San Diego State in unfamiliar territory in first NCAA NET rankings of the season

Aztecs check in all the way down at No. 123

Nov 25, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard BJ Davis (10) drives the ball in the second half against the Oregon Ducks. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first NCAA NET Rankings are out and San Diego State is an unfamiliar position. 

After a rough 10 days both in San Diego and Las Vegas, the Aztecs are No. 123 in one of college basketball’s key metrics. 

That’s not where the Aztecs normally are, especially with a loaded roster, an annual expectation of reaching the NCAA Tournament and the added factor of being the unanimous choice to win the Mountain West title in their final year in the league before moving to the reconfigured Pac-12. 

The Aztecs are 3-3 overall after finishing 1-2 in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas last week, including blowout losses to Michigan — which is No. 1 in NET — and Baylor — which is No. 67. 

What are the NET Rankings?

The NCAA Evaluation Tool replaced the RPI several years ago. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses the NET Rankings as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the NCAA tournament. 

One of the major factors is the Team Value Index (TVI), which is a result-based feature that rewards teams for beating quality opponents, particularly away from home, as well as an adjusted net efficiency rating. The adjusted efficiency is a team’s net efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played. 

Why the Aztecs are ranked so low

The Aztecs opened the season with relatively easy home wins against Long Beach State and Idaho State. Their first setback was a 108-107, double-overtime home loss to Troy. 

Then it was off to Las Vegas and the Players Era Festival, where the Aztecs were routed 94-54 by Michigan, their worst loss since late in the 1998-1999 season, the final year before the Steve Fisher-Brian Dutcher began. 

Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard L.J. Cason (2) shoots against the San Diego State Aztecs in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at Michelob Ultra Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

SDSU rallied to dominate Oregon 97-80, but then lost 91-81 to Baylor, causing many observers to wonder why the Aztecs’ normally tight defense has suddenly started allowing so many points. The Aztecs have allowed at least 80 points in each of their last four games. 

The Aztecs are 0-1 in Quad 1 games, 0-1 in Quad 2 games, 2-1 in Quad 3 games and 1-0 in Quad 4 games. 

What’s next

The Aztecs return to Viejas Arena for games against Utah Valley on Wednesday night, Lamar on Dec. 10 and their final Mountain West opener, against Air Force, on Dec. 17.

The Tecs will then have another big test when they head to Phoenix for a neutral-site showdown with No. 2 Arizona — which is No. 6 in the NET Rankings — on Dec. 20. After a home game against Whittier on Dec. 22, the Aztecs will settle into their final season in the Mountain West.