CBB Review hands out awards for each conference tournament in 2023. Up next: The Mountain West Tournament.
In Joe Jackson’s Mountain West tournament preview, he predicted a San Diego State vs. Boise State final. He was half-right, with San Diego State defeating Utah State to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Aztecs erased an early 11 point deficit to eventually take the lead for good in a 62-57 win over the Aggies.
CBB Review Mountain West Tournament Outstanding Player
Matt Bradley, San Diego State
San Diego State’s run to the tournament was more of a team effort than anything else, with the team simply playing well as a group rather than individual performances. That being said, the best performance from an Aztec was senior guard Matt Bradley. In three games played, Bradley averaged 11.7 PPG and 3.0 RPG, including 14 points in the Mountain West Tournament championship game.
CBB Review All-Mountain West Tournament First Team
- G: Steven Ashworth, Utah State – 3 games played (16.3 PPG, 2.7 APG, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG)
- G: Marcus Shaver Jr., Boise State – 2 games played (18.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG)
- G: EJ Harkless, UNLV – 2 games (21.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG)
- G: Matt Bradley, San Diego State – 3 games played (11.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 APG)
- G: Omari Moore, San Jose State – 2 games played (16.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 5.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG)
San Diego State’s NCAA Tournament Prediction
Round of 32
San Diego State is a very good, veteran-led team that ended up with a 18-3 record against Mountain West opponents. They’ve got multiple points of attack on offense, so opponents can’t afford to focus on just one Aztec at a time. The backcourt trio of Matt Bradley, Darrion Trammell, and Lamont Butler is one of the best groups in the mid major ranks. They excel in one stat, opponent 3PT%, and their defense is stout, ranking 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom. However, their offense could improve, as they rank 163rd in the country in shooting percentage, and only make 7.0 3PM per game, which ranks 218th in the country. Charleston poses a serious threat because of their offense, but the saying “defense wins championships” still applies.