San Diego State falls to UConn again, caps off historic two-year run in March

Almost quietly, San Diego State has been on a historic run over the past 13 months. It’s not every day a program registers seven NCAA Tournament wins in two seasons, especially one from the Mountain West.

In fact, the only team that has more wins than the Aztecs in that span is UConn with nine. I’m sure SDSU fans get squeamish just by reading that name. The Huskies have been the only team to beat the Aztecs in the NCAA Tournament during that span, defeating them in the national championship last year and tonight in the Sweet 16.

In the title game last year, the Aztecs only lost by 17 compared to the 30-point margin at TD Garden on Thursday.

The loss marked the end to perhaps the greatest two year run in San Diego State program history. Before 2023, the Aztecs had made just two second weekend appearances as a Division I program.

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

“It’s not the ending we’re going to remember, it’s the journey because the journey is everything,” San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher said. “We’ve been on an incredible journey together.”

Dutcher returned four rotation players from last year’s national runner-up squad. Darrion Trammell, Lamont Butler, Micah Parrish and Jaedon LeDee all played crucial roles in 2023 and were starters for this year’s tournament run. Out of all of them, LeDee took the biggest leap.

Averaging under eight points per game off the bench last season, LeDee was thrusted into a starting role for the Aztecs and had an All-American season averaging 21.5 points per game.

“Part of his results last year were directed towards me because I didn’t give him the freedom I’ve given him this year,” Dutcher said on the usage of his star. “With the team we have this year, I gave him more freedom, and he played great within that freedom.”

LeDee played his part in the Sweet 16 loss to the Huskies. The graduate student had 18 points and eight rebounds while having to battle against 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan down low.

The only other Aztec in double figures was Parrish with 10. Key contributors such as Butler (7), Trammell (3) and Reese Waters (2) were all held well under their scoring average in the loss. Despite this, the players are keeping their heads up high knowing all they’ve accomplished the past two tournaments.

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“The biggest thing was to make runs in March,” Trammell said on his recruiting pitch from Dutcher. “I feel like we were successful in doing that. Obviously losing tonight isn’t what we wanted, but I’m blessed just to be in this position.”

This sense of pride that all the San Diego State players have on their success is something they’ll be able to take with them for the rest of their basketball careers and lives. Dutcher made it a point to let his guys know he’ll always be there for them.

“It doesn’t end when their careers end,” he said. “I want them to know I’m here for them when they need me. My dad was a coach, and he is 90, and he still has former players calling him. So I know what it is, and I take great pride in that.”

What’s next for this Aztec group remains to be seen. Looking at the current roster, LeDee is out of eligibility, as are Trammell and LeDee’s fellow frontcourt mate Jay Pal. Butler and Parrish could each opt to return for their COVID years, but that remains to be seen.

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“I thanked them all for what they’ve given me,” Dutcher said on his senior group. “Jay Pal coming here for that one year and being as important as he was to us. Jaedon for three. Darrion for two.

“(I) just thanked them for all their efforts and told them, I’m here for you. Whether that’s today, tomorrow, five years from now, 10 years from now, that’s the player-coach relationship.”