Aztecs Betting on New Guard Core

San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher has constructed a new starting backcourt built on three guards: Elzie Harrington, Latrell Davis, and transfer Chance Gladden. This group replaces the void left by Miles Byrd, the program's standout wing who departed for the Big East Conference.

The roster shift forces the Aztecs to rely on guard play to drive their offense. Byrd, an NBA prospect, has performed well in two exhibition games with Providence. His exit required SDSU to find replacement scoring and playmaking depth to maintain their recent success.

Gladden, a 6-foot-4, 192-pound transfer from Boston University, is expected to anchor the point guard position. At Boston University, he started 31 games and averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field. His free-throw percentage of 86.7 ranked 61st in the nation.

Exhibition performance offers mixed signals for the new point guard. Against Arizona, Gladden scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds. However, USC’s defensive pressure limited him to one point, three assists, and three turnovers in a later matchup. He showed poise without forcing shots against the Trojans.

Elzie Harrington, the lone returning guard from last season, is a 6-foot-5 sophomore who averaged eight points on 47.9% shooting as a freshman. He started 17 games before a leg injury sidelined him for the final two weeks of the previous campaign. In a recent exhibition against USC, he recorded 19 points and four assists.

Latrell Davis, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound guard, completes the starting trio. Davis previously played two years at San Jose State, appearing in 66 games. He directed the scout team for SDSU last season. Dutcher cited a recurring looseness in his shoulder as the reason Davis played limited minutes off the bench in recent exhibitions.

The team opens its regular season Tuesday against Cal State Fullerton. This marks the first year for SDSU in the Pac-12 Conference after six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, with the team narrowly missing a berth last year. Long Beach State coach Chris Acker, a former SDSU assistant, believes the trio’s ability to shoot and handle the ball will define the season's trajectory.

Acker noted that the offense will evolve around these guards playing off one another. He emphasized that success in March depends on guard performance. A 6-foot-5 freshman named Zach White is also competing for bench minutes, having hit two corner three-pointers in a recent exhibition.