By Austin Turner — Content Editor
With its losing streak now at 11, San Jose State (3-17, 0-8 MW) is desperate to wipe the zero from its conference record. In a twist from what is usually expected from the Mountain West, it appears that the Spartans’ best chance to do so might be against the team that has dominated much of the decade in the conference.
San Diego State (12-8, 4-3 MW) has had a disappointing season so far. Despite the winning record, inconsistency has plagued the Aztecs and has resulted in some shocking results — particularly in losing by 11 to San Diego, a 21-point dismantling from Brown and a 24-point blowout loss to Boise State.
That said, the Aztecs are incredibly dangerous when they’re “on.” They’re a fantastic shooting team, with a clip of 46 percent on the year. They average 35.5 rebounds and force opposing teams to turn the ball over 13.7 times a game — while scoring 16 points off turnovers.
They’re led by sophomore forward and NBA prospect Jalen McDaniels. He’s a 6-foot-10 two-way forward that can play any position in the front-court and can take games over. He’s averaging 16.5 points and has scored in the double-digits in all-but one game this season.
McDaniels leads the team in scoring, rebounding with 8.5 per game and steals at 26. Stopping him will be crucial for the Spartans.
It’s unclear if Oumar Barry will be back in time to match-up with McDaniels in the paint and on the boards, and if he’s unable to suit up it will once again be Ashtin Chastain that will be key for SJSU.
Chastain has done a solid job filling in for Barry thus far, but had a rough game in Logan against Utah State on Wednesday. He only grabbed two rebounds for the Spartans and scored 8 points in a game in which they were completely outmatched. If Barry remains on the sidelines, Chastain is in for one of the biggest challenges of his career.
The Spartans host the Aztecs in the Event Center at 6 p.m.
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