2011 SDSU Basketball Preview
The music video for pregame introductions at Viejas Arena last season was written by San Diego State forward Tim Shelton and called "Game Time Ready." Red Patent Leather Balacorta
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He has a new one for this year but hasn't recorded it yet. Like everything else about these Aztecs, it's a work in progress."I kind of want to focus more on the team this year," says Shelton, a fifth year senior, "and just play basketball."He doesn't have much choice. A year ago, it didn't matter that his knees wouldn't stop hurting because the Aztecs were loaded, with five returning starters and the eventual 15th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Now it matters. Steve Fisher was named national coach of the year."We can't feel like we have to live up to what we happened last year," says Fisher, whose team opens Friday at Viejas Arena against Bryant University. "We have to see how we can be as good as we possibly can. That tells you they are feeling better. He's extremely intelligent. He always plays for others at both ends of the floor. He's got an innate feel for how to play. He plays within himself. All those things you win with and win big."And he brings as much stability as anyone in the country. You need that with a team that is searching for guys at different spots. He's a big piece."
The X factor Black Patent Leather Balacorta
On the surface, new point guard Xavier Thames is merely replacing 11.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Gay was worth far more than 11.1 and 2.2. He was Mr. Intangible: captain, floor general, a 2.47 assist to turnover ratio, the guy who took practically every clutch shot. The calming influence. Thames doesn't have Gay's perimeter range (he shot just 26.5 percent on three pointers at WSU) but he's better off the dribble and, at 6 3, more adept at ,locating the open man once he penetrates into the tall timbers. "There's a lot of pressure on me," Thames admits, "but that's what I came here for." www.fashionshoes.us.com
Crunching the numbers
Much like baseball's Sabermetrics movement, basketball nerds with a penchant for math have developed esoteric statistics that better reflect a team's efficiency. SDSU's plus 4.3 ranked 17th nationally and was nearly double what it managed the season before (2.3). There's also the risk of demoralizing a new team and a newfound fan base. Multicolor Calf Balindono
It's entirely possible that you won't be able to show up for any of SDSU's 18 regular season games at Viejas Arena and buy a ticket. We need a crowd that will not only get on their feet when we do something but get on their feet to help us do something. They need to generally say: 'We are a going to be a viable, viable part of the success of this team.