Recreation preview: Aztecs, Lobos sq. off Saturday for Mountain West title
Mountain West Convention ultimate:
No. 6 seed New Mexico vs. No. 5 seed SDSU
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
The place: Thomas & Mack Middle, Las Vegas
On the air: CBS; 760-AM
Data: New Mexico is 25-9, SDSU is 24-9
Sequence historical past: New Mexico leads 50-45. They cut up their two conferences this season, the Lobos profitable 88-70 in Albuquerque and the Aztecs profitable 81-70 at Viejas Area. They haven’t met within the Mountain West match for the reason that 2018 ultimate, which the Aztecs gained 82-75.
How they bought right here: New Mexico beat Air Pressure 82-56, Boise State 76-66 and Colorado State 74-61; SDSU beat UNLV 74-71 in time beyond regulation and Utah State 86-70.
Lobos replace: After some shaky moments in February, together with a Quad 4 residence loss in opposition to Air Pressure, the Lobos are rolling. They’ve gained all three video games on the Mountain West match by double digits, trailing for less than 42 seconds of 120 complete minutes. Within the semis in opposition to Colorado State, they led 11-0 and by no means seemed again. Jaelen Home led them with 19 factors, eight assists, no turnovers and two steals. Even with a pair of Quad 1 wins right here, some bracketologists aren’t satisfied the Lobos are within the 68-team NCAA discipline, placing them smack on the bubble due to a nonconference schedule ranked 272nd nationally regardless of in any other case sturdy metrics (23 in NET, 25 in Kenpom). There is also the specter of a number of “bid stealers” that win their convention tournaments and acquire automated berths that push out bubble groups. “I simply don’t get it,” coach Richard Pitino stated of the bid uncertainty. “It boggles my thoughts. The largest factor we’re making an attempt to do is management what we are able to management. However I might be very stunned if we didn’t make it.” The Lobos can be enjoying their fourth recreation in lower than 70 hours, and guards Donovan Dent and Jamal Mashburn Jr. have each been battling the flu. “There’s no time to be drained,” Pitino stated. “You simply mentally and bodily must struggle via it.”
Aztecs replace: They’re superb at reaching the Mountain West championship recreation, much less stellar at profitable it. They’re 3-8 of their final 11 finals, though they’ve gained two of the final three (together with 62-57 final yr in opposition to Utah State). After some irritating video games to shut the common season, the Aztecs appear to have hit their March stride. Lamont Butler (16 factors), Micah Parrish (15) and Reese Waters (11) all broke out of taking pictures slumps within the semifinal win in opposition to top-seeded and 18th-ranked Utah State. That elevated their Kenpom metric to 18, however it nonetheless may not be sufficient to get them to the 4 seed line within the NCAAs (and the geographic safety that comes with it). Most bracketologists nonetheless have them as a 5, which implies they may very well be shipped to any of the eight first-round websites, 5 of that are within the Japanese time zone. A 4 seed would preserve them within the West (Salt Lake Metropolis or Spokane, Wash.). Essentially the most generally projected 4 seeds are Illinois, Auburn, Alabama and Kansas. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Duke as a substitute of Illinois (which he has as a 3), then charges BYU and SDSU as the highest 5s. Potential 12 seeds SDSU may face as a 5 are Princeton, South Florida, McNeese State, James Madison and VCU. The Aztecs have been a 5 seed final yr.
Subsequent up: Choice Sunday (3 p.m., CBS)
Credit: Original Article