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What do you think about SDSU 2014 class with latest commit Malik Pope #AskcoachB pic.twitter.com/jGx1Pw6H1e
— George (@GeoInRealLife) Oct. 9, 2013
San Diego State and Steve Fisher have done a tremendous job of identifying talent and zeroing in on players who major programs hesitate on. And sometimes they simply beat out well-known schools for these kids.
SDSU finds players who are on the way up or on the way down. Kevin Zabo has always been a consistent performer on the circuit. At one point, he was highly rated, but his performance leveled off. Now, he is playing well and learning the point guard position while still scoring for Jason Smith at Brewster Academy.
Trey Kell was an outstanding pickup from this summer. I came away impressed by his poise and shooting ability. His size will make him an instant success.
Malik Pope is somewhat of an unknown in terms of productivity, but his upside is obvious because before his injury some thought he was one of the nation's top 20 players. When he gets healthy, he will be a force and will adjust to the philosophy and culture of the program, which will make his transition on the floor easier.
SDSU is high-level basketball, and it knows how to win. One of the reasons why is the Aztecs have the ability to evaluate and read a recruiting situation on who they can and can't get. It is a major strength of Fisher and his staff, and they do it as well as anyone in the country. A talented three-man class with two Top 100 players like this keeps a program on top in any league.