Tag: Colorado State Basketball

New Mexico vs. #13 Colorado State: Keys to a Rams Win, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The CSU Rams welcome the New Mexico Lobos to Moby Arena to open conference play. Here’s how the Rams can get MW play started with a win.

New Mexico vs. #13 Colorado State: Keys to a Rams Win, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The Rams host their in-state foe

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

Can the Rams open conference play strong?

WHO: New Mexico Lobos (12-1) vs. #13 Colorado State Rams (12-1)

WHEN: Tuesday, January 2nd โ€” 8:30 p.m. MST / 7:30 p.m. PST

WHERE: Moby Arena; Fort Collins, CO (8,083)

TV:ย Fox Sports 1 (Stream FS1 on Fubo and click the link hereย for a free trial)

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 132nd all time matchup between the two schools. New Mexico leads the all-time series 79-52

LAST MEETING: Colorado State won 92-84 in Fort Collins last season.

ODDS: Colorado State -2.5

A big matchup to open Mountain West play on Tuesday for both Colorado State and New Mexico. The Rams are looking to keep the pressure on everyone else and the Lobos are looking for the road upset in Fort Collins.

Both teams are 12-1 coming into this matchup, however they’ve both gotten there in very different ways. New Mexico is 35th in both KenPom and NET, their SOS is ranked 198th by KenPom and their best win by NET rankings is a 13 point road win over UC Irvine. Colorado State is 30th in KenPom and 15th in NET, their SOS is ranked 52nd by KenPom and their best win by NET rankings is a 21 point neutral site win over, then 8th ranked, Creighton.

Players to Watch

F Jaelen House – New Mexico

Only the third leading scorer for the Lobos, House makes his impact all over the court. House is a hound on defense and will be all over his assignment in Fort Collins. He plays a pressure game on both ends of the floor and is a key reason why the Lobos force as many turnovers as they do.

G Isaiah Stevens – Colorado State

The Rams leader on and off the court. And now the all time leading scorer for Colorado State. As Stevens goes, the Rams go. Yes, the Rams have more depth this year. But Stevens still puts everything into motion. He finds those little spaces and leaves everything on the court.

Keys to the Game

Offensively

Take care of the basketball. The Rams have the 2nd ranked assist to turnover ratio in the country at 2.1. New Mexico is 15th in the nation in steals with 10 per game and and 16th in the nation with 16.31 turnovers forced per game. The Rams need to take care of the basketball in this one.

Keep moving the ball around. This along with taking care of the basketball will be the main keys for the Rams offense. CSU throws too many skip passes and it can cost them against New Mexico. The Rams need to keep moving the ball, but they can’t be careless with their passes.

Defensively

New Mexico is ranked 26th in the nation in Free Throw attempts per game at 24.5. However, they don’t convert those FTs as much as they should; ranking just 282nd in the nation at 67.08% from the line. The Rams need to play controlled defense and keep their hands up.

The Lobos like to drive the ball as evidenced by their large amount of FTs per game. They don’t shoot many three point shots and they only make them just over a third of the time. The Rams will need to use their length to stay in front of the Lobos, clog the passing lanes, and force New Mexico to shoot from the outside.

Predictions

This is going to be a close one. CSU shoots at a 53.2% clip and the Lobos only allow teams to make shots at a 39.8% clip. The Rams won’t have a full complient of players and that will be the biggest challenge for them. This will be a back and forth battle, but the home court advantage that a loud Moby Arena provides will be the difference maker in the end for the Rams.

Final Score: Colorado State 84, New Mexico 80

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Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico & Others Rise

Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico Rises Lobos shine in a tough week for the Mountain West. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire After a tough week in the college basketball landscape, several Mountain West slide and others …

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Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico Rises

Lobos shine in a tough week for the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

After a tough week in the college basketball landscape, several Mountain West slide and others rise.ย 

After a flattering and impressive first edition of the NET Rankings were released last week, fans around the Mountain West were likely feeling giddy. With a team in the top-ten, four more in the top-50 and more teams in the top-36 than any other conference aside from the Big 12. It felt as though the conference was finally getting the respect it deserved while separating itself from other mid-majors.

That feeling should still be very alive in fans hearts. As the Mountain West is ranked just behind the six high major conferences in KenPom’s current rankings. With an adjusted efficiency margin of nearly double their closest competitors.

So, as any longtime fan can tell you, setbacks do happen. It doesn’t feel great when the conferences leading programs slide down the rankings a bit after what can be considered hard fought losses. But there is still plenty to be hopeful for.

There are still four teams in the top-50 and one just outside of it. Including five teams whose ranks have risen in the last seven days. Not to mention Fresno State’s recent rise, which means no Mountain West team is outside of the top-240.

How It Works

The NET is the NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee a better idea of teamโ€™s performances. The new NET ranking’s metrics, shrank from five to just two in 2020, two years after it’s debut in 2018.

Team Value Index-Algorithm set up to reward teams who beat other good teams. Results-oriented component of the N.E.T. *Game results versus Division-I opponents only.

Adjustedย Net Efficiency-The adjusted efficiency is a teamโ€™s net efficiency (offensive efficacy minus defensive efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played.

Quadrant Ranking System-the quality of wins and losses will be organized based on game location and the opponent’s NET ranking.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Analyzing the Rankings

Still at the top of all Mountain West teams in week two is Colorado State. The Rams like many others have slipped just a bit down the rankings as of Monday morning.

A two game homestand last week resulted in a close win over Denver and a three-point dagger in the heart by the always tough St. Mary’s on Saturday. The Gaels don’t have the notoriety in the rankings this year as they did in the past, so losses to Randy Bennet’s squad this season hurt twice as much.

Other schools to slip in the top-50 section of the rankings were San Diego State and Nevada. Nevada fell out of the top-50 all together with a tough neutral site loss in nearby Henderson, NV against Drake. The Bulldogs are led by one of the best mid-major stars in the country in Tucker Devries, coached by his father Darian Devries.

It’s not a bad loss by any means, but the Wolf Pack have a very weak strength of schedule at the moment, with their loss to Drake putting them 1-1 against quad 1 opponents.

Albeit they are 6-0 against all other opponents, but all of those were quad 4 wins, meaning the only weight they carry is as wins. Yes a confusing sentence, but when your wins don’t carry much weight, certain losses carry thrice as much. Look at their 31 space drop as a good example of that.

The Aztecs on the other hand had just entered the AP Top-25 before they went on the road against a Grand Canyon team that is making it’s name as the next powerful mid-major. They fell inside GCU Arena on Tuesday, 79-73 in what is classified as a quad 1 loss. But the level of play both teams brought with them to Phoenix cushioned their fall.

Teams outside of the top-50 that experienced a fall were Air Force, San Jose State & UNLV. The Falcons have an impressive record but no quad 1 or 2 wins. Which means their first loss in under a month to Eastern Washington at home this past weekend hurt enough for a 42 space fall.

While the Runnin’ Rebels chance at a resume booster on the road against Dayton last week was postponed due to the tragic shooting that took place on the UNLV campus last week. That followed by a close loss to Loyola Marymount in the Jack Jones Classic are factors in their 17 place drop.

To end on a high note Boise State, Fresno State & Wyoming all rose up the rankings. Joining them were Utah State, who are currently on an 8 game winning streak and New Mexico.

The Lobos became the talk of the mid-major town this past week. As they extended their eight game winning streak with wins over UC Santa Barbara and Santa Clara by combined average margins of 20.0 PPG. Besides garnering national attention for some convincing wins against quality mid-major opponents of late, New Mexico is doing so while showcasing depth no one could have predicted.

It’s a lot to take in and a lot to research but the Mountain West needs another strong week to keep momentum going as the holidays approach.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

16 (7) Colorado State 9-1 (0-0)

24 (36) New Mexico 9-1 (0-0)

29 (24) San Diego State 8-2 (0-0)

31 (34) Utah State 9-1 (0-0)

52 (21) Nevada 7-1 (0-0)

113 (126) Boise State 6-3 (0-0)

160 (118) Air Force 7-3 (0-0)

150 (130) San Jose State 6-5 (0-0)

172 (187) Wyoming 6-3 (0-0)

214 (197) UNLV 3-4 (0-0)

232 (299) Fresno State 5-4 (0-0)

Just one week removed from our NET Rankings Debut update, things have changed. That’s to be expected and part of the game. The word upset is in the dictionary because anyone can beat anyone on any given night. What matters now is how teams bounce back from tough losses and look forward.

As teams around the Mountain West have a little over two weeks left before the end of the colander year and the beginning of conference play, every game counts.

Full List Here

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AP Top-25: No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Ranking Ever, No. 25 Aztecs Rejoin Top-25

No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Top-25 Ranking Ever Colorado State is unbeaten and ready to take on anyone. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Rams and Aztecs make this week’s AP Top-25 after strong finishes to the month of November. …

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No. 13 Colorado State Achieves Highest Top-25 Ranking Ever

Colorado State is unbeaten and ready to take on anyone.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Rams and Aztecs make this week’s AP Top-25 after strong finishes to the month of November.

The fourth week of college basketball is here and with it, a newly released Associated Press Top-25 poll. And while fans around the Mountain West have had their share of Top-25 appearances over years. Monday’s edition was special for many reasons in Fort Collins particularly.

Colorado State make the Top-25 for the second straight week, rising from 20th to a program best 13th. The Rams also made the Coaches poll at No. 12 and a very impressive first NET ranking of 7th in the nation on Monday.

San Diego State rejoined the Top-25 after making the preseason rankings at No. 17 to start the season.

