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San Diego State begins process of finding its next ‘go-to guy’

Skylar Spencer, Dwayne Polee II

Skylar Spencer, Dwayne Polee II

AP

More than a few people saw the 2013-14 season as one of transition for Steve Fisher’s San Diego State Aztecs. Of course things didn’t work out that way, as senior Xavier Thames emerged as one of the best players in the country as SDSU won 31 games and the Mountain West regular season title and reached the Sweet 16. Thames was San Diego State’s most efficient player, and in late-game situations everyone knew who would be entrusted with the task of creating a scoring opportunity for the Aztecs.

San Diego State, which adds Arizona transfer Angelo Chol and a very talented freshman class, may have lost “just” two players from last season’s team but those were important players in Thames and leading rebounder Josh Davis. Fisher’s Aztecs have begun practice, and according to Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune figuring out who will be the go-to guy in crunch time is one of the tasks for a group seen as the favorite to win the Mountain West.

The search for a player Fisher and his staff can call on in those situations boils down to two areas: productivity and trust.

And without X?

You can set a ball screen again, but now you’re entrusting your fate to a true freshman instead of a fifth-year senior who would become Mountain West player of the year. You can clear out for Dwayne Polee II, whose jumper is much improved and also unblockable given his freakish elevation. You can just keep running the offense and hope somebody gets a reasonable look.

Last year a clear solution emerged by November. Fisher has five weeks to find one this year.


Polee’s an interesting case when it comes to assessing this issue, because the slender wing improved significantly as the season progressed in 2013-14. The Los Angeles native averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the season, but from February on he reached double figures in nine games including the final five of the season. Also of note when it comes to Polee: he shot 39.1% from beyond the arc, displaying improved form and greater confidence in the shot as the season progressed.

Polee certainly isn’t the only option for San Diego State, with junior Winston Shepard III capable of initiating things offensively as are freshman guards Kevin Zabo and Trey Kell. The question for the Aztecs: which player, or players, steps forward as they look to build on last year’s success.

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