Aztecs Hope Tar Heels Are a ‘Point 3’ Success

Listening to one end of a Tuesday morning telephone call to the San Diego State basketball office told me all I needed to know about what was happening at the other end.

“Tickets? Which game?”

Pause.

“Oh, that game. How many?”

Pause. Gasp.

“TEN!!!!!”

No way to get 10 tickets, not to that game.

No way to get 10 tickets to Thursday night’s visit by North Carolina.

North Carolina?

Which one? UNC-Pumpkin Center? UNC-Pee Dee? UNC-Lake Waccamaw? UNC-Chocowinity?

No, the guys from Chapel Hill will be at the Sports Arena Thursday night. Deandome Dean’s guys. The real J.R. and Co. The Sweet Carolinas in the powder blue and white. The North Carolina Tar Heels, whatever a Tar Heel is, other than an accomplished college basketball player.

This is one of those benchmark games for a program still trying to establish itself after all of these years, some of them rather good ones.

It is not a matter of winning or losing against such an opponent, but rather just getting a man like Dean Smith to bring his team and his program to your town. Basketball is a little like high society in that you are measured, to a great extent, by who comes to your parties.

Indeed, a home game against North Carolina addresses Point 3 of SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg’s 3-point formula for success.

In his words: “We have to develop a large and participating crowd.”

It is doubtful that even North Carolina will attract a capacity crowd to the 13,741-seat arena, because SDSU has never played to such a thing as a capacity crowd in the Sports Arena. The largest gathering thus far was 11,044 for a game against No. 1-ranked DePaul in the 1980 Cabrillo tournament final, an 85-69 SDSU loss.

North Carolina is just another step, albeit a very large one.

“San Diego is a community that has a lot of options, a lot of things to do,” Brandenburg said. “People get into habits. They can get into the habit of going to basketball games, and they can get out of the habit of going to basketball games.”

However, Brandenburg, in only his second year in town, has noticed something about San Diegans.

“San Diego people are used to and really want big events,” he said. “It’s difficult to get the crowd interested in participating unless you create a big-event atmosphere with your home schedule.”

Subtleties such as this are manifested in Brandenburg’s view toward something as simple as turnovers, which most coaches abhor.

“A lot of people think I’m fastidious or meticulous when it comes to turnovers,” he said, “but I’ve never worried as much about them as other coaches. It’s when they come and what they are.”

An expensive turnover, for example, comes on a steal or a bad pass that leads to a breakaway 2 points. Brandenburg reasons that a cheaper turnover is a wild out-of-bounds pass or a travel, which enables his defense to get back and set up. With the Aztecs’ defensive field goal percentage of 39.4, a “cheaper turnover” only gives up an average of .788 of a point.

See?

This, then, is a coach who appreciates the long-term credibility of scheduling a North Carolina (and a likely loss) instead of a succession of stiffs (and likely victories).

“Of course,” he said, “over a period of time, you have to start beating those people.”

To do that, he must implement Points 1 and 2 of his formula.

“First,” Brandenburg said, “you have to recruit quality student-athletes. The second point is that, once they get here, you have to coach them and develop them to their maximum potential.”

Put the first two, recruiting and coaching, together with fan involvement, and . . .

“Your schedule, television coverage and success rate will blossom,” he said.

San Diego State is obviously on the upswing, with a 5-3 record and a 72.4% increase in average attendance.

“We’ve got a fair start,” Brandenburg said. “I’m not sure if we’re ahead of our time schedule, and I’m not sure if we’re behind. We’re probably close to being on schedule. Nothing miraculous and nothing disastrous.”

Brandenburg seeks a disciplined and steady upswing.

“What’s devastating is when you gain momentum and then backslide,” he said. “It’s devastating when you get expectations up and then take a dive. That’s kind of what’s happened around here for quite a few years. We have to put a quality product on the floor, and do it consistently.”

The feeling this week is a little different, more one of increased interest than great expectations. North Carolina is the gate attraction, not SDSU.

What Brandenburg hopes is that a few folks come out to see the Sweet Carolinas and fall just a little bit in love with his Aztecs.

And maybe, just maybe, the telephone will keep ringing with requests for tickets.

Ten? No problem.

Next week.