The Aztec nation usually leaves the Viejas Arena happy.
According to Teamrankings.com, SDSU has compiled a 140-20 home record since the 2014-2015 season. The program’s 87.5% winning percentage during that span is ninth-best in the country, one spot higher than Duke.
As rare as a loss may be, the pain lingers longer than the joy of a win. Of the 20 home losses, the inexplicable 81-62 loss to Brown in 2018 stands out as the worst, in which the Ivy League school shot 71.4% (62.5% from the three-point line) in the first half and went on a 26-0 run.
Lost in a contest that most in America’s best city try to forget was the breakthrough game of freshman Aguek Arop, who scored a career-high 11 points and five rebounds in just 14 minutes.
This was the first glimpse of Arop’s extraordinary ability to impact a game with minimal playing time. Over the next five seasons of a career that culminated in the National Championship Game, Arop continued to put everyone around him on top form.
During his final season, Arop’s impact on the entire SDSU community was evident. In late February, some of his friends used their free student tickets to watch him play against Colorado State. They scrawled “Aguek Arop” on their chests and donned angel wings to show their gratitude for how he had blessed them off the field.
At the end of his playing career, Arop expressed a desire to take a break from the game. He wasn’t sure what the next chapter held for him, but knew coaching wasn’t one of them. After being away for the summer, he changed his mind.
Last August, Arop took a job on head coach Brian Dutcher’s staff. Arop is entering his second season and hasn’t been on the job for a full calendar year. The anniversary of his hiring is coming up in a few weeks, and he’s spent the last 11 months doing what he’s done since he stepped foot on campus in 2018 – making others better.
“It’s actually going great,” Arop said in an exclusive interview with the East Village Times this week. “I think the best way to put it is: I’ve settled in well. I know what’s expected of me. I expect a lot more from myself and I think the coaching staff expects more from me as well. Now that I know what it looks like, I’m taking the next step, so to speak. I’m taking on a bigger role, having more say and just being more proactive.”
Building relationships
Like all college coaches, Arop’s responsibilities include a dizzying array of activities. Recent NCAA changes to the duties allowed for coaches in his role allow him to describe his job as “essentially another assistant… (with) many of the same responsibilities, just with a little less of a burden.”
The most tangible aspect of his job is producing the team’s advanced scout. Arop edits the opponent film that players study before a contest. The Aztecs are known for their defensive game plans. A few extra days for Dutcher and his team to prepare usually results in a win. Former assistant JD Pollock excelled in that process. Arop has continued that work.
As sharp as his basketball game is, Arop’s greatest skill is his ability to connect with people. The infectious energy with which he played and which made him such a popular athlete is his essence. People gravitate towards him and that makes him an excellent coach.
“Definitely getting to know the guys,” Arop said. “They’re at an age where you can have such a big impact and change the course of their lives. Getting to know the guys that come to me. That’s by far my favorite part of my job.”
Earning the right to lead
A truism about young professionals is that while they are good at parroting the techniques and cliches of an industry, they lack the experience for truly sophisticated practice. Arop is a rare exception. He is new to his field, but approaches it with an understanding that goes beyond his years.
What Arop knows intuitively is something most people learn much later in life. His main job is developing college athletes on the basketball court. He already recognizes that growth is as individual as the person who seeks it.
“It’s all about building relationships and helping them feel comfortable,” Arop said of his role. “You don’t know what every single man needs, but I make it clear that I’m there for them, that I’m paying attention to them (and) that I understand their needs as young men. I’m a young man myself, so I think I can relate to them better. Building relationships is the most important part because at the end of the day, it’s not easy and you need men to know they’re supported. They’re going to have fun, but they’re still going to get better. There’s a lot to it because we’re dealing with people.”
Armed with this knowledge, he is a tremendous asset to SDSU at a time when the sport is going through massive changes. The power of relationships is more important than ever.
In college basketball, teams with great chemistry typically perform better than those with less good chemistry. With players able to move at will, developing a sense of togetherness has never been more difficult. Having someone like Arop on the team who is around the same age as the players should allow SDSU to navigate the changes well.
Player development
Part of Arop’s new role is recruiting. This summer, he flew to several states to check out high school prospects. With Chris Ackers leaving for Long Beach State, the NCAA’s permission to allow all six assistants to recruit off campus couldn’t have come at a better time. Arop is as suited as anyone to shine as a recruiter.
“Honestly, it’s a luxury for me to have played at San Diego State because we look for Aztecs,” Arop said. “Guys that are competitive, that are big and long, that defend, that are free on offense, that have a great basketball sense. Honestly, it was a luxury for me. I learned pretty quickly because we look for Aztecs. As an Aztec, I know what we’re looking for. There are a lot of guys that are in consideration for other schools, but there aren’t that many for us.”
In addition to his other duties, Dutcher gives Arop a few players to focus on during the season. The young assistant works with all of SDSU’s athletes, but he also works within his assigned group. Who those players will be next season has not yet been determined, but as a former inside linebacker, he will work with the team’s big players.
Going forward, it’s easy to see how the confidence he develops in recruiting will translate to the practice field, allowing Arop to develop future Aztecs to shine on the mesa. He’s not only selling his alma mater, but also the opportunity to play under a coach who truly cares about his players.
“I’ll have a few people I’ll be working with specifically,” Arop said. “I’ll do my best to build them up and teach them as much as I can. We have eight new guys, so we still have a lot to learn. It’s hard to set a firm goal for this year because we’re working with people. There are a lot of variables, a lot of nuances.”
“I think it’s just about helping each player develop individually, whether it’s playing slower and thinking more or playing more. Some players think too much. The players I’m assigned to – of course I’ll work with everyone – will have a few players that I give special attention and care to. That’s a big goal of mine because it’s a lot about relationships. That’s what I’ve noticed. I think you have to earn the right to talk about these players’ lives. If I can earn that, they’ll trust me more.”
Head coach Aguek Arop?
Arop isn’t sure what he wants to do professionally yet. He sees the added stress Dutcher faces as head coach and isn’t sure if he wants to take on the extra responsibility. He added, however, that he has the mindset of a young man and could see himself aspiring for the top job in the future. When he talks about this year’s team, he already sounds like a head coach.
“We’re extremely talented,” Arop said. “We’re actually bigger and longer than last year. I think we’re going to play better together as a team. We’re still working on getting everything together, but we have a lot of talent. That’s promising.”
“A lot of new players have to learn how to defend first. But at San Diego State, we’re always going to defend, so that’s not the least of my worries. But I know that will come.”
Whatever the future holds, Arop is thriving as an assistant. The health problems that ended a promising playing career are improving as his basketball workload has decreased.
He’s focused on improving his strength and mobility by breaking down scar tissue from previous surgeries. He still competes against the team in training, but knows his body well enough not to exceed his limits.
In recruitment, training, meetings with colleagues and everywhere else he goes, Aguek Arop makes others better.
My earliest sports memories are tailgating at the Murph, running down the circular exit ramps, and watching the Padres, Chargers, and Aztecs play. As a second-generation Aztec, I am passionate about all things SDSU. My other interests include raising my four children, being a great husband, and teaching high school.
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