Bill Walton Classic: Colorado vs. SDSU

When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Pechanga Arena

On the air: USA Network; 760-AM

Records: Both teams are 1-0

Series history: Tied 3-3. SDSU won the last meeting, 78-72 at Pechanga Arena (then known as the San Diego Sports Arena) on Jan. 5, 1976. This is the third time they’ve met at Pechanga.

Buffaloes update: They are picked to finish 14th in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll and 15th in the media poll after going 17-16 last season (3-10 below 4,000 feet). Coach Tad Boyle is in his 17th year at Colorado, taking the Buffs to the NCAA Tournament six times but never past the second round. Three of last season’s top four players departed, with only 6-foot-1 guard Barrington Hargress (14.7 points) staying. Nine new players saw action in the 94-59 opening win against Abilene Christian (after leading by only two at the half). Barrington had 11 points, 6-5 Jalin Holland had 18, 6-5 Josiah Sanders had 14, and 6-10 North Dakota State transfer Noah Feddersen had 10. Alex Dickeson, a 6-4 freshman from Australia whom Boyle calls “the best passing guard” he’s ever coached, had nine points, five rebounds and six assists. UNC Greensboro transfer Justin Neely had 14 points in 15 minutes off the bench. Sanders, a sophomore from Denver, came down to SDSU and Colorado in recruiting. Boyle’s longtime assistant is former USD head coach Bill Grier. This is the first of two straight games against San Diego teams. The Buffs host USD on Tuesday.

Forgotten history: Aztecs return to former home for first time in decades

Aztecs update: The Aztecs return to their former home for the first time in nearly three decades as part of the National University Bill Walton Classic. (The USD and UCSD women will play in the back half of the doubleheader.) On paper, this is about as close to an even matchup as you can find, with SDSU currently at 75 in the Kenpom metric and Colorado at 78. Kenpom predicts a 77-76 Aztecs victory. On Tuesday, they beat Cal State Fullerton 102-78, the first time they’ve cracked the century mark against a Division I opponent in eight years and a school record for a season opener. Six players scored in double figures, led by Latrell Davis with 25 and Tae Simmons with his first career double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds). Colorado figures to provide more perimeter size and a stouter defense than the run-and-gun Titans. “I feel it’s going to test us,” guard Isaiah Sy said, “to see if we’re able to rebound again like we did on Tuesday, to be able to find the shots like we did on Tuesday, can we play as hard and continue to going the way we are right now?” SDSU lost both meetings with the Big 12 last year, 91-81 against Baylor and 68-45 against Arizona.               Next up: Wednesday vs. Bethune-Cookman (2 p.m., Pac-12 YouTube Channel)

–MARK ZEIGLER