Tag: Derrick Alston

2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Evaluating the rising upperclassmen

Somehow already past the midpoint of the college basketball season, the 2020 NBA Draft is starting to shape up with far more clear rankings.

Somehow already past the midpoint of the college basketball season, the 2020 NBA draft is starting to shape up with far more clear rankings.

As always, we examine the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming draft class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

The top four players (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and Cole Anthony) have remained the exact same despite none of the latter three players being active for various different reasons.

Meanwhile, Iowa State sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton entered the Top 5 and replaced 19-year-old Israeli prospect Deni Avdija – who has not seen much playing time in the Euroleague.

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Included below are brief scouting reports for senior guards who have improved their draft stock the most since our last update. These players listed are all four-year NCAA players who could be ready to make the jump to the NBA like Josh Hart and Malcolm Brogdon did in their respective classes.

MARKUS HOWARD, MARQUETTE

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 46

One of the most important things to know about Marquette senior Markus Howard is that despite the fact he has four years of collegiate experience, he is just 20 years old. Few teams operate their offense through one player quite like Golden Eagles do with Howard, who has taken 42.5 percent of their total field goal attempts. Fortunately, the guard brags one of the most efficient and prolific jump shots among all NCAA players. Howard operates well when he is shooting off the catch and off the dribble, which will make him a good fit for almost any offense in the NBA. He is currently averaging 28.4 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent on three-pointers. Similarly, no guard in college has been fouled more often than Howard has thus far. He should be a lock win Big East Player of the Year and should be a strong contender for the National Player of the Year, too. As a pro, he can likely become a spark-plug scoring option off the bench. His draft stock has improved from No. 68 up to No. 46 month-over-month.

PAYTON PRITCHARD, OREGON

(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 47

Oregon senior guard Payton Pritchard was a Top-50 recruit coming into the Pac-12 back in 2016. He attended West Linn High School, where he was able to lead his squad to four consecutive state titles. That accomplishment was an especially impressive feat considering the program had only won the OSAA Boys Basketball Championship once before and it was way back in 1997. He has since played for the Ducks in the Final Four (2017) and also won MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament last season. He is currently averaging 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists with 1.7 steals per game. His assist rate (32.7 percent) is Top 20 among seniors and he has connected on 40.7 percent of his three-pointers. Now more than halfway through the season, he is the heavy favorite to win Pac-12 Player of the Year and could be a sleeper for National Player of the Year as well. He has leaped from No. 96 in December all the way to No. 47 now in January.

SKYLAR MAYS, LSU

Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

Aggregate Mock Draft Rank: 57

During his senior year of high school, Skylar Mays was actually teammates with Howard at Findlay Prep. Also on the roster was 2019 first-rounder PJ Washington and Toronto Raptors two-way wing Oshae Brissett. For what it is worth, their roster also had current college basketball standouts Tristan Clark (Baylor) and Lamine Diane (CSUN). Their team has already sent tons of prospects into the NBA and Mays could very well be the next in line. He is a potential 3-and-D threat, averaging 1.4 three-pointers and 2.1 steals per game for the LSU Tigers as an NCAA senior. Meanwhile, LSU’s adjusted offensive rating (116.6) ranks Top 5 in college basketball. Along with Reggie Perry (Mississippi State) as well as Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Florida), Mays has a strong candidacy to win SEC Player of the Year. He has jumped from No. 90 last month to No. 57 this month.

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Boise State Hands UNLV First Conference Loss At Home, 73-66

Game Recap: Boise State 73, UNLV 66 Key players step up in big win over UNLV at home. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The new all-time leading 3-point shooter in Boise State history helps lead the Broncos over UNLV at home. With a conference …

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Game Recap: Boise State 73, UNLV 66

Key players step up in big win over UNLV at home.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The new all-time leading 3-point shooter in Boise State history helps lead the Broncos over UNLV at home. 

