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San Diego State is heading back to the Sweet 16 after an 85-57 rout over Yale on Sunday.
The No. 5 Aztecs wouldn't allow another upset for the No. 13 Bulldogs, who upset No. 4 Auburn in the first round, and now they're on their way to the second weekend in back-to-back seasons.
Senior forward Jaedon LeDee led the way for the Aztecs, dropping a game-high 26 points, and Darrion Trammell also put together a solid game with 18 points.
San Diego State's offense as a whole was firing on all cylinders, shooting an efficient 52.7 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from deep. If the Aztecs' offense can stay hot, they could be dancing well past the Sweet 16.
After the dominant win, fans praised San Diego State for taking care of business against the lower seed.
San Diego State now has a matchup with UConn, which beat the Aztecs in last year's national championship. The Huskies boast one of the best offenses in the country and were the top overall seed for a reason, but San Diego State is looking for a redemption game.
Wednesday's men's basketball game between UNLV and Dayton was canceled after a shooting was reported on the UNLV campus.
At 11:54 a.m. PT, UNLV told students that university police were responding to a report of a shooting near Beam Hall and that those on campus should shelter in place. Las Vegas police announced at 12:04 p.m. officers were en route to the scene of an active shooter situation.
The LVMPD followed up at 12:37 p.m. to say the shooting suspect "has been located and is deceased."
At a press conference, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said "there are a number of victims that have been transported to area hospitals" but declined to provide any specifics beyond that.
Dayton was scheduled to host UNLV at UD Arena on Wednesday for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff. The Flyers are 6-2 on the season, with the Rebels sitting a .500 (3-3).
UNLV's next three games are all off campus. It plays Loyola Marymount and Creighton as part of the Jack Jones Classic in Henderson, Nevada, and then it matches up with Saint Mary's in Phoenix on Dec. 16. The Rebels' next true home game isn't until Dec. 21 against Hofstra.
San Diego State will remain in the Mountain West Conference despite previously telling the league in a June 13 letter that it intended to resign.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news on Friday.
Thamel reported on June 16 that San Diego State president Adela de la Torre wrote a letter to the MWC noting its intention to resign. SDSU later clarified to the MWC that the letter was "not the official notice of resignation."
Per Thamel, SDSU had until Friday to give a full year's notice before withdrawing in June 2024. The exit fee would have also more than doubled from nearly $16.5 million to nearly $34 million if San Diego State waited to officially resign past that deadline.
However, it appears the school is remaining in the Mountain West, where SDSU has served as one of the conference's charter members since 1999.
There have been rumors connecting SDSU to the Pac-12, as Thamel wrote, but they have not led to a concrete offer from the conference to join.
"SDSU has long been linked to the Pac-12, which is in the midst of a protracted process of landing a television contract. There has been no formal invitation for the school to join the league, and the timeline for such a move has been linked to either the Pac-12's television deal or the departure of a Pac-12 member. 'San Diego State does not have an offer from the Pac-12,' according to a source."
A source also told Thamel at the time that SDSU was exploring all of its options if the Pac-12 didn't get a television deal done by Friday.
Ultimately, SDSU is remaining in the Mountain West, for now at least. The Pac-12 still needs to figure out its future, especially with UCLA and USC set to depart for the Big Ten. Perhaps that leads to an offer to SDSU down the road if the conference wants to get back to 12 teams, but the Aztecs will be staying put for the moment.
San Diego State University president Adela de la Torre sent a written notice to the Mountain West Conference on Tuesday that it "intends to resign" from the league.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news on Friday. He also relayed that SDSU later clarified in a "terse" back-and-forth with the Mountain West that the letter was "not the official notice of resignation."
Stewart Mandel, Nicole Auerbach and Chris Vannini of The Athletic confirmed the SDSU news and explained further logistics behind the university's letter, which also included a request for a one-month extension before giving an official letter of resignation.
In essence, SDSU has until June 30 to officially resign in time to leave in 2024. The exit fee would double from around $17 million to around $34 million if the school doesn't meet that deadline. A source told The Athletic that it's unclear why the MWC would agree to the extension request.
As The Athletic noted, SDSU's notice is in anticipation of a move to a Power Five conference "that's widely assumed to be the Pac-12."
A source told Thamel the conference doesn't have an official offer from the Pac-12 to join at this time. Thamel also added that the timeline for an invitation "has been linked to either the Pac-12's television deal or the departure of a Pac-12 member."
Should the Pac-12 not have a deal done by June 30, then SDSU will explore all of its options. The school has also reportedly spoke with the Big 12 about a move as part of the league's realignment, but "neither side has prioritized each other to this point," per sources to Thamel.
The Aztecs' potential move comes a few months after the men's basketball team reached the national championship game for the first time in school history.
SDSU also asked the Mountain West to consider a four-year installment plan for the exit fee amid the school generating an estimated $10 million from NCAA units for the conference after the March Madness run, per Thamel. SDSU would not see any of that money if it leaves.
SDSU has called the Mountain West home since the league's inception in 1999.
As he watched his buzzer-beating shot rip through the net on Saturday night to send San Diego State to its first national championship game, Lamont Butler couldn't help but feel a bit of divine intervention at that moment.
And it was huge for his whole family for so many reasons.
Asasha Lache Hall, Butler's sister, was shot and killed in January 2022. He felt her presence with him throughout the Aztec's win over FAU, especially when he became an NCAA tournament hero.
