San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball

The San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program that represents San Diego State University. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The team plays its home games at Viejas Arena.
The Aztecs have been to seventeen NCAA Division I tournaments since joining NCAA Division I in 1969, last appearing in the tournament in [2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2025]. In the 2023 NCAA tournament, they reached the Final Four for the first time in program history, losing to UConn in the championship game. The Aztecs have won seven Mountain West Conference tournaments and nine regular season titles.
Notable alumni include 2-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gwynn, who played both basketball and baseball for the Aztecs. Gwynn was drafted by both the San Diego Padres and the then-San Diego Clippers on the same day, June 9, 1981.

WWW goaztecs.com/sports/m-bas...𝕏 Aztec_MBB

Team history

The Aztecs first began play during the 1921–22 basketball season. The team played that season, as well as the next three, as part of the Southern California Junior College Conference due to proximity to other schools, despite the fact that SDSU was not a junior college itself. The Aztecs joined the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1926 following a season as an independent, and competed in the NAIA until 1956, when they transitioned to the newly founded NCAA Division II. They competed in six NAIA Men's Basketball Championships. Finishing as runners up in [1939 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament|1939] and in 1940, the Aztecs finally prevailed and won the 1941 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament. After competing in NCAA Division II from 1956 until 1969 they became an NCAA Division I school in the fall of 1969. The Aztecs moved from the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, which is now known as the Big West Conference, to the Western Athletic Conference in 1978. In 1999, the Aztecs left the WAC and became a charter member of the Mountain West Conference. Prior to entering the Mountain West, the team had been to three NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments. During their time in the MWC, the Aztecs have won several conference championships and have been to nine NCAA tournaments and four NIT tournaments. In the 2010–11 season, the Aztecs were ranked as high as 4th in the nation and won their first ever games in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Following the 2013–14 season, the team reached its second Sweet Sixteen. In the 2019–20 season, the Aztecs finished with a 30–2 record for their best winning percentage in team history. The team spent seven straight weeks in the top 5 of both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, finishing the season at #6 in both polls. The 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was cancelled at the end of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2022–2023 season, the Aztecs reached their third Sweet Sixteen, first Elite Eight with a win over #1 Alabama, and first Final Four. The win over Creighton on March 26 in the South Region Final gave them their first Region championship in program history. On April 1, they became the first team from the Mountain West Conference to reach the National Championship after defeating FAU 72–71 on a buzzer-beating shot by point guard Lamont Butler. In the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, the Aztecs were defeated by the University of Connecticut Huskies by a score of 59–76.

Rivalries

The Aztecs have three rivalries, the UNLV Rebels, the USD Toreros, and the BYU Cougars. The rivalry with the Rebels was especially fierce between the years 2010–2013, however the rivalry has cooled down significantly due to the one-sided nature of the affair. San Diego State has won 22 of 24 games against UNLV from 2014 to 2024. The USD Toreros are the Aztecs' crosstown rivals and play them near-annually in the City Championship. The Aztecs' rivalry with the BYU Cougars has been partially dormant since 2011, when the Cougars left the MWC for the WCC. The teams still play occasionally in non-conference games.

Facilities

Viejas Arena

Viejas Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in San Diego, California on the campus of San Diego State University. The arena opened in 1997 and seats 12,414 for basketball and up to 12,845 for concerts.
Viejas Arena is the home of the San Diego State Aztecs men's and women's basketball teams. The arena also hosts the San Diego Mojo of the Pro Volleyball Federation. The arena features an "open-air" concourse design that allows fans to experience breaks, concessions, and event activities for games, concerts, and other events outdoors.
Prior to the opening of the arena, men's basketball played its home games primarily at Peterson Gymnasium, and, for more than 30 years, played on-and-off at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Jeff Jacobs JAM Center

In 2015, the San Diego State Athletics Department opened an on-campus state-of-the-art practice facility, The Jeff Jacobs JAM Center, for the Aztec men's basketball and women's basketball teams.

Head coaches

As of the

Postseason

NCAA Division I tournament results

The Aztecs have appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament 17 times, with a combined record of 13–17. They have reached the Sweet Sixteen four times, in 2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024; in 2023 they reached the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and the National Championship, all for the first time. Additionally, at 30–2 and ranked in the Top 10 they were considered a virtual lock for the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

1975	N/A	Round of 32		L 80–90
1976	N/A	Round of 32	UCLA	L 64–74
1985	13	Round of 64	UNLV	L 80–85
2002	13	First Round	Illinois	L 64–93
2006	11	First Round	Indiana	L 83–87
2010	11	First Round	Tennessee	L 59–62
2011	2	First Round Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	Northern Colorado Temple Connecticut	W 68–50 W 71–64 ^2OT L 67–74
2012	6	First Round	NC State	L 65–79
2013	7	First Round Round of 32	Oklahoma Florida Gulf Coast	W 70–55 L 71–81
2014	4	First Round Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen	New Mexico State North Dakota State Arizona	W 73–69 ^OT W 63–44 L 64–70
2015	8	First Round Round of 32	St. John's Duke	W 76–64 L 49–68
2018	11	First Round	Houston	L 65–67
2021	6	First Round	Syracuse	L 62–78
2022	8	First Round	Creighton	L 69–72 ^OT
2023	5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship	Charleston Furman Alabama Creighton Florida Atlantic UConn	W 63–57 W 75–52 W 71–64 W 57–56 W 72–71 L 59–76
2024	5	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	UAB Yale UConn	W 69–65 W 85–57 L 52–82
2025	11	First Four	North Carolina	L 68–95

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1978 edition with the present seeding format beginning the following year.

