1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Friday “Aztecs–March Madness-March Sadness”

Posted by on March 18th, 2022  •  2 responses  • 

“Aztecs–March Madness–March Sadness”

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Disappointed or Angry?

Fed up with Failures?

It’s NCAA Tourney Time-but why is it always this way?

Hey Mountain West Conference, thanks for coming, now you can go home.

That sums up a bad couple of nights in college basketball for the teams we follow.

For San Diego State, it’s probably time this community faces the reality.  Nice mid-major program, coaches do a great job growing their players, but they will never be what a lot of the other teams in the field of 64 are, successful.

Hard to believe Brian Dutcher has a career record of (119-40) since taking over the program he helped build with Steve Fisher.  Harder to believe Dutcher is winless in March Madness, (0-3) since taking over as head coach.

And a program that has lineage stretching from Michael Cage to Kawhi Leonard into the NBA, is just (6-14) in its history in NCAA-tourney games.  That’s a lot of disappointment.

In history, we have seen some highs and some lows at SDSU.  Last night might have been as close to the abyss as you could ever find in the history books.

The Aztecs lost to a crippled Creighton team, a Blue Jays squad without any of its point guards, and a team that lost its big man and leading scorer with a kneecap injury in overtime.

It was horrible to see, the injury, and the gut-wrenching SDSU loss at the same time.

Lost a 14-point lead.  The ugly offense reared its head again, going 5-minutes without a basket at the end of the game to allow the Blue Jays to take it to overtime.

The sloppy turnovers, the needless fouls, the missed free throws, from a veteran team that has done so well in regular season virtually every year.

Felt bad for Matt Bradley, who has carried this team much of the year.  Missing free throws and turning the ball over when he was double teamed.

Nathan Mensah, rim protector, couldn’t stay out of foul trouble much of the second half of the season, and he fouled out in the 4th stanza.

You saw the explosiveness of Chad Baker-Mazara’s 15 points coming off the bench and then he disappeared.

Keshad Johnson may be a great athlete, but his offensive side leaves much to be desired.

The AG Aroup fuel tank was running on empty by the end of the game.  Trey Pulliam finished his career trying to finish off a drive to the basket, that did not fall in.

It was gruesome.  There were.  2-vintage Aztecs blocked shots that saved the game for overtime, but then the defense faltered at the hands of the battered Blue Jays.

A 9-0 run by Creighton forced overtime.  Then the Jays went on a 6-0 tear in OT to claim the win against the nation’s best defense..

The glazed-sad looks on the faces of SDSU players at the end were a repeat of how they looked when Boise State stole their lunch and did the same thing to them in overtime of the Mountain West title game.

For all the things Dutcher is, from spokesman, to quality coach and better person, he better find outside shooters in the transfer portal.  When you see guys from Norfolk State and USF rifle home 36-and-37 points last night, you wonder why SDSU can’t find that missing link to compliment everything else they have on the roster.

A bad couple of nights for the MWC.  Boise got blown out; Wyoming got taken out; Colorado State was overwhelmed.

At least you are not  Iowa, U-Conn-USF-Kentucky.  They got beat by the likes or Richmond, New Mexico State, Murray State and St-Mary’s.  Typical first round play at the NCAA’s, but not for the Red & Black.

You are what you are, a good mid-major team, who has not found a way to play like a big boy at this time of the season, the most important time of the season.

Damn disappointment.  March Madness turns into March Sadness at San Diego State, again.

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2 Responses to “1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Friday “Aztecs–March Madness-March Sadness””

  1. Art Uvaas l says:

    It was UCLA: 57-53 over Akron.
    Murray State is a good team and had to come on late against the San Francisco Dons.
    As far as the Aztecs are concerned, Brian Dutcher, like his dad, is an overrated college basketball coach. He needs to go.
    The Mountain West Conference, who claims to get no love as the poor step-child of the Pacific 12, showed that they too, we’re “Fool’s Gold.’ That conference was an embarrassment to the selection committee.
    The University of San Diego needs to find a good coach, as well.
    At least the UC San Diego Triton’s have an up and coming program in the Big West.
    San Diego State: Hire Chris Jans from New Mexico State. The Aztecs have to keep their program relevant. They have to keep the students energized in an important venue such as Viejas Arena. Finally, to help with recruiting, while grabbing the fleeting attention span of recruits and fans across the nation, San Diego State has to have a meaningful run at the Big Dance, (and very soon, as in next season).

    • Lee Hacksaw Hamilton says:

      Aztecs need to go get a shooter in transfer portal…
      Missing ingredient…
      If Norfolk State-Murray State and others can land strokers-SDSU should have their pick.

      Hard to believe Ditcher is winless in tourney as head coach

      MWC mid major…not even equal of Gonzaga

      UCLA has been hurt by kids leaving for NBA draft..
      Team that has to grind to win..no athletic superstars

      USD leadership is weak
      They treat football like a club sport
      Have failed miserably in basketball
      Can’t recruit locally

      Would like to see a Ben Howland come back here and finish out career. here..he can recruit and coach

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