"I think about her every day," Butler said. "Ever since she passed. She was one of my biggest supporters, and I know she's up there happy right now, watching me play the game that I love. And I think she was with me with that shot. She probably guided the ball in a little bit. I miss her, and I'm just happy I'm able to do this for her."
After taking some time to grieve his sister's death, Butler decided to commit himself more to the sport he loves, finding solace in basketball and the SDSU program that gave him the necessary time to heal.
And after celebrating with his teammates and coach Brian Dutcher, he had the incredible opportunity to drink in the moment with nearly 20 of his friends and family, who all made the trip to Houston for the Final Four.
He got a chance to spend time with his father, Lamont Butler Sr., and the rest of his loved ones in the hotel later that night.
"This is who I do it for, so I just love being with them, and it was just a great moment," Butler said.
It'll be a happy moment that Butler's family won't soon forget either, regardless of what happens in the national championship game against UConn on Monday, finding joy and happiness in the face of a tragedy.
Lamont Butler finished with just nine points in San Diego State's Final Four win over FAU on Saturday night. But his last shot may have been the biggest one of his basketball life as he hit a buzzer-beater to send the Aztecs to the national championship game on Monday.
His mid-range jumper sent NRG Stadium into bedlam as SDSU made a furious comeback in the second half to make its first title game appearance in program history.
The junior guard wrote himself into March Madness lore with his heroics.
While talking with CBS after the game, an elated Butler broke down the biggest shot of the night with a few simple words, speaking to how the entire Aztecs fanbase is feeling at the moment.
"I hit it, and I'm happy," Butler said.
As the No. 5 seed in the South Region, San Diego State's run to the championship game has been one of the most unlikely of the tournament, having to take out top overall seed Alabama in the Sweet 16.
They Aztecs await the winner of the UConn and Miami matchup, who will likely be the favorite going into the championship game.
March Madness indeed.
San Diego State survived what can only be called a rock fight with a dramatic 57-56 victory over Creighton in Sunday's Elite Eight showdown to determine the South Region champion in the 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament. A back-and-forth defensive struggle ended in controversial fashion, as Darrion Trammell converted one of two free throws in the final second to win it.
Ryan Nembhard committed the foul, but the timing of the whistle and what was at stake led to no shortage of debate on Twitter:
In most years, fifth-seeded San Diego State reaching the Final Four would be the Cinderella story of the tournament. This year, however, the Aztecs now have a date with underdog Florida Atlantic in the Final Four after escaping with the narrowest of wins Sunday.
One of the biggest storylines coming into the game was Creighton's offense that averaged 81 points per game in its three tournament victories against San Diego State's defense that is fourth in KenPom.com's rankings.
The defenses on both sides won out with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Nathan Mensah protecting the rim, although one could argue ugly offense was even more prevalent than stifling defense.
Missed layups and jumpers dominated the afternoon, and it was fittingly an offensive mistake that almost ended San Diego State's run to the Final Four. The Mountain West representatives turned it over on an inbounds pass while nursing a two-point lead in the final 40 seconds, and Baylor Scheierman converted the opportunity to tie the game.
Yet Trammell was there to save the day with his drive into the lane on the ensuing possession, although Bluejays fans will surely be thinking about the foul call that prevented their chance at the first Final Four in program history for years to come.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
Nevada suffered a blowout loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils 98-73 in the First Four of the NCAA tournament on Wednesday night at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, and the selection committee has to be questioning the decision to put the Wolf Pack in the tournament.
Both Nevada and Arizona State snuck into the tournament as two of the last four teams into the 68-team bracket, but now fans aren't so sure the Wolf Pack deserved a spot to begin with following Wednesday's loss.
Nevada was outplayed from start to finish, entering halftime down 53-26 after a disappointing first-half showing. The Wolf Pack played better in the second half, as Will Baker (17 points) and Tré Coleman (14 points) tried to lead a comeback, but it was too little, too late for Nevada.
Following the loss, fans ripped Nevada for being undeserving of a chance to play in the biggest tournament of the year:
Nevada was selected to the tournament despite losing three straight games to Wyoming, UNLV and San Jose Stateâall non-NCAA tournament teamsâprior to Selection Sunday.
Many basketball fans were puzzled by the decision to give the Wolf Pack a First Four berth, and their performance on Wednesday only confirmed that skepticism.
Arizona State's DJ Horne (20 points), Desmond Cambridge Jr. (17 points) and Jamiya Neal (16 points) paced the Sun Devils on Wednesday, and that trio is going to need to continue playing at a high level if they hope to advance further in the NCAA tournament.
The Sun Devils are set to face TCU in the West Region's first round later this week.
Watch March Madness Live to stream every tournament game through the Final Four.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team announced Saturday's game against New Mexico State has been postponed following a homicide on its Albuquerque campus.
Elizabeth Tucker and Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal reported a New Mexico State player "may have been involved" but wasn't the person killed. Police haven't provided further details about how the unnamed player was linked to the killing.
"One individual has succumbed to gunshot injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene," Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Chase Jewell said.
Police received a call around 3 a.m. local time Saturday after two men, ages 19 and 21, both suffered gunshot wounds during an altercation, per KTSM's Melissa Luna.
The 19-year-old man died. An update on the 21-year-old's condition wasn't immediately available after he was transported to the hospital.
New Mexico State Police told Luna the preliminary investigation has led them to believe there is no further threat to the community.
The schools' men's basketball programs have faced off 226 times since their first meeting in 1896 as part of the Rio Grande Rivalry. The Lobos hold a 123-103 all-time advantage.
It wasn't immediately announced whether the game would be rescheduled or canceled.
