San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher knows what awaits him. On late Sunday night, moments after his Aztecs punched their ticket to Boston for the Sweet 16 – where they’ll meet UConn – he was asked for his early thoughts on facing the Huskies, and he cut to the chase.

“Well, it’s the UConn Invitational,” Dutcher said on the TBS broadcast. “So we’re going to Boston, see if we can disrupt the party a little bit.”

That’s certainly a tall order this week as the NCAA Tournament’s East Regional comes to TD Garden, where UConn, San Diego State, Iowa State and Illinois battle for a spot in the Final Four.

UConn is unquestionably the favorite to cut down the nets on Saturday night, not only as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament but with a clear home-court advantage. After cruising to the Sweet 16 with wins in nearby Brooklyn, UConn fans are set to take over the Garden – just a 90-minute drive from their campus in Storrs – to cheer the Huskies in their chase for a second consecutive national championship. Even coach Dan Hurley couldn’t resist his urge to turn TD Garden into “Storrs North.”

Even if UConn does the inevitable, Boston – which hosts the East Regional for the first time since 2018, when Villanova won it – will be treated to some high-level matchups this week. The Huskies get things started on Thursday night against San Diego State in a rematch of last season’s national championship game before Iowa State and Illinois face off in a matchup of the nation’s best defense and best offense. The winners advance to Saturday’s regional final with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Here’s a look at the teams coming to Boston:

No. 1 UConn Huskies

Record: 33-3

Coach: Dan Hurley, fourth season

Conference: Big East

How they got here: Beat No. 16 Stetson, 91-52; Beat No. 9 Northwestern, 75-58

Player to watch: Stephon Castle, freshman guard

Outlook: UConn has done nothing to cast doubt on its status as the championship favorite after advancing to the second weekend with ease. In fact – as San Diego State is painfully aware – the Huskies have yet to be tested in their last two tournaments. Their average margin of victory over their run of eight consecutive tournament wins is 22 points.

UConn has not been flawless by its championship standard, at least if you ask Dan Hurley. When the Huskies led Stetson by 33 at halftime, Hurley was disappointed in his team’s first half performance, telling CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson in his walkoff interview that they needed to be sharper and “grow up a little bit.” On Sunday, UConn shot 3-for-22 from 3-point range but still won by 17. There is a large margin for error with these Huskies, which makes them so difficult to beat.

After dealing with some injuries earlier this season – Donovan Clingan missed five games, Stephon Castle missed six – UConn is at full strength and seemingly peaking at the right time, just like last season. There isn’t a hole on the roster. Castle is a projected NBA lottery pick who’s an elite defender, Clingan is a 7-foot-2 terror down low, Alex Karaban – a Southborough native who will return home this weekend – and Cam Spencer can light it up from downtown. And, oh yeah, first team All-American guard Tristen Newton controls one of the most advanced offenses in college basketball. Good luck.

UConn head coach Dan Hurley calls out to his players during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against Xavier in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Conference tournament on March 14, 2024 in New York. UConn won 87-60. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs

Record: 26-10

Coach: Brian Dutcher, seventh season

Conference: Mountain West

How they got here: Beat No. 12 UAB, 69-65; Beat No. 13 Yale, 85-57

Player to watch: Jaedon LeDee, senior forward

Outlook: The odds are certainly stacked against San Diego State, but you can’t totally count out a squad that made it to last season’s national championship game. The Aztecs returned four of their top six scorers from last year – including Lamont Butler, who hit the famous buzzer beater that sent them to last season’s title game – and added USC transfer Reese Waters. It’s a team still built on defense, as they boast the ninth-best unit in the nation according to KenPom, the popular metrics rankings.

Jaedon LeDee was one of the most improved players in the country this season. LeDee transferred from TCU in 2021 and was a key reserve on last season’s Final Four team before blossoming into an All-American this year, averaging 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Aztecs’ hopes will run through LeDee, who scored 32 points in their first-round victory and then 26 points as they advanced to the Sweet 16. The 6-foot-9, 240-pounder is an absolute load to deal with and will be a difficult matchup for Clingan.

San Diego State forward Jaedon LeDee dunks during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Yale in the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

The Aztecs’ greatest challenge in advancing will come on the offensive end, especially against a UConn team that simply has more firepower. SDSU ranked among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country this season, but went 13-for-27 from deep in Sunday’s win over Yale. It will need a similar performance to have a chance against UConn.

No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones

Record: 29-7

Coach: T.J. Otzelberger, third season

Conference: Big 12

How they got here: Beat No. 15 South Dakota State, 82-65; Beat No. 7 Washington State, 67-56
Player to watch: Keshon Gilbert, junior guard

Outlook: Iowa State was picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll but surprised with the program’s best season in a decade and second Sweet 16 in three seasons under coach T.J. Otzelberger, with an unheralded group of players. The Cyclones, despite being ranked inside the AP Top 10 for the last six weeks of the regular season, will walk into the Garden without much buzz or notoriety with a roster that doesn’t include any starpower, but they are legit – especially on the defensive end.

Iowa State’s Hason Ward is congratulated by teammate Tamin Lipsey (3) as Curtis Jones (5) and Tre King (0) look on during the first half of a first-round college basketball game against South Dakota State in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

After the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Iowa State moved up to No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. The Cyclones are a difficult matchup for any offense, which they proved by holding Houston to 41 points in their Big 12 tournament championship victory before limiting Washington State to 56 points – 18 points below its average – to advance to Boston. Their defense ranks fourth in scoring defense (61.4 points per game) and turnovers forced per game (17.4). Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey are two tenacious guards primed to lead the Cyclones to the program’s first Final Four berth since 1944 – even if nobody is talking about them.

No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini

Record: 28-8

Coach: Brad Underwood, seventh season

Conference: Big Ten

How they got here: Beat No. 14 Morehead State, 85-69; Beat No. 11 Duquesne, 89-63

Player to watch: Terrence Shannon Jr., senior guard

Outlook: Illinois stars Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins each withdrew their names from the NBA draft last year to return to school in part to run it back with the Illini and try to make some history. They did so, helping them advance to their first Sweet 16 since 2005 – and they certainly want more.

Illinois arrives to TD Garden boasting an offense that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla would probably love. The Illini own the nation’s No. 1 offense, per KenPom, and the unit seems to be peaking at the right time. The Big Ten tourney champions are averaging 91.3 points over their last four games.

Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) celebrates after a three-point basket against Duquesne in the second half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Shannon Jr. leads the attack, and he might be the most exciting and talented player to grace the court in Boston this weekend. The 6-foot-6 guard – a projected NBA first-round pick this spring – is the nation’s third leading scorer and nearly unstoppable in the open floor with his speed and athleticism. He has scored at least 25 points in his last six games, including 30 points in Illinois’ second-round victory over Duquesne. Defenses also can’t ignore Marcus Domask, who became the ninth player in NCAA Tournament history – and last since Ja Morant in 2019 – to record a triple-double in Illinois’ win over Morehead State. If the Illini can get by Iowa State, an Elite Eight matchup against UConn would be an offensive dream.

Prediction: UConn beats Illinois to advance to the Final Four.