Preview: Aztecs return home, hope to get right vs. Utah Valley

San Diego State vs. Utah Valley

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Viejas Arena/7 p.m. Wednesday

TV/radio: KUSI-TV; 760-AM

Records: SDSU is 3-3, Utah Valley is 5-2

Series history: This is the first meeting.

Wolverines update: All the wins have come on home or neutral floors. Both losses – 101-77 at Boise State and 75-74 at Fresno State – were on the road against the Mountain West. The Wolverines come to Viejas Arena on a three-game win streak: 79-72 vs. UC Irvine at home, and 75-52 vs. South Dakota State and 89-45 vs. Samford in a tournament in Mexico. In the Samford win, the Wolverines had a 54-22 edge in points in the paint and held the Bulldogs to 20.7% shooting. They rank sixth nationally in field-goal percentage (53.2%) and seventh in defensive field-goal percentage (36.0%). They are also sixth in blocks (6.9 per game) and ninth in assists (20.4). Four starters average double figures: Jackson Holcombe (15.7), Trevan Leonhardt (12.7), Tyler Hendricks (12.7) and Isaac Davis (10.0). They are not a huge team, starting 6-4, 6-5, 6-6, 6-7 and 6-8, but that’s the exact kind of lineup that gave SDSU problems defensively in the Troy and Baylor losses. They were picked to finish second in the WAC behind Cal Baptist. They have won 20 or more games in each of the previous four years, including 25-9 last season. The Wolverines have yet to reach the NCAA Tournament since going Div. I in 2005. They’re currently 73 in the NET and 90 in Kenpom.

Aztecs in ‘full urgency mode’ with Utah Valley coming to Viejas Arena

Aztecs update: They have lost three of four and five of eight, counting the final two games of last season. Perhaps more surprisingly, they are 1-3 since Magoon Gwath made his season debut following offseason knee surgery. A flu bug has ripped through the team, keeping Gwath out of practice for a couple days and Miles Byrd sidelined Tuesday, but both are expected to play. Coach Brian Dutcher moved freshman Elzie Harrington into the starting lineup for the final game in the Player Era Festival, an 91-81 loss against Baylor, and indicated that it was not a temporary switch. It is the earliest a true freshman has started at SDSU since Jeremy Hemsley in 2015. Harrington is shooting 61.5% overall and has made 10 of 11 behind the arc, making him the only true freshman in Div. I at 90% or better from 3. Taj DeGourville will come off the bench, likely as a 2 or 3 instead of a point. The backup point guard duties will fall to Sean Newman Jr., who had his best game as an Aztec against Baylor with 10 points and six assists in 17 minutes. In a reversal from recent history, SDSU is ranked higher in offensive (54) than defensive (62) efficiency. The Aztecs are 16th nationally in 3-point accuracy at 40.7% after finishing 217th last season at 33.3%.

Next up: Dec. 10 vs. Lamar (KUSI-TV)

–MARK ZEIGLER