How they got here

No. 13 Colorado State was picked to finish 5th in the Mountain West preseason poll. Now, this feels rather low one month into the college hoops season. Though folks in the industry needed to see how head coach Niko Medved would put a decent sized freshman class, three transfers & arguably the best point guard the Rams have ever had together.

In short, they fit together rather well. Well enough to begin the season undefeated at 8-0, with four high major wins and a win over in-state rival Colorado (their first since 2017).

The No. 25 Aztecs make their return to the AP Top-25 since opening the season at No. 17. Brian Dutcher’s squad had a bit of a setback in week one of the season when they fell to Brigham Young in Provo.

That loss saw them knocked out of the Top-25 entirely, but still receiving votes each week. Since, they’ve won six straight games (four on the road), including wins over Pac-12 foes California & Washington.

Some Perspective

For the Colorado State program this is huge. Niko Medved’s best years in Fort Collins have come with floor general Isaiah Stevens healthy and locked in. Last season was a bit of a setback within the program, but injuries can do that. Though it appears last season is far in the rear view of the Rams at the moment.

It seemed as though the last time the Rams were consecutively ranked in the Top-25 may have been the peak of Medved’s squad building potential in Fort Collins. That was the 2021-2022 season, when Colorado State graced the Top-25 for a grand total of six weeks, made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed and had a first round NBA Draft pick in David Roddy.

Boy was I wrong, and in the world of the transfer portal, Medved has shown the ability to utilize every avenue available to build a quality roster in 2023. The Rams’ success has also given fans a great story to endorse when other programs have fallen short of expectations.

San Diego State is still nationally recognized as a dangerous team and still have challenging games ahead. Two road games against Grand Canyon & No. 7 Gonzaga and playing host to Stanford in between are all great opportunities to boost their resume.

With the Aztecs regaining their place, it gives the Mountain West two teams in the AP Top-25 simultaneously for the first time since the 2021-2022 season. Arguably more impressive is that it’s the first time two Mountain West schools have been in the AP Top-25 together in non-conference play since 2012-2013.

The non-conference momentum is trending completely upwards for the Mountain West. Which has solidified itself as the best mid-major conference in the country, at least according to KenPom ($). Schools across the conference need to attack December with the same energy they did in November to begin the 5+ bid-league conversations.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Net Rankings Debut: Colorado State Out In Front At No. 7, Four Others Make Top-40

Net Ranking Debut: The Rams make the top10 after an impressive first month of action. Colorado State leads the conference in first Net Rankings of the season. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The first NET Rankings of the season are out, with …

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Net Ranking Debut: The Rams make the top10 after an impressive first month of action.

Colorado State leads the conference in first Net Rankings of the season.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The first NET Rankings of the season are out, with five Mountain West schools in the top-50, headlined by Colorado State.

The first NET Rankings of the year were released on Monday. Which, are the NCAA’s primary decision making tool come selection Sunday in March. So naturally we took a look at how Mountain West schools have faired after a tough first month of non-conference action.

How It Works

The NET is the NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee a better idea of teamโ€™s performances. The new NET ranking’s metrics, shrank from five to just two in 2020, two years after it’s debut in 2018.

Team Value Index-Algorithm set up to reward teams who beat other good teams. Results-oriented component of the N.E.T. *Game results versus Division-I opponents only.

Adjustedย Net Efficiency-The adjusted efficiency is a teamโ€™s net efficiency (offensive efficacy minus defensive efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played.

Analyzing the Rankings

Noticeably at the top is Colorado State at No. 7. The Rams have been one of the more delightful surprises of the non-conference slate thus far. To say Niko Medved’s group is exceeding preseason expectations is fair, as the Rams were predicted to finish 5th in the Mountain West Preseason Poll in October.

Though after an impressive 8-0 start to the season, which includes four straight wins over high major schools on the road and or neutral site games, they find themselves leading the pack.

The last true rankings booster on the Ram’s non-conference schedule is this Saturday when the Gaels of St. Mary’s come to Fort Collins. Colorado State beat Saint Mary’s in Moraga last season and a win for the second year in a row would help solidify their place in the top-10 in likely both the NET and AP-top 25 before the holiday break.

Other teams to make the top-50 include Nevada (No. 21), San Diego State (No. 24), Utah State (No. 34) & New Mexico (No. 36). All four teams have enjoyed non-conference success so far, with Nevada the only other unbeaten team in the conference. As Steve Alford’s squad boasts a quad 1 win over the Washington Huskies and maybe more importantly five quad 4 wins at home beating teams they should by an average margin of 19.0 PPG.

The other three teams all have one blotch in the loss column to weaken their rankings just a tad. For the Aztecs that was a quad 1 loss to former Mountain West rival BYU on the road in early November.

For Utah State it was an early season loss to Bradley on the road in Peoria, to give the Aggies a quad 2 loss. A small damper on what has been an impressive start to year one of the Danny Sprinkle era in Logan.

