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The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team has never won a national championship. The closest they came to winning was in 2023 when they reached the Final Four for the first time in program history but lost to UConn in the championship game. The Aztecs have been playing basketball since the 1921-22 season and have experienced a transformation from an ordinary team to a West Coast powerhouse. In 2023, they were seeking to win the first NCAA national championship in men's basketball history and the second in the university's Division 1 athletic history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Has SDSU ever won a national championship in basketball? | No |
| SDSU basketball team name | Aztecs |
| SDSU basketball team university | San Diego State University |
| SDSU basketball team conference | Mountain West Conference (Pac-12 Conference starting in 2026) |
| Number of times SDSU has appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament | 17 |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game | Defeated by the University of Connecticut Huskies by a score of 59-76 |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2019-2020 season | Best winning percentage in team history |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2010-2011 season | Reached the Sweet Sixteen |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2013-2014 season | Reached the Sweet Sixteen |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2014-2015 season | Reached the Sweet Sixteen |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2022-2023 season | Reached the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and National Championship for the first time |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 2024-2025 season | Reached the Sweet Sixteen |
| SDSU basketball team's performance in the 1973 season | Won the university's only Division I national championship in any sport |
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What You'll Learn
SDSU Aztecs' basketball history
The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team has yet to win a national championship, despite several impressive runs in the NCAA Division I tournaments. The team has, however, enjoyed a rich history with several notable achievements and alumni.
The Aztecs first began play during the 1921-22 basketball season, initially as part of the Southern California Junior College Conference. In 1926, they joined the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and competed in the NAIA until 1956, when they transitioned to the NCAA Division II. During their time in the NAIA, they finished as runners-up in 1939 and 1940 before winning the 1941 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The Aztecs moved to the NCAA Division I in 1969, and since then, they have appeared in seventeen NCAA Division I tournaments, including nine NCAA tournaments and four NIT tournaments as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). In the 2010-11 season, they reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time, repeating the feat in the 2013-14 and 2019-20 seasons. The 2019-20 season was particularly notable, as they started with a 26-0 record and were ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll before the COVID-19 outbreak led to the cancellation of the tournament.
The 2022-23 season was a historic one for the Aztecs. They reached their third Sweet Sixteen, first Elite Eight, and first Final Four. They defeated FAU 72-71 to become the first team from the MWC to reach the National Championship game. However, their quest for the national title fell short as they lost to the University of Connecticut Huskies 59-76, despite a valiant comeback attempt.
Notable alumni of the SDSU Aztecs basketball program include 2-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, whose number 15 jersey was retired by the team, and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gwynn, who played both basketball and baseball for the Aztecs before being drafted by the San Diego Padres and the then-San Diego Clippers.
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Aztecs' near misses in NCAA Division I tournaments
The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team has had several near misses in their pursuit of an NCAA Division I national championship.
In the 2019-20 season, the Aztecs, led by Washington State transfer guard Malachi Flynn, started the season with a 26-0 record and were ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll. However, the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, dashing their hopes of chasing a national championship.
In the 2022-23 season, the Aztecs made a historic run to the Final Four and national championship game, generating a huge amount of interest. They became the first team from the Mountain West Conference to reach the semifinals and the final. After defeating College of Charleston, Furman University, the University of Alabama, and Creighton University, they advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the University of Connecticut Huskies. Despite a late rally, the Aztecs fell short, losing to the Huskies 76-59. This was the closest the Aztecs had come to winning an NCAA Division I national championship in basketball.
The Aztecs have had other notable appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen on four occasions (2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024) and the Elite Eight in 2023. They have also won several conference championships and appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) six times.
While the Aztecs have not yet won an NCAA Division I national championship in men's basketball, they have shown steady improvement and consistently performed well in the highly competitive landscape of college basketball.
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Aztecs' 2019-20 season
The 2019–20 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team represented San Diego State University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by third-year head coach Brian Dutcher, the Aztecs played their home games at Viejas Arena as members of the Mountain West Conference.
The Aztecs started the season with an impressive 26-0 record, winning the Las Vegas Invitational and the Mountain West's regular-season title. They earned notable victories over BYU, Creighton, and Iowa, who were all ranked in the top 25 at the end of the year. The team was led by Washington State transfer guard Malachi Flynn and was ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll.
However, their undefeated streak came to an end with a loss to UNLV, and they finished the regular season with a 30-2 record, 17-1 in Mountain West play. They advanced to the championship game of the Mountain West tournament but lost to Utah State.
The Aztecs were poised to receive a high seed in the NCAA Tournament and had legitimate aspirations of chasing a national championship. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak led to the cancellation of the tournament, cutting short their promising season.
Despite the abrupt end, the 2019-20 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is considered one of the best in program history, and their performance that season contributed to the team's growing reputation as a West Coast college basketball powerhouse.
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Aztecs' 2022-23 season
The 2022-23 season of the San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team was an exciting one, as they made a deep run in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Led by sixth-year head coach Brian Dutcher, the Aztecs entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed in the South region, marking their third consecutive appearance.
During the regular season, the Aztecs compiled an impressive 32-7 record overall and dominated the Mountain West Conference with a 15-3 conference record. They won the Mountain West regular-season championship and the Mountain West tournament championship, defeating Colorado State, San Jose State, and Utah State. This performance secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Aztecs continued their winning ways, defeating Charleston and Furman, and overall No. 1 seed Alabama, and Creighton to advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history. This run included a thrilling comeback against Alabama, where they erased a 15-point deficit in the final 11 minutes to secure a 78-67 victory.
However, their dream of winning the national championship fell just short, as they were defeated by the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the championship game. The Aztecs put up a valiant effort but ultimately lost 76-59, unable to complete their third-straight second-half comeback. Despite the loss, the 2022-23 season solidified the Aztecs' status as a competitive force in college basketball, with Coach Dutcher playing a pivotal role in the team's success.
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Aztecs' local basketball rivalry
The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team has three rivalries: the UNLV Rebels, the USD Toreros, and the BYU Cougars. The rivalry with the Rebels was especially intense between 2010 and 2013, but it has cooled down since, with the Aztecs winning 22 of 24 games against UNLV from 2014 to 2024. The Toreros are the Aztecs' crosstown rivals, and the two teams play each other almost every year in the City Championship. The rivalry with the Cougars has been partially dormant since 2011 when BYU left the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for the West Coast Conference (WCC). However, the teams still occasionally meet in non-conference games.
In addition to these longstanding rivalries, the Aztecs have recently sparked a new local rivalry with the UC San Diego Tritons. In December 2023, the Tritons, who had been leading the game, were defeated by the Aztecs in a thrilling 63-62 win with a last-second shot by senior forward Jaedon LeDee. The game, which took place in front of a sold-out crowd at LionTree Arena, marked the first Final Four appearance for San Diego State and hinted at a promising future for both programs in the March Madness tournaments to come.
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Frequently asked questions
No. In 2023, the San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team reached the NCAA Division I National Championship game for the first time but lost to the University of Connecticut Huskies by a score of 59-76.
The Aztecs.
The University of Connecticut Huskies, also known as UConn.
Steve Fisher and Brian Dutcher. Fisher retired in 2017 and was succeeded by Dutcher, his longtime assistant.
The Viejas Center, formerly known as Cox Arena.