With a conference that has been shifting and realigning itself constantly this past week, Wednesday’s matchup inside ExtraMile Arena in Boise was one to watch. As conference heavy weights fell left and right, everyone not named San Diego State is fighting for Stability. Utah State suffered three straight losses this past week and New Mexico lost for the first time in conference play, once again at the hands of San Jose State. But all of that was on the back burner as UNLV traveled north to take on Boise State Wednesday night.

Each team was well aware of the stakes, for the Runnin’ Rebels a win tonight meant sitting alone at second place in the conference, just ahead of in-state rival Nevada and just behind the Aztecs. While a loss drops them into a tie with New Mexico for third. For the Broncos a loss tonight meant a drop to sixth with Utah State, and a win, well that’s just what we got.

The Bronco’s played with an effort and motor that we hadn’t seen from them just yet. This team was diving on the floor for loose balls and getting second, third and even fourth chances on the offensive glance at times, while moving the ball around the perimeter and knocking down shots. All of this to secure a quality win at home against one of two Nevada teams gaining momentum in conference play.

This was the same Bronco team that lost to Nevada just this past Saturday and couldn’t buy a three pointer going 5-26 from deep versus a much improved 8-19 on Wednesday. Justinian Jessup chipped in five of those made three pointers on his way to 18 points and a career night involving a broken record. 

Second chance opportunities were in abundance for the Broncos as RJ Williams (11 Points and 10 Rebounds) and Derrick Alston Jr. (26 Points and 10 Rebounds) ended the night with double-doubles. Those rebounds led to points and when they didn’t those opportunities led straight to the foul line where the Broncos shot 74% as a team. With the addition of Abu Kigab at semester break, Leon Rice’s squad now has a big four that when firing on all cylinders can compete with anyone in the conference. 

UNLV’s conference momentum hit a snag on the road, and a Runnin’ Rebels squad that started 3-0 in conference play for only the second time in program history needs to step back reevaluate their play and get ready to face a Cowboys team in the dome of doom this weekend. This Rebel team looked lost shooting the ball going 6-25 from behind the arc and shooting 37% from the field overall.

While many struggled, sophomore guard Bryce Hamilton continued to impress finishing with 19 points and 7 rebounds in just 26 minutes of play. This Rebel team has stepped up it’s level of play after being called out by head coach TJ Otzelberger in a postgame interview earlier this season, they’ll need to keep this pace of basketball up and play Hamilton just a little more if they want to stay in the top half of the conference Standings.

Up Next: 

Boise State:

The Broncos head to Viejas Arena on Saturday to face undefeated and 7th ranked San Diego State. After a win over Wyoming on the road this past Wednesday the Aztecs continue their quest for conference dominance and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament with a win at home against the Broncos.

UNLV:

The Runnin’ Rebels finish the week out on the road against the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie. Wyoming is still winless in conference play after a 72-52 loss to San Diego State at home earlier this week. This is a game you don’t mind winning but a loss nobody wants on their schedule.

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Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Nine

Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Nine Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Nine Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Malachi Flynn creates a …

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Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Nine

Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Nine

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Malachi Flynn creates a two-way tie for first. 

The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week. 

How it works description now at the bottom of the article

The order for the ninth week is as follows:

1. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (5 Points)

16 Points, 5 Rebounds and 1 Assist against Fresno State

22 Points, 5 Rebounds and 4 Assists against Utah State

Malachi Flynn has been just what Aztec fans have been waiting for in the Brian Dutcher era. He runs this Aztec team with precision, knocks down shots in big moments and has San Diego State at 15-0 (4-0 MW) on the season.

Flynn had a big week, with the Aztec’s garnering a staple conference win against what looked like their biggest challenger in Utah State. He also has San Diego State ranked No. 7 in both the AP and Coaches polls and has contributed greatly to a defense ranked 12th in the nation per KenPom.

The Aztecs have ascended to another level of play with Flynn in the lineup and with this week’s first place finish, he is now tied atop the rankings with Derrick Alston Jr. of Boise State with 14 points each. This confirms his place in the conference for many covering the Mountain West this year and with the momentum he and the Aztecs currently have I can’t see too much disrupting his run for player of the year.

