No.4 San Diego St Aztecs Vs No. 9 BYU Cougars: Mountain West Battle Most Important Pre Tourney Game

The undefeated 20-0 San Diego Aztecs travel to the loud and raucous Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, to play the 19-1 BYU Cougars. Both teams have been bulldozing their way through Mountain West Conference play and this is a much anticipated match up between two of the best college basketball players in the country.

Jimmer Fredette and Kawai Leonard are two of the most impressive college basketball players in the country that no one has watched this season. The Mountain West Conference network "The Mountain" has limited distribution and is the reason the average college basketball fan may be clueless as to these two players. To be fair ESPN has been giving Jimmer Fredette his props of late but this may also be a reflection on the new contract ESPN has signed with BYU football.

San Diego State Aztecs vs BYU Cougars: Outside Shooting

Breaking down these two teams down from behind the three point arc it is quickly apparent the BYU Cougars are the team that is more expert at shooting daggers from three point land. Jimmer Fredette is a pure shooter that is fun to watch and Kawai Leonard is a completely different player. Leonard is a big banger down low that takes high percentage shots and knows he is better inside.

The San Diego State Aztecs best three point specialist is Billy White followed closely by DJ Gay. White has been one of the best San Diego State players to walk through Steve Fisher's door but he has been overshadowed by Leonard. Three point shooters will be a key to this game and the team with the hottest shooter will have the inside track to the win. The BYU Cougars have the outside shooting edge over the San Diego State Aztecs.

San Diego State Aztecs vs BYU Cougars: Shooting from the Field

The San Diego State Aztecs are all about the high percentage shots and they are the better shooting team from the field and in the paint. Kawai Leonard is unafraid of getting under the bucket and jamming home a put back to fire his team up. With all the talk of Leonard the hot shooting DJ Gay will be the man to drive the Aztecs to a victory over the BYU Cougars in front of their screaming fans.

The BYU Cougars may not be the better shooting team from the field but they are shooting 46 percent. If Fredette gets cold, which does happen, the BYU Cougars have Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies available to pick up the slack. This team is Fredette's team and when he stumbles the team follows him right down to the ground. The San Diego State Aztecs have the edge shooting from the field over the BYU Cougars.

San Diego State Aztecs vs BYU Cougars: Steals & Aggressiveness on the Boards

The BYU Cougars have the edge on hustle and getting back on defense over the San Diego State Aztecs offense. The Cougars have more steals under their belt than the Aztecs and they actually have more rebounds as a team than the San Diego State Aztecs.

The best rebounders in this game will be on the San Diego State Aztecs side of the court. Kawai Leonard is vicious under the basket and he is averaging more rebounds (10.3) than any player that will take the court Wednesday. the next best board crasher in this game will be Malcolm Thomas. Thomas is the most underrated player on the Aztecs and he may will be a major contributor in this game. The BYU Cougars have the edge over the San Diego State Aztecs when it comes to hustle and aggressiveness on the boards.

San Diego State Aztecs vs BYU Cougars: Free Throw Shooting

It is never a talked about statistic early in the college basketball season but this time of year free throw shooting is an important factor in close games. The San Diego State Aztecs have a reputation for being a weak free throw shooting team but they are improved over teams in the past.

The BYU Cougars are shooting 73 percent from the free throw line this season. they are led by Jimmer Fredette who is money from the charity stripe, hitting 90 percent of his free throw attempts while Noah Hartsock is hitting 81 percent from the line. San Diego State is hitting 67 percent from the free throw line with Kawai Leonard hitting 71 percent. The BYU Cougars have a distinct advantage over the San Diego Aztecs at the free throw line.

San Diego State Aztecs vs BYU Cougars: Road Play or Home Court Advantage

The BYU Cougars home court inside the Marriott Center is one of the toughest arenas for an opposing team to visit. The San Diego State Aztecs have played well on the road this season but their only ranked opponent this season was a No. 12 ranked Gonzaga team.

The BYU Cougars have a history of stepping up under pressure on their home court and Jimmer Fredette has played his best games of his career in the Marriott Center. Fredette can be expected to shine in this critical Mountain West Conference game that can lead to a possible number two seed in the NCAA Tournament in March. The BYU Cougars home court advantage gives them an edge over the San Diego State Aztecs.

San Diego State vs BYU Cougars -4: Pick Against the Spread & Breakdown

The line is not official at this point but preliminary word is that the BYU Cougars will be a four point favorite over the San Diego State Aztecs. This will be updated as soon as the line is released. The game will be a tight battle and a three point line could lead to a cheap loss against the spread with a meaningless basket or missed free throw with seconds left. Take the BYU Cougars -4 over the San Diego State Aztecs.

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sources:

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