Aztecs ranked as one of most surprising teams so far this college basketball season

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego,CA- The San Diego State Aztecs were ranked as one of the The five most surprising teams so far this college basketball season by Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports.

Eisenberg ranked the Aztecs number four on his list and had this to say about them…….

"This was supposed to be a transition year for the Aztecs with standouts Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapleymoving on last spring, no double-digit scorers returning and a top 10 recruiting class not set to arrive until next summer. Instead San Diego State has cracked the AP Top 25 thanks to a 7-1 start that includes victories over Creighton, Marquette and Washington and a lone loss against top-ranked Arizona. Why are the Aztecs better than expected? Their defense and rebounding have been formidable as expected and they’re getting just enough scoring to take advantage. Now recovered from the back injuries that plagued him as a junior, point guard Xavier Thames has gone from complementary scorer to go-to threat, averaging 17.4 points per game and shooting an absurd 51.4 percent from 3-point range. Winston Shepard relieves Thames of ball-handling duties at times and has shown the ability to get to the rim and create for himself or his teammates. J.J. O’Brien is a threat from the high post, Matt Shrigley provides a shooter off the bench and Tulane transfer Josh Davis gives the Aztecs a much-needed back-to-the-basket presence."