The Aztecs moved up to 7th in the latest AP and Coaches Polls. SDSU beat Utah State on the road on Saturday to run their record to 15-0 and remain, with 13-0 Auburn, one of the two remaining undefeated teams among the 353 Division-1 programs (Since my wife is an Auburn girl who works at SDSU I need to say a Go Aztecs and a War Eagle here. Thanks for understanding.).
But there's another number that popped up on Monday that's even more intriguing.
Bracketlology is the process of attempting to predict which college basketball teams will be seeded where in the NCAA Tournament. Jerry Palm is one of the most prominent Bracketologists in the business.
So when he put San Diego State in as a number 1 seed on Monday morning, it was not insignificant. Of course things are probably going to change and this is just a (very) educated guess on what would happen if things stay as they are right now but for this Aztecs program, it's a big deal to see a 1 next to their name at any point of the season.
The top seeds in the four regions according to Palm look like this:
West - Gonzaga
Midwest - Butler
East - Duke
South - San Diego State
Amazingly that makes three mid-major schools as potential top seeds. But in a bit of a strange twist, as much of a feather as a top seed would be in their cap, being number 1 in the South might be a worse draw than being a number 2 seed and staying in the West.
Local
The reason for that is the location.
The West Regional Finals are in Los Angeles while the South Region heads to Houston. Either way the Aztecs will probably play their first and (if they win) second round games in Sacramento. If they get to play in the West they would not have to leave the state of California until the Final Four in Atlanta.
Playing close to home and giving your fan base a chance to travel and create something of a home court advantage can mean the difference between surviving and advancing ... and going home for good.
