San Diego State Basketball: Keys to victory over Creighton in Round of 64

It is 2022… March Madness has just begun… And San Diego State Basketball are once again dancing.

Though the Aztec faithful may have had some worries early on in the season, San Diego State has won eleven of its last thirteen games, rolling to the Mountain West Tournament Championship game (where they were edged by the Boise State Broncos, 52–53), en route to a 23–8 overall record.

This earned the Aztecs an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they hold an 8-seed in the Midwest region, and have a date with the dangerous Creighton Bluejays come Thursday.

In some ways, Creighton has had a similar season to San Diego State: The Bluejays had a relatively slow start to their season, but have won nine of their last twelve match-ups, getting especially hot during the Big East Conference Tournament, falling to college basketball powerhouse Villanova by six in the tournament’s championship game. The Bluejays hold a 22–11 overall record, and have a dangerous starting rotation despite losing star point guard Ryan Nembhard near the end of February.

The Aztecs and Bluejays have met on the hardwood only six times before, with the most recent match-up being an 83–52 Aztecs win on a neutral court in 2019; That result drew the series to an even 3–3, according to Sports Reference.

March Madness is, of course, an exciting time for players, coaches, and fans alike – That being said, only one team can advance past each round. Bear with me, as I attempt to take a glance at a couple of things San Diego State needs to do in order to advance past Creighton this week – Starting, of course, with the Aztecs’ Matt Bradley…