Years →	'85	'02	'06	'10	'11	'12	'13	'14	'15	'18	'21	'22	'23	'24	'25
Seeds →	13	13	11	11	2	6	7	4	8	11	6	8	5	5	11

NIT results

The Aztecs have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament six times, with a combined record of 8–6.

1982	First round	UC Irvine	L 69–70
2003	First round Second Round	Texas Tech	W 67–62 L 57–48
2007	First round Second Round	Syracuse	W 74–70 L 64–80
2008	First round	Florida	L 49–73
2009	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Kansas State Baylor	W 65–49 W 70–52 W 70–66 L 62–76
2016	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	IPFW Washington Georgia Tech George Washington	W 79–55 W 93–78 W 72–56 L 46–65

NCAA Division II tournament results

The Aztecs appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament three times, with a combined record of 5–3.

1957	Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight		W 75–56 W 81–78 L 55–57
1967	Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight		W 101–73 W 88–71 L 76–77 ^3OT
1968	Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game	UC Irvine	L 69–78 W 79–72

NAIA tournament results

The Aztecs have appeared in the NAIA tournament five times. Their combined record is 15–4. They were NAIA national champions in 1941.

1939	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	W 49–25 W 41–36 W 49–41 W 49–39 L 31–32
1940	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	W 36–35 W 48–46 W 32–30 W 30–28 L 42–52
1941	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	W 46–29 W 46–41 ^OT W 44–42 W 43–40 W 36–34
1942	First round Second Round	W 36–29 L 32–41
1956	First round Second Round	W 77–64 L 60–69

Retired jerseys

On January 16, 2020, the Aztecs announced that they would be retiring former small forward Kawhi Leonard's number 15 jersey on February 1, 2020. Following Leonard's jersey retirement, some confusion circulated regarding statements that Leonard was the first player in Aztecs history to have his jersey retired, as the school ceremoniously retired former power forward and center Michael Cage's number 44 jersey in 1984.
On December 29, 2023, the Aztecs announced that they would be retiring three more jerseys in a "Return to the Rafters" ceremony on January 17, 2024. The players honored were Milton "Milky" Phelps, Judy Porter, and Michael Cage. This ceremony resolved the prior confusion regarding Cage's jersey retirement.

Team records

All-time record vs. current MWC teams

Official record against all current MWC opponents as of the completion of the 2022–2023 season:

Opponent	Games played	Won	Lost	Percentage	Streak	First Meeting
Air Force	88	64	24		Won 8	1973–74
Boise State	29	18	11		Lost 1	1976–77
Colorado State	94	51	43		Won 4	1961–62
Fresno State	126	70	56		Won 8	1939–40
Nevada	32	25	7		Lost 1	1956–57
New Mexico	93	44	49		Won 1	1975–76
San Jose State	82	47	35		Won 11	1936–37
UNLV	80	43	37		Won 6	1965–66
Utah State	26	18	9		Won 4	1962–63
Wyoming	91	50	41		Won 10	1978–79
Totals	741	430	311

Career leaders (DI era)

As of the 2022-23 Media Guide

Single season leaders (DI era)

Lead conference

Single game leaders (DI era)

'''All stats are from the and are updated through the 2022–2023 basketball season.'''

Notable former players

Several former Aztec men's basketball players have gone on to play in the NBA, play in other professional basketball leagues, or achieve significant notability outside of basketball.

NBA draft selections

There have been 25 former San Diego State players selected in the NBA draft:

Malachi Flynn - 2020, Round 1, Pick 29, Toronto Raptors
Jalen McDaniels - 2019, Round 2, Pick 52, Charlotte Hornets
Xavier Thames - 2014, Round 2, Pick 59, Toronto Raptors
Jamaal Franklin - 2013, Round 2, Pick 41, Memphis Grizzlies
Kawhi Leonard - 2011, Round 1, Pick 15, Indiana Pacers
Randy Holcomb – 2002, Round 2, Pick 57, San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Watson – 1986, Round 4, Pick 87, Denver Nuggets
Steffond Johnson – 1986, Round 5, Pick 100, Los Angeles Clippers
Leonard Allen – 1985, Round 3, Pick 50, Dallas Mavericks
Michael Cage – 1984, Round 1, Pick 14, Los Angeles Clippers
Keith Smith – 1983, Round 10, Pick 209, San Diego Clippers
Tony Gwynn - 1981, Round 10, Pick 207, San Diego Clippers
Kim Goetz - 1979, Round 8, Pick 158, New York Knicks
Mike Dodd – 1976, Round 9, Pick 176, San Diego Clippers
Joel Kramer - 1978, Round 3, Pick 63, Phoenix Suns
Steve Malovic - 1978, Round 6, Pick 130, Phoenix Suns
Steve Copp – 1976, Round 3, Pick 42, Golden State Warriors
Bob Kovach – 1976, Round 9, Pick 142, Atlanta Hawks
Ken Smith – 1976, Round 10, Pick 173, Golden State Warriors
Chris McMurray – 1973, Round 12, Pick 178, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jimmy Wilkins – 1972, Round 11, Pick 157, Portland Trail Blazers
Gary Schneider – 1971, Round 19, Pick 236, San Diego Rockets
Bernie Finlay – 1960, Round 9, Pick 67, Syracuse Nationals
Bob Brady – 1954, Round 7, Pick 54, Philadelphia Warriors
Dick Barnes – 1950, Round 5, Pick 52, New York Knicks