December 27, 2005
PROVIDENCE, R.I. ? Now we know why five of nine Mountain West Conference basketball teams were awarded first-place votes in the preseason media poll.
No one is all that dominating.
Many nights, no one other than Air Force (picked fourth in that poll) and Colorado State (picked eighth) has been all that good.
So with conference play set to begin next week, teams search for any advantage that might earn them an edge amid all the mediocrity. In the case of San Diego State, that means a 6-foot-10 transfer forward from Florida.
Mohamed Abukar makes his Aztecs debut tonight against Providence at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, makes his debut for a 6-4 team that to this point has struggled more than most imagined when it was predicted to win the MWC in October.
"The frustrating part has been having to watch and us not yet living up to expectations, knowing I could have helped," Abukar said. "We haven't been as successful as we know we can be. I'm going to do everything I can to make that change. I'm not going to be rattled at all. I played in some pretty big games at Florida. But it has been a year since I played in a game, and it feels even longer."
He says the stress fracture in his leg that shut him down over the summer and limited him once practice began is no longer an issue. If anything, Abukar might be slowed early because of his conditioning being affected by the extended layoff.
SDSU coaches at first thought Abukar would come off the bench and blend as a third scoring option with juniors Marcus Slaughter and Brandon Heath. But more will be expected immediately now that Slaughter (the team's leading scorer and rebounder) is out for at least another week with a sprained knee.
"(Abukar) probably won't start (tonight), but he'll be in there quickly," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "He'll be anxious and we need to help him with that. But he can play and score. He should be a wonderful addition in every regard. He'll have some growing pains and we as a team will with him. Hopefully, he'll be able to filter in and get into the lineup with not a lot of strain on him."
Strain is actually something the Aztecs hope Abukar can help relieve. SDSU averages 16.4 turnovers and there have been several stretches thus far when an experienced hand might have helped calm the chaos. Abukar's presence also means a freshman such as forward Brett Hoerner doesn't have to press to contribute more than his ability suggests is possible right now.
The scoring ability is obvious watching Abukar in practice.
The important question: How will he defend and rebound?
"I think we'll be comfortable with him right away because he is so unselfish," Heath said. "He's all about winning. By playing with him in practice every day, we have a feel for how he does things and what shots he's going to take. He is a lot like (Slaughter), a versatile guy at 6-10 who can go inside or out and cause matchup problems for people."
Some suggested Abukar might actually benefit from Slaughter's absence to start, that it will allow him more freedom to find shots and etch out his own place within the scheme. He doesn't agree.
"Right now, we need to win as many games as we can," Abukar said. "I'll adjust my game whether Marcus is playing or not, but it's obviously better for all of us when he is in there. I really think we're just missing one or two pieces. My becoming (eligible) and Marcus getting back as quick as he can will make a big difference. Hopefully, then we'll be on our way."
PROVIDENCE, R.I. ? Now we know why five of nine Mountain West Conference basketball teams were awarded first-place votes in the preseason media poll.
No one is all that dominating.
Many nights, no one other than Air Force (picked fourth in that poll) and Colorado State (picked eighth) has been all that good.
So with conference play set to begin next week, teams search for any advantage that might earn them an edge amid all the mediocrity. In the case of San Diego State, that means a 6-foot-10 transfer forward from Florida.
Mohamed Abukar makes his Aztecs debut tonight against Providence at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, makes his debut for a 6-4 team that to this point has struggled more than most imagined when it was predicted to win the MWC in October.
"The frustrating part has been having to watch and us not yet living up to expectations, knowing I could have helped," Abukar said. "We haven't been as successful as we know we can be. I'm going to do everything I can to make that change. I'm not going to be rattled at all. I played in some pretty big games at Florida. But it has been a year since I played in a game, and it feels even longer."
He says the stress fracture in his leg that shut him down over the summer and limited him once practice began is no longer an issue. If anything, Abukar might be slowed early because of his conditioning being affected by the extended layoff.
SDSU coaches at first thought Abukar would come off the bench and blend as a third scoring option with juniors Marcus Slaughter and Brandon Heath. But more will be expected immediately now that Slaughter (the team's leading scorer and rebounder) is out for at least another week with a sprained knee.
"(Abukar) probably won't start (tonight), but he'll be in there quickly," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "He'll be anxious and we need to help him with that. But he can play and score. He should be a wonderful addition in every regard. He'll have some growing pains and we as a team will with him. Hopefully, he'll be able to filter in and get into the lineup with not a lot of strain on him."
Strain is actually something the Aztecs hope Abukar can help relieve. SDSU averages 16.4 turnovers and there have been several stretches thus far when an experienced hand might have helped calm the chaos. Abukar's presence also means a freshman such as forward Brett Hoerner doesn't have to press to contribute more than his ability suggests is possible right now.
The scoring ability is obvious watching Abukar in practice.
The important question: How will he defend and rebound?
"I think we'll be comfortable with him right away because he is so unselfish," Heath said. "He's all about winning. By playing with him in practice every day, we have a feel for how he does things and what shots he's going to take. He is a lot like (Slaughter), a versatile guy at 6-10 who can go inside or out and cause matchup problems for people."
Some suggested Abukar might actually benefit from Slaughter's absence to start, that it will allow him more freedom to find shots and etch out his own place within the scheme. He doesn't agree.
"Right now, we need to win as many games as we can," Abukar said. "I'll adjust my game whether Marcus is playing or not, but it's obviously better for all of us when he is in there. I really think we're just missing one or two pieces. My becoming (eligible) and Marcus getting back as quick as he can will make a big difference. Hopefully, then we'll be on our way."
