Game Recap: A View from The Show

You probably didn’t know that I have a specific, unnamed role  (that will remain unnamed) that I have played at SDSU basketball games for many years. This was the last year of that commitment, and I decided to allow someone else to fill that role for this evening so I could celebrate Tim Shelton and Garrett Green’s last home games by sitting down in The Show.

Not nearly as hot and smelly under here as some would have you believe.

The Show showed its excellent hospitality by leaving a seat open next to me so that I would have a little more space, and for this I was grateful. I was also grateful that the young gentlemen sitting behind me, who arrived quite besotted, refrained from covering me with vomit.

I must tell you that being in The Show is an incredible amount of work.

The easiest part of the night.

I may sound old when I say this — actually I’m trying to sound old when I say this — but standing for the whole game while jumping, screaming, chanting, singing, and waving heads around is too much for an old man like me. Don’t get me wrong, I gave it everything I had and even made an appearance up on the big screen at one point. But the thought of going back once or twice a week for three months gives me nightmares of knee surgery (and eventually getting covered with someone’s vomit).

I had a great time sitting withThe Show and am happy that I can start sitting somewhere else in the arena next year.

Shelton and Green leading a post-game "I Believe" chant

As for the game, the Aztecs are back in the driver’s seat of the Mountain West. With New Mexico losing at TCU, all the Aztecs have to do is win at Boise State and suddenly-hot TCU next week and they will secure not only their share of the regular season crown but also the 1-seed in Vegas.

The Contenders

Jamaal Franklin had possibly his best game as an Aztec, and I’m not talking about his statistics (31 points, 16 rebounds) which were quite impressive*. I’m talking about how smart he played. He made maybe two bad decisions in the whole game. He played with anger, but was able to focus that anger rather than let it control him.

I see a lot of Tony Bland’s game coming out in Jamaal. Bland was very good at drawing fouls, especially from players in foul trouble. Sometimes this can be bad, like in the New Mexico game where he was looking more for contact than trying to get a clean shot off. When the call didn’t come, he got frustrated and it showed in his play.

Usually (and lately) it is a good thing. He was pivotal in fouling out Pierce Hornung tonight as well as Leonard Washington in the Wyoming game. Three games in a row now he has drawn fouls by bringing the ball up-court past a defender, moving in front of the defender and stopping, causing the defender to run him over. This is a foul they will call every time and he is able to pick who gets the foul.

A very smart play by a player who is getting smarter by the game.

The other important thing from this game is to see James Rahon come out of his shooting slump somewhat by hitting 4 three-pointers. I don’t know if it had to do with coming off the bench (Green started, ostensibly due to it being Senior Night) but he shot the ball with more confidence. The back to back threes he hit before halftime were definitely key in keeping the score close and allowing the Aztecs to come out hot in the second half.

Also credit to LaBradford Franklin for dishing out five assists in only 15 minutes of play and the whole team for notching eight blocks, three of which came from Green.