Sept. 28, 2009

SAN DIEGO - College basketball preseason magazines have the San Diego State men's basketball team challenging for the 2009-10 Mountain West Conference title and earning its fifth consecutive postseason tournament bid.

Lindy's College Basketball has the Aztecs finishing in third place in the Mountain West and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Individually, the publication selected junior Billy White to its preseason all-conference first team and sophomore Tim Shelton to its third team. White was also named the league's top shooter.

The magazine also anointed SDSU's recruiting class as the conference's "best group of recruits." Kawhi Leonard, a member of that group, was tabbed as the MWC's "newcomer who will have the most impact" and is No. 48 on the publication's "Top 100 Incoming Freshmen: Class of 2009" list. Malcolm Thomas, another member of the Aztecs' incoming class, finds himself on "The JC Jackpot" list, which lists the top junior college transfers who are eligible to play this season.

Athlon Sports College Basketball 2009-10, meanwhile, has the Aztecs finishing in second place and appearing in their fifth straight postseason tournament. Redshirt sophomore Tyrone Shelley, who sat out last season after leading Pepperdine in scoring as a freshman in 2007-08, was selected to Athlon's preseason all-Mountain West first team and its "20 Impact Transfers" list. Leonard added to his list of accolades in this magazine as well, as he was list at No. 70 on Athlon's "2009-10 Recruiting Report."

Last week, Blue Ribbon picked the Aztecs to finish in second place in the Mountain West Conference and tabbed White as a first-team all-MWC selection and Thomas as the league's newcomer of the year.

San Diego State is coming off a 2008-09 season in which it won a school-record 26 games and advanced to the postseason NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. SDSU has won 20 or more games and advanced to the postseason four straight seasons and returns White, two-year starter D.J. Gay, Shelton and a top-15 recruiting class.

San Diego State 2009-10 season tickets start at $99 for reserved chair-back seats and are available now. Season tickets can be purchased online at GoAztecs.com or by calling the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-7378.