The second seeded San Diego State Aztecs will meet the Northern Colorado Bears on Thursday in a West Region showdown at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. The game is scheduled to tip off at 4:40pm ET on TNT. College Basketball Lines are favoring the Aztecs, a +1200 NCAA basketball predictions play to win the 2011 National Championship, at -15.5 against the spread; the Over/Under is set at 130.
Northern Colorado owned the Big Sky Conference this season as evidenced by its 13-3 regular season record against its 
league brethren. The Bears also exerted their dominance in the conference tournament, which they won with a 65-60 victory over Montana.
Northern Colorado's Devon Beitzel, who leads the team in scoring at 21.4 points per game, assured the Bears their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance after he tallied 27 points (14-of-17 from the free throw line) against the Grizzlies.
The Bears, which average 71 points per game, were 0-2 against fellow NCAA Tournament squads this season, losing at Arizona (70-93) and at Illinois (76-86).
San Diego State garnered its second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid after putting together a 32-2 record. The Aztecs tied with BYU, the only team to beat them this season, in the Mountain West standings with a 14-2 conference record, but they prevailed over the Cougars in the conference tournament.
SDST blasted its way through Utah and UNLV to earn a meeting with BYU in the championship game. The Aztecs' Billy White and Kawhi Leonard combined for 41 points to help the team finally top the Cougars in its third crack at Jimmer Fredette and company (72-54).
San Diego State, which has never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-6), is 1-1 in two meetings with Northern Colorado. The Bears won a January 2008 get together 62-56 at San Diego, but the Aztecs returned the favor in December of that same year with a 73-62 road victory.
Northern Colorado vs San Diego State 2011 NCAA Bracket Predictions:
Northern Colorado Bears +15.5 (-110), Over 130 (-110)
San Diego State Aztecs -15.5 (-110), Under 130 (-110)
