A lot of people had a hand in San Diego State's MWC men's basketball championship over the weekend: Steve Fisher with brilliant coaching, DJ Gay running the point for 119 of 120 minutes and making key shots at the end of games, Billy White for exploding on New Mexico and Kawhi Leonard for grabbing every rebound in sight.
But maybe none of the fun would have happened without the Colorado State Rams, who fell to SDSU 72-71 in the opening round on Thursday. That game was war, a bruising struggle filled with elbows, fists and body blows. It nearly worked for CSU, which had several chances to win in the final seconds. The Aztecs moved on with Gay's heroics to Friday's win over New Mexico and Saturday's championship conquest of tournament host UNLV.
The CSU game was a wake-up call for the Red & Black and they clearly got the message. When the next two games got rough and the opponents made runs, the Aztecs had something in reserve. They weren't shocked when other teams tried to impose their will on them and each time they turned back the challenge.
Now SDSU goes to Providence, RI, to take on Tennessee in the first round of the Big Dance -- a game created by a mockery of seeding that saw the value of both teams knocked down by several spots. The Aztecs will face a mirror image with an orange tinge, Volunteers who depended on athleticism and rebounding to win 25 games this season. If the Aztecs somehow win their first NCAA Tournament game, they will probably face Georgetown, another team similar in style.
Based on the past weekend, I'm convinced that Fisher will have the Aztecs mentally ready. My only concerns are physical: whether the injuries the players overcame in Las Vegas will catch up to them on the East Coast, and whether the fate of basketball will choose Thursday to give them a bad shooting game.
The week ahead should be fun. The weekend now passed was a blast, thanks in part to Colorado State.
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LaDainian Tomlinson, who expressed a desire when released last month by the Chargers to play in the Super Bowl, may have taken a major step in fulfilling his wish by signing a two-year contract with the Jets on Sunday. It appeared to come down to the Jets and Vikings, and he apparently decided that New York is closer to taking the final step. I think he is right. I'm not sure quarterback Mark Sanchez will be ready in his second NFL season to lead a team all the way, but in his third year you have to think it's a distinct possibility.
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Following up on my pre-season college baseball comments a few weeks ago, it should be noted that SDSU is 6-10 with a paltry .250 batting average. They've nearly been doubled up in home runs and doubles, and the opponents' slugging percentage is nearly 100 percentage points higher.
USD is a mediocre 9-8 but as a team is hitting nearly .300, far higher than opponents, and are out-slugging the other teams.
It could be that both teams will need to win conference automatic bids to make the NCAA Regionals this spring.
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Going SDSU-heavy on this post, but there are reports around that DB DeyJuan Hemmings suffered a serious leg injury at a spring practice scrimmage on Saturday. Either a dislocated foot or broken leg -- or both. He was one of the best players in the secondary last fall.
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