Lastly the Lobos, who fell to Saint Mary’s early in the season in the Gaels revenge win over Richard Pitino’s group, who beat them last season in non-conference play. Randy Bennet’s group is struggling a tad this year, losing five of their last six game’s, making New Mexico’s defeat in November a quad 3 loss.

No other team made the top-100 in the ranking’s first iteration. Some surprising pieces being Air Force having a higher ranking than Boise State & UNLV the first time around. There is nothing flashy about the Falcons’ 7-2 record thus far. With no quad 1 or 2 wins, but no non-DI games to weaken their results and more maybe importantly a 3-1 record on the road.

While Boise State & UNLV may simply be victims of their strong schedules. As the Broncos dropped all of their high major contests in the first month of play. The Runnin’ Rebels on the other hand have only one excusable loss. That coming at the hands of Florida State to go along with a less than stellar opening night loss to Southern.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

7. Colorado State 8-0 (0-0)

21. Nevada 6-0 (0-0)

24. San Diego State 6-1 (0-0)

34. Utah State 6-1 (0-0)

36. New Mexico 7-1 (0-0)

118. Air Force 7-2 (0-0)

126. Boise State 3-3 (0-0)

130. San Jose State 4-4 (0-0)

187. Wyoming 3-3 (0-0)

197. UNLV 3-3 (0-0)

299. Fresno State 2-4 (0-0)

Preseason predictions can always be taken with a grain of salt. As teams will always over or under produce with injuries and chemistry issues usually to blame. This season is no different as not many would have predicted their team’s place in the first NET rankings of the year.

Luckily there are plenty of basketball games to be played and anyone can rise through the rankings, but they can also fall at any moment. We’ll do our best here at Mountain West Wire to keep you updated throughout the season.

Full List Here

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Mountain West Basketball: 2023-2024 Conference Schedule Announced

With a little over a month on the ole college basketball countdown tracker, entities around the sport continue to release 2023-24 schedules.

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MWC Basketball: 2023-2024 Conference Schedule Announced

A first look at this year’s conference slate.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The 2023-2024 Mountain West Conference schedule release.

With a little over a month on the ole college basketball countdown tracker, entities around the sport are almost done releasing conference, non-conference & multi-team event participation for the 2023-2024 season.

The announcement also came with this season’s national T.V. schedule. With the hype earned from San Diego State’s Cinderella run to the National Championship game this past March. There will likely be more eyes on the Mountain West than ever before. And as in years past fans around the conference as well as newcomers gained from the big dance can catch their favorite team on CBS & Fox outlets.

This season each team will play nine home games & make nine away games. As of now, league play kicks off on January 2nd, when New Mexico heads north to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State.

CBS

The first game on CBS will be on November 29th when Colorado State hosts in-state rival Colorado on CBS Sports Network. This will be the first of over forty-nine televised games across CBS and CBS Sports Network.

A key date to circle on the CBS broadcast calendar should be UNLV at National Championship runner up San Diego State on Saturday, January 6th. Another matchup to look forward to will be the Aztecs at league rival New Mexico on Saturday, January 13th. Both games between these two conference foes last season made for must-watch TV, we can look forward to much of the same with revamped rosters on both sides.

A last matchup of note will be between conference title contenders San Diego State and Boise State. This showdown of Mountain West heavy weights airs on CBS Saturday, January 20th.

Not to mention all games airing on CBS are also accessible via stream on Paramount+.

FOX

On the Fox side of things, thirty-two games will be televised nationally. The first FS1 broadcast is a non-conference meeting featuring Cal State Fullerton at San Diego State on Monday November 6th. Among the key conference games to catch on FOX is Utah State at San Diego State on Saturday, February 3rd.

As with CBS & Paramount+ all games on FS1 will also be available on the FOX Sports App and FOXSports.com.

But for those without access to any of CBS or Fox’s outlets, don’t worry. All other games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

Important Dates

-January 2nd-League play begins with five contests

-March 9th-Regular Season Concludes

-The 2024 tournament will take place March 13th-16th

March Madness

CBS Sports will televise the Mountain West Basketball Championship as in years past. The quarterfinals & semifinals will air on the CBS sports Network. With the championship game televised on CBS (as well as Paramount+) on Saturday March 16th.

This is an exciting time around the Mountain West Conference. For the last year or so it appeared that the upcoming season was going to be the conference’s last hurrah. But as predictable yet at the same time unpredictable as conference realignment machine can be, here we are.

So with fresh eyes aplenty, rejuvenated fanbases throughout and a raised ceiling by San Diego State, fans this season should be excited to say the least.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament: #8 Colorado State vs #9 Fresno State

Colorado State faces Fresno State in the opening contest of the MW tournament. Can CSU overcome a down season or will the Bulldogs go over?

2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament: #8 Colorado State vs #9 Fresno State

The Rams host their in-state foe

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

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Can the Rams play their game?

