NCAA tournament projections: San Diego State moves up to 10-seed
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Selection Sunday is five days away and the NCAA tournament projections continue to change.
ESPN’s longtime bracketologist Joe Lunardi continues to regularly update his brackets. As of Wednesday morning, Lunardi has moved San Diego State up one spot and no longer has the Aztecs saddled with playing a first four game in Dayton, Ohio.
Now listed as the last team in the bracket with a bye, Lunardi has San Diego State as a 10-seed in the East Region. The Aztecs would head to Cleveland to take on seven-seed Marquette with Tennessee and Robert Morris facing off in the other side of the quadrant. Early season wins against Houston and Creighton continue to elevate San Diego State’s profile.
The Aztecs are one of four teams from the Mountain West that Lunardi has jockeying for position on either side of the bracket leading into Sunday’s release. Utah State, last season’s regular season champion, appeared safe for most of the season but dropped several key conference games in recent weeks. Lunardi has the Aggies atop the list of his last four teams with byes that include Arkansas, Baylor and San Diego State. Currently slotted as a 10-seed, Utah State would take on seven-seed Ole Miss with Texas Tech and Omaha matching up on the other side of the quadrant.
According to Lunardi, Boise State is currently the first team out of the tournament. The Broncos rose throughout the second half of the conference season and were nearly unbeatable at home. Prior to the regular season finale against Colorado State, Boise State had been 13-1 at home, losing only to San Diego State. The Rams finished off the deal last Friday night, helping their own resume while pushing Boise State back to the bubble.
Sitting alongside Boise State are North Carolina, Texas and Colorado State in the dreaded group of first four teams out. The Rams soared in the second half of Mountain West Conference play and by beating Boise State they clinched second place. They’ll open up on Thursday night, awaiting the winner of today’s game between Nevada and Fresno State.
Heading into this week’s Mountain West Conference tournament, New Mexico may be the only team sleeping well. The Lobos took home the regular season crown in the conference for the first time in over a decade. Currently sitting as a nine-seed in the West Region according to Lunardi, the Lobos and head coach Richard Pitino would be matched up against Louisville. Pitino was a former assistant coach for the Cardinals where his dad, Rick, was the longtime head coach.
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-770033d1c5c4820fdbde4ecf2452e810.jpg "Bodie De Silva")
Bodie DeSilva has been covering sports in San Diego for more than a decade. He previously covered San Diego State athletics for Scout/Fox Sports.