San Diego State’s success begins, ends with defense

San Diego State guard Lamont Butler (5 ), guard Adam Seiko (2 ), forward Aguek Arop (33) and forward Keshad Johnson (0) watch on the court as Micah Parrish tries a foul shot in the final moments of a first-round college basketball video game against Charleston in the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack).
HOUSTON - - San Diego State is on this magical basketball stage, in this historical minute, because it rarely enables challengers to shoot and score at their usual clip.

Which can allow you to climb up the most daunting of mountains.

In this unlikely case, all the method to a Final Four.

You've heard about the defense. Probably seen it during Mountain West play or this March run. It's elite.

However it isn't a method born in recent times. As bad as the Aztecs were when Steve Fisher assumed control of the program in 1999 - - and they were beyond horrible - - the eye has actually always been aimed at one end of the court. Fisher made certain of it, even in the most awful of times.

San Diego State will now test its defensive prowess versus Florida Atlantic in one nationwide semifinal Saturday at NRG Stadium.

Simple stuff.

San Diego State assistant coach Dave Velasquez stated it finest: You're not coming out of a game if you miss out on a shot for the Aztecs. You are coming out if you're supposed to review a ball screen, instead go under it and the other man hits a 3.

" It's that basic," stated Velasquez, who oversees the group's defense. They understand we can always win with defense.

Kids like to score, to shoot, to embrace the modern-aged game of 3 after 3 after 3. It's what makes the tv highlights.

It takes a different sort to believe defense initially. To truly buy into an idea that stopping others is just as essential as putting together points. To consider rebounds and closeouts and cutting off covering and driving lanes for a teammate's error and taking a charge and communicating as being just as attractive as a breakaway dunk.

San Diego State does everyday defensive drills now under coach Brian Dutcher that they did under Fisher, who retired six years earlier. The same ones. Over and over and over.

Velasquez: Repetition breeds consistency. It develops muscle memory.

" It's just part of our culture," said senior guard Adam Seiko. "I wanted to be here because I took defense seriously and I saw how the Kawhi (Leonard) groups protected. It's in some cases tough to stay so constant. A great deal of guys in college play difficult but are not clever.

" We just know the tendencies of other teams. We understand what each man does. We have a high basketball IQ along with playing actually hard.".

It takes a town. Or, in this case, seven senior citizens amongst nine upperclassmen. There may not be an NBA player on San Diego State's roster. It's more about that time-honored theory that the entire is higher than the sum of its parts.

Restricting opponents.

Some outrageous numbers: San Diego State has actually restricted four NCAA opponent to 57 points a video game. Alabama, the No. 1 general seed in the tournament, shot simply 3-of-27 on 3s against the Aztecs in the Sweet 16. Creighton was 2-of-27 in the Elite Eight.

I keep in mind when Velasquez was a student manager for the Aztecs more than twenty years ago. Nobody within the program other than Dutcher better understands how defense has developed a lot winning.

We'll see how the Aztecs score in the huge structure that is NRG, where deep backgrounds can test even the most proficient of shooters. San Diego State doesn't have a number of them. It can have a hard time on offense as much or more than it annoys groups at the other end.

" There is a reason Coach Dutcher has the highest gaining percentage in the country (.86.2 the last 4 years) during February," Velasquez stated. "Because when that time occurs, that type and strategy and defense has actually made for terrific practices for our people.

" Coach Fisher saw all this from the start.".

Saw what it required effective.

To have actually now climbed the most challenging of mountains.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on "The Press Box," ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.