For the second year in a row, San Diego State basketball is making a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Tuesday on campus, March Madness was in full effect as the Aztecs started their journey to Boston for Thursday's Sweet 16 match-up against #1 UConn.
SDSU players and coaches loaded up their gear and boarded the team bus before catching their flight to Boston.
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The UConn Huskies are 33-3, the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, they've won their first 2 NCAA games by a combined 59 points, they're the reigning NCAA National Champions and might be even better this year.
All of which allowed Aztec head coach Brian Dutcher to get off a good one liner before departing San Diego.
"Well, we're excited to get off to Boston, the good news is we're not playing the Celtics, the bad news is we're playing UConn."
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While Dutcher had some fun with the match-up, Aztec players we're all business when it came to assessing their opponent.
"We're locked in," said Lamont Butler. "Not to many times you get to play the number one team in the country. UConn is a really good team, but we're up for the challenge, we want to be the first team to upset them this year."
All-American forward Jaedon LeDee cut straight to the point.
"They play physical. They're a good team, we're a good team, we just got to go out there and play."
SDSU is a 9.5 point underdog and will be facing what figures to a crowd that favors UConn. Just 72 miles separates UConn's campus in Storrs, Connecticut from Boston, site of the Thursdays game.
SDSU is well aware of the environment they're heading into.
"It's like playing a road game, I am sure it will be packed with UConn fans, our Aztec faithful will travel as best they can, but we're ready to the challenge," said Dutcher.
As for the rematch factor, SDSU lost the National Championship game to UConn 76-59 last April, Aztec players have that defeat front and center as they prepare for another NCAA Tournament battle with the Huskies.
"They got us last year in National Championship game," said butler. "We know we got to go through them again to get where we want to be, you know we can't wait."
5th seeded SDSU against 1st seeded UConn is set to tip off at 4:39pm (PST) Thursday.
