Cal Basketball: Ex-Bears Star Matt Bradley Playing for a Spot in March Madness

Bradley and his San Diego State teammates are on the "bubble" with big games looming.

Games tonight and Monday are the reason Matt Bradley transferred from Cal after last season to San Diego State.

Games of consequence late in the season.

While his former team is mired in a tie for 10th place in the Pac-12 Conference standings, Bradley and the Aztecs are playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

They are 17-6 overall, 9-3 in the Mountain West Conference and have won five in a row entering tonight’s road game vs. MWC leader Boise State (21-6, 12-2). SDSU gets a breather Friday at home vs. San Jose State then hits the road again to play Monday against second-place Wyoming (22-4, 11-2, 12-0 at home).

UPDATE: The Aztecs lost 58-57 at Boise as Bradley missed a desperation heave from near mid-court at the buzzer. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. 

Bradley is the leading scorer (17.0 points per game) for the Aztecs, who reside at No. 33 in the NET computer rankings. Boise is No. 30, Wyoming No. 38.

In his updated bracketology report, published on ESPN.com this morning, Joe Lunardi has all three MWC teams in his projected NCAA bracket. But the Aztecs have little wiggle room as the “last team in,” a No. 12 seed he believes is destined for one of the First Four play-in games. Lunardi's updated projection after Tuesday night's game had the Aztecs as one of the "first four out."

Lunardi also has Colorado State (21-4, 11-4) among his four MWC teams in the NCAA field.

Cal fans would applaud the chance to play in the NCAAs for the first time since 2016. But the Bears, who play Saturday at home vs. rival Stanford, are 4-13 and tied for 10th in the Pac-12. At 11-17 overall, they will have to win a couple games to avoid their fourth 20-loss season in the past five years.

San Diego State dropped three of its first seven conference games, including by a 42-37 margin against Boise State in their first meeting. But the Aztecs have figured things out, as they have done consistently under coach Brian Dutcher, whose five SDSU teams are 29-6 in the month of February.

“We had to be patient with the process,” Bradley told the San Diego Union Tribune. “Defensively we were going to do our thing. But offensively, we were just trying to find a rhythm. It shows we’re putting in the work and getting better and better. We trust the coaches, and we trust each other. We’ve built that relationship.

“Coach Dutch was always harping on how when it comes time for the later games in the season, we turn it up to another level. I’ve definitely seen that.”

Bradley struggled in the low-scoring loss to Boise, scoring just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting.

He has scored 20 points or more nine times as the Aztecs’ only double-digit scorer on the season. He’s also contributing 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and is shooting 41 percent on 3’s.

In the Aztecs’ 61-44 win at Fresno State on Saturday , Bradley was held to a season-low two points on 1-for-8 shooting. But he was credited with helping his team win by drawing defensive attention away from others and sharing the ball effectively. He has 14 assists in his past three games.

“They were running guys at me left and right,” Bradley said. “But one thing I think they counted out was my ability to pass. Like I’ve been saying all season, I think I’m an underrated passer. I’m unselfish. I was finding my teammates.”

For Cal fans curious to see Bradley play in a different uniform, tonight's game will be shown on CBSSN at 6 p.m. PT.

Cover photo of Matt Bradley by Orlando Ramirez, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo