By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Senior Staff Writer | Spartans starters huddle prior to their matchup against Boise State during SJSU’s 84-74 win in the Mountain West Tournament on March 11. (Photo by Alex Stoev — The Spear)
The San Jose State men’s basketball team (9-23, 4-17 MW) will face New Mexico (22-9, 13-7 MW) in a Mountain West Tournament quarterfinal at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
The No. 11 seed Spartans opened the tournament with an upset victory over Boise State and are now seeking just their fourth conference tournament win in program history. The challenge will be steep. The No. 3 seed Lobos swept SJSU during the regular season, including a 90-80 win Jan. 31 in which New Mexico shot 11-of-23 from 3-point range.
If the Spartans hope to extend their postseason run, defending the perimeter will be critical. New Mexico ranks fourth in the Mountain West in 3-point shooting percentage and leads the conference in defending the arc, holding opponents to 29.9% from deep.
“I think they’re the most well-balanced team in the Mountain West. Offense and defense are good on both ends,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said.
That balance starts with freshman guard Jake Hall, who leads the Lobos with 16.3 points per game and shoots a team-best 44.4% from 3-point range. Slowing Hall will be a priority for SJSU, but he is far from New Mexico’s only weapon.
Freshman forward Tomislav Buljan averages a double-double with 12.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, creating another matchup concern.
Rebounding has been an area of adjustment for the Spartans since the loss of senior forward Yaphet Moundi, the team’s leading rebounder. SJSU will need strong efforts on the glass from sophomore forward Adrian Myers and senior forward Sadraque NgaNga to limit second-chance opportunities against a New Mexico team that ranks third in the conference in rebounding.
The Spartans enter with defensive momentum after holding Boise State to 21.7% shooting from beyond the arc in their opening-round win. They rank 11th in the conference in 3-point defense, but showed improvement in their last outing.
Offensively, SJSU will look to junior guard Colby Garland, who has been its most consistent scorer.
Garland averages 20.3 points per game and has scored at least 20 points in 11 straight games. If the Spartans are to pull off another upset, he will likely need to lead the charge.
“They are a great-sized team and they play fast. They have a lot of length and athleticism,” Garland said.
Sophomore guard Jermaine Washington also will be key after scoring 18 points against Boise State, including several timely baskets.
But containing New Mexico, which ranks second in the Mountain West at 80.7 points per game, will likely require another full team effort from the Spartans. If SJSU hopes to keep pace with one of the conference’s top offenses, it may need its starting five to reach double figures once again.
“They’ve got great personnel, they’re well coached, and that’s always a real problem. We’ll have to figure them out later tonight,” Miles said.
For SJSU, the formula is clear: defend the 3-point line, control the boards and generate efficient offense against one of the conference’s most complete teams. Another disciplined, team-oriented performance will be required if the Spartans hope to keep their tournament run alive.
