This is a Q&A with David from San Diego State’s Fan Site SurfTheSpear.com to learn a little more about the Syracuse Orange’s opening basketball game next season aboard the USS Midway.
#1 Before we get in to the game itself, give me the skinny on the Aztecs. What are expectations for this team this season?
The expectations for the Aztecs this season is extremely high. Seven years ago Steve Fisher may or may not have made a statement close to this, “In seven to ten years, I am going to make a national championship run.” Many Aztec fans close to the program believe that time is now! We lost two players from last seasons NCAA Tournament team who, unfortunately, lost to NC State. If you followed the Aztecs last season you would know, we where thin on the bench. We had a 9 man bench and Coach only played 7 of them. The two players who have left the program are Graduate Student Tim Shelton (Graduate Assistant Coach for next season) and Garrett Green. You may ask, why are San Diego State fans so cocky this year? The answer is easy: we had the best recruiting class in the history of San Diego State University. <http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041312aaa.html> Ranked 24th in the Nation by rivals.com. The signing of our first ever 5 star athlete Winston Shepard <YouTube>. He wanted to attend San Diego State to play for Coach Fisher. Coach Fisher coached Shepards idol at Michigan, Jayland Rose. We also picked up two of the best athletes on the West Coast: 4 star shooting guard Matt Shrigley (La Costa Canyon) and 3 star shot blocking maniac Skylar Spencer (Skyline).
We also have the best transfer class in the history of our University. We have Dwayne Polee II (Saint John’s)<YouTube>, J.J. O’Brien (Utah), James Johnson (Virgina) Our team is going to have an extremely deep bench. Two of these transfers Dawyne Polee II and James Johnson were top 100 in high school and top f5 in the state of California.
#2 You mentioned in our other Q&A that there will be a lot of festivities with the two teams at Balboa Military Hospital. You are a lot closer to the game than we are out here in Syracuse. Any rumors about specifics for the festivities? How excited are the troops for this to happen?
I do know some of the specifics about the game and some I do not know as the University is holding them classified. The Aztecs have always put in a huge effort to big back to the community. San Diego as everyone knows is a Military town. This game is going to take place on a Military Holiday Veterans day. The universities decided they would take the teams up to Balboa Naval Hospital and let the players spend some time with injured troops and troops going through rehab. This is the area that is fuzzy, and I really don’t know much more than the teams are going to be visiting the injured and rehabbing troops at the Hospital. Most likely they are going to be reading to them, helping them get around, talking to them, etc….. I do know there is going to be a big concert for the troops put on by Barry Zito a member of the San Francisco Giants involving some of the best recording artists in the nation.
#3 I know tickets are extremely limited for this game, but there are a few Syracuse fans that found a way to get their hands on tickets and are going out there for some warm weather and some outdoor basketball. Where are the good restaurants? Where do the pregame beers happen? Will Ron Burgandy be there?!?!
If they have managed to get tickets, they are extremely lucky. Most of the San Diego State Fans who have been season ticket holders for years have not been able to get tickets. The best restaurants range in price. One of the most well known fish restaurants in the bay is called the Fish Market, and an expensive place named C-Level. Both of which are located on San Diego Bay. If they would like to drink where the Aztecs drink, the place to be is Randy Jones BBQ. We are not sure about the pregame as SDSU is holding this close to the vest. We do know of a cool set up. The hanger bay will be turned into a party deck. They will be showing the game in the deck, just a few levels below the game for those unable to obtain tickets. I have no clue about Ron Burgandy.
#4 Jamaal Franklin put up great numbers last season for SDSU. Is he the guy again this year?
Jamaal Franklin came literally out of nowhere last season. It was his first full season, and he was the back up for one of the best Aztecs in history Kawhi Leonard now on the Spurs. I can answer your question in two forms. No, he won’t be the main guy because of the amount of players we now have on the team. Each of these incoming commits and transfers has the ability to score 20 points a game. I can see each of the starting 5 scoring 10 – 20 points per game. On the other side, Jamaal is already on the Draft boards. Jamaal and Chase Tapley are the guys who feed off each other in the past season. When Jamaal would score 20+. Chase would score in the 10’s and when Jamaal scored in the 10 range, Chase would score 20+. Our team next year is so deep that even our top players will give up the ball if needed. I would compare our team to how the Spurs are playing now. Winston Shepard is the most anticipated member of this team.