SDSU Aztecs aim for a perfect three-for-three sweep against Boise State as they meet in Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament

Thomas & Mack Center – 2:30 p.m. PT. CBS Sports Network

The conference tournament is where the San Diego State Aztecs thrive. They are 7-time champions, and last won in 2023, the year they made the incredible National Championship run. Last season, SDSU made their way back to the conference championship but lost to New Mexico. If the Aztecs want to make it back, they must go through No. 1 seed New Mexico in the semifinals, assuming NM wins in the quarterfinals against San Jose State.

“They say the hardest thing in sports is to beat a team three times,” head coach Brian Dutcher said to the media on Tuesday. “Heck, the way we were playing against Boise, I was hoping we would win just one time. We’re fortunate to get them twice and now we match with them again. Obviously, we have a lot of respect for Boise. Leon Rice does a great job, and (Tyson) Degenhart is an all-conference performer. It will be a great challenge and one we look forward to.”

The regular season had its ups and downs for the Aztecs. Compared to last season, the team was much younger. The Aztecs were led this season by redshirt sophomore Miles Byrd (who was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team & All-MW Defensive Team), redshirt freshman Magoon Gwath (named Mountain West Defensive POY, MW Freshman of the Year, All-MW Defensive Team, and MW Honorable Mention), and Nick Boyd (All MW Second Team). All three of those players have a chance to come back next season.

For now, they aim to lead the Aztecs to another conference tournament title but have a tough Boise State team in the way.

Gwath’s status for Thursday is still up in the air. We may find that out soon but he will likely be a game-time decision depending on how he does that morning in shoot around. Regardless if he plays or not, the Aztecs will be ready. They finished the season 3-1 without the freshman star. Dutcher told the media that he won’t play unless he is 100% and needs to have a full practice first before doing so.

This is a very important game for the Aztecs’ NCAA Tournament hopes. SDSU is on the bubble, and a win against the Broncos could put them in. They have the resume to make it, but a bad loss could put them on the wrong side of the bubble. It’s just as important to Boise State as well, as they are in an almost identical spot.

Boise State is 45th in NET, and SDSU is 51st. The good news for SDSU is they have a better resume with a 43 WAB (Wins Above Bubble) compared to the Broncos 55 WAB. SDSU is 3-5 in Quad 1 games compared to Boise State’s 2-5 record. There is not much that separates these two teams outside of the fact that SDSU is 2-0 against them and also have a win against Houston, who is No. 3 in NET. Why they are behind by six NET rankings is beyond me. Regardless, this matchup will be a major one, and the Aztecs need to play much better at Thomas & Mack Center than they did on March 4 in the loss to UNLV.

Last Matchup With Boise State

In mid-February, the Aztecs dominated the Broncos from start to finish at Viejas Arena, 64-47. The game was not as close as it was the first time around in Boise.

The Broncos had difficulties running their offense and shot just 33.3% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc. The Aztecs played well on both sides while shooting 54.2% from the floor and had 10 blocked shots.

San Diego State held Tyson Degenhart to 17 points on 6-16 shooting and 5-0 from deep. He did grab 12 rebounds but, for the most part, was held in check in 39 minutes of action. Alvaro Cardenas was the next-highest scorer at eight points and only had three assists as he was also held in check. It’s unlikely the Aztecs will see this type of defensive success again while being on a neutral court.

What to Expect for This Matchup

The Aztecs are the betting favorite to win, according to numerous sportsbooks, but not by much. They need to show up offensively, led by Boyd. The senior went on a tear during the second half of the season, establishing himself as one of the best point guards in the conference. He ended the regular season as the team’s leading scorer at 13.2 points per game. He also led with 4.0 assists per game.

The Aztecs need Boyd to continue to be aggressive in attacking the paint. When he is in a groove, he is scoring at the basket and then sets his teammates up when the defense closes in on him.

“My mindset is to win,” Boyd said on Tuesday. “Do whatever it takes to win. The Mountain West has been awesome, the competition. Whether it’s the first team in the league or last team, it’s personal. So, I’m excited. The fans will travel, and it will be a great environment. I’m just ready to do whatever it takes to win.”

On the defensive end, we know that Byrd will play tight and aggressive defense. He will force turnovers, but Miles Heide and Jared Coleman-Jones have the tough task. They need to defend Degenhart extremely well. He is going to be a force all game long as his career is on the verge of coming to an end. He will go down as one of the best players to ever play in the Mountain West conference, and expect him not to let the Aztecs have another easy game. Beating a team three times in one season is never easy. However, the Aztecs did sweep the Broncos in 2019-20.

“I like our chances; I like the way we are playing,” Dutcher said. “I like our disposition; we had a really good practice yesterday. So, we’ll go out there and play against a really good team who will be highly motivated and it should be a great contest.”

Key to Victory

This game may come down to who is more disciplined. The Aztecs cannot afford to get in foul trouble. If they are without Gwath, then JCJ and Heide must play smart to make sure they are available late in the contest. On the flip side, SDSU is not a good free-throw shooting team. Converting at the line is very important. SDSU shot just 10-18 from the line in the win over Nevada on Senior Night.

“We have a competitive edge,” Boyd said. “I think we compete like no other team in the league.”

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.