There were two exercycles on the side of the Viejas Arena court for San Diego State’s basketball practice Friday — one with a red rear wheel, one with a black front wheel.

Both were occupied.

Reese Waters pedaled away on one, Miles Byrd on the other, watching practice proceed without them as the Aztecs prepared for a perilous game on national TV against a UNLV team that might have the most talented roster in the Mountain West.

“Both are progressing,” coach Brian Dutcher said.

The question is how much and whether they’ll go from cycle to court by Saturday at 1:10 p.m.

After the nine-man rotation missed a total of five of a possible 351 games last season, a preposterous record of health across a rugged 39-game schedule, the Aztecs can’t seem to escape the pall of injury and illness. The latest example came Wednesday in the first half of a 27-point win against Fresno State, when Waters and Byrd hobbled off the court with foot injuries 4 minutes apart.

Waters is the more critical piece, SDSU’s second-leading scorer who had 22 points in the epic win at Gonzaga, and appears to be closer to suiting up Saturday despite spraining his right ankle in the morning shootaround, then again in the game after landing on an opponent’s foot. He taped up the ankle Friday and participated in the first part of practice before retreating to the exercycle.

Byrd, who provides electricity off the bench, was wearing the boot protecting what was described as turf toe a sprain of the ligaments around the big toe joint that can be both painful and lingering.

“It’s more concerning and might take a little bit longer,” Dutcher said.

The two are part of the five-man rotation Dutcher has used at the three guard or wing positions — Waters, Lamont Butler and Micah Parrish as starters, Byrd and Darrion Trammell off the bench. The next man up Wednesday was true freshman BJ Davis, but he has been used sparingly this season (he hadn’t played in the previous seven Division I games) and is shooting 1 of 12.

“BJ is getting better,” Dutcher said. “Obviously, it’s a big ask as a freshman for him to come in and contribute at a high, high level.”

More likely, Dutcher said, would be shifting 6-foot-9 senior transfer Jay Pal from his usual 4 spot to the wing, where he has played before in his career and where he has taken practice reps throughout the season

The operative word in all that: senior. This might not be a game for the youngsters.

UNLV did what coach Kevin Kruger has done in each of his three seasons at the helm, which means he dipped into the Big 12 (where his father, Lon, coached at Oklahoma) to get old and stay old. This year, it’s Kalib Boone from Oklahoma State and Jalen Hill from Oklahoma. Last year, he took two Big 12 transfers. The year before, four. (Context: SDSU has never had a transfer from the Big 12.)

The Rebels have a freshman point guard, five-star prospect Dedan Thomas Jr. from Las Vegas. The rest of the rotation includes five fifth-year seniors, including four with power conference experience.

And, for the first time all season, UNLV is expected to have everybody available. Hill has recovered from a wrist injury that sidelined him for six games. Keylan Boone, who played at Oklahoma State and Pacific, benefited from the NCAA’s December decision to relax two-time transfer regulations and has played the last five games, averaging 9.8 points and 8.0 rebounds as the Rebels went 4-1 (with the lone loss in double overtime against Saint Mary’s).

“They have five fifth-year seniors on the roster, which is always concerning as a coach,” Dutcher said, “knowing first-hand that when we’re experienced, we’re good. They have great experience and are going to be very dangerous.”

Now factor in the added incentive of a CBS national game against the program that has overshadowed — and owned — them for the past decade. SDSU’s record against the Rebels since 2014: 21-2.

And here comes a Rebels team desperate to make a national statement after a disappointing start that has left them out of the NCAA Tournament conversation.

“They’re a really good team,” said Butler, who has never lost to UNLV. “We watched film on them, and they’ve got some really good pieces.”

Anyone doubting that need only pop in the tape from a convincing 79-64 win against then-No. 8 Creighton on Dec. 13.

“There’s no question we’ve gotten better over the last couple weeks,” Kruger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I don’t think we can even put into words how much better we are since the (season-opening loss against Southern). … It finally all came together in the Creighton game.

“There are things to be excited about. We’re playing well together. It’s fun to be in the office right now.”