance, you say? Well...just keep in mind that the second-round game would be played at Cox as well.

One last note about the women...regardless of what happens this season, this group is still a year ahead of schedule...Next year, Davis and Morris will both be seniors...Johnson and Duffy will be juniors...and Jessica Bradley, an all-Big 12 conference transfer from Baylor, will join the ranks.

The future is even brighter.

Another fantastic performance by the Aztecs' All-American pitcher Stephen Strasburg last Friday, kicking off a three-game weekend sweep by Tony Gwynn's team of UNLV. (By the way, SDSU owns UNLV in everything this year. Football got one of its two wins over the Rebels, both the men's and women's basketball teams were 3-0 vs. Vegas, and now baseball beats 'em three-straight).

But the best pitching performance of the weekend was not turned in by Strasburg, but rather by UCSD senior right-hander Travis Decker, who pitched a no-hitter on Saturday and defeated top-ranked Cal State Stanislaus, 6-0...Decker walked the first two hitters of the game, then retired 20 batters in a row to complete the seven-inning jem.

Decker's effort was the centerpiece of a four-game UCSD sweep of Division II's top-ranked squad and improved the Tritons to 15-7....Nicely done!

Exciting Friday

My goodness, this is an exciting Friday morning.  What's got me fired up?  

• For fans and followers of SDSU sports, there aren't too many days like this.  Ideally, you would be in Vegas for the doubleheader at Thomas & Mack Center.  At 2:30pm, Beth Burns' Aztecs take the court against UNLV, trying to cap the San Diego Smackdown of Vegas basketball, in the MWC Women's Semifinals.  At 6pm, it's the men in their critical semifinal matchup against BYU.  Hopefully a great number of Aztec fans are making the spontaneous weekend trip.  Man, I wish I could be there.  But then again...
• Being here in San Diego isn't so bad either.  If you're here in America's Finest City, follow this little itinerary with me and you'll actually pick up a bonus third SDSU thriller.  First, watch the women's game on Ch4 in HD this afternoon.  Then, after the ladies punch their ticket to the MWC finals, off to Tony Gwynn Stadium.  Bring a jacket or sweater, it'll be one of those cold, clear nights, and there will be a persistent breeze coming from home plate.  Strasburg is pitching tonight, and the opponent is...Vegas!  Of course!  It's the all-UNLV weekend.  If the Aztecs bring the confidence from their Wednesday comeback to the plate tonight, it should be a great evening of SDSU baseball.  Set the DVR to tape the SDSU/BYU men's game, and listen to the baseball broadcast at the game (I'll be on 1360AM), because I promise not to give the score.  After all, I'll be avoiding it myself.  Then, when Strasburg sets his number against the Whiffin' Rebels (15?  18?  22?), go home happy, grab a hot (or cold) drink, and press play on the men's game.  Bink!  3 great Aztec contests, two tourney games, and a live baseball game featuring one of the best pitchers in the nation, a rare live treat.  Who's with me?  Huh?  Who's with me?
• I'll be sending faraway good luck wishes to Charity Elliott and the UCSD women's team, as they get started with the Division II NCAA Western Regionals tonight against Cal State Dominguez Hills, up at Seattle Pacific University.  The Tritons need to win three games to win the region and advance to the Elite Eight (there are eight regions in D-II, unlike the four regions in D-I).  The top seed in the region is the host Seattle Pacific, a team that has ousted UCSD from the playoffs three times in the last five years.  If UCSD wins today they play either Alaska-Anchorage or Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.  You can hear an interview with Coach Elliott and UCSD women's player Annette Ilg on this week's Triton Talk, by clicking here.
• If I hadn't watched Sportscenter this morning, I would have had no idea that one of the greatest games in college basketball history went down last night.  Syracuse beats UConn in the Big East Tournament 127-117 in 6(!!!!!!) overtimes.  Even the highlights were exhausting to watch!  One of the safest bets in Vegas today: going with West Virginia against the exhausted Orangemen.  Guard Johnny Flynn led Syracuse by playing 67 minutes in the game.  Yes, that's a school record.  Now, the local angle: this can't get a mention on the front page of the U-T sports?  Anywhere?  Not even in that little box at the top as a tease?  It was in the small type roundup on Page 2; yes, at the top of that, but still.  VERY easy to miss thumbing through the paper.  I know you guys are down and out, and obviously I appreciate the commitment to covering local sports, but this is a 6-OT classic we're talking about here, not chopped liver.  Today, plenty more tourney action around the country, that's exciting.
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