Fisher: SDSU starting five could be fluid

San Diego State basketball coach Steve Fisher was asked Tuesday if, three weeks before the season opener, he has a starting lineup.

“If we played today I know who I’d start,” Fisher said, speaking at the Mountain West Digital Tip-off news conference, “but I’d just as soon keep that to myself.”

He also admits this, though: He doesn’t know what it will be a month into the season.

“I’ve been a creature of habit,” Fisher said, “where we get a lineup and unless injury takes place I’m not quick to throw somebody under the bus or out of the lineup if he has one bad game. I would say there is a chance this year that our lineup will vary as our season goes on. We will probably not have the same starting lineup for 35 games.”

The Aztecs played 36 games last season. The same five – Xavier Thames, Winston Shepard, JJ O’Brien, Josh Davis, Skylar Spencer – started 32 of them.

Over the past five seasons, Fisher has made a meaningful lineup change for reasons other than injury or suspension just twice. In 2012-13, Jamaal Franklin effectively replaced 6-foot-11 Garrett Green at midseason as Fisher went small. In 2009-2010, Kelvin Davis and then Tyrone Shelley started at shooting guard before freshman Chase Tapley took over the spot for the rest of his career.

Three starters return from last season (Shepard, O’Brien and Spencer), but you also have Mountain West sixth man of the year Dwayne Polee II, Arizona transfer Angelo Chol, fifth-year senior Aqeel Quinn, an improving Matt Shrigley and four heralded freshmen – two of whom, Trey Kell and Kevin Zabo, are already making a strong case for minutes.

Some of Fisher’s determination for a 2014-15 starting unit will come from the 30 preseason practices, 16 of which remain. But some will come from live games.

“I think it’s going to be ever-changing,” Fisher said. “We’re going to play a lot of guys early, even against the good competition we’re playing. We’ll find out who can do what under what circumstances. It will be interesting for us, too.

“A year ago, we were pretty set with Josh parachuting in (as a fifth-year transfer). The other spots were pretty much set as to who they would be, and I knew what we’d get because we’d seen them all play. This year is a little bit uncertain.”

Good behavior

Shepard and the four freshmen ate dinner at a local restaurant Saturday, and Fisher received a letter about their behavior toward a woman celebrating her 75th birthday.

It was exemplary. The players visited with people at the party and took pictures with them.

Said Fisher: “She wrote that, ‘I want to compliment you and your program on what wonderful players you have. They were so generous and kind.’”

He added: “That kind of tells you a little bit about the quality of people. You’ve got to have a bit of an ego to do anything (on the court), and they’ve got that. But they don’t have an ego where they think the world owes them a living or where they’re not appreciative of people recognizing them. They don’t take it as a burden.”

Notes

It’s a good time for the Aztecs to have their lightest week of practice of the preseason, with off-days already scheduled for Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. By the end of practice Tuesday, only eight of 13 scholarship players were on the floor. Freshmen Malik Pope and Zylan Cheatham are recovering from previous injuries, Chol was sidelined after having a wisdom tooth extracted, Polee had a sore back and Zabo rolled an ankle. Fisher said Chol, Polee and Zabo are not expected to be out long ...

Less than 25 of 1,000 mini-packages remain for five games over winter break, including Mountain West games against Air Force and New Mexico. The packages cost $100 and are general admission seating in the student section. They can be purchased by calling (619) 283-7378 or at GoAztecs.com.