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.
Miami rallied from 13 points down to beat Texas, while a foul and a free throw gave San Diego State a win over Creighton. They join UConn and Florida Atlantic in the national semifinals.