Aztecs face streaking Colorado State in Mountain West quarterfinals
SDSU vs. Colorado State
What: Mountain West Tournament quarterfinal
When: 6 pm Thursday
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: 760-AM
Records: SDSU is 20-10, 14-6; CSU is 21-11, 11-9
sequence historical past: SDSU leads 54-46 and has gained seven of the final 10, together with 73-50 at Viejas Arena on Jan. 28. Colorado State gained 83-74 at Moby Arena on Feb. 21. Their final assembly in the convention event was a 64-61 Aztecs victory in the 2023 quarterfinals.
Aztecs replace: They come to their remaining Mountain West event nearly actually needing to win it to achieve a sixth straight NCAA Tournament. The Kenpom metric provides them a 38.4% probability of constructing the championship recreation and a 20% probability of successful it. Utah State is given a 31% probability, adopted by New Mexico (15.7%), Grand Canyon (11.1%) and Boise State (9.5%). The Aztecs final wanted to win the convention event in coach Brian Dutcher’s first two seasons, successful in 2018 and shedding in the ultimate in 2019. Of their seven convention event titles, just one has include an offense ranked exterior the highest 80 nationally, and that was 104th again in 2002. The Aztecs are at present 88th in Kenpom offensive effectivity. They are 17-1 in their final 18 quarterfinals, though that loss got here final yr towards Boise State. Dutcher gave his gamers Saturday and Sunday off earlier than returning to follow Monday. Reese Dixon-Waters and Miles Byrd are each banged up however have been practising. Freshman guard Elzie Harrington has not and is taken into account uncertain.
rams replace: They are the most well liked workforce in the Mountain West, successful 9 of the final 10. The spotlight was an 82-74 win in The Pit at New Mexico in which they led by 19. They additionally gained at UNLV and beat SDSU at dwelling throughout their eight-game win streak. In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, they trailed a lot of the evening towards Tenth-seeded Fresno State earlier than squeaking out a 67-63 determination. Washington switch Jace Butler had 17 of his 20 factors in the second half after making a career-high six 3s. Forward Carey Booth, who had a career-high 22 in the Feb. 21 recreation towards SDSU, added 18. The Rams excel in offense (hovering across the high 50 in the nation) and never a lot on protection (close to 200). They’d be much more efficient on offense if it wasn’t for a excessive turnover fee, rating 289th nationally in that division at 18.4% of possessions (though that they had solely 9 turnovers towards Fresno State). Only 5 groups shoot it higher than their 39.4% behind the arc. The Rams are 84 in Kenpom and 87 in the NET. Kenpom tasks a 75-50 Aztecs win.
Next up: The winner performs in Mountain West semifinals on Friday (9 p.m., CBSSN)
—MARK ZEIGLER
