Aztecs Gameday Hoops Preview

Western Michigan (4-3/0-0 MAC) at San Diego State (6-1/0-0 MWC), Saturday, 7:30pm, Cox Arena

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - San Diego State (6-1 overall), off to its second best start in the last 23 seasons, opens a stretch of six of the next eight games at home on Saturday night against Mid-American member Western Michigan (4-3). The Aztecs are looking to extend an eight-game home court winning streak dating back to Jan. 3, 2007. The streak is tied for the 11th longest homecourt win streak in the 87 seasons of Aztec basketball. A victory on Saturday, would move the streak into a tie for ninth place on the SDSU charts.

On Tuesday night, San Diego State became just the third school in the country to win five road/neutral games (joining Butler and USC), with a 78-56 victory over Loyola Marymount. Despite playing without junior forward Kyle Spain (sprained ankle), the Aztecs never trailed and posted their largest margin of victory in a road game since Nov. 29, 1988.

San Diego State continues to show remarkable balance through seven games. The Aztecs have five players averaging in double figures (including freshman forward Tim Shelton who is out for the season), eight players averaging 5.3 points or more and eight players averaging 22 or more minutes per game.

Western Michigan enters the game with a 4-3 record, including a quality 83-76 victory over 25th-ranked Davidson on Nov. 21. The Broncos have won three of their last four games and return 13 letterwinners, including all five starters, off a team that handed San Diego State its first loss of the 2006-07 season.

Aztec fans are sure to remember last year's game, when SDSU entered the contest with an 8-0 record, only to fall in Kalamazoo, Mich., 84-73. The Aztecs placed five players in double figures, but couldn't overcome 22 turnovers and a 21-13 discrepancy at the free throw line.