Struggling Aztecs Begin WAC Play : College basketball: With Clark out and problems at the guard position, SDSU must mature in a hurry against Wyoming.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego State basketball team opens Western Athletic Conference play tonight, which is kind of like feeding a man sentenced to death just enough poison to make him violently ill, then sticking him in the electric chair.

The Aztecs, whose 2-9 record is the worst since the 1986-87 team got off to a worst-ever 2-23 start en route to 5-25, play host to Wyoming (8-3) at 7:30 p.m. in the San Diego Sports Arena in the WAC opener for both teams.

The Cowboys have won five of their past six and arrive with revenge on their minds. SDSU defeated Wyoming twice last season, 87-84 in double overtime at home and 95-83 in Laramie.

Wyoming has as much talent as anybody in the conference, particularly in senior Reggie Slater (6-feet-7, 250 pounds), who is second in the WAC in scoring at 21 points per game and first in rebounding at 12 a game.

“We’re just going to come out and play hard,” SDSU center Joe McNaull said. “That’s about all we can do, be competitive.”

The Aztecs will be without Tony Clark, who represented one of only two outside shooting threats before his back problems flared up again. He will be out at least until Monday.

“That takes a lot of smartness out of our guard lineup,” SDSU forward Nelson Stewart said. “He’s very mature. I just hope he’s all right and hope our guards step up and take charge.”

How many problems do the Aztecs have?

Well, how much time do you have?

SDSU’s biggest difficulties have been at guard--so much so that Coach Jim Brandenburg is likely to start two freshmen--Robert Ringo and John Molle--there tonight.

Ringo has started five games and, along with Clark, is one of SDSU’s two outside threats. He scored a career-high 17 points Thursday against Yale.

Molle has played in all 11 games but is averaging only 6.4 minutes and 1.6 points per game.

The Aztecs desperately are searching for guards for several reasons, starting with the fact that the two who started the season--Ray Barefield and Virgil Smith--are shooting 30% from the field (39 of 127) and have more turnovers than assists.

Barefield is a defensive whiz, but the rest of his game is erratic. He is shooting only 28% (22 of 78) and has 35 turnovers as compared to only 28 assists.

Smith, a community college transfer from New York who opened the season as SDSU’s point guard, has had a difficult time adjusting to Division I basketball and a non-running game. He is shooting 34.7% (17 of 49) with 51 turnovers and 50 assists.

“We’re not completing plays,” Brandenburg said. “If you drive to the basket, you’ve got to finish it--it’s got to go in. If you drive to the basket and draw defenders, you’ve got to pass it and not turn it over. We’ve got to complete plays. That’s where we’re at.”

Elementary? SDSU has 198 turnovers as compared to 144 assists. The Aztecs are shooting only 43% from the field. They are shooting only 27.9% from three-point range--which not only ranks last in the WAC, but SDSU is the only team in the conference under 30%.

In fact, heading into WAC play, SDSU is last in the conference in three-point percentage, scoring defense (79 points allowed per game), field-goal percentage (42.8%), three-point percentage defense (37%), steals (5.2 per game), rebound margin (minus-0.6), scoring margin (minus-9.4) and three-point field goals per game (3.1).

And the Aztecs are second-to-last in free-throw percentage (65%).

Four players are averaging in double figures--and two of them will not play tonight against Wyoming. Clark (12 points per game) is out and is questionable for next week’s trip to New Mexico and Texas El Paso. Keith Balzer (10 points per game), after playing in six games, is redshirting this season after the tendinitis in his knees returned.

That leaves McNaull (16.6 points) and Courtie Miller (12 points) to carry the offensive load.

“It’s pretty simple,” Brandenburg said. “We need better offensive execution, a better turnover/assist ratio, we need to play better defensively, we need to do a better job rebounding and we need a better field-goal percentage.

“In general, we need to step up and develop better leadership. We’re leaderless at times.”

Other than that, though, the Aztecs are completely ready to begin conference play.