Micah Parrish noticed the difference as San Diego State prepared for its Mountain West opener this week.
“It started in practice. It is the first game of the conference, so all of the coaches were on edge letting us know that this is when the season really starts,” the senior said.
The Aztecs were locked in Wednesday as they pummeled Fresno State and they welcome another MW foe, UNLV to Viejas Arena at 1 p.m. Saturday. But the road to a conference and tournament title will not be smooth.
SDSU has been a force in the MW for years – they’ve won three of the last five conference regular-season titles – but head coach Brian Dutcher has long warned that the rest of the league is making gains.
Three MW teams are 13-1 as conference play begins – Colorado State, Nevada and Utah State, winners of 12 straight. San Diego State and New Mexico each have 12 wins this season.
Boise State, picked in the conference pre-season poll to finish second to SDSU, has nine wins. New Mexico followed in third place, picking up one first-place vote to finish ahead of Nevada, also with a first-place vote, and Colorado State.
And the Aztecs must face three of those teams up in one week beginning Jan. 13 – New Mexico, Nevada and Boise State.
Dutcher, though, is not looking ahead.
“Once we get through the first half of the league, then we’ll know how everybody is,” he said. “Until we play them, we won’t know. We’re getting ready one at a time and they’re all good.”
His thoughts on UNLV? He’s looking out for freshman Dedan Thomas Jr. while also noting the team’s veteran presence – UNLV has five fifth-year seniors.
Dutcher also discussed the status of Reese Waters and Miles Byrd, who left Wednesday’s game with injuries. Waters is closer, he said, but it will be a “game-time decision” Saturday as to whether he will play. Byrd’s injury, turf toe, will take more time, he added.
Lamont Butler said the team made allowances Tuesday and will continue to do so.
“It’s a next-man up mentality,” he said. “I feel like the pieces really stepped up last game, you know, when the fellas went out, so we gotta continue to do that.”
