San Diego State University made a surprising run all the way to the NCAA Basketball Tournament National Championship Game last season. It was Kawhi Leonard back in 2009-11 that really put the Mountain West Conference team on the map, though, especially when it comes to the Big Dance. Leonard had a special career at SDSU, especially in March Madness, and in this article, we are going to look back at his time as an Aztec.
Kawhi Leonard's first season at San Diego State
Kawhi Leonard was not one of the top recruits coming out of high school, so he committed to play at San Diego State, a team that only had five March Madness appearances prior to his arrival. Leonard's play style wasn't flashy, nor was his personality, but he was the ultimate hard worker, and that led to him becoming arguably the best player in Mountain West Conference history.
Leonard's freshmen season saw him make an immediate impact. He averaged 12.7 points and 9.9 rebounds for the Aztecs, but most importantly, he played elite defense. Leonard made an impact both inside and outside. His mid-range shot was developing and he could lock up opposing team's best players on the perimeter. He also was capable of rebounding and defending the rim at an elite level for a wing. Leonard led the conference in rebounding and was named the MWC Freshman of the Year.
Leonard helped the Aztecs to a 25-9 record, and SDSU climbed all the way to the Mountain West Conference Championship Game, where they beat Utah 55-45. That victory earned Leonard's squad an automatic bid into March Madness, where they faced 6th-ranked Tennessee in the Round of 64.
Leonard had 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Volunteers, but SDSU came up just short in the 62-59 loss. This was only Leonard's freshman season, and he had already exceeded expectations, meaning this was just a sign of things to come.
Kawhi Leonard's second season at San Diego State
Year two with the Aztecs for Leonard came in 2010-11, and that was arguably the greatest and most memorable year in the history of Mountain West basketball. Expectations were high for SDSU, but BYU's Jimmer Fredette had emerged as an all-time college basketball legend.
Leonard stepped his game up, too, though. His numbers increased to 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. The Aztecs went 34-3 and were on a crash course to face Fredette in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game. Both SDSU and BYU rolled into the championship game, where Leonard was able top get the better of Fredette. SDSU dominated in a 72-54 victory, and SDSU earned a two seed in March Madness.
SDSU took on Northern Colorado in the first round, and Leonard was on fire from deep. His three three-point makes led to 21 total points as the Aztecs won 68-50. Leonard's performance in the Round of 32 was even more iconic. That game against Temple went to double-overtime, but Leonard was able to get his boys to come out on top with a 71-64 victory. Most notably, Leonard's steal with just under 30 seconds left in the second overtime period led to a fast break layup that ended up being the dagger.
The Aztecs next played in the Sweet 16 against UConn. The Kemba Walker-led team was another team making an iconic run this season, and it proved to be too much. SDSU lost by a score of 74-67. Unfortunately, this was Leonard's worst tournament game, as he only had 12 points.
Even so, Kawhi Leonard became the best player in SDSU history in only two years and directly set the program up for future success. SDSU has made the NCAA Basketball Tournament in all but two seasons since Leonard left the program for the NBA, and his impact on Aztecs basketball cannot be overstated. The team made the National Championship Game last year, and they have the pieces to make a deep run again this year. Leonard left college with two First-Team All-Mountain West selections to his name, and he has been terrorizing the NBA ever since.
Follow Us
Subscribe