This is a nonconference men’s basketball game that needs no hyping up, but BYU coach Mark Pope is doing it anyway.
The Cougars (1-0) play host to No. 17 San Diego State (1-0) on Friday night in the Marriott Center (7 p.m., ESPN+) as the Aztecs return to the place of so many classic showdowns when the rivals were in the WAC and Mountain West conferences together.
“I love the game so much, which is weird for me to say. But I love that game so much because Dutch is one of my favorite guys in the world. … What he has done at San Diego State is incredible. And he has got a top-20 team again this year.” — BYU coach Mark Pope
“Every year this turns into an epic battle. It really turns into a test of your manhood. And I love it. I love it. Our guys love it,” Pope said. “We know that we will face the most physical (team). It is a street fight from the tip. And it turns into great basketball and it has been a fun series and I can’t wait to get to it. I love it for our guys and for me.”
San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher apparently loves it, too, even if the Aztecs have struggled to win in Provo in 34 previous matchups.
“Well, I must need my head examined. We’re going to a place (where) we’re 4-30 over San Diego State’s career in basketball at BYU, but we’re going,” Dutcher said. “I like the game. I like the rivalry. I know when they come here, the building’s going to be full. When we go there, they’ll have 21,000. It will be electric.”
Capacity at the Marriott Center is just under 18,000, but Dutcher’s point is well-taken. Officials are expecting a huge crowd as BYU plays its second game as a member of the Big 12.
Monday, the Cougars crushed Houston Christian 110-63 while SDSU was blowing out Cal State Fullerton 83-57. The Aztecs got off to a 14-0 lead, let the Titans get within two at halftime, then pulled away early in the second half.
Jaedon LeDee scored a career-high 27, while Micah Parrish added five 3-pointers en route to 17 and newcomer Reese Waters chipped in 15.
“What I’ve been told is that it’s pretty hard to win there,” Waters said. “I think any time you step into an opponent’s building, it is going to be hard to win.”
Gone from last year’s national runner-up are five key players, including leading scorer Matt Bradley and leading rebounder Nathan Mensah. Leading returning scorer Darrion Trammell has been out with a shoulder injury.
BYU holds a 50-27 lead in the series, with SDSU having won 82-75 last November at Viejas Arena. Two years ago, BYU won 66-60 in the Marriott Center. The Aztecs are 4-2 against the Cougars since BYU left the Mountain West in 2011.
“I love the game so much, which is weird for me to say,” Pope said. “But I love that game so much because Dutch is one of my favorite guys in the world. … What he has done at San Diego State is incredible. And he has got a top 20 team again this year.”
The coaches are 2-2 against each other since Pope has been at BYU.
“Both of us were sitting in a space where we were desperately trying to get good games for the past four years,” Pope said. “And we would go to everybody and ask everybody and we were the only two people who were like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this, let’s play.’”
Dutcher said he’s talked to Pope about continuing the series, but as of now nothing is scheduled for the future because BYU figures it will get plenty of Quad 1 opportunities in the Big 12.
“Once they hit conference, it is murderer’s row all the way through it,” Dutcher said. “They don’t need as many quality nonconference games, but I think they appreciate the rivalry as well over the years.”
The Cougars had to cancel their annual blue-white intrasquad scrimmage last week because of a lack of healthy bodies, but 13 guys got into the game against HCU, including point guard Dallin Hall, who has been nursing an injury the last couple weeks of training camp and didn’t play in the exhibition against Life Pacific.
UC Irvine transfer Dawson Baker is coming off surgery and has yet to play, while Kansas/Gonzaga transfer Marcus Adams is still waiting for the NCAA to rule on his request for an eligibility waiver.
