So I asked San Diego State's Steve Fisher specifically on the Mountain West Conference's weekly conference call with its coaches today whether there was any chance that suspended forward Kyle Spain would play against the Utes on Saturday.

He declined to answer, sounding more than a little condescending when he said he didn't "think it was appropriate" to talk about Spain.

Which is fine. Coaches are like that, sometimes.

But then Fisher turned around a short time later and announced to only his local media that Spain will be out for the rest of the season, meaning the Utes should get a bit of an advantage when the Aztecs visit the Huntsman Center on Saturday.

Classy.

In any case, coach Jim Boylen isn't sure that the Aztecs are much different without Spain. He noted during his weekly press conference today that Spain's replacement, junior Kelvin Davis, is a similar player who scored 15 points in a loss at TCU last weekend.

"Spain might have a little more length and a little more athleticism," Boylen said, "but they're both spacing, catch-and-shoot guys. ... In the structure of their offense, he fills the same role."