San Diego State has made history, reaching its first Final Four in program history. Can the Aztecs claim the Mountain West’s first-ever national championship?
Who Are The San Diego State Aztecs?
- Record: 31-6 (15-3) | Conference: Mountain West
- Head coach: Brian Dutcher, 6th season at San Diego State (150-46)
- Leading scorer: Matt Bradley (12.5 PPG)
- Leading rebounder: Nathan Mensah (5.9 RPG)
- Assists leader: Lamont Butler (3.3 APG)
NCAA Tournament scores:
First Round vs. #12 Charleston: W 63-57
Second Round vs. #13 Furman: W 75-52
Sweet 16 vs. #1 Alabama: W 71-64
Elite Eight vs. #6 Creighton: W 57-56
First Round vs. #12 Charleston: W 63-57
Second Round vs. #13 Furman: W 75-52
Sweet 16 vs. #1 Alabama: W 71-64
Elite Eight vs. #6 Creighton: W 57-56
Shining Star: Matt Bradley. Cal transfer that can do it all. Bradley is a powerfully built guard capable of scoring at all three levels.
X-Factor: Jaedon LeDee. The senior can fill it up quickly from down low and take over the paint in any game. When he gets hot, these Aztecs become even more terrifying.
How Did San Diego State Make the NCAA Tournament?
The Aztecs finished the season atop an incredibly competitive Mountain West this season, taking home both the regular-season and conference tournament crowns this year. San Diego State has lost just one game since the start of February and has used its elite defense to guide them to victory.
How Did San Diego State Advance to the Final Four?
After a kind path of beating out two double-digit seeds in Charleston and Furman to reach the Sweet 16, the Aztecs busted brackets everywhere with a convincing win over top-seeded Alabama to move on to the Elite Eight. They showed off their elite defense in the matchup by holding one of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses to just 64 points. A dramatic win over Creighton on a last-second free throw was nervy, but it was just enough to seal them a spot in Houston this weekend.
San Diego State National Championship Odds: +360
As incredible as San Diego State has been this year, it doesn’t feel like this team has enough firepower to keep up with either squad on the other side of the bracket. UConn and Miami are offensive juggernauts, which could create problems for the Aztecs. Their poor offensive output against Creighton in the Elite Eight nearly cost them their ticket to the Final Four, and neither the Huskies nor the Hurricanes will be as kind in a potential national title game. Stay away from San Diego State at this price.
What kind of chances does FAU have? Check out our in-depth analysis of the Owls’ Final Four prospects.
