Aztecs have sweet date with destiny against Alabama in March Madness

The KFC Yum! Center is the largest venue made for college basketball in America – fitting that it will soon hold the biggest matchup in the sport on Friday. No two teams have more wins between them than the 60 from Alabama and SDSU, but the Aztecs are playing the underdog role here, one they haven’t played in years.

“We’re not a one hit wonder,” head coach Brian Dutcher said. “We have a program, we have a culture. I don’t care what game we go into, we don’t consider ourselves an underdog. We just look at the next opponent.”

A look at that next opponent shows a climb larger than the Aggro Cragg. Alabama ranks in the top 10 in this nation for points per game, blocks, and opponent field goal percentage. Their rebounding is tops in the country. Everything San Diego State can do, Alabama does almost all of it better.

That’s where the underdog label comes from, even if the Aztecs don’t want to accept it.

“We’ve had games where we were picked to lose and came out on top,” senior guard Matt Bradley said. “It’s the Sweet 16, so anybody can beat anybody.”