2. David Roddy, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points):

17 Points and 5 Rebounds against Nevada

19 Points, 13 Rebounds and 3 Blocks against Wyoming

3. Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada  (3 Points):

9 Points, 4 Rebounds and 1 Assist against Colorado State

34 Points, 7 Rebounds and 2 assists against Boise State

4.  Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (2 Points):

20 Points, 6 Rebounds and 1 Steal against Utah State

15 Points, 3 Rebounds and 1 Steal against Air Force

5. Orlando Robinson, freshman forward Fresno State (1 Point):

23 Points, 14 Rebounds and 4 Assists against San Jose State

11 Points, 3 Rebounds and 2 Blocks against San Diego State

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

Current Overall Point Totals:

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (14 Points)

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (14 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (11 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (11 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (7 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (7 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Orlando Robinson, freshman forward Fresno State (4 Points)

David Roddy, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (3 Points)

Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (2 Points)

Corey Manigault, senior forward New Mexico (2 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

Abu Kigab, junior forward Boise State (1 Point)

How It Works: 

Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:

1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts

2nd place: 4 pts

3rd place: 3 pts

4th place: 2 pts

5th place: 1 pt

The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points. 

Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.

This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays. 

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A Hot Handed Jazz Johnson Leads Nevada Past Boise State, 83-66

Game Recap: Nevada 83, Boise State 66 Wolf Pack handles a cold shooting Bronco team to sit atop the conference standings with San Diego State at 3-0. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire A hot shooting Jazz Johnson had more made field goals than …

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Game Recap: Nevada 83, Boise State 66

Wolf Pack handles a cold shooting Bronco team to sit atop the conference standings with San Diego State at 3-0.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

A hot shooting Jazz Johnson had more made field goals than Boise State’s top three scorers on Saturday. 

The Boise State Broncos came to the Lawlor Events center Saturday hoping to give the Nevada Wolf Pack their first loss in conference play and hopefully keep a four game winning streak alive.

Things turned out a bit differently for the Broncos as shooting woes crept in as the team shot a combined 36.2% from the field and an even worse 19.2% from deep. This wasn’t the performance needed and no one wearing black on Saturday could find the bottom of the net.

Boise State’s top four scorers were a combined 14-40 from the field and 4-19 from behind the arc and without a great performance from senior post RJ Williams at the line (9-9), the deficit would have been worse. Junior guard Derrick Alston Jr. led the team with 15 points, 3 assists and 2 steals on the night. 

Nevada on the other hand created a two game winning streak with their rout of Boise State at home and is now sitting atop the conference standings with San Diego State at 3-0 and one of only three unbeaten teams remaining after an eventful Wednesday.

The momentum inside the program is at a season high and the Wolf Pack will be the team to beat going into next week, but a team that finally has guys catching steam in the new year will be tough to beat.

This has been the Jalen Harris show thus far, as the junior guard to this point is leading the team in scoring (17.4 PPG), rebounding (6.9 RPG) and is neck and neck to lead the team in assists with senior guard Lindsey Drew at 4 assists a contest. The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog took a needed break on Saturday and let a hot handed Jazz Johnson do the heavy lifting.

Johnson ended the night with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 8-12 from three point range. The senior guard couldn’t miss and had more made field goals then Boise State’s top three scorers combined. We know he can score and if he can keep this up then he and Harris provide first year head coach Steve Alford one of the most potent scoring duos in the conference.

This means nothing without a little bit of  distribution and play calling and Lindsey Drew did a lot of that today finishing with 14 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds on the night.

This was a much needed win for either side as this was both teams first matchup against a top-5 conference foe thus far. The Wolf Pack have proven a lot of folks wrong with their conference play and will be a team to watch this week with a key match up this weekend.

Up Next: 

Boise State:

The Broncos take on UNLV at home on Wednesday at 7:00 PM MT and look to bounce back against a Rebels team who handed Utah State their first conference loss of the season just a week prior. This leading up to a challenging road matchup Saturday against conference leaders No. 13 San Diego State.

A win against the Aztecs will have an impact across the college basketball landscape at this point of the season, and this requires Boise State to find it’s shot before the weekend rolls around.