WHO: #9 Fresno State Bulldogs vs. #8 Colorado State Rams

WHEN: Wednesday, March 8th โ€” 12 p.m. MST / 11 a.m. PST

WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center; Las Vegas, NV (18,000)

STREAMING:ย Mountain West Network

SERIES RECORD: This will be the 45th all time matchup between the two schools. CSU leads the series 25-19

LAST MEETING: Colorado State won 60-57 in Fresno earlier this season.

ODDS: Colorado State -1.5

The Mountain West tournament is here. And that means throw the regular season out of the window. Every team is 0-0 in each game in a do or die matchup. Anything can happen and since it’s in Vegas, something crazy is bound to happen.

The first matchup of this years tournament sees the Fresno State Bulldogs take on the Colorado State Rams. Both teams are coming in off of down years and both teams have a chance to take this game. Colorado State swept the season series, but Fresno State didn’t make it easy.

Players to Watch

G Anthony Holland – Fresno State

Held relatively quiet in their first matchup, Holland stepped up in the second matchup in the abscence of Isaih Moore. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while going 60% from deep. CSU has a tendency to let someone get hot from deep. If that guy is Holland, the Bulldogs could take this one.

G John Tonje – Colorado State

As Tonje goes, the Rams go. Isaiah Stevens is the leader of this team, but Tonje is the motor that keeps it running. When Tonje has a down overall game, so do the Rams. When he is all over the court, the Rams can run wild. If the Rams want to advance Tonje has to step up.

Things to Watch

Can the Rams move the ball? Can Colorado State hold the line on defense? Can the Bulldogs slow down the Rams? Can Fresno State gets anything going on offense? These are all questions that will determine the outcome of this game.

The Rams like to score, they haven’t done that well on the defensive end this year. If the Rams can play their game and hold the Bulldogs down they can advance. The Bulldogs slow it down and drag things out. If they can force the Rams into tough shots and make easier shots themselves, Fresno State will come out on top.

Predictions

Neither Colorado State nor Fresno State has been exceptional this year. Fresno State scares San Diego State more, but the Bulldogs haven’t done well against the Rams this season. Expect the Rams to start fast and finish this game strong to salvage something from this season.

Final Score: Colorado State 70, Fresno State 62

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Mountain West Conference Tournament: Opening Round Preview

The Mountain West Conference Tournament gets underway Wednesday. Here’s an opening day preview.

Mountain West Conference Tournament: Opening Round Preview

3 games on Wednesday kick off the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Here’s a look.

https://twitter.com/coachmosser & @MWCwire

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What: Mountain West Conference Tournament Opening Round
When: Wednesday, March 8th – 11:00 AM PT, 1:30 PT, 4:00 PT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center; Las Vegas, NV
How to Watch: All 3 games can be Livestreamed on the Mountain West Network

After an absolutely thrilling two and a half months of conference play, all 11 menโ€™s basketball teams will converge on the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament. With regular season champion San Diego State the only team really guaranteed to be in the 68 team field announced on Sunday night, every other program is fighting for their postseason life.

The true bubble teams (Boise State, Utah State, Nevada) donโ€™t hit the court until the quarterfinals on Thursday, but first we have three competitive and intriguing games on Wednesday. Letโ€™s take a quick look at the three with some thoughts on the matchup and each teamโ€™s potential to make a run to the weekend. Note the early start times; that is to accommodate the womenโ€™s tournament which will hold their championship game on Wednesday night.

Game 1: 11:00 AM PT – #9 Fresno State Bulldogs (11-19, 6-12) vs. #8 Colorado State Rams (14-17, 6-12)
Expected Point Spread: Colorado State -3

The tournament opens with the 8-9 game and two teams that underperformed a bit this year. Colorado State has dealt with injuries to multiple key contributors going all the way back to the preseason, but head coach Niko Medved has had the same 9 man rotation in the lineup for the last 3 weeks, so that provides some much needed continuity. The Rams of course, possess one of the best guards in the country in Isaiah Stevens, who enjoyed a memorable senior night last Friday in a win over New Mexico. Their problem has been a lack of consistent scoring to help Stevens. The defense has been leaky at times as well.

Defense cannot be blamed for Fresno Stateโ€™s shortcomings. The Bulldogs defend as well as anyone in the Mountain West, but for much of the season they couldnโ€™t hit water from a boat when firing from the perimeter. Thatโ€™s what makes Saturdayโ€™s game one of the great anomalies of the entire season. As a team, Fresno State made 21-32 three-pointers, and Jemarl Baker Jr. himself connected on 10-11 for 43 points. Context must be given, as they were playing Chicago State, an independent playing their final game of the season, and maybe just out for a little vacation in the lovely Silicon Valley. Still, had the Bulldogs shot anywhere near that the last couple months they would have a few more wins for sure.

