DENVER – Colorado State head coach Dale Layer made it crystal clear why his team lost twice to San Diego State this season.

“We didn’t stop No. 1 – that’s (junior guard) Brandon Heath’s number,” Layer said. “He was the guy (who) made huge shots. He was the guy who made all the clutch baskets in both games. “When they needed baskets, he delivered.”

Layer’s right.

Whether SDSU can beat the Rams today and advance through the Mountain West Conference Tournament will come down to one player.

All of the Aztecs’ NCAA Tournament hopes – an automatic bid with a win on Saturday or a strong showing early in the MWC Tourney to earn an at-large bid – will hinge on Heath, who was named the MWC Player of the Year last Tuesday.

When it comes to crunch time, he’ll get the ball. He’ll be expected to produce. He’ll set the tone. The Aztecs are Heath’s team, no doubt about it. As Heath goes, so goes SDSU.

Heath won’t bask in his award, but will instead focus on the task that lies ahead.

“It feels good,” Heath said. “But we still have games to play and we still have to win games. The individual accolades are great, but this is a team sport and we want to move on from here.”

That’s the attitude he has to have, especially with the situation SDSU is in.

The Aztecs are on the bubble for the NCAA Tourney, and the feeling is that they have to get to the final game on Saturday to get an at-large bid.

A MWC regular-season title, as sweet as it was for SDSU, didn’t guarantee anything. That’s just the harsh reality of it.

“We’re like a lot of people,” head coach Steve Fisher said. “I think we’ve got a resume that warrants being in. But for every Steve Fisher and San Diego State, there are probably 10 others that have that same feeling, and not everyone will get a bid. The best thing anyone can do right now is win, and then win again and win again.

“And that’s our goal. We’re going to go to Denver to ? be prepared and play well there, and then hopefully get ready for the next game and then one more game.”

Three consecutive road wins will be tremendously difficult. But the Aztecs, more than any other SDSU squad in recent years, have been the most resilient, gutsy team in the conference.

Each of SDSU’s three league losses were followed with wins – on the road.

Loss at Air Force on Jan. 7? Next game, win at Utah.

Home loss against the Utes on Feb. 11? The Aztecs respond with a victory at then-second-place UNLV on ESPN2.

A defeat at BYU on Feb. 22? SDSU wins at New Mexico three days later and beats Wyoming in the following game to clinch the regular-season conference title.

Now, with every game from here on out basically do-or-die, the Aztecs will turn to Heath for guidance, the way a Player of the Year should be looked at.

And he’ll get the ball when it matters, knowing SDSU can’t drop it or else it’s a Spring Break with no March Madness.

–Willie Bans is a journalism junior and sports editor of The Daily Aztec.

–This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.