Where does San Diego State stand in the latest NCAA Tournament projections?

The San Diego State Aztecs barely missed making the NCAA Tournament last spring, a snub that ended a season of high expectations.

In CBS Sports’ updated 2027 Bracketology, they barely make it into the expanded Field of 76.

The Aztecs are the last team listed in the Last Four In and are projected to play Maryland in the expanded opening round, with the winner being assigned the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region.

CBS Sports updated its Bracketology after the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline and with most schools having finalized their rosters.

Gonzaga, which, like SDSU, is officially joining the new-look Pac-12 on July 1, is projected as the No. 2 seed in the West. No other Pac-12 teams are in the projected field.

Why this matters

The Aztecs found out the hard way last season that gigantic preseason expectations don’t mean a thing if their NCAA resume isn’t airtight.

The Aztecs were tripped up by their non-conference schedule, with the most damaging loss being a 108-107 double overtime home setback to Troy, which ended up making the NCAA Tournament while the Aztecs missed out for the first time in six seasons. They also lost by double digits to eventual national champion Michigan and Baylor in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, and to Arizona in Phoenix.

They were on and off the bubble for much of the season and lost out on the Mountain West’s automatic bid when they were defeated by Utah State in the conference tournament championship game. They were snubbed on Selection Sunday due to a weak at-large resume.

SDSU lost six players to the transfer portal, including MW Defensive Player of the Year Miles Byrd to Providence and 7-footer Magoon Gwath to DePaul after he failed to live up to his breakout freshman season.

Coach Brian Dutcher and his staff rebounded nicely in adding players through the transfer portal and by signing three European pros.

The only returning starter is guard Elzie Harrington, who was sidelined with a leg injury during two key stretches, including the MW Tournament. Also back will be Tae Simmons and lightly used Thokbor Majak. Latrell Davis is expected to contribute as he comes off his redshirt season.

The schedule

SDSU is slowly learning its non-conference schedule, with the Pac-12 schedule yet to be released.

SDSU found out on Wednesday that it will play Colorado in the inaugural Bill Walton Classic on Nov. 7 at the Pechanga Arena, the long-ago home of the San Diego Clippers when San Diego-area native Walton played for them. It was also one of the Aztecs’ home courts before Viejas Arena was built.

The only other known opponents are Iowa State on Nov. 24 in SDSU’s first game in the 2026 Players Era 16 in Las Vegas and BYU on Dec. 19 at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert in a matchup that has yet to be formally announced.

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