Colorado State won both meetings between the teams this year, winning easily in Fort Collins in early January, before a last second victory in Fresno a few weeks ago. Both teams have reasons to think they can give top seeded San Diego State problems in the quarters if they can get by this contest – the Rams took the Aztecs to overtime in January, while the Bulldogs lost a 45-43 rock fight in mid-February. This is Stevens last hurrah, and as one of the best players in the conference’s history, he will attempt to will his team deep into the weekend. But the hunch here is thereโ€™s some carryover from Fresno Stateโ€™s offensive explosion, and the better defensive team comes away with the W.

Prediction: Fresno State 69 Colorado State 64

Game 2: 1:30 PT – #10 Air Force Falcons (14-17, 5-13) vs. #7 UNLV Runninโ€™ Rebels (18-12, 7-11)
Expected Point Spread: UNLV -8

The middle game of the day features UNLV taking on Air Force. With the tournament taking place on their home floor, the Runninโ€™ Rebels will be a trendy pick to play spoiler and possibly steal a bid from a bubble team by claiming the conferenceโ€™s automatic bid, especially on the heels of Saturdayโ€™s dramatic come from behind overtime win in Reno against rival Nevada. The Rebels trailed by 8 with less than 2 minutes left before some late heroics. It was quite the turnaround from Wednesdayโ€™s lifeless performance on Senior Night against Utah State, when UNLV gave up the last 12 minutes and were run off Jerry Tarkanian court by 25 points.

Air Force has improved tremendously under Joe Scott. The problem is, the Mountain West is really good, and itโ€™s not easy to show tangible progress. They were not within 2 possessions of the top 4 teams in any of their regular season meetings, so theyโ€™re not quite ready for that type of breakthrough, but the talent has been upgraded and the Falcons are no longer an easy victory, they make you work for it. The next step comes from closing out games. They lost their last 3 outings by a total of 8 points, and blew late leads in 2 of them.

One of those 3 games was the only meeting of the season between these two. It was not an aesthetically pleasing game – the Falcons shot 39%, the Rebels 41%, and there were a combined 33 turnovers. UNLV snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a late EJ Harkless steal and bucket. Expect a bit more offense in this one, but we should still get a close game. The mid-afternoon Wednesday tip-off against AF is not likely to provide much of a home court advantage, and the Falcons hang around against just about everybody. If the Rebels donโ€™t come prepared, their stay as host will be a short one. Eventually, it says here they will survive to Thursday, where theyโ€™ll present a tricky matchup for Boise State.

Prediction: UNLV 72 Air Force 67

Game 3: 4:00 PT – #11 Wyoming Cowboys (9-21, 4-14) vs. #6 New Mexico Lobos (21-10, 8-10)
Expected Point Spread: New Mexico -10

Wyoming and New Mexico will complete the opening day menโ€™s tripleheader. For New Mexico, they know whatโ€™s in front of them; win 4 games in 4 days, or prepare for a home game at The Pit in the NIT. The Lobos have truly been one of the most entertaining teams in the country this season. Between packed houses at one of the best venues in the sport, a couple of star players (and a coach) with familiar last names, and some of the finishes to outstanding games, there has been no shortage of excitement for UNM fans. Of course, with some of that excitement has come heartbreak. Can they summon one final run to reward the large Lobo faithful expected to travel to Vegas?

Much like Colorado State, Wyoming has been snakebit by injuries, including to star forward Graham Ike, who has not suited up once for the Cowboys after a dominating 2021-22 campaign. Also like the Rams, Wyoming has one of the programs all-time best closing out his career in Hunter Maldonado. The 6th year senior was one rebound shy of a triple-double in his final home game last Monday against Nevada. Despite the injuries and dismissal of several other contributors (though that likely helped instead of hurt), this team has stuck together and played hard all season, a testament to head coach Jeff Linder.

These teams split two games, as UNM escaped Laramie with a one-point win on New Yearโ€™s Eve, before Wyoming drilled the Lobos in The Pit a few weeks ago. Jaelen House didnโ€™t play, but his teammates didnโ€™t really show up either, in what was by far their worst effort of the season. The Cowboys like to fire from deep, and with Maldonado creating open looks for his teammates and the overall length of Wyoming, this isnโ€™t a great matchup for New Mexico. There isnโ€™t a team in the field that the Lobos canโ€™t beat, but they will have their hands full to win 4 straight, as they do not utilize much of a bench and the legs will be heavy later in the week. We have seen stranger things though, and a deep run by this group would surprise no one. Theyโ€™ll have to work for it on Wednesday, but despite Maldonadoโ€™s best efforts, they should advance to a juicy matchup with Utah State late on Thursday night.

Prediction: New Mexico 81 Wyoming 74


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Mountain West Basketball: Boise State vs. Colorado State–Preview, Odds, Prediction

Boise State travels to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State in MWC action. Here’s a preview.

