Chris Murray catches MWC fans up with his collective (each team's beat reporter) of how each squad has performed in non-league action.
Jimmy Durkin's SJSU take:
SAN JOSE STATE
Nonconference wrap-up: The Spartans (2-10) showed promise for the first 70 or so minutes of the season. They cruised in the opener against Bethesda and had a 13-point lead on Portland midway through the second half. Since then, everything has spiraled downhill. San Jose State blew that big lead and lost in overtime, and its only two wins have come against non-Division I opponents. Five players are currently suspended, including the Spartans' four leading scorers and there's been little to suggest the team can be competitive in Mountain West play.
Emerging player: Freshman guard Darryl Gaynor Jr. is the only true remaining scorer left until some players return from suspension. He's scored 20 and 24 points, respectively, in the two games since the suspensions were handed down.
Best-case scenario: San Jose State finds some reason — any reason — to feel optimistic about the 2015-16 season by progress from players like Gaynor. Point guard Jalen James and center Leon Bahner should get medical redshirts after suffering season-ending injuries and those could be blessings in disguise for a team that isn't eligible for the conference tournament this year. With any luck, the Spartans surpass last year's conference win total of one.
Worse-case scenario: The suspensions turn into distractions and the players begin to turn and further worsen the on-court product and put building for next year at risk. The record turns truly embarrassing with a winless Mountain West campaign that leads to a 2-28 record with no Division I victories.
— Jimmy Durkin, San Jose Mercury News
No comments:
Post a Comment