NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga’s comeback, Villanova’s upset and other takeaways

San Diego State didn’t need Matt Bradley to win a key game

Last season, the Aztecs only had one player average double figures in Matt Bradley, who averaged just under 18 ppg. They were one of the best defensive units in NCAA Basketball but lacked the scoring punch needed to make a deep run in March. The loss to BYU last season was evident after Bradley struggled shooting from the field.

That’s what happened last night as well, with the All-Mountain West guard going for six points on 3/16 shooting. This would’ve easily been a loss a year ago but San Diego State’s offseason efforts in the transfer portal already paid off early. Darrion Trammell, the star pickup from Seattle U, had 21 points and four assists. And Jaedon Ledee, who missed all of last season with an injury, had a game-high 23 points off the bench and played a massive role in helping the Aztecs not fall down by double-digits in the second half.

Beating a capable team like BYU at home without Bradley doing anything is a great size for their long-term prospects this season. The defense remains in great shape (20 turnovers forced) and despite not making a field goal, Oakland transfer Micah Parrish still had eight free throws and caused havoc by getting to the basket.

For BYU, they looked much better on Friday compared to the near-defeat at home against Idaho State. Still, the backcourt play leaves much to be desired. They were able to take advantage of Bradley having an off-night a year ago but this time around, their own backcourt play (outside of Spencer Johnson) wasn’t good enough for a victory.