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I love the way San Diego State plays because it doesn't take a possession off on the defensive end. The effort never stops. You might score, but you're going to earn every point you get against the Aztecs. Just ask Alabama. While I have concerns about Creighton's size advantage here, the Aztecs defense should keep this one close throughout, and the game will come down to the final possessions, so give me the points.
Creighton has been very good on both sides of the ball. San Diego State is not going to blow a team away with their offense. The Aztecs are going to try and win the game with their defense first then capitalize on offense. They have the 4th best defense in terms of efficiency and guard the perimeter very well. San Diego State has been the better rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass over each teams last three games. The Blue Jays might have the taller players but the Aztecs are the more athletic team. I’m on San Diego State.
Creighton is WAY better offensively than SDSU. That's not up for debate. The Aztecs have the defensive edge but also don't a Ryan Kalkbrenner in the middle. As long as the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year stays out of foul trouble, the Bluejays reach their first Final Four.
I'm playing the under for one simple reason: San Diego State's recent defense. In their last four games, they have held the 7th, 12th, 16th, and 33rd highest scoring teams in the country to 64, 52, 57, and 57 points respectively. The only team that scored more than 61 points against them during their current seven game winning streak was Alabama, and a chunk of those points were in chase mode at the end of Friday night's game. These two teams played in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament and though the game went to overtime, the score at the end of regulation was 62-62. I believe San Diego State, regardless of the outcome, will control the pace and keep Creighton's high-powered offense in check.
The Aztecs are coming off the biggest win in school history and their stifling defense has lived up to expectations in this tournament. Alabama shot 3 of 27 from deep in losing to San Diego State on Friday. But the Bluejays have a slew of shot-makers, two excellent ballhandlers in Ryan Nembhard and Trey Alexander, and a strong defense of their own. It also helps that Creighton saw this defense in last year's NCAA Tournament opener, a 72-69 Bluejays win. The Aztecs rank fourth in defensive efficiency but only 70th in offensive efficiency. Creighton is more balanced -- 14th and 22nd respectively. Lay the small number.