Aztecs beat Yale to set up rematch against UConn

How To Watch:

Thursday, March 28th

San Diego State vs University of Connecticut (4:39 pm PT) | Coverage: TBS/tru TV

Odds:

DraftKings Line:

UConn/San Diego State: UConn -11, O/U 136

(Odds/lines subject to change. Visit DraftKings for more information.)

Location: TD Garden, Boston Massachusetts

The Aztecs have done what was asked of them and now travel to Boston to face the UConn Huskies in a rematch of last years Final Four Championship Game

San Diego State clicked on all cylinders on Sunday as they handily defeated the upstart Yale Bulldogs 85-57. The Aztecs jumped out early and built a 10-0 lead in the first four minutes of the contest. Jaedon LeDee led the way with 26 points and 9 rebounds and was supported by Darrion Trammell with another 18 points. The offensive highlight was the effective shooting. SDSU shot 52.7% from the field and was 13 of 27 from three-point range, and 14-17 from the free throw line. The Aztecs continued to dominate in the paint as LeDee was present on both ends of the court. His plug-up-the-middle play took away any opportunities that Yale had to isolate and effectively run their offense. Yale star John Poulakadis was held to only nine points while Bez Mbing picked up the slack with 12 points but it was too little too late and the Aztecs ran away early leaving no chance for Yale to even hang close.

Huskies Peaking for the Tournament

UConn meanwhile is showing a repeat of last year’s run into the National Championship. They are peaking and dominating their opposition, leaving many to expect that UConn will again reign as national champion. So far they have dispatched Stetson 91-52 and most recently Northwestern 75-58. Against the Wildcats, they shot 53.7% from the field, yet were an abysmal 3 of 22 from three. They have an experienced and talented starting five beginning with 6’5” guard Tristen Newton. He led all scorers with 20 points against Northwestern. In the middle they have 7’2” sophomore center Donovon Clingan who added 14 points and 14 rebounds. At forward they have 6’8 sophomore Alex Karaban, 6’4” senior guard Cam Spencer and 6’6” freshman guard Stephon Castle. The Huskies built a 40-18 halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way against Northwestern, who was coming off of a good win against Florida Atlantic. The west bracket featured three of the four teams from last year’s Final Four and with the Huskies winning, set up a rematch of last year’s final against the Aztecs.

Aztecs school Yale, hit the books preparing for the Huskies

In Spokane, the Aztecs had just as easy a road as they shut the books on Yales season. The Aztecs had the hot hand from outside and the overwhelming post-game with LeDee. The Aztecs may feel as if they have a little extra burden to carry as they are the last remaining Mountain West Conference team left standing, as Utah State bowed out with barely a pitiful moan against Purdue. As they prepare for UConn, a few obstacles might present themselves. First, they have a cross-country trip to Boston, where UConn will have a distinct advantage with the home crowd. The Aztecs have struggled this year playing on the road where they lost six conference games. They were bolstered by a convincing road win against Gonzaga in December. Second, the Huskies have the hot hand, winners of 9 in a row. Their last loss was on February 20 against tournament member Creighton. Much like last season, they got hot in the tournament and stayed hot, winning all their games up to the final by 20 or more points. In the final, they held the Aztecs to 32.2% from the field and 26.1% from outside the arc in a 76-59 victory.

Around the Tournament

There remains some outstanding basketball left in the Sweet Sixteen. The lowest-ranked team remaining is North Carolina State at number 11. All four #1’s and #2’s remain as well. The conferences are well-represented. The ACC leads the parade with four followed by the Big East with three, two each for the Big 10, Big 12, and SEC, and one team each from the Mountain West, Pac 12 and WCC. Parity is a great thing to see in the tournament. Early round-upsets are exciting but rarely sustainable. Your top talented peaking teams generally have the depth to make it into the Final Four and win the national title. Each of the teams remaining has unique team skills, bringing key players’ talents to showcase. I’ve watched several of the games in real-time, but have to say I was completely entertained by the game with Grand Canyon University and Alabama. The athleticism on display was as good as any I’ve seen. Both teams hustled and brought a physicality rarely seen in the college game. Alabama moved on, but Grand Canyon has a bright future ahead of them.

Aztecs 3 Keys to Victory

So with the Aztecs facing a rematch against the Huskies, there are several keys they will need to achieve to avoid a repeat of last season’s loss.

First, they will need to find a way to win the battle of the big men. LeDee going against Clingan (‘phasers on full, Captain’) will be a 5-inch height disadvantage. Rotational support from LeDee’s teammates will be needed to neutralize the big man from UConn. LeDee is a strong, physical force that can play in the paint and have an offensive presence outside. Pulling Clingan out with him could open up some screens and backdoor plays.

Second, the Aztecs will need to continue the shooting prowess they showed against Yale. 52% from the field might be a bit rich, but 45% will keep them in the game. Their three-point shooting will need to be enough to pull UConn’s players out of the paint to allow for offensive boards on missed shots. They will. need to find the hot hand and run with him.

Finally, the Aztecs will have to rely on what got them this far; defense. They will need to play smart and aggressive defense that frustrates UConn and hopefully turnovers. If the Aztecs can create fast break opportunities off of turnovers, they may be able to neutralize UConn’s talent edge. Tristen Newton is an outstanding player and picks up the slack when others are off. I think the Aztecs will do all of the above and win by four points. This is a team that feels they left something on the table last year. Let’s hope it’s not leftovers.