AZTECS MEN'S HOOPS PRESS CONFERENCE: 0-3

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By Liz Alper

Quotes, photo and video courtesy goaztecs.com

January 9, 2017 (San Diego) - The San Diego State men's basketball team is 0-3 to start conference play.  Head coach Steve Fisher,  junior guard Trey Kell and senior guard Dakarai Allen sat down with the media before their game against San Jose State at Viejas Arena tomorrow night.

“We are here today at 0-3, and that’s not where we thought we would be," Fisher opened with.  Our goal after tomorrow is to be 1-3. And you do it one step at a time.  I’ve said this before, it’s a long, long, long season. We are not out of the gate the way we had hoped. But we have opportunities to get to the finish line the way we wanted to.  So I’m excited and enthused and upbeat because of the way our players have continued to respond. And I know we’ll all do that. We’re proud of the program, proud of one another and determined that we’re going to take a big step forward starting on Tuesday."

There has been growing discontent with the team's 0-3 start.  Fisher addressed this.  “I understand what a fan is. There’s disappointment when you don’t have success. I do understand that fully.  No one hurts more than we do inside that locker room. We want our fans to be invested and disappointed and have standards and have expectations. We do, too. We want that. We don’t want to shy away from that. But in today’s world, I think some can be too quick to give up the ghost. I don’t want that. We can’t have that. Our fans are too good. Please, be with us. We’re in it together. But I understand the frustration for sure.”

Fisher talked a little bit about the Spartans team. “San José State beat Fresno State in their most recent game and played very well doing that. They went right down to the wire with Colorado State in their game previous to that. They’re much improved. All you have to do is put a tape in.  I put in last year’s tape and then I watched this year’s tape, and I see all the same guys out there. So they’ve got a lot of guys back that went through the experiences that they did. They had good young kids last year. You can say that if they can stay together, they have a chance to grow with one another. They’ve got ‘em all back and they’re better. There’s no question that they’re better. We’ll meet a foe that’s coming off a win and they’ll have spring in their step."

Fisher talked about the loss to Boise State on Saturday night. “If you put in a tape of our last game (at Boise State) and really watched it, you’d say they’re in a stance, they’re ready to play, they’re excited to play. At times what we did is that we played with too much energy before we put thought into it."

Kell was asked if the team has a lack of confidence. “I wouldn’t say the team has a lack of confidence. We still feel that after the game we’re the best team in the conference even though our record is 0-3...Right now we’re on a three-game losing streak and it’s easy to have your confidence be low at a time like this. But we just have to get back on the practice floor and give it all we have. If we start on Tuesday and get a victory, then that confidence will start to slowly build back.”

SDSU takes the court against San Jose State tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m.

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