Aztecs' job now is to forget Duke and beat Columbia
December 31, 2001
Fact: San Diego State's basketball team played No. 1 Duke on national television Saturday, played the Blue Devils awfully tough for stretches before losing 92-79, played well enough to earn much praise from network analysts and Duke coaches and players.
Fact: The Aztecs play Columbia this afternoon at 2:05 in Cox Arena.
Fact: This game means more.
"It's critical for our team, for our program," said Aztecs assistant coach Jim Tomey. "We have really stressed to our guys how important this is, that we need to be focused and prepared to play a potential NCAA Tournament team.
"Columbia could very well end up representing the Ivy League in the NCAAs."
It's a significant point Tomey makes, the idea of postseason play. If the Aztecs (7-4) find themselves sitting atop some sort of bubble three months from now, be it for the NCAAs or NIT, this is the kind of game they must win.
Losing at Duke -- while disappointing to SDSU players and coaches because of how the game played out -- is accepted by those who select postseason teams.
Losing home games you should win often is not.
"I think we will play well (today)," said Aztecs guard Tony Bland. "The Duke game is over. We'll be prepared and we'll get a win."
To do so, SDSU must again solve a Princeton-based offense, one similar to Air Force in the Mountain West Conference and the one UCSD ran earlier this season.
And, in some ways, not so similar.
"You still have all the (backdoor) cutting and three-point shooting," said Tomey. "But Columbia has a good post presence and will start its offense inside-out. Air Force begins its offense outside-in, and (UCSD) just likes to shoot a lot.
"I think our familiarity with the style will help us, but we still have to be prepared for all the different tendencies. Columbia is a very good team."
Whether SDSU players buy into the concept likely won't be known until the game's first five or so minutes.
They have all said the correct things about putting the Duke experience behind them quickly and moving on. The Aztecs are also 5-0 at home, having outscored opponents by an average of 88-66.
But there is no question, be it fact or fiction, they think a legitimate opportunity slipped away in Durham.
Coaches immediately shifted attention to Columbia after the final buzzer, showing the team film of the Lions upon returning to the hotel and practicing after returning home yesterday.
Columbia is followed by a third game in five days when SDSU hosts Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday at 7:35.
"We were down after the (Duke loss)," said senior forward Randy Holcomb, who had 22 points and 15 rebounds against the Blue Devils. "It was hard for a couple hours after the game, but now everything is OK. We're hungry again. We will be ready to play. This is a game we have to win."
