2024 Mountain West Tournament Quarterfinals: #5 SDSU vs. #4 UNLV: Game Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction

2024 Mountain West Tournament is here! UNLV has been dominant lately, but SDSU is high-stakes battle hardened.

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The #5-seed Aztecs face the #4-seed Runnin’ Rebels. Both teams are hungry for a win and the stakes are high.

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Arena- Las Vegas, NV (Capacity 18,776)

WATCH: CBSSN

RADIO: San Diego Sports 760 / SiriusXM App ch. 968

SERIES RECORD:  San Diego State and UNLV meet for the 82nd time Thursday afternoon. The Aztecs hold a 43-38 series advantage.

LAST MEETING:  The Runnin’ Rebels defeated the Aztecs 62-58 at Thomas & Mack Arena, on Tuesday, March 5th, 2024.

WEBSITES:  GoAztecs.com, the official San Diego State athletics website; UNLVRebels.com, the official UNLV athletics website.

ODDS: SDSU -3

OVER/UNDER: 132.5

Las Vegas, NV – The 2024 Mountain West Tourney is a MUST SEE.

Last year, the Aztecs dominated conference play, tournament play and then went on to finish the NCAA Tournament as Championship runners up. The unprecedented SDSU performance galvanized the entire Mountain West, with many teams now believing the sky’s the limit.

This year SIX teams might reach the big dance.

The Rebels play at home during the tournament (again), and are on fire winning five of their last six games. Meanwhile, the Aztecs enter the conference tournament after losing two straight games.

The teams went 1-1 in conference play, and this quarterfinals match will be a dogfight. Normally, the Rebels get the benefit of a home-court advantage, but SDSU calls the Thomas & Mack “Viejas East,” making it feel more like a neutral location- if not a second home.

The Rebels NEED a conference tournament win to punch their ticket to the Big Dance, but the Aztecs do not. Pressure is on the Rebels.

What will happen? Let’s take a closer look.

Why The Runnin’ Rebels Will Win

UNLV is 72nd in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings, and 216th in the nation in points per game, while sitting 146th in effective field goal percentage.

Three Rebels received postseason honors. Dedan Thomas Jr. made Second Team All-Conference, Keylan Boone made Third Team, and Luis Rodriguez made the Defensive Team. Thomas is their leading scorer, and also co-freshman of the year, he averages 13.6 PPG and 5.2 APG as a 6’1 freshman guard. Keylan Boone is a 6’8 200 pound senior forward averaging 12.2 PPG and 6.5 RPG. Kalib Boone is a 6’9, 215 senior getting 11.5 PPG and 5.4 RPG. Rodriguez is a 6’6 senior and an excellent defender on the wing, he adds another 11.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG.

UNLV is 70th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 126th in opponent effective field goal percentage. UNLV is currently 91st in the nation in turnovers per game. Further, they are 68th in blocks per game. Rodriguez manages 1.5 steals per game, while Boone manages 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

Why The Aztecs Will Win

San Diego State is 21st in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. The Aztecs are the best high-stakes basketball team in the Mountain West.

Jaeden LeDee was just named First Team All Conference in the MWC, the 6’9″, 240-lb senior forward led the conference in scoring with 20.5 PPG and adds 8.2 rebounds per game. LeDee, a hulk who attacks the basket, gets three times more free throw attempts than the next highest teammate.

LeDee shoots 55.7 percent from the field. Reese Waters and Micah Parrish score 10.5 and 9.7 points per game respectively. Darrion Trammell leads in assists with 3.2 per game while adding 7.7 points per game.

SDSU is 75th in the nation in rebounds per game. San Diego State is 36th in the nation in opponent points per game and 42nd in opponent effective field goal percentage. Lamont Butler was named to the All-Defensive team in the conference, and he has 1.6 steals per game.

What Will Happen

UNLV won the last SDSU match, but this will be a close one. The Runnin’ Rebels should come away with a win based on recent play, but the Aztecs are high-stakes basketball veterans. The Runnin’ Rebels will be anxious with more on the line than the Aztecs, but will fall just one possession short in the end, as SDSU moves on to the semifinals.

Final Score: SDSU 74, UNLV 71