After flushing in a relatively new roster and losing significant firepower because of combo guard Omari Moore’s departure to the NBA world, the San José State men’s basketball team trekked its way through the Mountain West.
The Spartans stand at 8-10 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain West.
“I think our guys have given us everything they possibly could,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said. “We’ve been a little short-handed with injury. (We) play hard but we’ve had four games that are just heartbreaking losses right at the buzzer.”
Miles said the entire roster produced blood, sweat and tears when facing adversity against the Mountain West rivals.
“I can’t ask for more effort and enthusiasm out of these guys,” Miles said. “We just got to keep staying with it so we can find a way to get over the top of these ball games.”
While multiple players as well as Miles stepped up their game, the team’s chemistry has been the saving grace for SJSU.
“Certainly it hurts to lose the Mountain West Player of the Year (Moore),” Miles said. “I think when you look at our top returning guys, Alvaro Cardenas, Trey Anderson, Tibet Goerner (and) Myron Amey, Jr. — those guys have really prospered for us.”
Miles said with injuries and lack of interior defense and physicality, SJSU no longer has the edge it had in the 2022-2023 season to bang down low.
He said right now, the Spartans lack physicality and athleticism inside. He said they still need to keep their guards in front of them when on defense.
He said SJSU doesn't have as much shot blocking as they’ve had in the past.
Junior guard Alvaro Cardenas has evolved his game over the offseason and returned as team captain for the blue-and-gold.
Cardenas from Granada, Spain was upgraded to starter in the 2022-2023 season and played in all 35 games while putting up averages of 10 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game.
“I definitely made a big improvement from last year,” Cardenas said. “The game is kind of slowing down for me. I’m playing with a lot more confidence and taking up a bigger responsibility.”
As the face of the team this year, Cardenas grasped his steady improvement and finished 2023 with a bang, recording a double-double in three of the final four games of 2023.
Cardenas said the title of captain doesn’t mean as much to him, despite being the leader following the departure of Moore last season.
Juxtapositioned to the skilled Spaniard is his right-hand man, junior guard Myron Amey, Jr.
Amey is an explosive scorer, notching a season high of 30 points against the Boise State University Broncos, but struggled to see significant time on the floor to make an impact in-game and couldn’t showcase his talent for his first two seasons.
“Last year, I wasn’t able to play due to injuries,” Amey said. “Just getting back in the mix (and) being with the guys is a blessing.”
Amey has also had shining moments in the 2023-2024 season such as the game-winning dagger at the buzzer he hit to beat the Air Force Falcons.
With the departure of Moore, Amey and Cardenas have had to pick up the slack not only on the offensive side but on defense.
“We come in as a team, we do a lot of hard stuff in practice,” Amey said. “We feel like we practice harder than anyone in the country and make sure we pay attention to detail.”
Amey tallied a season-high of four steals against Santa Clara University and recorded three steals against Hampton University.
Amey is known for being an explosive athlete and a player who can beat defenders with quickness and a low center of balance.
Amey said his goal is to do whatever his team needs from him and he is willing to evolve his game.
“One of my best abilities that people know is my scoring,” Amey said. “I’m just trying to improve my defensive game as well. Whether it’s diving for loose balls, grabbing rebounds or putting points on the board.”
However, Amey has developed into a decent defensive player who steps up when his team needs him.
Amey has found his rhythm with his work ethic at the collegiate level. He said his leadership isn’t something he came into SJSU with.
Amey said in times of adversity, coach Miles kept his team motivated because he knew his team had been in many close games that resulted in the Spartans coming up short.
“Coach Miles always preaches to us that if we do the little things, do as many things as you can do right,” Amey said. “The thing (coach Miles) preaches to us right now is defense. Defense is going to be the reason we win games. Getting key stops down the stretch.”
Cardenas said the game is slowing down for him and he has taken over the task of being a vocal leader by keeping everyone responsible.
Cardenas said that the Spartans need to keep believing in themselves and put up a fight every game.
“It’s been like seven games that are really close,” Cardenas said. “We’re right there. We can play with anybody in this conference. We’ve just got to learn to finish games.”
Cardenas said the next step for the team is to win as many conference games as possible and hope for a fortune when the Mountain West tournament comes around.
“We can beat anyone in this conference so we can go to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament,” Cardenas said.
