SDSU Aztecs back in NCAA Tournament, will face Creighton on Thursday
Credit: Don De Mars/ EVT Sports
After not securing the automatic bid by winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament, the San Diego State Aztecs needed to wait until Selection Sunday to hear its name called and know they were dancing.
For the first time under head coach Brian Dutcher and for the first time since 2015, the Aztecs received an at-large bid to the Men’s NCAA Tournament and an 8-seed in the Midwest region. SDSU is in the “Big Dance” for the ninth time since 2010.
San Diego State – YOU'RE IN! 🕺
Welcome to #MarchMadness, @Aztec_MBB! #SelectionSunday pic.twitter.com/Pd8moXdCeX
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2022
The 9-seed Creighton Blue Jays will be the first opponent for SDSU on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Creighton finished the season 22-11 with a 12-7 record in the Big East before making it to the Big East tournament championship. After losing to Seton Hall by 19 on Feb. 4, Creighton has won nine of their last 12 games.
The Blue jays are without its young, promising point guard, Ryan Nembhard, but will lean on 7’1” center Ryan Kalkbrenner and 6’7” forward Ryan Hawkins.
San Diego State has played Creighton six times. They've split those matchups.
Aztecs have won the last two, including an 83-52 win in the 2019-2020 season.
This should jog your memory of that blowout of the Bluejays:pic.twitter.com/6lxRhAJrjA
— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) March 13, 2022
If the Aztecs defeat the Blue Jays, they will face the winner of the Kansas Jayhawks game against either Texas Southern or Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Being in the Midwest region, the Aztecs would play in Chicago, Illinois, if SDSU wins its two games in Fort Worth. Here is a look at the entire region for the Aztecs.
The Midwest Region!#SelectionSunday #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/kCWDKBIHnw
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2022
For as much success as the SDSU program has seen, it has never made it past the Sweet 16 and has only made it that far twice.
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As for the rest of the Mountain West, the conference saw one of its most successful seasons ever. In addition to Boise State, who won the automatic bid, Colorado State and Wyoming also got at-large bids to give the Mountain West four teams in the tournament. Wyoming will open by playing in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, while Colorado State got a 6-seed, and Boise State is an 8-seed.
Tip-off times for the individual games are yet to be announced.
Dominic is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. He also is the producer and co-host of the “Padres EVT Podcast.”