DAYTON, Ohio — One of the final teams to make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field takes on a team that came close to a national title two years ago when North Carolina battles San Diego State in a First Four showdown Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.
The winner in a duel of No. 11 seeds will play No. 6 Ole Miss in a first-round South Region contest on Friday at Milwaukee.
North Carolina (22-13) was the most controversial at-large selection of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, chaired by North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham.
San Diego State (21-9) entered 2024-25 off its best two-season run in program history, losing to UConn in the national championship game in 2023 and reaching the Sweet 16 last year.
The Tar Heels boosted their NCAA Tournament hopes with a late-season four-game winning streak. They won their first two games in the conference tournament at Charlotte, N.C., before falling to Duke for the second time in seven days.
North Carolina was just 1-12 in Quad 1 games but managed to win all eight Quad 2 games it played.
According to NCAA Tournament selection committee vice chair Keith Gill, when Memphis beat UAB in the American Athletic Conference title game, that ensured that Memphis would not take up an at-large berth, allowing the Tar Heels to receive a bid for the third time in four years under coach Hubert Davis.
Davis gave credit to his players for playing their best basketball of the season leading up to the ACC tournament, giving themselves a chance to get into the NCAAs.
“For them to, in the midst of those questions (about the NCAA Tournament), be able to focus on preparation and practice to play and focus on what is real in regards to whomever we’re playing that particular week (was impressive),” Davis said. “Being able to do that basically playing must-win games for a month and a half, in that stretch, we’ve actually played our best basketball all season.”
RJ Davis leads Carolina in scoring at 17.0 points per game while Ian Jackson adds 12.4 points. Seth Trimble adds 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds.
“We’ve been playing our best,” said North Carolina wing Ven-Allen Lubin, who contributes 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds. “We’ve learned a lot and we’ve grown a lot. I really think we can play against anybody.”
The Aztecs are coached by Brian Dutcher, the only San Diego State men’s coach with at least 21 wins in each of his first eight seasons. Dutcher’s teams are averaging 24.8 wins per season, including 21 so far this year.
SDSU had an anxious wait Sunday while hoping to hear name called by the selection committee after losing to Boise State in the Mountain West quarterfinals.
“We play our best basketball in March,” Dutcher said. “That’s what we always do. I’ve been in the (Mountain West) championship game seven times. Unfortunately, I’m 3-4, but I’ve made the game. This is the first time we’ve bowed out early, and it’s unfortunate, but that’s basketball.”
The Aztecs are led by Nick Boyd and Miles Byrd, the only two players averaging in double figures in scoring. Boyd averages 13.4 points a game while Byrd is scoring 12.6 points. Magoon Gwath grabs 5.2 rebounds with 2.6 blocks to go with an 8.5 scoring average.
Gwath, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, is slated to play Tuesday. He missed the previous five games with a knee injury but practiced with the team on Sunday.
“He showed that he looked really good for a guy that’s been off since February 22nd,” Dutcher said. “He looked really good so we’re excited to have him back.”
