SAN DIEGO — The new point guard at San Diego State, Chance Gladden, said he was overlooked coming out of high school.

He’s probably right.

Elzie Harrington is the lone returning guard who played for SDSU last year. Aztecs fans will want to enjoy the sophomore, even if growing pains are inevitable. The bigger-payroll schools will notice a smooth 6-foot-5 guard who had 19 points and four assists in last week’s exhibition against 21st-ranked USC, which offered him a scholarship two years ago.

The 6-foot-5, 197-pound Harrington has improved on a freshman season in which he started 17 games, averaged eight points on 47.9% shooting, and sat out the final two weeks with a leg injury.

Latrell Davis makes it three starting guards for SDSU.

Think of Davis as unofficial compensation for Aztecs standout wing Miles Byrd moving on. The powerful guard, 6-3 and 215 pounds, was more agreeable to redshirting with SDSU last season because Byrd was expected to move up in financial class. Byrd did leave. An NBA prospect, he has shown well in two exhibitions with Providence of the Big East Conference.

Davis, who appeared in 66 games across two years with San Jose State, directed the Aztecs’ scout team last year. Coach Brian Dutcher seems to love his tenacity. He said Davis would’ve started the recent exhibitions against Arizona and USC, rather than playing 16 and 19 minutes off the bench, if not for a recurring looseness in a shoulder.

The Aztecs finished their three-game exhibition season Wednesday night with a 92-67 victory against Long Beach State.

Tuesday, they’ll open at home against Cal State Fullerton.

The trio of starting guards will be expected to trigger success in the nonconference season followed by SDSU’s first year in the Pac-12 Conference.

If Aztecs fans want to pay up for game tickets in the belief that Harrington, Gladden and Davis also will get the program back into the NCAA Tournament, which Dutcher’s program barely missed last year after going six straight times, I wouldn’t tell them to hold onto their money.

I’d be surprised if Gladden, a steady-looking transfer from Boston University, doesn’t provide a more consistent and well-rounded season than SDSU’s point guards put up last year.

Gladden has good size (6-4, 192) and lateral quickness that gives him a chance against ultra-fast point guards. Against Arizona, he looked like he belonged, scoring 15 points and grabbing five rebounds.

USC’s fierce on-ball pressure, backstopped by athletic length, limited Gladden to one point, three assists and three turnovers. Yet he didn’t force shots or lose his poise.

Against Long Beach State, he was SDSU’s best player. He got the ball to good spots. In the 20 minutes, he had seven assists and 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Playing for a private prep school in Raleigh, N.C., Gladden averaged 26 and 29 points in his last two seasons. He signed with Boston University of the Patriot League. He started 31 games and averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 assists on 47.6% shooting and 34.7% success beyond the arc. His free-throw percentage of 86.7 was 61st in the country.

Gladden will have to show he can meet Dutcher’s standard on defense.

But one expert on the Aztecs is already labeling him a difference-maker,

“I think they’re going to go as he goes,” said Long Beach State second-year coach Chris Acker, who was an assistant coach with SDSU for five seasons, including the national runner-up season.

Acker’s rationale?

“Because he just has a stoic demeanor to him. Really takes care of the basketball. Plays with a lot of confidence,” he said. “The fact that he can shoot the basketball — anytime Dutch has a point guard that can shoot the basketball, he’s going to utilize that as a strength. Having that guy that can shoot the basketball at that point guard position is really good for what they’re trying to do.”

SDSU employs more than three guards. Zach White, a 6-5 freshman, is competing for minutes off the bench. Against Long Beach State, he sank two corner 3-pointers and drew Acker’s praise with a drive to the basket.

But it’s the Gladden-Harrington-Davis trio that likely must do the team’s heaviest lifting.

Acker said SDSU’s drive-and-dish abilities can become a staple of another successful season.

“I think that’s what this offense is going to evolve into eventually, is these guys just playing off of one another,” he said.

“We know you win in March with guards,” the coach added. “So, they’ve got enough guards to do it. They’ve just got to keep getting better.”

For now, it’s on to November.

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