Mountain West Basketball: Boise State vs. Colorado State–Preview, Odds, Prediction

Broncos, Rams meet in Fort Collins

https://twitter.com/coachmosser & @MWCwire

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What: Boise State Broncos (19-6, 9-3) @ Colorado State Rams (11-14, 3-9)
When: Wednesday, February 15th – 8:00 MT
Where: Moby Arena; Fort Collins, CO
How To Watch: FS1
Odds: Boise State -3 Over/Under 137.5

As the regular season nears its end, different teams find themselves playing with different goals and objectives. Weโ€™ll see that on Wednesday night in Fort Collins as Boise State finds themselves right in the thick of both the Mountain West Conference regular season title chase, and a bid to the NCAA tournament. Colorado State on the other hand is winding down a disappointing season that will see them miss the postseason, barring a miraculous run to the MWC tournament championship. That does not mean that this game is a free spot on the bingo board though, as the Broncos fellow contenders New Mexico and Utah State can speak to first hand.

Anyone who follows college basketball knows that winning on the road is a tough task. So while these teams met less than 3 weeks ago, and Boise State rolled to a 20 point win, it would be unwise to think of this one as a foregone conclusion. CSU boss Niko Medved still has his troops playing hard, as evidenced by their prior two outings. Last Tuesday they went to Air Force and picked up a double-digit road win in a dominating performance, made even more impressive when the Falcons rebounded three days later to cream a desperate New Mexico squad.

Their previous game against Utah State was equally noteworthy even if it did end in a defeat. Playing down multiple expected contributors (as they have much of the season), the Rams went toe-to-toe with the scorching hot Aggies, playing incredibly on the offensive side of the floor. Unfortunately, Medved was almost forced into deploying a zone because of his lack of healthy bodies and a bit of foul trouble. What resulted was a clinic in ball movement and shooting, with USU making 12-21 three-pointers in the second half alone (18 for the game), assisting on a ridiculous 24 of 29 made field goals, and scoring 55 second half points. It overshadowed what was really an amazing final 20 minutes of offense by Isaiah Stevens individually, and the team as a whole. Stevens scored 21 points and had 5 assists in half number two, and as a group the Rams made 17 of 19 two point shots in scoring 47 points. All that being said, Colorado State can expect more resistance on Wednesday night.

Boise State is coming off a workmanlike performance at home Saturday night, knocking off a depleted Wyoming club 75-63, in a game that was never really close. That was their first game after a well-deserved week off following a humbling defeat to league leader San Diego State. They also welcomed senior captain Marcus Shaver back to the lineup. The veteran point guard has been hobbled for much of the season, and missed the loss to the Aztecs. Not only did he return on Saturday, but he looked more assertive than he has in some time, scoring 10 early points, playing 30 minutes, and appearing ready for the stretch run.

The first meeting between the two was typical Boise State basketball – hold your opponent to a low shooting percentage, take care of the basketball, let your main guys do the lionโ€™s share of the scoring, go on a couple of scoring runs, and get out with a victory. Rinse. Repeat. BSU held the Rams to 41% from the field and 18% from deep and only turned it over 8 times for the game. They got a combined 39 points from Tyson Degenhart and Chibuzo Agbo (5-10 from 3 point land), with Agbo chipping in 6 boards and 7 assists. The Broncos were in control most of the way, but the game was won with the help of two Leon Rice timeouts. After a back and forth beginning, Rice used one with his guys up 20-18 midway through the first half. They responded on both ends of the floor with a huge run to close the half, and a 44-29 lead. Then after the Rams sliced into that deficit in the first 5 minutes of half number 2, Rice wisely used another TO at 51-45. BSU allowed 14 points the remaining 15 minutes and coasted to a 21 point victory. That would be a good use of your timeouts right there.

Medved will likely have one more key player at his disposal Wednesday night, as Tavi Jackson has been practicing and should be a full go. Jalen Lake however, is still not out of concussion protocol, and will not play. Jackson will help defensively, but does not provide the offensive pop that Lake on occasion can. For the Rams to spring the upset, John Tonje and/or Patrick Cartier will need to help out Stevens in the scoring column. The problem with that, is the Broncos wing defenders are so well-disciplined, they donโ€™t allow big games to their counterparts very often. Tonje only had 8 in the first meeting. Cartier is very efficient in the post, and will have a minor size advantage inside for much of the game, but Boise State does not allow a huge amount of easy paint touches. As such, Cartier also only tallied 8 in the matchup a few weeks ago.

Jacksonโ€™s availability will stretch the rotation a bit more for CSU, and that will help. He will also do his best to pester Shaver with his length and athleticism. But this isnโ€™t Shaverโ€™s first rodeo; heโ€™ll be perfectly content to let his running mates attack the soft spots of the Rams defense. If Medved does decide to go zone at all, Boise State will be just fine with that, they share the ball well, play for each other, and have shot it well from deep better than most expected.

