San Diego, CA

Healthier Aztecs host Division II Cal State San Marcos in basketball exhibition

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Healthier Aztecs host Division II Cal State San Marcos in basketball exhibition

The San Diego State assistant coaches were talking after practice a few days ago, and newbie Ryan Badrtalei from UC Irvine was wondering how many fans would show up for Wednesday night’s preseason game against Division II Cal State San Marcos. A couple hundred, maybe?

He was floored when they told him 12,414-seat Viejas Arena would be two-thirds full.

“For an exhibition?” Badrtalei said.

It might be even more than that.

The arena is practically sold out for all games between season-ticket holders and the student section, the program is coming off a trip to the national championship game and the Sweet 16 (or “7-and-UConn in the NCAA Tournament,” as head coach Brian Dutcher likes to say), and there’s no television or radio coverage of the 7 p.m. tip.

There’s also an added aura of tantalizing mystery surrounding the 2024-25 edition of the Aztecs.

When you have eight new players, when your most experienced returnee is out hurt, when you’re replacing all five starters, when you’re not picked to finish first or second in the Mountain West for the first time in more than a decade, the unknowns outweigh the knowns.

Fans will be interested to see how it all fits together.

So will Dutcher.

“We’re still trying to learn a lot of our set plays,” Dutcher said. “I mean, we know where we’re going but we have to think about it. We just have to move without thinking, and that takes time. It’s the timeline on everything. We’re working every day, we’re getting better. But I don’t think we’re where we need to be yet.

“We’re nowhere near midseason form with a bunch of new guys. We still have some tendencies where we look really new, but we have good talent and our health is about as good as it could be, and I’m encouraged by that.”

Dutcher still hasn’t yet had his full roster together for even a single practice since July, but he has everyone available Wednesday night except senior guard Reese Waters, his top returning scorer (9.6 points) and the only Aztec on the Mountain West preseason all-conference team. That’s a welcome improvement over the Oct. 20 closed-door scrimmage at preseason No. 22 UCLA, when he had eight healthy bodies and six were freshmen or sophomores.

Transfer guard Nick Boyd has been medically cleared after spending two-plus months in a protective boot on his injured left foot (and missing the UCLA scrimmage) and is expected to start. He technically will have a minutes’ restriction, but Dutcher said that shouldn’t be an issue given his tentative plan to sub in groups of five and use his bench liberally.

Dutcher will be watching everyone, of course, but he’ll pay particular attention to the 6-foot-2 point who led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four two seasons ago and had 12 points against the Aztecs before Lamont Butler’s dramatic buzzer-beater.

“He’s been so limited, it’s still a mystery what he’s going to be for us,” Dutcher said. “These guys who have been practicing with us since July, when he got hurt, I’ve seen a lot of them. I haven’t seen enough of Nick over the last few practices to know exactly what I have with him on the floor yet.

“All coaches want a comfort level in knowing what they have. Nick is still somewhat of a mystery to me. I’ve seen really good play from him. But over an extended period of time with the other guys in game minutes, I’m excited to see that.”

Also expected to start are sophomore BJ Davis, redshirt sophomore Miles Byrd, redshirt freshman Magoon Gwath and Middle Tennessee grad transfer Jared Coleman-Jones.

Davis’ spot presumably would be occupied by Waters, who suffered a stress fracture in his right foot and is out another five to seven weeks (and perhaps longer).

The 6-2 guard from Modesto Christian High School appeared in only 12 games (for 67 total minutes last season) and scored 14 points, then doubled that in the UCLA scrimmage.

“We’re a defensive program, but you turn your head at a guy who puts up that kind of points against UCLA,” Dutcher said. “He’s earned his way to start there and see what he’s like. Then I’ll have choices to make, because I have really good players.”

Also available is USD transfer Wayne McKinney III, who missed the UCLA scrimmage with a tweaked hamstring. He’s expected to back up Boyd at the point.

Sophomore forward Miles Heide is the only member of the bench who played significant minutes last season. He’ll be joined in the second unit by McKinney, Brown grad transfer Kimo Ferrari and Las Vegas freshmen Taj DeGourville and Pharaoh Compton.

It’s a lot of new for a program that has excelled by getting old and staying old.

“There’s a public identity for this team that people might not know,” said Byrd, the most experienced returnee. “But this team knows its identity. I think you’ll see the same type of basketball that we’ve played (in the past) but with a little faster-paced offense. We’re still going to play hard, we’re still going to rebound and defend.

“Three of our oldest guards didn’t play in the UCLA scrimmage. That’s just got to show you a lot, honestly. We had three young guys and Kimo, and we were able to compete at Pauley Pavilion against a good, experienced team like UCLA. I’m excited.”