Nevada:

Steve Alford’s squad heads to San Jose on Wednesday to take on a Spartans team with an impressive win against New Mexico within the past week. Tip off is at 8:00 p.m. MT and the Wolf Pack will look to stay undefeated in conference play while gaining momentum for a showdown in Logan against the Utah State Aggies on Saturday the 11th.

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The Transfer Game: Can Boise State Play Effectively?

Basketball Recruiting: With Four Sit Out Transfers, What Can We Expect Of The Broncos Next Season? Boise State adds mid-season transfer in Devonaire Doutrive. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Leon Rice has to figure out how to put some pieces …

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Basketball Recruiting: With Four Sit Out Transfers, What Can We Expect Of The Broncos Next Season?

Boise State adds mid-season transfer in Devonaire Doutrive.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Leon Rice has to figure out how to put some pieces together next year. 

Boise State in part has been a small player in the transfer market that has effected low, mid, and high-majors alike. Where other teams around the Mountain West have either been on the benefiting end of the graduate transfer rule or have seen their best players year in and year out looking for greener pastures.

Boise State has seen little to any departures that change the landscape of their team overnight and has partaken minimally in bringing graduate transfers in from other programs to provide an instant boost to their roster. 

This is the world college basketball fans live in now, and your star player could catch the eyes of a high major coaching staff one game and be on a plane at semester break before you blink. Or your coach’s reputation will precede him nationally and you could build a small dynasty around transfers in the biggest little city in the world.

Now your team could be on either end of this and we have seen team’s across the country either benefit from it or have their talent pool wiped clean annually from it, but it’s something Boise State’s head coach Leon Rice has slightly avoided during his time in charge of the Bronco’s program.

Rice has found success during his time in Boise after coming over as an associate head coach from powerhouse Gonzaga under arguably one of the best coaches of the century, Mark Few. His first season in charge was the Bronco’s last in the WAC and he took a team that finished eighth the previous year to second the next.

He then took the program to the Mountain West to compete at a level that only those inside the program may have thought they were capable of. Rice is only the second coach at Boise State to have taken the program to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and the only one to reach seven 20-win seasons in its history.

Now, in a college landscape that witnesses names entering the transfer portal day in and day out Rice has weathered the storm. He hasn’t needed to bring in transfers in bulk like we’ve seen at Nevada or New Mexico, or has he lost his most talented players to bigger programs like Colorado State or San Jose State.

Rice has been able to ride it out by bringing in relatively unknown talent and developing them at a high rate which has been relatively unnoticed around the conference, well besides on game day.

This isn’t to say he has completely abstained from bringing in transfers all together, but up until this past off season there was a very countable four players brought in from other division one schools during his tenure. Guard Lonnie Jackson came over from Boston College for the 2015-16 season as a graduate transfer. Followed by guard James Reid who sat out the 2015-16 season after coming over from Arkansas-Little Rock.

Lastly the additions of graduate transfers Lexus Williams (Valparaiso) and Christian Sengfelder (Fordham), who helped boost a talented 2017-18 squad to a second place finish in the conference and a NIT appearance.

Other than that, Rice has found a competitive formula that includes recruiting guys out of high school, international players mostly out of Australia and bringing guys in from junior college. Each outlet for recruits proving effective for him and his coaching staff throughout the years. Star Broncos Derrick Marks, Chandler Hutchinson and Paris Austin were all recruited to Boise out of high school.

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Boise State vs. Georgia Tech: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Boise State vs. Georgia Tech: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds and More Boise State meets Georgia Tech in the first round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Can the Broncos take their …

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Boise State vs. Georgia Tech: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds and More

Boise State meets Georgia Tech in the first round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Can the Broncos take their momentum with them across the Pacific Ocean?

