The San Diego State men’s basketball team will seek to set school records for longest winning streak and best start to a season Sunday when it faces UNLV in Las Vegas.
The Aztecs improved to 20-0 when they defeated Wyoming, 72-55, on Tuesday, matching school records for longest winning streak and best start set by the 2010-11 Kawhi Leonard-led team that advanced to the Sweet 16.
San Diego State boasts the longest current winning streak in Division I. The Aztecs are also the last remaining undefeated Division I team.
The Aztecs will also try to extend three other streaks — their nine-game winning streak in Mountain West Conference play, the Division I’s fourth-longest current streak in conference play and third-longest in school history; a nine-game winning streak in road and neutral-court games, matching the third-longest in school history; and a seven-game road winning streak, the second longest active streak.
The Aztecs’ 20-game winning streak to start a season is the longest in Division I since Gonzaga began the 2016-17 season 29-0 before advancing to the national championship game.
San Diego State was ranked fourth in The Associated Press poll released Monday, matching the highest ranking in school history, which was set on Jan. 24, 2011. The Aztecs were three spots higher than the previous week.
San Diego State is first in NET rankings, which will be used to determine the seedings for the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year. It includes game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin (capped at 10 points per game), and net offensive and defensive efficiency.
NET is an acronym for NCAA Evaluation Tool.
The Aztecs are first in Division I in scoring margin, 18.1 points, and fourth in scoring defense, 56.6 points.
San Diego State has won 15 of its past 16 games against UNLV, tying the all-time series that began in 1966, 36-36. The Aztecs have never led the series.
Since the start of the 2008-09 season, no Division I team has won more road games against a single opponent than the Aztecs’ 14 over the Runnin’ Rebels at Thomas & Mack Center. San Diego State’s 24 total victories over UNLV during that time period is one short of the Division I lead for victories over a single opponent.