BOSTON — San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher knows what awaits him. Late Sunday, moments after his Aztecs punched their ticket to Boston for the Sweet 16, he was asked for his early thoughts on facing UConn, and he cut to the chase.
“Well, it’s the UConn Invitational,” Dutcher said on the TBS broadcast. “So we’re going to Boston, see if we can disrupt the party a little bit.”
That’s certainly a tall order this week as the NCAA Tournament’s East Region comes to TD Garden, where UConn, San Diego State, Iowa State and Illinois will battle for a spot in the Final Four.
UConn is unquestionably the favorite to cut down the nets Saturday night, not only as the No. 1 tournament seed but with a clear home-court advantage. After cruising to the Sweet 16 with wins in nearby New York, UConn fans are set to take over the Garden — just a 90-minute drive from their campus in Storrs — to cheer the Huskies in their chase for a second consecutive national championship. Even coach Dan Hurley couldn’t resist his urge to turn TD Garden into “Storrs North.”
Even if UConn does advance, Boston will be treated to some high-level matchups.
The Huskies get things started Thursday night against No. 5 seed San Diego State (6:39 p.m. CDT, TBS/truTV) in a rematch of last season’s national championship game before No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Illinois face off (9:09 p.m., TBS/truTV) in a matchup of the nation’s best defense and best offense. The winners advance to Saturday’s regional final with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
Here’s a look at the East Region semifinalists.
No. 1 UConn Huskies
- Record: 33-3
- Coach: Dan Hurley, fourth season
- Conference: Big East
- How they got here: Beat No. 16 Stetson 91-52; Beat No. 9 Northwestern 75-58
- Player to watch: Stephon Castle, freshman guard
Outlook: UConn has done nothing to cast doubt on its status as the championship favorite after advancing to the second weekend with ease. In fact — as San Diego State is painfully aware — the Huskies have yet to be tested in their last two tournaments. Their average margin of victory over their run of eight consecutive tournament wins is 22 points.
UConn has not been flawless by its championship standard, at least if you ask Dan Hurley. When the Huskies led Stetson by 33 at halftime, Hurley was disappointed in his team’s first-half performance, telling CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson in his walk-off interview that they needed to be sharper and “grow up a little bit.” On Sunday, UConn shot 3-for-22 from 3-point range but still won by 17. There is a large margin for error with these Huskies, which makes them so difficult to beat.
After dealing with some injuries earlier this season — Donovan Clingan missed five games, Stephon Castle missed six — UConn is at full strength and seemingly peaking at the right time, just like last season. There isn’t a hole on the roster. Castle is a projected NBA lottery pick who’s an elite defender, Clingan is a 7-foot-2 terror down low and Alex Karaban and Cam Spencer can light it up from downtown. And first-team All-American guard Tristen Newton controls one of the most advanced offenses in the nation. Good luck.
No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs
- Record: 26-10
- Coach: Brian Dutcher, seventh season
- Conference: Mountain West
- How they got here: Beat No. 12 UAB 69-65; Beat No. 13 Yale 85-57
- Player to watch: Jaedon LeDee, senior forward
Outlook: The odds are certainly stacked against San Diego State, but you can’t totally count out a team that made it to last season’s national championship game. The Aztecs returned four of their top six scorers from last season — including Lamont Butler, who hit the famous buzzer beater that sent them to last season’s title game — and added USC transfer Reese Waters. It’s a team still built on defense, as they boast the ninth-best unit in the nation, according to KenPom.
Jaedon LeDee was one of the most improved players in the country. LeDee transferred from TCU in 2021 and was a key reserve on last season’s Final Four team before blossoming into an All-American this year, averaging 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds. The Aztecs’ hopes will run through LeDee, who scored 32 points in their first-round victory and 26 points as they advanced to the Sweet 16. The 6-foot-9, 240-pounder is an absolute load to deal with and will be a difficult matchup for Clingan.
The Aztecs’ greatest challenge in advancing will come on the offensive end, especially against a UConn team that simply has more firepower. SDSU ranked among the worst 3-point-shooting teams in the country but went 13-for-27 in Sunday’s win. It will need a similar performance to have a chance against UConn.
No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
- Record: 29-7
- Coach: T.J. Otzelberger, third season
- Conference: Big 12
- How they got here: Beat No. 15 South Dakota State 82-65; Beat No. 7 Washington State 67-56
- Player to watch: Keshon Gilbert, junior guard
Outlook: Iowa State was picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll but surprised with the program’s best season in a decade and second Sweet 16 in three seasons under coach T.J. Otzelberger with an unheralded group of players. The Cyclones, despite being ranked inside the Top 10 for the last six weeks of the season, will walk into the Garden without much buzz or notoriety with a roster that doesn’t include any star power. But they are legit — especially on the defensive end.
After the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Iowa State moved up to No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. The Cyclones are a difficult matchup for any offense, which they proved by holding Houston to 41 points in their Big 12 Tournament championship victory before limiting Washington State to 56 points — 18 below its average — to advance to Boston. Their defense ranks fourth in scoring (61.4 points per game) and turnovers forced per game (17.4). Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey are two tenacious guards primed to lead the Cyclones to the program’s first Final Four berth since 1944 — even if nobody is talking about them.
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini
- Record: 28-8
- Coach: Brad Underwood, seventh season
- Conference: Big Ten
- How they got here: Beat No. 14 Morehead State 85-69; Beat No. 11 Duquesne 89-63
- Player to watch: Terrence Shannon Jr., senior guard
Outlook: Illinois stars Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins each withdrew their names from the NBA draft last year to return to school in part to run it back with the Illini and try to make some history. They did so, helping them advance to their first Sweet 16 since 2005 — and they certainly want more.
Illinois boasts an offense that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla would probably love. The Illini own the nation’s No. 1 offense, per KenPom, and the unit seems to be peaking at the right time. The Big Ten Tournament champions are averaging 91.3 points over their last four games.
Shannon Jr. leads the attack, and he might be the most exciting and talented player to grace the court in Boston this weekend. The 6-6 guard — a projected NBA first-round pick — is the nation’s third-leading scorer and nearly unstoppable in the open floor with his speed and athleticism. He has scored at least 25 points in his last six games, including 30 in Illinois’ second-round victory. Defenses also can’t ignore Marcus Domask, who became the ninth player in NCAA Tournament history — and first since Ja Morant in 2019 — to record a triple-double in Illinois’ win against Morehead State. If the Illini can get by Iowa State, an Elite Eight matchup against UConn would be an offensive dream.
Prediction: UConn beats Illinois to advance to the Final Four.
