Hello Old Friend: UNM, SDSU set for another historic MWC clash
From left to right, UNM’s Ibrahima Sacko, Kayde Dotson and Atiki Ally Atiki defend SDSU’s Wayne McKinney III in the Lobos’, 62-48, in The Pit on Jan. 11. UNM will seek it’s first season sweep of SDSU since 2016-17. Photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
Injuries are the theme of this rivalry renewed.
The biggest question: who will and won’t play on Tuesday?
February 25, 2025 marks a rematch etched in the lore of the Mountain West Conference and arguably its most heated rivalry when the UNM men’s basketball team ventures into the treacherous Viejas Arean to play the host San Diego State Aztecs.
Of concern for the Lobos is senior guard CJ Noland and senior forward Mustapha Amzil.
“CJ is good to go and is back to normal. Grinded it out pretty good versus Boise (State), but he is good,” UNM head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino said. “’Staph is slowly progressing. I would say he is a true game-time decision… I think he’s progressing but I cannot say for sure that he is going to play. So, we will look at it, but it’s been a pretty good two weeks of rest (for Amzil) and you don’t want him in any pain.”
Amzil has been dealing with plantar fasciitis and has missed three straight games.
True freshman forward Jovan Milicevic has stepped up big in Azmil’s absence but went cold against the Broncos missing all four shots he took.
Pitino said his team is a different one without Amzil on the floor.
“I think he was almost (playing) 30 minutes a game and he’s a fifth-year senior. He’s got experience in our program,” Pitino said. “He’s tough, he’s physical – you replace a veteran with a freshman. I mean, I like Jovan a lot, but he’s a freshman. I bet if you were to ask Jovan if he would rather start or come off the bench, he’d probably say he’s a little bit more comfortable coming off the bench right now.
So yeah, (Amzil) is a key starter on a team that won a championship last year, went to the (NCAA) tournament and he was Sixth Man of the Year (in the MWC in 2023-24). We’re certainly not better without him.”
As for UNM’s opponent, San Diego State, they are dealing with their own injury-laden problem late in the 2024-25 season.
Magoon Gwath, SDSU’s 7-foot freshman forward appeared to suffer a knee injury early in the game against Utah State.
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher told media members after that game in Logan, Utah, that the team diagnosed Gwath’s injury as a sprain.
“That's what it will be until we get back and get an MRI and have a better idea of what we're dealing with. I think having him ready for Tuesday would be a stretch. It’s not what you want to see,” Dutcher said.
As for the game, this might not be the San Diego State of years past, but Viejas Arena is still a hard place for visting teams and the Aztecs are always well-coached with Dutcher at the helm.
Much like Boise State, it’s another tough road test for UNM.
The Aztecs are 10-3 overall this season in America’s Finest City and sit at 11-5 and in fourth place in the MWC standings.
A fourth-place finish would get them a bye in next month’s Mountain West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
While SDSU sits 42nd in KenPom (as of Feb. 24). The Aztecs have two huge non-conference wins over No. 21 Creighton and No. 6 Houston (rankings at the time of the game) but the Aztecs find themselves with an 18-7 overall record and they are trying to avoid slipping from fourth place to fifth in the MWC.
This should sound familiar to Lobos’ fans because it would mean winning four games in five days for the Aztecs at Thomas & Mack in 2025. As that fifth seed.
While most major national pundits have San Diego State safely in the tournament and one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament, losses down the stretch can put them on the bubble.
A place SDSU is not familiar with lately.
This could mean an Aztecs team similar to the feel of the Boise State Broncos from last Wednesday, a team desperate and backed into a corner fighting for its NCAA Tournament lifeline.
“We show what we always show. We're gutty, we're gritty and we fought back from a seven-point deficit,” Dutcher said of his team on Saturday against Utah State.
UNM head basketball coach Richard Pitino walks down The Pit ramp before UNM’s Jan. 11 game against San Diego State. Photo courtesy of UNM Athletics
But for UNM and a veteran like Noland, he said it’s about keeping the Lobos’ confidence up.
“We just have two losses in conference and we’re gonna try to keep going,” Noland said.
This is the second meeting between the Aztecs and the Lobos this year. UNM looks to sweep SDSU after a decisive, 62-48, win back on Jan. 11.
In the Lobos win back in January, Donovan Dent scored 16 points with five assists and three steals.
Tru Washington scored 13 points with five rebounds.
A healthy Mustapha Amzil had 10 points.
Pitino said the approach never changes the preparation for a team.
“I work very hard at that. I have a great belief in that” Pitino said. “Is that right? Wrong? I don’t know. But certainly, as you get later into February and into March, you understand there are quote ‘big games.’”
Pitino is 4-3 against SDSU since he took over as the head coach at UNM.
NEXT UP: New Mexico Lobos at San Diego State Aztecs
Time: Tuesday at 9 p.m.
Location: Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.
Listen: Lobo Radio Network (96.3 FM/770 AM)
Watch: FS1
History: UNM leads the all-time series against SDSU, 52-45, but is 14-29 at SDSU and 8-16 in Viejas Arena. With a win against the Aztecs, the Lobos would tie the school record for conference wins in a season. UNM wnt 15-3 in 2013-14 under head coach Craig Neal.