This is a tricky little spot here for the Broncos, who despite a shiny record, and passing the eye test for most, find themselves very much on the bubble for an at-large NCAA bid. This is the kind of loss that would put a dent in the profile the committee will look at in a few weeks. In their favor though, is the fact that they will have only played one game the prior 12 days by the time they take the floor in Moby Arena. And they seem to be fully healthy again. Curiously, oddsmakers have put out a very short number in this game, as Boise State is just a 3 point favorite. We are usually keen to side with what those guys think, they are the wise-guys after all, itโ€™s just not a good move to bet against Leon Rice. Stevens has the potential to take over a game, and will probably keep this one close most of the way, but there are too many bullets in the chamber for the Broncos, and the call here is for them to get a nice road win and stay in the MWC title mix.

Prediction: Boise State 70 Colorado State 63


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USC’s next opponent just showed how tough it is, even without key players

#USC will study film and see how good Colorado State is. The Rams, who just beat Saint Mary’s, should have the Trojans’ full attention on Wednesday in Phoenix.

If USC, coming off the big win over Auburn, might be inclined to look past the Colorado State Rams, Sunday night should have helped the Trojans to avoid that temptation.

Colorado State had struggled for a good portion of its college basketball season. The Rams had lost to Charleston by 10, Penn State by 12, to Northern Colorado at home, and by 28 points at Colorado, four very ugly losses. The Rams allowed 88 points to Northern Colorado and 93 to Colorado. They seemed dead in the water when they went to Saint Mary’s on Sunday night without key players Taviontae Jackson and Jalen Lake.

Guess what? Though they were shorthanded, they weren’t short on toughness and resilience. They defeated a Saint Mary’s team which had just defeated San Diego State, one of the favorites to win the Mountain West title, in Moraga, Calif., a very tough place to win. Saint Mary’s beat No. 1 Gonzaga in Moraga last February. The Gaels have become a formidable program under coach Randy Bennett.

Colorado State shrugged off its recent stinging losses to take down Saint Mary’s without two key players. The Rams won 62-60 by shooting over 55 percent from the field and preventing the Gaels from hitting a single field goal attempt in the final four minutes of regulation.

USC will have its hands full with a CSU team which can obviously get the most out of its lineup even if not fully healthy. The good part of the CSU win over Saint Mary’s, in addition to making sure the Trojans aren’t overconfident for this game, is that Colorado State just boosted its resume and will likely be a much higher quality win for the Trojans if they can get the job done.

USC-Colorado State starts just after 8 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday in Phoenix.

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2022 NCAA Tournament Day 1: Schedule, Bracket, Live Streaming

2022 NCAA Tournament Day 1: Schedule, Bracket, Live Streaming The complete Day 1 schedule for March Madness Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Three Mountain West teams in action. The first full day of the NCAA Tournament is finally here and it …

2022 NCAA Tournament Day 1: Schedule, Bracket, Live Streaming

The complete Day 1 schedule for March Madness

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Three Mountain West teams in action.

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The first full day of the NCAA Tournament is finally here and it is really a celebration of sports with wall-to-wall games. On Thursday, there are three Mountain West teams in action with Colorado State opening up the tournament against Michigan as the very first game of the tournament.

Boise State will take on Memphis at 1:45 p.m. ET on TNT, and then in the prime time slot of games San Diego State will face Creighton on truTV at 7:27 p.m. ET.

Join Our March Madness Bracket Challenge Group

Thursday, March 17 (all times Eastern)

12:15 p.m. โ€“ No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 6 Colorado State on CBS
12:40 p.m. โ€“ No. 13 South Dakota State vs. No. 4 Providence on truTV
1:45 p.m. โ€“ No. 9 Memphis vs. No. 8 Boise State on TNT
2:00 p.m. โ€“ No. 16 Norfolk State vs. No. 1 Baylor on TBS
2:45 p.m. โ€“ No. 14 Longwood vs. No. 3 Tennessee on CBS
3:10 p.m. โ€“ No. 12 Richmond vs. No. 5 Iowa on truTV
4:15 p.m. โ€“ No. 16 Georgia State vs. No. 1 Gonzaga on TNT
4:30 p.m. โ€“ No. 9 Marquette vs. No. 8 North Carolina on TBS
6:50 p.m. โ€“ No. 12 New Mexico State vs. No. 5 UConn on TNT
7:10 p.m. โ€“ No. 15 Saint Peterโ€™s vs. No. 2 Kentucky on CBS
7:20 p.m. โ€“ No. 12 Wyoming/Indiana vs. No. 5 Saint Maryโ€™s on TBS
7:27 p.m. โ€“ No. 9 Creighton vs. No. 8 San Diego State on truTV
9:20 p.m. โ€“ No. 13 Vermont vs. No. 4 Arkansas on TNT
9:40 p.m. โ€“ No. 10 San Francisco vs. No. 7 Murray State on CBS
9:50 p.m. โ€“ No. 13 Akron vs. No. 4 UCLA on TBS
9:57 p.m. โ€“ No. 16 Texas Southern vs. No. 1 Kansas on truTV


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