AZTEC BASKETBALL TRANSFER PORTAL

The Aztecs have also added Jeremiam “Bear’ Cherry, a 6’11” , 250 pound forward out of Sacramento State. He is returning after recovery from an injury, but he put up big numbers prior to that and could be the answer that Coach Brian Dutcher needs in the middle. He also spent a year at UNLV. The status of transfers remains extremely fluid, with changes happening at lightning speed. The Aztecs also have a signing out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. This is 6’6” wing Zach White. One player that has been thrown around behind semi-open doors is power forward Jerald Colonel from Stephen F. Austin. He has a dominating inside presence and is a top rebounder and shot blocker. One final basketball note is CIF San Diego Section Boys Basketball Player of the Year Dax Hall out of Santa Fe Christian, committed to the New Mexico Lobos. He averaged 27 points per game during his senior season, including nine 30-point games. He is the brother of Lobos freshman star Jake Hall. Once again the Aztecs lose out on local talent who look elsewhere.

Football will be here sooner than we know.

Football talk is hitting the media. The NCAA is recommending that the Football Bowl Subdivision teams play a 12-game schedule over a 14 week period beginning in 2027 with the season starting with the Thursday of Week Zero and ending on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This was made by the Division 1 FBS Oversight Committee which needs approvals before being implemented. Discussions and potential vote might be made as early as June. The recommendation would provide two open dates for all teams. Explaining that the earlier start date would allow more flexibility for potential expansion of the College Football Playoff to more teams. Projected to start playoffs in mid-December, it does preserve standalone weekends for the conference championships and longstanding Army-Navy game. The two bye weeks will allow each team to heal and rest, addressing ongoing concerns over an already heavy schedule. This upcoming season starts with eight Week Zero games on August 29.  San Diego State will not be impacted this season, as their first game is at home on Saturday September 5 against Portland State.

Baseball Notes

The Diamond Aztecs struggled in recent weeks dropping three straight on the road at New Mexico, dropping them from first to fourth in the conference. They did rebound against UC San Diego in a non-conference game, winning 9-1 and topping Long Beach State 7-5 on Wednesday evening. They continue a few non-conference games against Seattle and CS Northridge before hitting the road for three games against Fresno State before returning home to host Nevada for a three-game series the first week of May. They conclude the season with a three game homestand against San Jose State and three more on the road at UNLV the middle of May. New Mexico currently leads the conference, followed by Nevada, Air Force and then the Aztecs. The Aztecs do lead the conference in pitching with a 5.49 ERA over 309 games and a 21-18 record. They also sport a strong defense with a .978 fielding percentage and tied for the lowest amount of errors. Spring tends to be the springboard into the football season. Kudos to all the athletes who work and train all year to excel in their sports