Bradley, Butler, Parrish, Arop, Seiko, Johnson, Dutcher are now all names in the hallowed halls of San Diego sports history.
Fans and supporters alike gathered at Snapdragon Stadium Saturday evening to honor the San Diego State Aztecs — who came within five points and minutes of an NCAA Tournament title on Monday night.
Fans decked out in red and black outside the stadium were chanting "SDSU" and cheering on players as they exited their bus Saturday evening.
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The Aztecs' lives have changed a lot since returning to campus as National Championship runner-ups.
NBC 7's Derek Togerson asked Aztecs Guard Lamont Butler what his homecoming has been like since coming so close to winning an NCAA Tournament title.
"It's been very different. People coming up to us, just celebrating us and thanking us for what we did, so it's different. I gotta get used to it a little bit but I'm having fun with it," Butler said.
"If I make it to a pro-career, I gotta get used to this," Butler added.
Aztecs Guard Darrion Trammell has had a similar homecoming.
"It's definitely been a little different," Trammell laughed.
"It's time to settle down, you know, and just kind of enjoy ourselves and try to just let go of the season and just realize what we done, the things we did and what we were able to accomplish this year," Trammell said.
Are Aztecs looking to win the title next year?
"I think we're all motivated, that's the big thing. We're always going to have that chip on our shoulder even though we made it pretty far. We definitely feel like we should have got that game, so we'll definitely come back motivated," Trammell said.
Local San Diego leaders like Mayor Todd Gloria spoke before passionate fans at the event. Mayor Gloria put the perfect bow on the celebration of a team that has already stolen the key to our hearts.
"I am hereby presenting the 2022-2023 Aztecs men's basketball team with the key to the city of San Diego. Congratulations, gentlemen!" Mayor Gloria said.
Limited concessions and Final Four merchandise were on sale at the event. Fans had the chance to take photos with the South Regional (SDSU's quadrant of the March Madness bracket) and Mountain West Championship trophies.
UConn — a No. 4 seed — beat No. 5 seed San Diego State 76-59 on Monday night in Houston for its fifth title in the past 24 years. The Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference didn't go quietly, cutting UConn's lead to five points late in the second half before the Huskies used one more run to put the game away. It was San Diego State's first trip to the title game, but it surely won't be the last.
"We battled," Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said after the game. "Battled back to five in the second half, but gave them too much separation. We had to be at our best. We weren't at our best. A lot had to do with UConn."
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San Diego State's Lamont Butler hit a buzzer-beating jumper in the Final Four game that will live a long time in college basketball lore, sending the Aztecs to their first national championship game with a 72-71 win over fellow mid-major Florida Atlantic.
The clock ticking down, Butler dribbled to the baseline, found that cut off and circled back. He stepped back to create a little room and hit a jumper that sent the Aztecs racing out onto the floor and even had San Diego Padres fans going wild at Petco Park.
“It’s Butler," announcing legend Jim Nantz called it. "With two seconds. He’s gotta put it up. And … he wins it! He wins it! With the jumper!” Then, five seconds of silence, followed by, “A San Diego State miracle!”
Probably no better source to go for context on this story than the Aztecs coach.
"It's hard to win in March," said Dutcher, whose team won its Elite Eight and Final Four games by one point each. "Those teams are really good too. But you have to get a little luck and get the right matchups and have to be playing your best. That's what this team did."
One more time: Let's go, Aztecs!
City News Service contributed to this report — Ed.
