What San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher and the players said after routing Air Force

Aztecs get a midweek bye to rest up for stretch run

San Diego State Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher has preached the importance of February, when his Aztecs can position themselves for a strong stretch run and then the likelihood of having to win the Mountain West tournament to clinch the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. 

SDSU’s resume for an at-large bid has been shaky all year, so trying to get the No 1 seed in the MW tournament and then winning three games in three days to punch their ticket to March Madness is the ultimate goal. 

SDSU routed free-falling Air Force 88-54 on Saturday night in their last trip to Colorado Springs in their final MW season. 

It was a far cry from last year, when the Aztecs needed a last-second basket in overtime to win at Clune Arena.

“I think the veterans know. They know how hard it was here last year,” Dutcher said after the Aztecs improved to 17-6 overall and 11-2 in the MW. “I've also tried to tell them we need a greater sense of urgency in February. I'm trying to just pick their urgency up in everything we do. If we can stay urgent and play more consecutive possessions, we'll have a better chance to win.”

Hammer time @PharaohCompton #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/JwvlTazUwh

— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) February 8, 2026

SDSU gets a midweek bye and is off until next Saturday night, when it hosts Nevada. 

By then, they hope to get injured players Magoon Gwath (hip flexor) and Elzie Harrington (leg) back. 

Here are the highlights of Dutcher and the players’ news conference:

Dutcher on BJ Davis, who scored 16 points to lead the Aztecs

“He's playing the point now. When he was playing with Elzie  or Sean (Newman Jr.), he was a two, and he was getting all of Reese (Dixon-Waters') shots and (Miles) Byrd’s shots. Then the point guard, you come down and give it up, and you don't know if it's going to come back to you. So I try to run a few plays to get him some looks. Then when Sean did come in, he got some baskets. So sometimes it's hard to score from the point guard position, unless it's a late ball screen. You're distributing, you're playing. We ran a hand off for him to start the second half, and got a little runner to start, and so I'm trying to get him more shots from that position.” 

Junior guard BJ Davis on his adjustment to the point guard position

“It's something I'm able to handle. I think it does at times get tough trying to maintain that focus and keep leading the team, but I think it's something that, down the stretch, I'll be ready for. I feel I'm comfortable in that position. So, I just want to keep working at it. Every game I feel like I'm improving on the little things, so I just want to keep it going.”

Seven early points for @BJDavis_10!

📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/g7xWabwDS0

— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) February 8, 2026

Davis on was working against Air Force

“I think the pace was working. I think I brought a different type of pace to the game, just a type of energy. I know over the past few games, I've been kind of flat. I haven't been really vocalizing much, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with how I play and my performance.”