NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Virginia falls, Marquette and Gonzaga rise in top 25 power rankings

17. San Diego State Aztecs – 23-5 (14-2 Mountain West)

With a four-game win streak, the Aztecs had a chance to take a commanding lead in the conference standings. The first game was at home against Colorado State, a game that wasn’t competitive early on. A 15-point lead for San Diego State was essentially insurmountable, with them running away with the 77-58 win. Five were in double figures, including both Jaedon Ledee and Micah Parrish with 26 points and eight rebounds combined off the bench.

The next game for the Aztecs was on the road at New Mexico, a team that had already beaten the Aztecs earlier this season. They’re squarely on the bubble and another win over the top team in the Mountain West could be what’s needed to get a spot in the Big Dance. They were leading by double figures for most of the game before the Aztecs made a furious comeback until the final seconds.

A three-point by Lamont Butler to beat the buzzer gave San Diego State a thrilling 73-71 win, led by 18 points from Darrion Trammell, who went 4/9 from three-point range. Both Butler and Matt Bradley also finished the game in double figures in the comeback as well.

This now gives the Aztecs a two-game leading the conference standings, with two games to go. They’ve clinched at least a share of the title and can win it outright on Tuesday if they can beat Boise State on the road. Wyoming at home rounds out the regular season.