Best Mountain West Basketball Players for ’23-’24 Season

Basketball is coming. A new season is upon us. In a manner of weeks we’ll be watching games live and criticizing all the errors in the various preseason lists and polls that were released. With that in mind I present the best players in the …

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Basketball is coming. A new season is upon us. In a manner of weeks we’ll be watching games live and criticizing all the errors in the various preseason lists and polls that were released. With that in mind I present the best players in the conference for the upcoming season.

Note: I reference a “composite metric” multiple times in the article. It refers to a metric I track that combines three different player metrics and combines them into one number. The metrics are PIPM, BPR, and POE. Check here to see what it looks like.

1. Jaelen house, New Mexico – 16.9 pts, 3.9 rebs, 4.7 asts.

House is coming off a dominant season. He was the second best player in the conference last season according to the composite metric. He finished 7th in the conference in scoring, 5th in assists, and led the league in steals for the second season in a row on his way to a second team all conference selection. He has a great combination of skill and athleticism that help him excel in almost any situation. He is arguably the quickest player in the conference, he can score from anywhere on the court, and is super disruptive defensively. He went into Viejas and owned the future national title runner up Aztecs last season. If the Lobos can get 12+ wins in conference he’ll be among the favorites for POY. 

2. Tyson degenhart, Boise St. – 14.1 pts, 5.3 rebs, 1.8 asts.

Degenhart spent most of last season playing as an undersized center, and despite playing out of position he still excelled, as evidenced by the media voting him as the conference Player of the Year. The hope is the addition of Cam Martin will allow Degenhart to play a more natural power forward spot, which should help him dominate even more. He finished 3rd in the composite metric, so dominating more will be a tall task, but if his efficiency from behind the arc and at the charity stripe return then he’ll be causing mismatches all over the court. Since his freshman season he’s been one of the best players in the conference, and now it’s truly his team. He has a tall task but his skill set will allow him to put Boise St in position to once again make the tournament, and potentially even win a game or two.

3. Jaedon LeDee, SDSU – 7.9 pts, 5.3 rebs, 0.9 asts.

Jaedon LeDee is going to surprise some people this season. He transferred to SDSU to showcase his offensive versatility, but wasn’t given many chances last season. This season he’ll be a starter and will push for the team lead in scoring. He was highly efficient in the post but also showed flashes as a mid range shooter as well as ball handler. He’s been working on his ball handling and 3-point shooting all off-season. SDSU’s roster has potential for more floor spacing this season, and if LeDee gets it he will destroy opponents inside with his big body and physical play. 

4. Isaiah Stevens, Colorado St. – 17.9 pts, 3.4 rebs, 6.7 asts.

Any offense run by Isaiah Stevens is going to be solid. The worst offense Colorado St has had since Stevens got there has been 83rd. Still better than ~75% of all D-1 teams. And surprisingly, it wasn’t last year when the Rams had to replace David Roddy. He’s coming off a year where he was 1st team all conference, 3rd in the conference in points, and first in assists, and did all that despite being hobbled by injury. He’s also among the career leaders in assist percentage in Mountain West history, and on pace to finish first in all time assists and second in all time scoring in the conference. He does everything a point guard should do offensively. He’s a three level scorer, a fantastic setup man, and he makes the players around him better. He finished 6th last season in the composite metric, and with a full season and health he can improve on that mark. Jaelen House and Lamont Butler will get a lot of hype this season, but Stevens is arguably the best pure point guard in the conference.

5. Lamont Butler, SDSU – 8.8 pts, 2.7 rebs, 3.2 asts.

Lamont Butler is getting a lot of hype after his performance in the tournament. He scored 18 points in the Elite 8 game against Creighton, and is the only player to hit a buzzer beater in the a Final Four while his team was trailing. He’ll be looking to build off of that momentum. Despite the accolades though, his largest impact has been defensively, where he hounds ball handlers and disrupts the opponents offense. The reigning DPOY plays physical and few opposing guards excel when he guards them. If his offense reaches the level of his defense he has all-American potential as a two way guard. If he doesn’t improve at all he’ll still be one of the best players in the conference. 

6. Jarod Lucas, Nevada – 17 pts, 2.6 rebs, 1.4 asts.

Lucas is one of the best and most efficient scorers in the conference. He finished 5th in points and 6th in eFG% en route to a second team all conference season. He shoots the ball standing still, or coming off of screens, or off the dribble, and excels at all of them. That makes him a premier weapon in the modern game. Hes not great at defense, or rebounding, or much of anything else, but he more than makes up for that with his scoring and floor spacing ability. So much so that he finished fourth last season in the composite metric, despite his lack of versatility. 

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7. Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico – 14.9 pts, 9.3 rebs, 1.1 asts

The heir to Udeze, Junior Joseph brings a similar bruising style in an even bigger frame. A transfer from Iona, he should instantly compete for the title of “best center” in the conference. He excels at establishing deep position in the paint, and has a couple of moves and counter moves he can use to shake his defenders. Once he does he can finish with either hand at the rim. His physical play style leads to him drawing a lot of fouls, which will serve the Lobos well. He is also one of the best rebounders in the country, and is a good defender as well, which is something the Lobos missed at times last season.

8. Kenan Blackshear, Nevada – 14.1 pts, 4 rebs, 4.6 asts

Blackshear’s main strength is his passing, as he finished 4th in assists per game last season. Standing at 6’6” he can see over the defense and find the open man, and it helps that the open man is often Jarod Lucas. He is also a great defender and uses his size and athleticism well to disrupt opponents. He scores a healthy amount, although his efficiency could be better. His main role though is to set up his teammates and play defense, which led to a second-team all-conference and all-conference all defensive team awards last season. He finished 12th in the composite metric last season, and that figures to improve as he continues to build confidence in his role as a point guard. 

9. Kalib Boone, UNLV – 10.6 pts, 4.9 rebs, 1.0 asts

Boone transferred to UNLV after being a 3rd team all Big 12 selection in 22-23. He should have no trouble translating to the Mountain West after playing in the Big 12 and may even see his numbers go up. He is arguably the best transfer UNLV brought in in a stacked transfer class. He will anchor the defense as a great rim protector, and offensively he excels at finishing through contact as well as fighting for offensive boards. He has had some legal troubles recently, but his talent on the court in undeniable. As long as he can stay on it he should help UNLV win some games this season.

10. Jamaal Mashburn, New Mexico – 19.1 pts, 3.2 rebs, 2.1 asts

Mashburn is coming off a season where he earned 1st team all conference honors after leading the league in scoring. His defense was a negative once again, but not enough of a negative to erase his offensive contributions. He has arguably the best mid range jumper in the nation, and has the ball handling skills to get to his spots. He finished 11th last season in the composite metric and should improve this season as he attempts to lead New Mexico to its first tournament berth since 2014.