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The last time San Diego State played the University of Arizona was in the Sweet 16 earlier this spring. The Aztecs lost 70-64 in Anaheim. They also played around this time last season in San Diego. The Wildcats came out on top 69-60.
The year before that? U of A came out on top once again 68-67 in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic championship game in Hawaii. Not to bring up any painful memories or anything, but here's how it ended:
For the Aztecs, this game is about a lot more than revenge. No other college basketball program on the western half of the United States has been at the level of Arizona or SDSU in recent years, and their post-season play and recruiting prowess are only separating them further from the pack.
"Why not us" and "We want more" are just a couple of lines Steve Fisher and his squad have thrown out in regards to their recent success and elevation in program status. A win against No. 3 Arizona 3,000 miles away from home could possibly go down as one of the biggest regular season wins in the history of the program.
Long story short, if you were planning on doing something Wednesday night at 7, you should probably adjust your plans to include this west coast showdown.
Arizona, like SDSU, had a fairly evenly distributed scoring load in its win against Kansas State. Brandon Ashley had 10 points and five rebounds, but turned it over five times. Their 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski poured in another 18 points in 32 minutes, but only grabbed three rebounds and had no blocks. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had six points and eight rebounds to lead the bench.
The Wildcats basically got production on the floor from the guys that you'd expect. Meanwhile, the Aztecs got a boost from a mix of freshmen and veterans. For SDSU to win this game, they need to play exactly how they did last night against Pittsburgh. They need to keep the Wildcats under 40 percent shooting, limit themselves to under 10 turnovers, and play solid help defense.
Score Prediction: 84-81 Arizona in OT