The historic 2022-23 season has, unfortunately, come to an end for the San José State Spartans (21-14) men’s basketball team, as No. 2 SJSU fell 67-57 to the No. 10 Radford Highlanders (21-14) in the Elite 8 of the College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The pain of falling three wins short of the ultimate goal will stay with SJSU.
This is about disappointment, the only emotion that makes sense for a program that planned to – not just hoped to – win a (CBI) national title for the first time in program history and instead are leaving Daytona Beach in sixth place. On this stage, on this level, sixth place medals don’t matter.
The Spartans had ripped through their regular season to get their first 20-win season in 42 years, won their first ever Mountain West Tournament game, and had a convincing first round win in the CBI over Southern Indiana for the program’s first ever postseason win to advance to the Elite 8.
In the movies, San José State wins the CBI National Championship.
Well, DaQuan Smith & Radford set fire to that script.
Unlike during most of the season, SJSU just didn’t have enough answers.
The Spartans wanted a national title. Not a pat on the back for making the postseason for the first time in 12 years and winning the program’s first ever postseason game.
Nope.
San José State wanted to be a champion. The champion.
The Spartans’ dream died on Monday.
So this is about devastation, which San José State will feel all offseason.
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