The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 289 is San Jose State basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of San Jose State basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 0
- Sweet 16s: 1
- NCAA wins: 0
- Bids: 3
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 11.2
- Bids per season: 0.04
- AP Polls: 3
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 0
- NBA players drafted & played: 6
- Conference Players of the Year: 1
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 1
- Conference tournament titles: 2
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on San Jose State basketball
For San Jose State basketball, we have to go all the way back almost to the beginning. They played two seasons in the 1930s in the Northern California Conference, both times finishing in first or second in the conference. Then, in their first season back at the highest level of competition, the Spartans made the 1951 NCAA Tournament, falling to BYU in the first round. Back then, only 16 teams made it, so it does count as a Sweet 16 appearance.
The Spartans would make it again in 1980, and then, as a huge surprise, in 1996, with their 13 wins being some of the fewest to ever go dancing.
Along the way, SJSU has played in many conferences, including the PCAA, Big West, WAC, and now the Mountain West. However, only one Spartan player has ever been named a conference POY, with that being Omari Moore in 2023.
Still, six former Spartans have been drafted and then played in the NBA, with Darnell Hillman and Coby Dietrik as the most notable.
Since joining the Mountain West, San Jose State basketball hasn’t been too competitive, and most of its history is pre-21st century. But you can never knock a Sweet 16!