New man on campus has San Diego State fans excited

Victoria Sun

Thursday, Nov. 11, 1999 | 12:47 p.m.

Aztec Facts

Coach: Steve Fisher

Coach's record at school: First year

Coach's overall record: 184-82 (9 years)

Returning starters: 4

Player to watch: Myron Epps (11.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Player they'll miss: Matt Watts (14.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

Key newcomer: Jim Roban

Marquee game: At Oklahoma State, Dec. 12

Media poll projection: 7th

Ever since Steve Fisher became the new men's basketball coach at San Diego State, the campus has been buzzing with optimism.

The hope is that Fisher can save the Aztecs from being a cellar-dweller in the newly former Mountain West Conference, and it's even rubbed off on the players.

"It's been a huge change and our whole attitude has changed just having coach Fisher here," said guard David Abramowitz. "We have the confidence that we can win now.

"Having a new coach (and) new assistants has made the whole team better and we are working harder in practice."

True, Fisher coached Michigan to a 1989 NCAA title and his team reached consecutive NCAA finals in 1992 and 1993, but the man is a basketball coach, not a magician, so it will take time before he turns the program around.

The Aztecs have had one winning season in 15 years.

Fisher inherits a team that was 4-22 last year and has only one senior, guard Donte Wilson.

With this in mind, Fisher has held practice like he would hold a teaching clinic -- by starting with the basics.

"We need to get better in every facet starting with the fundamentals," he said. "My only goal is to get us to some measure of consistency and go from there. "We're gonna try to defend and rebound and get some easy baskets."

The Aztecs will need all the points they can get.

They averaged 67.1 points a game while their opponents scored 78.2 points per contest.

The problem is, the team not only lacks experience, it also lacks size, so Fisher will challenge his team to outhustle foes.

Whether the plan will work depend on how well the team gets accustomed to Fisher -- and each other.

There are four starters back including forwards Myron Epps and Vincent Okotie, but if the Aztecs have any shot at winning a few more games, both will have to step up.

Epps had a solid freshman year that was overshadowed by his team's overall performance while Okotie must improve his productivity on both ends of the court and become a more consistent player.

The backcourt will be bolstered by the addition of point guard Bradley Jackson, who will join Donte Wilson.

The team has two talented junior college transfers, Michael Marion out of the College of Eastern Utah, who was a Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School, and Jim Roban, a Las Vegas product out of Dixie Junior College.

For Fisher, there will be no easy answers, though there is hope on the horizon. He is a very good recruiter and in time, should be able to cultivate the same talent he did at Michigan.