WHO: Boise State Broncos (6-4, 1-1 Mountain West) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-5, 1-1 ACC)

WHEN: Sunday, December 22nd — 5:00 PM EST/3:00 PM MST

WHERE: Stan Sherriff Center, Honolulu, HI

TV: ESPNU

STREAM: WatchESPN

LISTEN: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: First Ever Meeting 

ODDS:  Boise State -1, per KenPom

Game Preview

The Broncos head to Honolulu for the Holidays to participate in the Diamond Head Classic, and their first game is going to be their first ever meeting with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The tournament is packed with tough opponents but the Broncos will have to concentrate on their first round draw as the Yellow Jackets are a lot tougher than that 4-5 record reflects. Georgia Tech is coming in with a three game losing streak, and even though Boise State has been inconsistent all year they themselves are coming off of a 43 point beat down against Alabama State.

Josh Pastner’s team is 4-5 with a resume full of understandable losses, to the likes of Kentucky, Syracuse, Arkansas and Georgia. And besides a very lopsided 34-point loss to Syracuse at home the others were a lot closer. Then came this past Wednesday where a 5-4 Ball State team that is also in Hawaii this weekend went to Atlanta and beat the Yellow Jackets at home by 18 points.

It’s easy to say that this Georgia Tech squad hasn’t fared well at home and has been fairly inconsistent throughout the season. Maybe a tournament in paradise for the holidays will help them figure things out. Pastner has struggled in Atlanta in an ever competitive ACC, posting a 52-58 overall record and no NCAA tournament appearances with the Yellow Jackets since leaving Memphis back in 2016.

The Broncos can score, and they are averaging 80.4 PPG and when firing on all cylinders can rival any team in the country. But on Sunday afternoon Derrick Alston Jr. needs to be a playmaker from the get go and Justinian Jessup needs to be effective on the perimeter both offensively and defensively. Georgia Tech has an elite scoring guard in sophomore Michael Devoe who is averaging 18.4 PPG that they need to keep track of. Tough the Broncos may be in luck as he has been in a bit of a rut during the Yellow Jacket’s three game losing streak, shooting a combined 8-37 from the field during that time. They don’t want to be the team he catches fire against but the key to a Bronco win needs to be a great scoring output from their stars and keeping Devoe in check as both a scorer and distributor with assist leader Jose Alvarado still out with injury.

Georgia Tech also has a formidable duo down low in senior forward James Banks III (10.9 PPG and 7.8 RPG) and junior forward Moses Wright (11.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG). They are both capable scorers and rebounders but where Banks III shines is his defensive presence in the paint. He is averaging a team best 3.7 BPG, which is also good enough for third in the entire country. Georgia Tech also has five players averaging at least one steal a game. This could pose a problem for Boise State as we saw how the Broncos struggled against a Tulsa team with similar length on defense going 6-29 from deep and having their stars (Jessup and Alston) taken completely out of the game going a combined 4-18 from the field.

Game Prediction:

Georgia Tech 74, Boise State 70

Barring any kind of immaculate shooting performance from Boise State, I expect this game to be decided in the trenches and at the free throw line. Ending a bit closer than some might expect.

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Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

It was back to non-conference play last week for the Mountain West. Not everybody was in action—and some who were now wish they hadn’t been.

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Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

The top two stand pat, but plenty of movement below

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico, Boise State climbing in the latest DPI rankings for Week 7

It was back to non-conference play last week for the league’s affiliate members on the heels of the opening salvo to the long Mountain West season. Not everybody was in action—and some now wish they hadn’t been.

But it wasn’t all misery.

Some teams are making big strides, including one squad trying to make a move into the uppermost echelon of the MWC.

Below are the DPI rankings heading into the heart of Week 7. If you’re new to the rankings or just want a refresher, head here for a rundown of how the DPI is calculated. The ratings below reflect games played through Tuesday, December 17. As always, non-Division I games are not counted in the DPI.

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#1 — SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

Last Week: #1

The Aztecs moved to the #1 spot in the Mountain West last week and with no games since their close shave against San Jose State, they haven’t moved much up or down. Brian Dutcher’s team is still undefeated and boasts one of the best defenses in the country. Malachi Flynn’s star turn has propelled SDSU into the national polls, along with the play of Matt Mitchell, Yanni Wetzell, and Jordan Schakel. If KJ Feagin can provide a little more offense, this team could really turn in a special season.

