It would be slightly hyperbolic to suggest that when it comes to national men's basketball rankings, San Diego State has entered the Witness Protection Program. But the Aztecs are indeed a breath away from falling out of sight.

How have the last few days been for coach Steve Fisher and the gang? Akin to the country song in which the guy laments that his pickup broke down, his dog died and the wife ran off with the milkman. That's how the Aztecs are feeling after getting thumped by New Mexico (in Viejas Arena, no less) and being upset by Air Force on the road.

One could almost smell the latter defeat coming, but with all due respect to the future servicemen who are the Falcon players, SDSU should have no business losing to those guys.

This made it three straight losses for the Aztecs, and the pollsters didn't ignore the apparent freefall that is happening on Montezuma Mesa. In the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, SDSU (20-6, 6-4 in the Mountain West) dropped from 13 all the way down to No. 24, barely avoiding the fate of St. Mary's and Gonzaga, from the West Coast Conference, both of whom fell out of the Top 25.

On the USA Today-ESPN side, the Aztecs are currently 25th, a 10 spot drop from where there were a week ago. Kentucky and Syracuse were again parked one-two in both polls.

"I think we have to make sure that we remain determined and believing in ourselves,'' Fisher said. "I think when you lose a game and then lose another game, you start to wonder. And then you lose a third game that everybody says you're supposed to win, it can wear on you. And the only way to get that hook out of your mouth, to spit it out, is to work up a sweat in practice, shoot and shoot and shoot (then) come out to find a way to win the next one, and that's what we have to find a way to do.''

San Diego State has four games remaining, home contests against Wyoming and Colorado State, then tilts on the road against Boise State and Texas Christian. All those games were considered "gimmes" by Aztec Nation just two weeks ago. Now? Maybe not.

For example, TCU handed visiting Nevada-Las Vegas, now ranked 21st in the AP poll, a 102-97 loss a few days ago. And after losing seven straight in the Mountain West, the Falcons have piloted back-to-back victories. All of sudden New Mexico (22-4, 8-2), ranked 18th in the AP and 21st in USA Today/ESPN, has taken over the MW with a two-game lead on UNLV and SDSU.

The Lobos clearly have the momentum over everyone else with a seven-game winning streak, which includes a 65-45 demolition of UNLV on February 18. The topsy-turvy MV race is horrible news for San Diego State.

There is definitely a possibility that only two teams from the Mountain West will receive an NCAA Tournament bid, the Mountain West Tournament champion (automatic) and the loser of the title game. If the Aztecs aren't one of those teams, they might be looking at a National Invitation Tournament appearance, the sort of thing San Diego State would like to think it has outgrown.

Given that the final four squads SDSU faces are hardly members of the upper social strata in college basketball, winning all of those games quite possibly won't earn the Aztecs a mulligan if they are knocked out prematurely in the MW Tournament.

Then again, there's still time for the Aztecs to get their proverbial act together to get back on the track of winning the conference tournament. It would help if leading scorer Jamaal Franklin can recover from his gimpy left ankle, which kept him out of the Air Force game. Garrett Green, whose dirty work on the inside always comes in handy, is also nursing a bum ankle. "We have to get our heads back... we are not used to losing,'' said SDSU guard James Rahon, a Torrey Pines High product. "This league is tough.'' And as the regular season winds down, things probably won't get any easier.