San Diego State opens season with new guard rotation

San Diego State basketball begins its season on Tuesday against Cal State Fullerton.

The team enters the game with a new starting backcourt. Three guards will handle the primary ball-handling duties for the Aztecs this year.

Chance Gladden, a transfer from Boston University, joins the group as the new point guard.

Elzie Harrington returns as a sophomore after starting 17 games last season.

Latrell Davis, a senior, completes the trio of starting guards.

Gladden, who stands 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 192 pounds, played for a private prep school in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he averaged 26 and 29 points in his final two high school seasons.

At Boston University, he started 31 games.

He averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 47.6 percent from the field.

His free-throw percentage of 86.7 ranked 61st in the nation.

Gladden showed flashes of his potential in recent exhibition games.

Against Arizona, he scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds.

In a game against Long Beach State, he recorded 11 points and seven assists in 20 minutes of play, shooting 4 for 5 from the floor. USC limited him to one point and three assists in a separate exhibition, though he also had three turnovers. Harrington, a 6-foot-5 guard, scored 19 points and dished out four assists against USC last week. USC had offered him a scholarship two years ago. Last season, he averaged eight points on 47.9 percent shooting before a leg injury kept him out for the final two weeks of the year. Davis, 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds, played in 66 games over two years at San Jose State. He directed the scout team for SDSU last year. Coach Brian Dutcher said Davis would have started the recent exhibitions against Arizona and USC if not for a recurring shoulder issue. Instead, Davis played 16 minutes against Arizona and 19 minutes against USC. The Aztecs missed the NCAA Tournament last year after reaching it six times in a row. The team now enters its first season in the Pac-12 Conference. Chris Acker, the head coach at Long Beach State, previously served as an assistant at SDSU for five seasons, including the year the team reached the national final. Acker believes the new guard group can drive success for the program. He noted that Gladden possesses a calm demeanor and takes care of the basketball. Acker said that having a point guard who can shoot from the perimeter is a strength for Dutcher's system. He described the offense as one that will evolve around these players playing off one another. Acker stated that teams win in March with guards and that San Diego State has enough depth in that position. Zach White, a 6-foot-5 freshman, is competing for bench minutes. He hit two corner three-pointers and drove to the basket against Long Beach State. The Aztecs will look to establish their identity as they move into November.