HOUSTON — Go ahead and doubt San Diego State.
Tell the fifth-seeded Aztecs they don’t stand a likelihood.
That No. 4-seeded Connecticut cutting down the nets Monday night is a formality.
They’ve heard this all before.
They were a preferred upset pick in the primary round of the NCAA Tournament.
They weren’t speculated to get past Alabama or Creighton, either.
They’re still standing.
“I believe we’ve been counted out in every game we’ve played in,” leading scorer Matt Bradley said on Sunday. “That’s just the makeup we have now. I don’t know what attracts that. We thrive off of it. March Madness has proven that anybody can win no matter what people think or what the numbers say.”
There have been several close calls for San Diego State (32-6) to get so far, with 4 of their five tournament wins by seven points or less.
The Aztecs trailed No. 9 Florida Atlantic by 14 points within the second half on Saturday.
It needed Lamont Butler’s buzzer-beating jumper to advance to the college’s first national championship game.
Now, the Aztecs are the opposite team Monday night, a 7.5-point underdog to mighty UConn.
The Huskies haven’t broken a sweat yet within the dance, winning their five games by a median of 20.6 points.
They’ve looked invincible, thoroughly dominant.
But San Diego State insists it doesn’t fear Connecticut (30-8).
It believes it may well stun the world and upset the Huskies, that it may well hang with them within the paint, decelerate the pace and impose its will.
It’s an elite defensive team that’s ranked fourth nationally in efficiency.
“We feel like we’re not like loads of teams within the tournament. We’re special,” senior guard Darrion Trammell said. “We’re going to play defense like our life will depend on it. That’s our whole motto. We feel like our chip [on our shoulder] is greater than loads of people within the country. We’re just going to need to let that show on Monday.”
That is an experienced team, some might say old, with seven seniors within the nine-man rotation.
4 of them are of their fifth season.
It’s a gaggle that stunned Alabama, the No. 1 overall seed within the tournament, and is used to winning tight games.
It’s 10-1 in games decided by five points or less.
It could not win, but San Diego State won’t get pushed around.
It won’t be fazed by the moment. It believes it belongs on this stage.
“We’re not satisfied. If you keep winning these games, you only want yet one more, yet one more, yet one more, and I believe that’s been the mentality for us,” Bradley said. “We all the time wish to get that next game. We got loads of seniors on this team. That is my last college game, win or loss. I don’t wish to exit on a loss, and I believe that’s the sensation for loads of guys on the team.”