#2 — UTAH STATE AGGIES

Last Week: #2

It’s been a bit of a rough patch for the Aggies over the past few games. They still have one of the two best rosters in the league, but they aren’t quite living up to preseason expectations so far. After losing to Saint Mary’s and looking underwhelming in their first two Mountain West games, Utah State fell to BYU on Saturday in Salt Lake City. It was only their second loss, but it’s a missed opportunity for a good out-of-conference win to put on their NCAA Tournament resume.

#3 — NEW MEXICO LOBOS

Last Week: #4

The Lobos have won six straight after toppling New Mexico State and Grand Canyon since the last DPI rankings were posted here. Though they aren’t playing at the level of SDSU just yet, this patchwork roster of homegrown talent and incoming transfers has performed admirably in the early going. JaQuan Lyle has been everything that Paul Weir could have wanted and more. Oh, and Carlton Bragg is averaging a double-double. So far, so good.

#4 — NEVADA WOLF PACK

Last Week: #3

The Wolf Pack looked like they were starting to turn a corner over the past few weeks, winning five straight games on either side of Thanksgiving. But last week, Nevada was the second casualty of BYU’s surge, along with Utah State and UNLV. The offense had been clicking on all cylinders, but immediately downshifted from a 100-point performance against Air Force to a 42-point outing against the Cougars. That kind of volatility that makes it tough to trust Steve Alford’s club.

#5 — BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Last Week: #6

Leon Rice is getting things back on track in Boise, but outside of their win over BYU—before Yoeli Childs came back, of course—the Broncos haven’t really beaten anybody. It was another rocky showing for Boise State last week, with a midweek loss to Tulsa preceding a blowout win over Alabama State. Derrick Alston is averaging 21 points and Justinian Jessup is finding his form. But the starting five is not the problem here; Rice’s team suffers from a lack of depth.

#6 — COLORADO STATE RAMS

Last Week: #5

The Rams jumped out to a promising start, but they’ve lost three of their past four games, including both of their opening Mountain West bouts. Mixed in there was a 72-68 win over South Dakota State, and while the Jackrabbits are not a bad squad by any means, that they played CSU so closely gives a good indication of where the Rams are right now. Niko Medved’s team gave in-state rivals Colorado a run for their money, but ultimately fell 56-48 over the weekend.

#7 — AIR FORCE FALCONS

Last Week: #8

The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but recently, the Falcons have been getting better results than they did during a rough November. The new month has been kinder to the cadets, with Air Force winning four of its past five (Note: Tuesday’s 99-42  win over Johnson & Wales is not counted in the DPI). AJ Walker has taken an important step forward as an offensive option. The sophomore was averaging 20 points per game over the past three games coming into Tuesday.

#8 — FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

Last Week: #10

Justin Huston finally got his team to a second Division I win on Saturday against Cal Poly. But the bigger story here is the seven losses that they have already incurred. Nate Grimes is doing exactly what was expected of him so far, averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per night. Guards Jarred Hyder and New Williams both have some good performances under their belts, but they haven’t been able to click at the same time. That needs to change.

#9 — UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS

Last Week: #9

The Rebels didn’t play last week, so the bad taste of the 33-point loss to BYU back has been lingering for a week and a half. There have been a lot of close calls, with UNLV playing in four separate overtime games so far. They are shooting under 42% from the field and turning the ball over 15 times a night. Games against Pacific and Robert Morris this week offer TJ Otzelberger the chance to start making some headway in his first year at the helm.

#10 — WYOMING COWBOYS

Last Week: #7

Allen Edwards got his Cowboys out to a 3-3 start, but they have dropped five straight games, including their most recent defeat at the hands of Northern Colorado. The Bears didn’t just sneak past Wyoming, either—the Big Sky hopefuls handed the home team a 21-point drubbing at Arena-Auditorium. The defense has been fair to middling, but the offense has been dreadful thus far. The Cowboys are shooting under 50% on two-pointers and just over 30% on threes.

