MW Conference Tournament: San Diego State vs Air Force Game Preview, TV, Radio, & More
San Diego State returns home to Vegas.
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There’s a reason why the Thomas & Mack is the March home for Aztecs basketball.
San Diego State enters this tournament as one of the most successful programs in the Mountain West Conference Tournament. No other team has won the conference tournament than them (5 times).
But if it’s a single-elimination we’re talking about Thursday’s then opponent knows something about showing up.
The Air Force Falcons are coming off a day-time victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs. The same Bulldogs who swept the regular-season matchup lost by 7 in Vegas. Air Force came motivated and played their basketball, shooting over 53% from the field and turning the Bulldogs over 15 times.
Not to mention Falcon players Lavelle Scottie and A.J. Walker teamed up to each drop 20+ points.
The Falcons want to keep their hot streak going and get through San Diego State.
Unfortunately for them, San Diego State has the Mountain West Player of the Year, Malachi Flynn.
Flynn has puts the team on his back, including last Saturday’s 36 point performance in 40 minutes of hoops. You know it, we know it, and they know it. Flynn will cape again Thursday morning, but it’ll depend on who else shows up.
KJ Feagin, Mountain West First-Team All-Defense, can lock up on anybody west of the Plains, but can he help ease the load on the other side of the court?
Yanni Wetzell went winless in the SEC last year and now has parlayed his hand into a deep run in March, but will he be able to put up 10+ points in the paint?
Or will it be the program guys like Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel who are the only guys who have NCAA tournament experience on this 1-loss Aztec team?
The Aztecs have the talent to support Flynn because a 2-3 zone will disrupt their flow. It takes a full team effort to get through the Falcons. After UNLV’s upset, San Diego State is starting to coalesce and become the terror they’ve been this season.
The team wearing blue on Thursday is going to give them their best shot regardless of who else shows up.
It just happens that the team wearing red has had enough skill and talent to overcome everyone’s best shot so far.
GAME DETAILS
WHO: #5 SDSU (28-1) vs Air Force (12-19)
WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
WHEN: 2:30 PM ET / 11 AM PT
TV: CBSSN
STREAMING: FuboTV – Get a free trial
LISTEN: 1360-AM, 101.5-FM
ALL-TIME RECORD: SDSU leads the series 58-24 all-time. SDSU won their previous meeting 89-74.
Prediction
San Diego State 77, Air Force 61
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