By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Basketball Beat Reporter
Photo courtesy of Jake Barger of SJSU Athletics
Hell would freeze over before Alvaro Cardenas’ passion and drive to win escapes him.
But it’s that same passion and drive that makes the San Jose State point guard’s life hell when he can’t escape freezing cold shooting nights.
“I try to let it stay on the court, but it’s kind’ve impossible,” Cardenas said, “It’s something that carries throughout the day,” and it doesn’t detach from SJSU’s co-captain at night.
Putting the side effects of a poor performance to rest is more important now than ever as SJSU (16-12, 7-8 MW) has three regular season games left before attempting to end its Mountain West Tournament winless streak.
Cardenas needs to be the counterpunch to opposing defenses to when they corner star guard Omari Moore. What’s hold Cardenas back from being the counterpunch is partially himself.
“I have to learn how to forgive myself and not let previous mistakes affect how I play,” said Cardenas, who’s SJSU’s second-leading scorer. “It’s something I’m learning how to do and that I struggle with.”
In the the sophomore from Spain’s last five games he’s shot 31% from the field, 20% from three while averaging three turnovers and hasn’t reached double figures.
Last Tuesday, Cardenas’ inability to create shots and out maneuver Nevada (21-7, 11-4 MW) guards Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear down the stretch, was one reason SJSU couldn’t climb black from a 52-48 deficit in the in the final 6:42 of the game.
In the 66-51 loss, SJSU shot 1-for-9 to finish the game as Cardenas had three points in the second half and didn’t register any assists in the final 17 minutes of the game. The Spartans led by as much as eight in the first half and for 51.5% of the game.
Kenpom has Nevada as 37th most efficient defense in the nation in defensive efficiency and has outscored opponents 317-217 in the final five minutes of each game this season. It’s a nightmare of a scenario that could play out in the Mountain West Tournament:
Moore calls out for help and Cardenas nor anyone else can pick up the phone.
Cardenas has shown he can be Moore’s phone a friend; ipso facto his 20-point and nine-assist performance in SJSU’s win over Fresno State.
Without his presence SJSU doesn’t go from finishing 333rd in the NET and 1-17 in conference play last year to now being two wins away from its second season with at least 18 wins since 1977 and first winning conference record since 1996.
However, if Cardenas’ can’t get out of his five-game funk, those stats will remain as is. Moving past that starts this Saturday against Boise State, who’s a top-10 team defense nationwide according to Kenpom.
At the core, the intents and purposes of his frustration comes from a well-meaning place and aren’t overly selfish, but it doesn’t come without negative side effects.
“I sometimes let those mistakes affect me too much and then it can impact the team in a negative way which is the opposite of what I want,” said Cardenas, who’s a co-captain.
At least during the game, it never reaches a stagnant, ‘woe is me’ state of exile along with a mental check out.
While Nevada was putting style points on for tournament seeding in the waning minutes, Cardenas who hadn’t been playing well, beelined down the baseline and snuck away with an offensive rebound.
There are faults to Cardenas’ game. Effort has never been one of them.
There were a few sounds that remained after SJSU upset Utah State on Feb. 11 for its first Mountain West upset of the Tim Miles era:
Groans from a Provident Credit Union Event Center air conditioner, sweeps and brushes from a custodian staff and the echoes of Cardenas back at work.
It’s a more mature coping mechanism than the ones employed last year.
“It varies from day-to-day,” said teammate Trey Anderson. “Balls flying across the gym, maybe shoes, chairs … could be a tear, could be two, could be 20. Maybe fist balled up, head down.”
Anderson added that, “his intentions are always good” and how the Spartans “all know his passion for the game and how hard he works.”
Because that passion is what brought him to SJSU in the first place, but now Cardenas needs to swim out of the sinking emotions that his passion brings upon him.
“When he has bad stretches he has to find a way to get out of his own head a little quicker,” said SJSU assistant coach Damany Hendrix.
Two years ago around this time Cardenas was languishing in Czech Republic’s cold, gray melancholy backdrop at the Get Better Academy.
His only offer came from a scrambling SJSU who entered at the eleventh hour of the recruiting cycle and took a flier on him.
Months later he came into “a role thrusted upon him,” said Hendrix. “Last year he played way more than we expected him to play.”
Now two years later, he’s asked to compete at one of the top five conferences nationwide. Moreover, help lead a team to achieve things that have never been done before.
Be it a Mountain West Tournament win or the program’s first postseason win.
Time has allowed Cardenas to improve and take massive leaps. Upping his scoring average from 6.5 points per game to now 9.7 points per game and assists from 2.6 to 3.3 while having the sixth-best turnover to assist ratio (1.8) in the conference.
But now he’s called upon to take another step. One that continues to lift SJSU to heights considered before as unreachable.
“I love the pressure, you know I’ve been the underdog. I feel like I’m built for this,” said Cardenas.