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San Diego State and Creighton Face off in Elite Eight Rematch
Two unfamiliar teams, San Diego State and Creighton, will go head-to-head in their first-ever appearance in the Elite Eight, with both hoping to secure their first-ever trip to the Final Four. The Sunday game is also a rematch of last year’s first-round meeting.
SDSU lost to Creighton in the extra session after surrendering a 14-point lead. However, the team used the loss as motivation for this season’s Elite Eight showdown. “Those are situations that you just grow from, and I believe that we’ve grown from that this year,” said San Diego State forward Keshad Johnson.
SDSU and Creighton have a recent history of playing each other, including a lopsided 83-52 SDSU win, during the Aztecs’ historic 26-0 start before COVID-19 thwarted their scheduled appearance in the NCAA Tournament. There’s mutual respect between the teams, which they displayed in November when they shared a plane to Hawaii and back for the Maui Invitational.
Respect between the coaches also seems to play a significant part, as Creighton coach Greg McDermott and SDSU coach Brian Dutcher spent six hours across the aisle from one another during each shared flight. McDermott values the bond between the teams, stating, “Obviously our teams and our coaching staffs have great respect for one another.”
The strongest connection between the squads is arguably the family bond. San Diego State senior guard Adam Seiko is the elder brother of Creighton’s starting forward, Arthur Kaluma. Their mother, Eva Sairo Ariko, flew daily from Orlando to Denver to see her sons play during the first two rounds of the tournament. After both teams’ Friday victories, Seiko and Kaluma’s family will have the unique experience of watching both siblings play against each other in the Elite Eight. “To be able to play against him in the Elite Eight is something amazing. I’m just happy my family gets to experience it,” exclaimed Kaluma.
