2023 was a banner year for San Diego State…literally. The Aztecs men’s basketball team took their fans, the city of San Diego, and the entire Nation on an incredible ride. A journey that ended in a championship game appearance. This was without a doubt, the greatest year to be a fan of the red & black.
A Final Four and National Championship game was new territory for the SDSU program—but decades of Mountain West domination weren’t. This season Brian Dutcher’s team is seeking to earn the programs 17th Mountain West men’s basketball title. Entering the 2023-24 season, San Diego State has won nine regular season and seven Mountain West tournament titles. On top of that, SDSU has made multiple Sweet-16 runs and fifteen NCAA tournament appearances—ten alone since the 2010-2011 season.
When it comes to the AP poll, since the 2010-2011 season SDSU has appeared in the poll for 103 weeks, more than any program in the state of California—even ahead of UCLA (86 weeks). So this week, the first week of the new year it was no surprise that Aztec Nation were visibly up in arms when realizing arguably the most dominant basketball program in the West Coast was not ranked in the poll’s Top-25. All this despite confidently defeating the #13 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Aztec program features much of their returning scorers from last season’s Championship run, including Final Four game hero Lamont Butler and potential All-American performer this season in Forward Jaedon LeDee.
San Diego State’s metrics rank among the best in the nation. Through the games of December 26, the Aztecs were ranked No. 29 in the NET, No. 34 in T-Rank, No. 30 in Kenpom, No. 32 in KPI and No. 60 in BPI. San Diego State’s RPI strength of schedule is No. 5, and its strength of record is No. 24.
Despite all the ridiculous confusion in the National media and the AP’s voters, as the calendar flips to 2024 we look back at the past year to find my top five moments of the year.
5. Lamont Butler Previews Future Heroics Against New Mexico
Back on February 25th the Aztecs let the Lobos fans get back into a game that seemed to be over after Micah Parrish hit a three-point shot to put San Diego State up 70-66. After three made free throws, a steal, and a bucket by the Lobos, the Aztecs found themselves down 71-70 with about five seconds to go in the game. Butler took the ball slowly down the court and pulled up from long range, hitting the shot and putting San Diego State on the precipice of a conference title.
This shot would be a preview of “The Shot” of course, but was still incredibly memorable because—when is breaking hearts in Albuquerque not fun? Beside the significance for the team, this was a sort of redemption for Butler who had failed in a late game situation against Arkansas in the Maui Invitational earlier that season.
4. Aztecs Clinch Regular Season and Tournament Title with Victory Over Utah State
San Diego State has been the conference flag bearer when it comes to basketball, however when it comes to pulling off the double, a regular and tournament conference title, the Aztecs had only done it once over the last 10 years. This season the Aztecs showed off their dominance by winning the Mountain West regular season title by two full games and then disposing of a pesky Utah State team in the Mountain West Tournament Finals to sweep both championships.
Adding two banners is always a great feat, but showing the league that we continued being the class of the Mountain West was priceless. This game was important because it showed how San Diego State’s three-point defense was elite. The Aggies were third in the nation in three-point percentage, and they ended up shooting 16.7% on the day. This would be a common theme for the Aztecs in March Madness.
3. Aztecs Win the Battle for the Best In the West
There is no argument that Gonzaga is a high major program, however some people will argue that San Diego State is not in the same realm. The Aztecs had to head back to the Kennel and remind the nation that they are the program to beat on the west coast. San Diego State won 84-74 to end 2023 with a statement. A trio of transfers led the Aztecs in scoring as Reese Waters scored 22 points, followed by Jaedon LeDee who put in 20, and Darrion Trammell chipped 17. All three transferred into the program and have become major contributors. San Diego State does not rebuild, they reload.
In the last four games against the Zags the Aztecs have won three and are making a strong case that they are the best on the west coast. Everyone likes to talk about how great of a rise Gonzaga is, but the same should be said about San Diego State. The win went a long way on putting the nation on notice that the Aztecs’ program is one to be respected.
2. Navigating March Madness
Talking about putting the nation on notice, Coach Brian Dutcher and the Aztecs made the big leap in the NCAA tournament, showing that San Diego State is a program to be respected. They did this all while facing consistent doses of disrespect from the National media. We saw what the Aztecs guards did to three-point shooting teams, however the Aztecs were a popular pick to be upset in the first round by the College of Charleston. San Diego State did what they do and won.
Numerous experts then selected the fun story of the Furman Paladins to beat SDSU. All the Aztecs did was respond to the disrespect—winning handily by 23. In the Sweet 16, the vast majority of the Nation thought the Aztecs had no chance against #1 Alabama. We all know how that turned out. The media assured us that the Aztecs had now met their match against Creighton—the team that took down SDSU the previous year in the tournament. The Aztecs won their redemption, scraping and clawing down to the wire for a one-point victory and a program first trip to the Final Four. There the media got behind the Florida Atlantic University Owls, saying they had too much scoring for the Aztecs to contain. Lamont Butler had something to say about that.
San Diego State finally met their match against a deserving champion and well-built team in the Connecticut Huskies in the Championship game. However, no Aztec fan left sad from this run. It was the greatest March, and April, in San Diego State history bringing with it an experience that every Aztec fan would cherish forever. First Elite Eight. First Final Four. First Championship appearance. But definitely not the last.
1. The Butler Did It
No moment stood out in 2023 than “The Shot.” The entire run was a blast, but the culmination was Butler’s buzzer-beating game winner of Florida Atlantic. These are the shots that kids grow up dreaming to make, and Butler took that opportunity and danced the program to its first Championship appearance. From Aguek Arop’s defense to Butler’s shot, the entire sequence was something that I can watch on loop and still get emotional about.
Butler became an immediate legend with that shot. It is a moment that will live on, not only in San Diego State history, but in college basketball history. It was the first game winning buzzer beater in the Final Four where the team who made it was losing. One of the fun things was seeing reactions from around San Diego and beyond as the shot went in. The pure joy and exhilaration were shared by the Aztec community and it really is a moment that can only be topped by a national championship; which is the only goal left for this program.
2023 was a special year for San Diego State men’s basketball. The program reached the highest of highs and the fanbase got to experience an amazing ride with a program that has been so close on many occasions. Let us take one look back before we look forward to a 2024 of continued success.
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5 Responses
Great read Mike. We seem to always play the role if undeserving underdog. 15 years of relevance can’t erase that. However, proof is in the pudding. To borrow from The Show, “Nobody likes us, and we don’t care.” All we do is, “Win, win, win. Cut down nets.” – Tim Shelton.
The good news is the computer stats are what will determine NCAA invitations and seeding.
A Conference Championship is the immediate goal, and judging by the Mountain West collective non conference record the Mountain West should get four teams into the field of 68.
The AP Voters who put Gonzaga higher than SDSU are disrespectful and cowardly. Some of those voters are fearful of SDSU of becoming too popular. Certain voters are purposely trying to keep SDSU out of the spotlight. The more recognition SDSU gets the more attention the team gets; which means more and more higher recruits on the regular for SDSU and some people don’t want SDSU to get anymore popular or competitive than they are already are and have been. Some people don’t like their favored teams losing power status when other teams take the spot light over them. In a round about way those AP voters who are purposely trying to keep SDSU down with their I accurate and shameful votes is pointing out the strength of the Aztec team.
The voters who still ranked Gonzaga over SDSU after that loss are shameful and afraid of change.