San Diego State Aztecs
With less than 7 weeks from us having a bracket in our hands, let us begin to countdown and break down this years March and the madness behind it.
Every day we will look at a different angle of the beauty that is the bracket. From top seeds to bubble teams and every team in between. Which styles of play can be a problem for teams and which teams are on my radar for wearing the glass slipper.
With still 7 weeks to go standings can and will change.
March Madness, San Diego State Aztecs
- San Diego State Aztecs
Currently a 10 seed in the South bracket matched up against North Carolina in the first first four in, the San Diego State Aztecs have had a solid season thus far with a record of 14-5 overall and 7-3 in the Mountwest conference. The Aztecs are 3-3 against quad 1 and 2-1 against quad 2.
This team is middle of the pack as far as offense goes ranking 151 in offensive efficiency scoring 1.10 points per possession. They protect the ball above average in metrics and shoot the three ball decent averaging 36% from deep. Only about 34% of their shots come from behind the arc which means this team does not settle.
However, contrary to their offense, their defense is this teams strong point. San Diego State is ranked 8th in the nation in defensive efficiency only allowing 0.9 points per possession.
They run teams off of the three point line which is crucial in March. Once you get inside the arc they force you into tough shots, teams are only averaging 42% field goal percentage from two point range against this team. This is good for 6th in the nation.
In November San Diego State beat both Creighton and Houston. Yet, outside of that no big wins on the resume. The Aztecs have losses to Gonzaga, Oregon, Utah State, New Mexico, and UNLV.
Only two players are averaging double digits, however the slow pace style of offense is understandable. Six others players do average around 6 points or more.
Sets at a Glance
San Diego State loves offensive spacing, it gives players off the ball the space to cut and reposition. They utilize the mid range effectively and love advancing the ball via passing up the court.
If the defense is not discipline in it’s approach, the Aztecs will find a way to take advantage. Players will cut every time the defender turns their head, and the ball handlers will find them for easy lay-ups and dunks.
Defense is again top 10 in the nation. No weaknesses. They cover on the ball amazingly, the help defense and rotations are on time, and they protect the rim at all cost.
Final Thoughts and Projections
This is a tricky team to gauge. Last two seasons they went as far as UConn allowed them. Losing in the National Championship game to UConn, and last season losing to them again in the Sweet 16.
However this team has lost talent from those two runs and been shaky in some big time games. As much as I want to put San Diego State in the Sweet 16, I am not sure they have the offense to get them there.
Look for the Aztecs to have a disappointing early round exit this season. Especially if they stay in the last four in seed line. Playing on that Tuesday or Wednesday night game could be challenging.
I do not expect this team to make it pass the first round, and if they do, I am almost certain that will be the end of the road. No second weekend this season for the Aztecs. I expect a one and done appearance.
Rowan Donaghey, Sports Reporter and Betting Analyst for Stare Down Sports. You can follow him on X via @RowanDonaghey
Follow Stare Down Sports on X for all of the latest news and updates @StareDownSports
Leave a Reply