The San Diego State Aztecs are favorites (-2) in their Final Four clash with Florida Atlantic. The Aztecs and Owls, along with the Miami Hurricanes, have never been advanced this far in the tournament. Only UConn has played in the national semi-finals with the Huskies winning four championships.
The No. 5 seed Aztecs (31-6) may be a more established program in the echelons of college basketball but they’ve nonetheless reached uncharted waters by qualifying for the Final Four.
The Aztecs Road to Houston
San Diego State opened the tournament with a 63-57 win over No. 12 Charleston, followed by a 75-52 decision of Furman. They stunned #1 Alabama 71-64 in the Sweet 16 and shaded Creighton 57-56 in the Elite Eight.
🏀San Diego State basketball just keeps making hoops history.
The San Diego State Aztecs beat the Creighton Blue Jays 57-56 in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Basketball Tournament advancing to the school's first Final Four. https://t.co/QR1L3ey9dN
— NBC 7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) March 26, 2023
Defense the Key for the Aztecs
Thus far San Diego State’s perimeter defense has been unbelievably stingy.
It started in the Mountain West championship against Utah State, in which the Aztecs held the Aggies offense to 4 of 24 from long distance.
The tough D has continued through the tournament. Charleston went 5 of 24, Furman was 6 of 26, Alabama struggled at 3 of 27 and Creighton hit just 2 of 17.
Astounding defensive statistics
Add it all up its 20 of 118 (16.9 percent) from three-point range—for five offenses who each averaged at least 8.7 made threes per game this season.
As a result, a good San Diego State defense has become downright impenetrable, allowing 57.3 points in the tournament.
Darrion Trammell Factor
Trammell, the former transfer from Seattle, is averaging 12.8 points per game and four rebounds per game. He had 21 points in the win over Alabama.
Darrion Trammell came up BIG in @Aztec_MBB's upset win over Alabama 💪#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/hbi4xfr56O
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2023
Though he struggled from the field against Creighton, Trammell hit the game-winning free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining. He was named the most outstanding player of the South Regional.
Other Players to watch
Senior guard Matt Bradley leads the Aztecs in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game. He’s also a 35.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc and hits 80 percent of his free throws.
6-foot-10 forward Nathan Mensah is the team’s leading inside presence. He’s San Diego State’s leading rebounder and shot blocker.
According to BetOnline, the Aztecs have the second best odds at +380 win the national championship.
🏀💰🏀💰🏀 https://t.co/DkQcz7DKbK
— BetOnline (@BetOnline_ag) March 27, 2023
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