They are fourth in their league and NCAA-ranked in defense and steals, but remain cautious about their 10 wins this season. This year the Gators have performed an about-face, a welcome deviation from the previous two years, which hailed only three conference wins.

The SF State men’s basketball team (10-5, 5-3 California College Athletic Association)—currently tied with Cal Poly Pomona (6-7, 5-3) for fourth place in the conference—may have surprised Cal State Stanislaus (3-12, 2-6), Chico State (5-10, 1-7), Sonoma State (8-6, 4-4) and Cal State L.A. (10-5, 4-4) in the first round with its tough-as-nails defense and precision plays, but the second half of the season will be a true testament to the progress coach Bill Treseler has driven.

Defense, always a strong focus in practice and in strategy, is the Gators’ bread and butter, Treseler said.

It shows.

SF State is ranked 34th among Division II teams nationally in defense, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It also holds the 29th spot in steals-per-game out of 250 other teams across the nation.

“Here’s validation of the work the guys are doing,” Treseler said. “There are still 33 teams above us. Still plenty to shoot for.”

Junior guard Alex Thomas is a leader on the court, one of the top scoring and rebounding Gators, and is in the top third of 500 NCAA players in assists. He has 53 so far this season along with 15 steals and is averaging almost 10 points per game.

“We don’t have any selfish players,” Thomas said. “We have a lot of people who can do a lot of different things, but we all have a common goal.”

With more than 11 points per game, freshman guard Robert Hayes shows maturity and leadership skills beyond his years and is only going to get better, Treseler said. Hayes has been the leading scorer in four games and scored more than 20 points in two of those.

The two starting post players for the Gators are perhaps the biggest surprise of the season so far. Chris Rodriguez, a senior and San Francisco native, and Martín Flores, a sophomore transfer from Solano Community College, have been lead scorers and rebounders four times in each category. The former junior college rivals came on to the team with respect for each other’s abilities and have adapted as teammates early, Flores said.

“No one gets to be a superstar. It’s an unglamorous style, but the guys have really bought into it,” Treseler said about his philosophy on team dynamics.

The Gators’ vision is that they truly are a team—dynamic and adaptable—but solid in the way that six or seven players may score up to 13 points per game, while each carrying their weight in defense, assists, passing and play-making, Treseler said.

Treseler said the team is doing everything it can to make the post-season—where the top eight teams battle it in the playoffs for the top honors—which is something that hasn’t been done since 1994.

“[Our] goal is to try to just win the next game,” Treseler said. “The guys are really encouraged. Their hard work is paying off.”

If the team wants to make it that far there’s still work to be done, Treseler said, starting with ramping up the execution of plays and cutting down on fouls, while still maintaining aggressive defense and keeping the four post players confident, driven and skilled enough to take on their oft-larger opponents.

“We need to learn patience with our plays, make hard cuts and set good screens,” Treseler said.

SF State’s current free-throw record leaves much to be desired. Just shy of 60 percent won’t help in the close games Treseler expects for the second half of the season. Even though it remains a focus in practice, the Gators shot 27 percent from behind the line against Cal State Dominguez Hills and then finished off the weekend with 70 percent against Cal State L.A. The CCAA conference is full of teams who regularly sink 70 to 80 percent of their free throws.

The final buzzer has sounded three times with the Gators leading by one or two points, and a fourth when down by one point. Treseler said it’s likely they will find themselves in similar situations during the remaining games, but keeping up their defensive stop—which means shutting down their competition during those final minutes of the game is going to be the saving grace for such a competitive league.

It hasn’t been a smooth road for the Gators. The starting lineup has seen significant changes, initially when Rodriguez jumped in as a forward four games into the year, and then again when Flores joined the starting lineup two games later. Finally the introduction of Darryl Robinson shook things up when senior guard and critical player David Van Someren was out for the season—the second year in a row—due to a torn ACL after only playing nine games.

Rodriguez is scoring just over 10 points per game while managing to grab four rebounds and keep an 80 percent average from behind the free-throw line. Flores is hot on his heels with eight points and four rebounds per game, and has sank 82 percent of his free-throws.

Phoenix O’Rourke, a freshman guard whose three-point shot can make a pro weep with envy, is expected to make some big contributions during the remaining games, Treseler said. Will Logan, a junior guard who averages five points a game during his 20 minutes of playing time, has made 11 steals so far and will be looked at for more solid playing, Treseler said.

The Gators have nine wins under their belt so far, but the competition and the level of play is sure to increase from here on out.

SF State was last in the CCAA for the past two seasons so overconfidence might have played a role thus far, but any misconception about SF State is surely remedied by now.

“We don’t want to be the team that sneaks up on people,” Treseler said.