#11 — SAN JOSÉ STATE SPARTANS

Last Week: #11

There’s a bit of a running joke around here about which Spartan is most likely to transfer next year, since the sputtering Spartans have seen five double-digit scorers depart in the past three offseasons—including Brandon Clarke, who parlayed his post-SJSU star turn at Gonzaga into a budding NBA career. All jokes aside, Seneca Knight has separated himself as the Spartans’ top option, scoring 12.5 points per game. Hopefully the sophomore can remain an important building block for Jean Prioleau.

That’s it for this week. Check back next week to see who’s rising and falling in the Mountain West and be sure to visit the Dieckhoff Power Index daily for updated rankings on all 353 teams in Division I basketball.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Michigan State players are climbing

After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA Draft will look like.

After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA draft will look like.

For example, Georgia Bulldogs freshman Anthony Edwards is beginning to separate himself as a near-consensus No. 1 overall pick. On the other side of the coin, though, several of the projected top selections (LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton) will miss extended time due to either injury or suspension.

In order to get a better read of the bigger picture, we collected opinions from the top experts and analysts that cover the draft. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic as well as USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

One of the most interesting takeaways is that the Michigan State Spartans have three players (Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman) all trending up.

After making the Final Four in last year’s March Madness, the program was expected to take another leap forward for their 2019-20 campaign.

Despite three losses in their first 10 games, the Spartans still rank No. 15 overall this season. This can be attributed to the fact Michigan State currently has the third-best offense in college basketball, per KenPom.com.

They also have three of the most improved players since our last aggregate mock draft. The full list, and more on each of the MSU players moving up draft boards, is included below.

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Cassius Winston, Guard

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

AMD Rank: 29

Since our last AMD, this has moved up 17 spots in our rankings.

Despite already being 21 years old, the 6-foot-1 guard currently has a first-round grade from ESPN as well as Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports.

Winston has been one of the best distributors since he began at MSU. 67.1 percent of all field goals for the Spartans have been assisted, which is the sixth-most among all teams so far this season. His career assist rate (44.1 percent) ranks No. 1 overall among all college players who have played at least 50 games since 2009-10, via Sports-Reference.

During his freshman season, he had the second-best assist rate (46.7 percent) in the NCAA. Then as a sophomore, his assist rate (43.5 percent) trailed only Trae Young for the best in college basketball. Last season, his assist mark (44.8 percent) ranked third-best and behind only Ja Morant among all who played for teams that made the tournament.

But he has also shown strength as one of the more accurate shooters in the NCAA.

Winston was 75-for-151 (49.7 percent) from beyond the arc in 2017-18. That helped him join the exclusive 50-40-90 club for field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Even as a sophomore then, the guard was one of the few to have a membership with at least two three-point attempts per game.

There is some enough NBA readiness to show he can contribute right away for a winning team.

Aaron Henry, Wing

AMD Rank: 33

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Since our last AMD, this has moved up 26 spots in our rankings.

Henry was of the players who helped himself the most during the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Then a freshman, he put up 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists during a victory over LSU.

While he has not yet taken the leap some expected as a sophomore, draft experts still have confidence in him as a prospect. His highest ranking right now comes from Jonathan Wasserman, who has him at No. 28 overall (via Bleacher Report):

“The eye test on Henry looks more convincing than the numbers. He isn’t a high-level creator, which limits him in Michigan State’s offense. But the 6’6″ guard is hitting open shots, capitalizing on driving lanes and making impact defensive plays. This late, teams will overlook Henry’s production for his fit.”

Perhaps the best news for the wing is that there is room for improvement. However, there have also been moments that show what Henry is capable of accomplishing at the next level.

This season, for example, the sophomore has been one of the most effective shooters off the catch. He is averaging 1.78 points per possession on catch-and-shoot attempts in a set offense, per Synergy Sports, which ranks in the 98th percentile.

Henry is also shooting 72.7 percent at the rim, which is an especially solid rate for a wing. Overall, he looks like someone capable of being a 3-and-D player in an NBA rotation.

