Three thoughts on San Diego State’s 80-39 win against Division II Cal State San Marcos at Viejas Arena on Wednesday night:

1. Perfect timing

Before the game, former Florida Atlantic guard Nick Boyd was joking with SDSU assistant coach JayDee Luster about his coast-to-coast journey to playing for the program he played against in the 2023 Final Four.

Had Owls coach Dusty May bolted for a big-money contract that year, Boyd likely wouldn’t be wearing scarlet and black. The Aztecs returned both starting guards, and Boyd likely would have transferred somewhere with more available playing time.

But May, who grew up in the Midwest, waited a season for the Michigan job to open and landed there last spring. Boyd entered the transfer portal. SDSU needed guards. They started talking.

“Just to have that year in between, everything worked out,” said Boyd, who has two years of eligibility remaining. “It was perfect timing. We were laughing at that. I never thought I’d be in this position, on this team, with these guys, with these coaches. But life works in funny ways.”

Coach Brian Dutcher is glad it does. Boyd was sidelined all summer with what he revealed Wednesday night was a fractured foot, and it wasn’t until last week that he was cleared for live action. He sat out the Oct. 20 closed-door scrimmage against UCLA, making Wednesday the first real chance for the Aztecs to see exactly how he fits.

Which, based on early returns, is well. Very well.

Boyd missed his first shot, then didn’t miss again. He had 13 points in 10 first-half minutes and finished with 18 on 7-of-8 shooting. He had three rebounds (two on the offensive end at 6-foot-3), three assists and a steal. His lone turnover came on a no-look pass through the lane that went off the fingers of Jared Coleman-Jones, who had cut unguarded to the basket and wasn’t prepared for someone to find him.

His career high in three years at Florida Atlantic was 21 points, achieved twice, but in 24 and 29 minutes. Wednesday night, Boyd had 18 in 13 minutes while exhibiting vocal leadership qualities that last season’s team lacked.

“It felt great, a long time coming,” Boyd said. “Dealing with a foot injury from when I first got here, I haven’t been able to practice much but just tried to stay engaged as much as possible. It’s probably been one of the toughest stretches of my basketball career, because I just had a fresh, new start and felt good and felt like I could make a big impact right away in the summer, and then to have that taken away from me.

“I have to give thanks to my teammates and coaches for still believing in me. You never know in this NIL era. Coach could have gone and got somebody else, especially with foot injuries (where) you never really know how they can go. I had a stress fracture. Who knows when it could have healed?”

Dutcher trusted the doctors and athletic trainer Sergio Ibarra. Boyd was his guy.

What did he get?

“Just what I thought we were going to get when he came here — a guy who knows how to play, who’s dangerous offensively both penetrating and shooting the 3, and a good teammate,” Dutcher said. “Nick is a good player. I just think as he continues to work himself back into game shape and game rhythm, we’ll see an even better version of what he was tonight.”

San Diego State forward Pharaoh Compton dunks against Cal State San Marcos Austin Nassar during their exhibition game at Viejas Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

2. Serendipitous scheduling

College basketball scheduling is difficult, fitting pieces into a three-dimensional puzzle, but sometimes things work out serendipitously.

The Aztecs played a Cal State San Marcos team coached by Nick Booker, a former UC San Diego assistant who runs much of the same offensive concepts. And their season opener next Wednesday is … against UCSD, a team that came within a Jaedon LeDee put-back from upsetting them last year at sold-out LionTree Arena.

SDSU can have its scout team run UCSD coach Eric Olen’s intricate sets and schemes. But even better is 40 minutes of game tape with officials and a crowd.

“It is going to be very similar to the offense they run,” Dutcher said. “UCSD will run it probably with a level higher athlete. We’ll see if we can guard it against better personnel. That’s nothing against San Marcos, but UCSD is a Div. I program with 13 scholarship players that they do a good job recruiting and developing.

“We didn’t plan it that way, but it will give us carryover from San Marcos to our season opener. That in itself will be good.”

The Aztecs also faced Cal State San Marcos in its preseason exhibition a year ago and scored one more point. But this time, the Cougars managed just 39 points instead of 50.

“Obviously, they’re really good,” Booker said. “I think what was most impressive to me is that they’re missing one of their best players (Reese Waters) and they were really shooting the ball well, which is not what San Diego State has been known for. They have multiple guys who can shoot and still play their style of physicality and defense, all the things they ask for.

“Everyone talks about them being a mid-major. No, they’re not. That’s a high-major team, very much like Gonzaga. I’ve been around what top-25 teams look like. That looks like a top-25 team.”

3. Living the dream

SDSU uses these exhibitions as what Dutcher calls a “dress rehearsal,” a chance to have their normal game-day routine and play in the unique environment of Viejas Arena.

For their lower-division opponents, they offer a precious opportunity for players to sniff the prime time.

For guys like Kyelin King to live the dream.

King is a 6-4 freshman guard who played three years at Lincoln High School before spending his senior season at Legacy Early College outside Greenville, S.C. Legacy is part of the Nike EYBL Scholastic League of high-level prep academies that feature some of the nation’s top prospects.

King was the fifth-leading scorer on a star-studded roster, averaging 7.2 points in just under 20 minutes in EYBL games. He got lost in the shuffle, didn’t have any promising Division I offers and wanted to come home. Cal State San Marcos provided an enticing alternative.

“A lot of times, when you’re playing with a bunch of guys going to San Diego State and above levels, sometimes you get overlooked,” Booker said. “We just kept in contact and got a little lucky.”

King came off the bench at the 14:50 mark of the first half, with his team trailing 11-0. A few minutes later, it was 15-6, with King responsible for all six of San Marcos points. He finished with 14 points in 23 minutes and would have had more if he didn’t go 4 of 10 at the line.

“As soon as I stepped on the court when they called my name, I was excited,” King said. “For my freshman year here, I wasn’t expecting it. But I’m glad it happened. It was just an amazing experience, the crowd, everything. “

King, a San Diego kid, had never stepped foot inside Viejas Arena. Now he was dropping 14 on the mighty Aztecs.

“It’s great for him, it’s great for his family, his high school coach, all the people from Southeast (San Diego) who have been supporting him,” Booker said. “Any kid who grows up in San Diego, San Diego State is the dream school. Sometimes you don’t get the chance. Maybe you’re not quite good enough at that time, but here’s an opportunity to line up against those guys and be on the same floor with them.”