Aztecs Basketball Adds Two Talented Players
Brian Dutcher and company get big commits from Aguek Arop and transfer WSU point guard Malachi Flynn.
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Arop was Nebraska’s top high schooler in 2016 with 15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Flynn was #2 scorer and #1 in assists at WSU.
Coach Brian Dutcher continues to make good moves for the San Diego State Aztecs Men’s Basketball squad.
This week, San Diego State first announced that they had received a commitment from Omaha South high standout basketball player Aguek Arop. The 6’6″ athlete with a 7’1″ arm span was 2016 Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year.
He averaged 15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 2016, and returned to average 17.1 points per game and 9.8 rebounds the following year. Said to have an excellent basketball IQ both offensively and defensively, Arop was also a good student with a 3.9 GPA.
Arop was considering Wichita State and Texas before committing to San Diego State, and becomes the third African born player to join this fall’s Aztecs.
San Diego State then announced news that talented Washington State point guard Malachi Flynn chose to transfer to San Diego State over Creighton as well. The 6’2″ sophomore sharpshooter led in assists and was second in scoring for the Cougars behind Robert Franks.
As a high school senior at Bellarmine Prep, Flynn averaged a whopping 29.7 points per game and became the Washington state Player of the Year.
Flynn will have to sit out for one season before capitalizing on his remaining two years of eligibility, but he is a strong choice to succeed Devin Watson and Jeremy Hemsley as point guard.
Flynn follows in the footsteps of WSU transfer and Aztecs great Xavier Thames, who was overlooked as a Cougar. Thames transferred to SDSU and subsequently helped steer the Aztecs to a Sweet 16 appearance before becoming the Mountain West Player of the Year.
No comment yet from Washington State Cougars coach Ernie Kent.
It remains to be seen if the Aztecs pick up a graduate transfer “big” as has been the case in the past few years with Kameron Rooks from Cal- and Valentine Izundu also from Washington State.
Things are shaping up for the 2018-2019 Aztecs basketball program.