After a middling season at the University of San Diego, Joey Calcaterra, a guard, transferred to UConn and Sam Scholl, the head coach, was hired as a basketball adviser by San Diego State.
San Diego State was poised for a top seed in the 2020 N.C.A.A. tournament before the pandemic led to its cancellation. This year’s team, with three key holdovers, has made a run to the Final Four.
Connecticut has a pedigree but hasn’t made a deep run since 2014. Florida Atlantic plays in a small gym on a campus that’s an owl sanctuary. San Diego State got in on a free throw. And Miami’s coach likes his self-help advice.