The screen saver photo on my desktop computer at home is a picture of Malachi Flynn, wearing the SDSU Aztecs' alternate red "Chicago Bulls" jerseys, going up for a shot over three San Jose State defenders at Viejas Arena. That particular three-point shot, you may recall, went in at the buzzer, giving the Aztecs a stunning 59-57 victory over the Spartans on Dec. 8 and served as the centerpiece moment for the Aztecs' amazing 26-0 run to start the 2019-2020 men's basketball season.
I don't want to take down or change the picture, because it's as if I don't ever want to forget. You shouldn't forget, either. And I don't think you will.
A lot has been made the past few days of how to couch a brilliant season that was cut short -- just as every other team in the country's was -- by the horrible and at times frightening outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Just how big of a run could the Aztecs have made in the NCAA Tournament? Would they have been a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed? Could they have won the whole thing, and been crowned NCAA champions?
Truth is, we'll never know. But we can always talk about and remember fondly the stuff we do know. No virus can make us forget:
--Allowing a 15-0 run to BYU and falling behind by six in the second half during the season's second game in Provo, Utah. But in what would prove to be a harbinger of the good times ahead, SDSU came back, led by Jordan Schakel's 5-for-7 three-point shooting and a clutch 3-pointer by K.J. Feagin down the stretch, they won, 76-71, to go to 2-0 on the season. BYU would end the season ranked in the Top 15 and lose only one home game. This would be that one.
--Meeting their first "challenge" of the season, and passing with flying colors in an 83-52 demolition of Creighton in the first game of the Continental Tire Invitational in Las Vegas (the Aztecs' home away from home). Flynn would score 21 points in the contest, and Matt Mitchell -- coming off the bench at the time -- would add 16. Yanni Wetzell was unstoppable in the post, shooting 5-for-6 and scoring 14 points. Creighton wouldn't stay embarrassed for long; the Blue Jays wound up winning the Big East title and finishing just behind the Aztecs at No. 7 in the rankings.
--Following up that win with an even more impressive comeback victory over Big Ten contender Iowa. The Aztecs trailed big early (a theme that would be revisited later in the year) and by nine at halftime. Then Flynn went off for 28 points, everybody pitched in with double figures and SDSU outscored the Hawkeyes by 19 in the second half to win going away, 83-73.
--A remarkable run of blowout victories -- the San Jose State game notwithstanding -- as the Aztecs began to rise up in the polls through the months of December and January. Utah was brushed aside by 28 just days after beating Kentucky. Utah State, the preseason conference favorite, was dispatched in Logan, Utah. Other challengers like Boise State, Nevada, UNLV and New Mexico were handled with ease, and all of a sudden San Diego State was the only unbeaten team in the country. It was a designation they would enjoy for 39 days.
--Utah State came calling again to kick off February, and led by eight at halftime. Surely, this would be the end of the run. Or surely not. The Aztecs, led by Mitchell mostly, exploded in the second half again and won 80-68 to improve to 23-0. A tough win at Air Force, albeit by 15 points in the end, and easy runaways over New Mexico and Boise State left the mark at 26-0.
Amazing. A banner went up to celebrate the Aztecs' Mountain West championship, which was clinched with still 2 1/2 weeks left in the regular season.
Special times, indeed. A celebration that couldn't (shouldn't) have been erased even when the streak finally ended in a 66-63 home loss to UNLV on Feb. 22. Four more wins would be added, including a stirring comeback victory over Nevada in the regular-season finale and a rally from 16 points down to subdue Boise State in the MWC Tournament semifinals. That would turn out to be the final win of a year to remember.
But just exactly how should we remember it? The great Kawhi Leonard and Xavier Thames teams of years past got to experience runs to the Sweet 16 -- and of course, this team will not. Some are saying it's somewhat typical of San Diego's sketchy sports history to have such a great team's chances short-circuited before the thrill of what could have been in March ever got started. Perhaps that's true, but right now the coronavirus wounds cut too deep and are too fresh for us honestly to feel bad only for the Red & Black.
In truth, we should feel good regardless. So I say take down that Mountain West Championship banner that was put up into the rafters before the UNLV loss and redo it just a bit. The sign should read: San Diego State Men's Basketball MWC regular-season champs.
Then below it should simply say 30-2.
Put that back into the Viejas rafters and celebrate it for all time.