NO. 5 SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS
RECORD: 26-10
COACH: Brian Dutcher, seventh season
CONFERENCE: Mountain West
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Beat No. 12 UAB, 6965; Beat No. 13 Yale, 85-57
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jaedon LeDee, senior forward
OUTLOOK: The odds are certainly stacked against San Diego State, but you can’t totally count out a squad that made it to last season’s national championship game. The Aztecs returned four of their top six scorers from last year – including Lamont Butler, who hit the famous buzzer beater that sent them to last season’s title game – and added USC transfer Reese Waters. It’s a team still built on defense, as they boast the ninth-best unit in the nation according to KenPom, the popular metrics rankings.
Jaedon LeDee was one of the most improved players in the country this season. LeDee transferred from TCU in 2021 and was a key reserve on last season’s Final Four team before blossoming into an All-American this year, averaging 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Aztecs’ hopes will run through LeDee, who scored 32 points in their firstround victory and then 26 points as they advanced to the Sweet 16. The 6-foot-9, 240-pounder is an absolute load to deal with and will be a difficult matchup for Clingan.
The Aztecs’ greatest challenge in advancing will come on the offensive end, especially against a UConn team that simply has more firepower. SDSU ranked among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country this season, but went 13-for-27 from deep in Sunday’s win over Yale. It will need a similar performance to have a chance against UConn.