For the undefeated San Diego State Aztecs, an undefeated season and #1 seed in the NCAA tournament is seeming more possible every day. They are nationally ranked fourth and currently 20-0 (9-0 MWC).
The next three games on their schedule will be their three biggest challenges for the remainder of the season. That three-game span includes back-to-back tough road games against UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (11-10, 6-2 MWC), New Mexico Lobos (16-5, 5-3 MWC), and then back home for their second meeting against the Mountain West preseason-favorite Utah State Aggies (15-6, 4-4 MWC).
If they keep up this pleasantly surprising start to their season and roll right through Vegas and Albuquerque, they will probably have about a 50-50 chance of pulling off a rare undefeated regular season.
Sam Merrill and the Aggies are always a tough matchup but the Aztecs have shown their grit throughout the entirety of this season, and they have risen to the occasion each and every time a tough task has been placed upon them.
Along with an undefeated season being in the picture for the Aztecs, they also have a legitimate shot of becoming the highest nationally ranked team for the first time in program history.
Not only is reaching the number one spot a possibility but while running the table in the Mountain West, maybe even holding down the top spot in the country for the remainder of the season.
Although the Aztecs currently have three teams ahead of them, they have a much higher chance of finishing the season as the top-ranked team compared to the other three.
One reason is that the Nos. 1 and 3 teams, Baylor and Kansas, play in the Big 12 Conference where road wins are scarce and any team can knock off the favored team on any given day. These two teams also meet again this season so it isn’t likely either of them stays ranked above the Aztecs for long.
This isn’t exactly the case for the Mountain West Conference or West Coast Conference (where the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs team plays).
As for Gonzaga, they may play in a historically easier conference than the Aztecs but the Aztecs have played a large majority of their difficult conference games already. Gonzaga still has to play Santa Clara, BYU, Saint Mary’s and San Francisco on the road. It is highly unlikely the Bulldogs walk out of those four games unscathed and remaining unbeaten in conference.
All San Diego State can do is keep on winning and allow everything else to play out the way it was meant to. The Aztecs certainly have their work cut out for them in their next three conference matchups and will need to bring their focus and attention to those games only.
Their next game is Jan. 26 at UNLV at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.