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The promoter for the Bill Walton Classic, the Nov. 7 basketball game at Pechanga Arena matching San Diego State and Colorado, came to Aztecs practice Thursday and passed out tie-dye headbands and T-shirts in honor of the legendary center who passed away in 2024.
The Aztecs hope they can channel some of his 6-foot-11 mojo, particularly on the boards. Ready or not, they open the exhibition season Friday night at Arizona (7 p.m., ESPN+).
The Wildcats are favored to win the Big 12 (ahead of, yes, Houston and Kansas) and expected to be in the top five when the Associated Press poll is released next week.
It’s a tall task, literally: The Wildcats return 7-2 Lithuanian giant Motiejus Krivas, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, in addition to other five guys 6-10 or taller on the roster.
In last season’s 68-45 win against the Aztecs in Phoenix, they held a 52-28 edge on the glass thanks to a staggering 20 offensive rebounds.
It’s a tall task, figuratively: The Wildcats went on a summer tour, played an intrasquad scrimmage in front of fans and already have an exhibition game under their belt, Tuesday’s 24-point win against a capable USF team.
They didn’t have enough healthy or eligible players for 5-on-5 practices this summer and ended workouts a week early because of dwindling numbers. This is their first outing in front of fans with a roster that returned only two rotation pieces (and both were true freshmen).
Croatian forward Luka Skoric has been ruled out with a groin injury, and guard Latrell Davis will play limited minutes while recovering from a shoulder issue, essentially reducing them to 9½ available scholarship players.
“They’ll have five games under their belt, and we’re trying to get five guys out on the floor,” SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said, only half-joking. “We’re making progress.
I like my pieces, I like this team.
But I’m a little concerned we’re not going to be quite where we need to be for a scrimmage of this magnitude in Tucson against a very good Arizona team.” Dutcher keeps reminding himself that it’s just an exhibition, that it doesn’t count in the standings, that the bigger picture demands getting healthy for the Nov.
3 season opener against a more manageable opponent (Cal State Fullerton) in more friendly confines (Viejas Arena). “I’ve tried to be careful not to rush them back too early, understanding that these are exhibition games,” Du tcher said of Skoric and Davis, both potential starters.
“If this was a regular-season game, I’m sure they’d all be on the floor.
I’ve got to walk the fine line of wanting to be competitive, wanting to be put up a good effort, with trying to stay healthy for the opening of the regular season.” The 23-year-old Skoric, pursued by Kansas before last season, hasn’t practiced in nearly three weeks after impressing in September practices.
Davis separated his shoulder during the summer, tweaked it two weeks ago and only returned to live drills in the past few days.
Dutcher initially said he was “leaning” toward holding Davis out Friday night, then changed his mind after seeing how well he practiced Wednesday and Thursday, although the 6-3 guard from England isn’t expected to start or play more than 15 or so minutes. Another concern is the game’s format.
Coaches are permitted to tinker with the rules in closed-door scrimmages, most notably the five foul limit. Against UCLA a few years ago, a Bruins player had nine.
Teams are now allowed to hold exhibitions against Division I opponents in front of paying fans but with the NCAA mandate that they operate under normal game rules. That means fi ve fouls and you’re out.
Dutcher’s fear: Sacramento State transfer Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry picks up a couple early against the massive Krivas, and he doesn’t have the bench depth up front to compensate.
“I think if it was up to (Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd) and me, we’d give guys extra fouls so we’re not rotating based on fouls,” Dutcher said. “Say one of his better players gets two fouls right away and he wants to see a combination together, I think he should be allowed to just leave that guy in.
“If this was a closed-door scrimmage, we could say: ‘Let’s play a guy with seven fouls, it really doesn’t matter. We want to play certain guys with certain combinations.
We’ll worry about the fouls when the season starts.’” The Pac-12 announced its nonconference schedule last month but without tip times or broadcast assignments. That came this week.
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