LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Creighton and San Diego State have dreamed of being in this situation for years. And it's not the first team each team has stood in the other's way.

The sixth-seeded Bluejays and the fifth-seeded Aztecs are each seeking their first Final Four when they meet in Sunday's South Region final. Last year, they met much earlier in the NCAA Tournament — Creighton won 72-69 in overtime in the first round.

“It was a game they really controlled for 37 minutes, and then we had an incredible run at the end to get it to overtime and found a way to win it,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said Saturday. “So, besides a trip to the Final Four on the line, I’m sure they’ve been looking forward to this game as well.”

The Bluejays were one of the final eight teams in the tournament once before, in 1941, but it wasn't called the Elite Eight at the time because, well, there were only eight teams in the entire event.

After Friday's 86-75 win over No. 15 Princeton, the Bluejays (24-12) can truly be called Elite.

All San Diego State (31-6) had to do to advance was beat No. 1 overall seed Alabama.

The veteran-laden Aztecs are the first Mountain West Conference team to reach a regional final and believe they have more to prove after ousting the Crimson Tide.

“Nobody ever believes when you set big goals,” San Diego State forward Jaedon LeDee said after the game. “We believe, and that’s why we’re in the position we are, and just keep pushing.”

The teams have been together once since last year's first-round thriller. They shared a round-trip flight to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational last fall. But only one of them will be flying to Houston for the Final Four.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

San Diego State’s physical defense held the Crimson Tide to 32% shooting, blocked eight shots and made nine steals. On the other hand, the Aztecs shot just 38%, were outrebounded 52-48 and missed nine of 22 free throws against Alabama.

“That can be really costly in March for sure,” guard Darrion Trammell said. “But just staying consistent and running our offense, playing multiple sides, is something we can definitely work on. Make teams guard us on both sides of the floor to help our efficiency on offense is something that can take a step forward.”

SIBLING MATCHUP

The game pits Creighton sophomore forward Arthur Kaluma against brother Adam Seiko, a San Diego State senior guard. Kaluma described the upcoming meeting as a “surreal experience,” adding that both have come a long way since their previous meeting.

“He plays pretty good defense,” Kaluma said. “He is a good shooter. We can run him off the line, force him to take some tough 2s. Just try to contain him, you know, make sure he doesn’t get no open looks.”

OPPOSITE STRENGTHS

Creighton entered Friday’s Sweet 16 game against Princeton ranked 41st nationally in shooting at 47%. The Bluejays shot 58.2% to overwhelm the Tigers.

San Diego State ranks 36th in field-goal defense at 41% and its last three opponents haven't topped 32% from the floor.

“They obviously just play really, really physical, and that can make up for some height at times,” 7-foot-1 Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner said of the Aztecs. “Going into a game like that, you just have got to know what you are getting yourself into and don’t be surprised when they hit you really hard or try to be super physical with you.”

MORE TO ACHIEVE

Asked about earning his 300th victory with Creighton on Friday night, McDermott acknowledged all the steps to the milestone before quickly downplaying it.

“It’s 301 I’m worried about right now,” he said.

Seniors take Aztecs to new heights on Elite Eight journey

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — San Diego State's recruiting pitch to Darrion Trammell certainly sounded intriguing.

Coach Brian Dutcher asked the former Seattle University guard to come to Southern California and play in a Final Four.

What Trammell found was a mature, talented group of players with two NCAA Tournament appearances — a team that convinced him it was possible. Now, after matching his season high with 21 points in Friday's 71-64 win over No. 1 seed Alabama, Trammell and his teammates are one win away from fulfilling their ambitious goal.

"I felt like we were going to a make deep run, so yeah, I did believe it," Trammell said Saturday. “I felt as a team, we were the only people to believe that, but that's ultimately what matters is the confidence and the belief that we have in our own team.”

The fifth-seeded Aztecs (30-6) don't look like many other teams.

In an era when one-and-dones and the ever-swirling transfer portal threaten to break up teams and keep rosters young, San Diego State has relied on size, strength and experience to keep dancing through March Madness, right into the South Region final against No. 6 Creighton.

Seven of its 12 players, including Trammell, are seniors. Five have only played at one school and everyone was sold on the same Final Four pledge. To Dutcher, the son of a former Big Ten coach who's in his 24th season at San Diego State and sixth as the head coach, it was more than a dream. It was a quest.

And now this veteran lineup, which endured everything from a canceled postseason to a tournament bubble to last March's excruciating 72-69 first-round overtime loss to Creighton, can earn its ticket to Houston on Sunday.

Those who have followed the Aztecs — or listened to Dutcher — are not surprised.

“I think at Cal, we were really young and nobody really had any kind of leadership and experience winning, but I came into a program where I think a culture was already established,” said Matt Bradley, a two-year starter who played his previous three seasons with the Golden Bears. “Aguek (Arop), he reminds me all the time what it takes to win games at San Diego State.”

Together, these seniors have played in three straight NCAA Tournaments, won three Mountain West regular-season titles and two conference tourney titles, and made the deepest postseason run in school history.

Over the last four seasons, only two Division I teams have a better winning percentage than San Diego State at 82.8% — Gonzaga (91.0%) and Houston (84.1%). It's a sterling resume that hasn't elicited much national attention until now.

“I said before the year our plan is to make it to a Final Four, to win a national championship, so we can't act surprised we're sitting up here," Dutcher said. “This is what the goal has been."

How did the Aztecs reach this point?

Playing perfect complementary roles, for starters.

Trammell is the playmaking guard who was an all-conference defender at Seattle. Adam Seiko is the thick, gritty guard who prides himself on being a fearless 3-point shooter and a strong defender with 118 career wins.

Forwards Keshad Johnson, Jaedon LeDee and Arop provide the brawn and skill in the post against beefier, more touted opponents, and at 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, Nathan Mensah is second on the school's career blocks list (231).

Then there's Bradley, the Mountain West tourney MVP and first-team all-league selection. He's one of the nation's most prolific active scorers with 2,294 points but had just six points on 2-of-9 shooting against the Crimson Tide.

“Anybody who appreciates basketball understands how good San Diego State is,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “They play a brand of basketball that's built on toughness, built on intelligence. They don't take many bad shots and they're very physical when the ball goes up."

Building that culture requires more than just vision or commitment. It takes patience, a trait lacking at many schools and among many fan bases.

Nobody can quibble with the results, not even the 2019-20 team that was in line for a top-two seed and may have been Dutcher's best team. The oldest players have not forgotten how the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that potential Final Four run and now they're playing just as much for those seniors as they are to fulfill their own aspirations.

“I felt bad for the seniors that didn't have this, the opportunity that went by them,” Mensah said. “I feel like now we are here, trying to represent them also, make them feel proud of what we have accomplished and what we are capable of doing in this tournament.”