LAS VEGAS - Having defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 Air Force Reserve Mountain West tournament on Thursday night, 53-46 for its 15 consecutive opening game win in the event, the 3-seeded San Diego State men's basketball team continues its quest for its seventh title when its meets 2-seeded Colorado State on Friday night in Thomas & Mack Center.
OFF THE BOUNCE
Having advanced to the conference tournament semifinal round for a 15th consecutive season, third-seeded San Diego State faces second-seeded No. 23/24 Colorado State in the second semifinal game Friday.
This marks just the second time since joining the Mountain West Conference that the Aztecs have been the third seed (2007). The Aztecs are 1-1 in the event on the third line.
San Diego State has won this event a record six times (2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021).
San Diego State has won the event as the one seed (twice), two seed, four seed and five seed (twice).
Amazingly, San Diego State has played for the tournament title in seven of the last eight years and in 11 of the last 13 seasons (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021).
The Aztecs are 13-4 in the semifinal round of the event and have won their last four semifinal games.
San Diego State has opened conference tournament play with a victory in each of its last 15 league tourney appearances. That is tied for the third longest active win streak nationally.
Overall, San Diego State is 38-16 in the Mountain West tournament for a winning percentage of 70.4 percent. The Aztecs' 38 tournament wins are the most by any team - current or former - in league history. This is particularly impressive because 10 of SDSU's 54 tournament games have been played on the road (8-2 at UNLV), while UNLV has played 40 of its 47 tournament games at home.
San Diego State owns 40 victories in Thomas & Mack Center since the start of the 2008-09 campaign. That is the most victories by any school in any venue in which it has not played a home game in the past 14 seasons. What is particularly impressive is that 17 of those 40 victories came as the road team playing at UNLV. Villanova is second with 33 victories at Madison Square Garden.
San Diego State has won a season-long tying five straight games and is 10-1 in its last 11 games.
San Diego State is playing its best basketball of the season. The Aztecs are 11-2 in their last 13 games with just a pair of one-point road losses at NET No. 25 Colorado State (57-58) and at NET No. 31 Boise State (57-58).
San Diego State continues to boast an impressive NCAA metric profile. The Aztecs are 28th in the NET (2nd in the MWC), 22nd in KenPom (tops in the MWC), 29th in BPI (tops in the MWC) and 31st in Sagarin Rating (tops in the MWC).
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher is in his fifth season as San Diego State's head coach and his 23rd season on the Aztec sidelines. In his four plus seasons as head coach, he has led the Aztecs to four conference titles, a 118-38 overall record and has already been named the national coach of the year and twice named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. Among first time head coaches who started in the 2017-18 season, Dutcher's 118 wins are the most and he is one of two head coaches in the group to reach triple-digit victories (also: Bob Richey of Furman with 109 victories).
Aztecs Play Colorado State In MW Semifinal
