Looking at this season

Hey, any team can have a bad century.

Sorry, couldn't resist. It's just that will SJSU men's basketball program become a respected one in our lifetimes is a valid question because the majority of readers here are more than likely getting discounts on purchases of all things and we don't necessarily have all that many more renditions of Auld Lang Syne left to sing.

So with Coach Dave Wojcik's third season beginning shortly, what can fans expect?

There are many 'tests' to apply in judging a team and here's a critical yet simple one: take the Spartan starting five and determine who has the capability of winning their position each game? Forget the guys off the bench for now and simply look at which talent can out-play his opponent on a given night and determine are their enough 'wins' in these matchups to provide an opportunity for a victory when the final horn sounds? Make the focus conference pairings since these are the most important.

Let's begin. Position by position:

If healthy, Leon Bahner is the most likely candidate to start at center. He's not going to outscore his opponent except on odd occasions so his primary focuses will need to be on plus rebounding and defending. Can the latter two categories make up for a scoring deficiency? Yes, if he can impact games in these two elements.

Will it be Frank Rogers starting at the four or will 6-foot-8 freshman Cody Schwartz show enough consistency early on? It just doesn't seem like it's in him (an observation, not a criticism) for Rogers to get and stay physical. He can produce points and some rebounds but the three-point attempts need to really be limited. It's his last opportunity to do what this team really needs, fair or not to ask of him, considering his strengths and weaknesses. The odds of winning this position in league games this season seem low. Give Schwartz a year and the prediction certainly has good odds of swinging in the other direction.

Who will be positioned at the three? Will it be Princeton Onwas (see next paragraph). Freshman Jaycee Hillsman has the best body and away-from-the-basket offensive repertoire of any newcomer but it's a lot to expect any newcomer, let alone one making the jump from high school, to play well enough to give his squad an advantage game-to-game. It's hard to see emerging on top at this spot.

In recent media coverage, it was said that Princeton Onwas would be at the two spot. Strong, very athletic and the best defender on the team, it's his shooting history that brings some worry here. He averaged 4.2 points per game as a Utah junior while shooting 51% overall but he went 5-25 on threes and a dismal 42% from the foul line, 29-69. Maybe him at shooting guard is incorrect or possibly he has really worked on his form. It's difficult to envision winning this position unless his range and accuracy has been transformed.

Gary Williams Jr. at the point is a big and strong backcourter -- a 'man guard' to use the term learned recently from a coach -- and there's no argument here vis-a-vis that aspect. He has the best chance of any Spartan of consistently winning his matchup.

Others:

Now where does Jalen James stand? Will he relieve Williams who would then switch to the two with Onwas heading over to the three? James is entering his third season in the program and the time is now for stepping up and consistently providing the chance to best his opposing player.

Not sure what to think of the fits for Isaac Thornton and Brandon Mitchell but their shooting last season prevents envisioning them as starters. The same for Ryan Singer. What are their strengths and do they override any weaknesses? Thornton had a fairly strong frosh season but went backwards in 2014-15.

And what of newbies Brandon Clark, Ryan Welage and Ashtin Chastain. Clark needs better ball skills and an improved offensive repertoire to go with his athleticism and defending talents. There's been no word but Welage is actually a good candidate for redshirting since he desperately needs weight and strength. Chastain has a foot injury and is already a planned redshirt.

Overall:

Do not discount the phrase the sum being mightier than its parts because it happens. But this Spartan squad seems a year away from having the critical mass to reach that level. The work of the backcourt will be the most critical because so many of the players still need to be set up for good looks so penetration and passing plus accurate outside-shooting are musts. Remember that the new 30 second clock will add pressure due to less time to generate a good look.

Will SJSU post victories over San Diego State, Boise State, UNLV and Utah State? Not likely. Fresno State will also be tough but with a question mark surrounding its power game inside. New Mexico won't be killer this season but better than last year. Colorado State also has an unproven front line but looks solid at the 1-3 positions.

In the next tier, Nevada is take-able but watch out for next season. Wyoming lost a lot and returns a very solid guard alongside a 'who knows' in the power spots. Air Force will struggle so look for at least one SJSU victory this season over the Falcons.

So what will a 'successful Spartan season look like? Games against Colorado State and Wyoming are at home early on, alongside a trip to Air Force, so the opportunity is available to start league play with opportunities for victories. There are 18 Mountain West Conference matchups. Barring injury, SJSU will emerge on top in five, maybe six of them.