Phelps inducted

Milton “Milky” Phelps, an SDSU star from yesteryear, will be inducted into the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame on Friday in Lakeland, Fla. Phelps was the leading scorer on a team that reached the national championship game in 1939 and 1940 and won a national title in 1941.

Back then, SDSU was known as San Diego State College and it played in the National Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament, the predecessor to the NAIA. Phelps was a three-time All-American and the first player in school history with 1,000 career points.

His No. 22 is one of three retired men’s jerseys that hang in Viejas Arena, along with Michael Cage’s No. 44 and Kawhi Leonard’s No. 15.

Phelps is one of seven players who are part of the 2024 induction class, along with four coaches and one contributor/player. The Small College Basketball Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo., and services the college levels below Division I.

Phelps died in 1942 in a Naval training exercise in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Originally Published: October 29, 2024 at 7:29 PM PDT

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San Diego, CA

UNLV faces San Diego State after Hamilton’s 24-point performance

Published

5 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

UNLV faces San Diego State after Hamilton’s 24-point performance

UNLV Rebels (16-14, 11-8 MWC) at San Diego State Aztecs (19-10, 13-6 MWC)

San Diego; Friday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: UNLV faces San Diego State after Kimani Hamilton scored 24 points in UNLV’s 92-65 victory over the Utah State Aggies.

The Aztecs have gone 13-2 in home games. San Diego State is eighth in the MWC with 9.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Miles Heide averaging 2.0.

The Rebels have gone 11-8 against MWC opponents. UNLV ranks eighth in the MWC shooting 34.4% from 3-point range.

San Diego State averages 79.1 points per game, 0.6 more points than the 78.5 UNLV gives up. UNLV averages 7.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 fewer made shots on average than the 9.1 per game San Diego State allows.

The teams play for the second time in conference play this season. San Diego State won the last meeting 82-71 on Jan. 24. Miles Byrd scored 23 points points to help lead the Aztecs to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Reese Dixon-Waters is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Aztecs, while averaging 13 points. Byrd is averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds over the past 10 games.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is shooting 50.9% and averaging 20.6 points for the Rebels. Hamilton is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Aztecs: 5-5, averaging 74.9 points, 28.9 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.0 points per game.

Rebels: 6-4, averaging 84.1 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.8 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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San Diego, CA

Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks

Published

17 hours ago

March 4, 2026

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Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.

The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.

Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.

Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.

As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.

The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.

Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.

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San Diego, CA

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

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SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Less than 3 weeks after the San Diego Unified School District finalized a new contract with teachers, the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with layoff notices for other district employees.

The layoffs affect classified employees — workers who are employed by the district but are not teachers and are not certified. That includes bus drivers, custodians, special education and teacher aides, and cafeteria workers.

The district says it is eliminating 221 positions — 133 that are currently filled and 88 that are vacant — to save $19 million and help address a projected $47 million deficit for the next fiscal year.

Preliminary layoff notices will go out on March 15, with final notices by May 15.

The district estimates about 200 classified employees will receive preliminary notices, but of them, about 70 are expected to lose their jobs based on union-negotiated bumping rules.

Bumping allows employees with more seniority to move into another position in the same classification, thereby “bumping” a less senior employee out of that role.

Lupe Murray, an early childhood special education parafacilitator with the district, said the news came as a shock after the teacher strike was called off.

“When the strike was called off, I’m like, ‘Yes!’ So then when I got the email from the Superintendent, I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So, I think everyone was shocked,” Murray said.

The district says it sends out annual layoff notices, as all districts in the state do.

Before Tuesday’s board meeting, classified employees rallied outside, made up of CSEA (California School Employees Association) Chapters OTBS 788, Paraeducators 759, and OSS 724. They were joined by parents, students, and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Miguel Arellano, a paraeducator independence facilitator with San Diego Unified and a representative of San Diego Paraeducators Cahpter 759.

“What do we want? No layoffs! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd chanted.

Arellano said he felt compelled to act when he learned about the potential layoffs.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I need to speak up. I need to protect these people,” Arellano said.

Inside the meeting, the board heard emotional, at times tearful testimony from classified employees before voting unanimously to move forward with the layoff schedule.

Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the district has tried to protect classrooms from the cuts.

“We have tried our best to only, I mean, to not touch the school. Or the classroom. But now it’s at the point where it’s getting a little bit harder,” Bagula said. “What I’m still hoping, or what I’m still working toward, because we’re still in negotiations, is that we’re able to actually come to a win-win, where there’s positions and availability and maybe even promotions for folks that are impacted.”

Arellano warned the layoffs could have a direct impact on students.

“We are already spread thin, so, with more of a case load, it’s going to be impossible to be able to service all the students that we need to have,” Arellano said.

Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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