Xavier Tillman, Big

AMD Rank: 50

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Since our last AMD, this has moved up 13 spots in our rankings.

Michigan State has always been a team that plays better with Tillman on the court. Last season, for example, the big actually had the third-best box plus-minus in the NCAA — trailing only Zion Williamson and Brandon Clarke.

Jeremy Woo recently helped contextualize what professional teams may like about the 6-foot-8 junior (via SI.com):

“Tillman specializes in doing the dirty work and has been a largely unheralded yet invaluable piece of the Spartans’ success dating back to last season. He’s not particularly tall for a center but has a chance to be a quality rotational big in the pros with what he adds defensively and on the glass. Tillman has worked on extending his shooting range, and if he ends up being able to shoot the three, he’ll have a fairly strong window of opportunity as a role player. A lot of the things he does as a screener and defender don’t show up in the box score, and while he’ll never be more than a fourth or fifth offensive option, he might be able to thrive in that capacity.”

His best trait so far this season has been his ability to cut to the basket. He is shooting 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) on these attempts, per Synergy.

But he has also added value on the offensive glass and as a rim protector for Michigan State. His willingness and ability to make the most of time on the floor makes him a draftable professional prospect.

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Boise State vs. Tulsa: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Boise State vs. Tulsa: Game Preview A win against the Golden Hurricanes may be bigger than some expect. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Yes folks, it’s Star Wars night in Tulsa. WHO: Boise State Broncos (5-3, 1-1 Mountain West) vs. Tulsa …

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Boise State vs. Tulsa: Game Preview

A win against the Golden Hurricanes may be bigger than some expect.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Yes folks, it’s Star Wars night in Tulsa.

WHO: Boise State Broncos (5-3, 1-1 Mountain West) vs. Tulsa Hurricanes (7-2, 0-0 American)

WHEN: Wednesday, December 11th — 8:00 PM EST/6:00 PM MST

WHERE: Reynolds Center, Tulsa, OK

TV: None

STREAM: ESPN3

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Tulsa leads all-time series 6-4

ODDS: Tulsa -3, per KenPom

Game Preview

The Broncos head to Tulsa on Wednesday night to face a 7-2 Hurricanes squad that is a lot tougher than their preseason poll prediction of 10th in the American may suggest.

Boise State is playing their best basketball right now and could have been extending out a five-game win streak if a couple of Justinian Jessup’s shot attempts went in against New Mexico last week in The Pit. These two teams haven’t played each other since the 04-05 season when they were both members of the Western Athletic Conference. Their last match up was a 83-73 Bronco Win in the first round of the conference tournament that year. 

Justian Jessup is shooting lights out beyond the arc, going a combined 13-21 in his last two games and averaging 25.5 PPG during that same time span. It has been previously stated that Boise State has some capable scorers. And the fact that Alston and Jessup have given teams headaches all season with all the ways they have been able to score is no surprise and they shouldn’t be judged on their 5-3 record. A loss to a top-25 ranked Oregon team might have been expected and that close loss last week could have been avoided if Jessup had a bit more room to get that last second shot attempt off in time. But the one blemish that might have just been a bad game was a loss to UC-Irvine who is now 5-5 on the season with a plethora of solid wins mixed with interesting losses.

The Golden Hurricanes are having a great start to the season and are 7-2 going into Wednesday’s game. Frank Haith’s squad is 0-2 against the Sun Belt and have losses to Arkansas State and UT-Arlington but boast a quality win against Vanderbilt to give you a current product that is a bit hard to read. Tulsa has a quality line up that includes former LSU Tiger and junior college transfer Brandon Rachal who is leading the team in scoring and rebounding with 15.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG.

Rachal has been a spark to Frank Haith’s offense that lost leader and current Sacramento King DaQuan Jefferies while also improving the teams defensive efforts.

Tulsa is holding it’s opponents to just 61.4 PPG this season which is within the top-50 teams in the nation defensively. The Golden Hurricanes also have forwards Jeriah Horne and Martins Igbanu back from last year in a pretty lengthy line up.

The Broncos aren’t a particularly deep team in the post at the moment and if senior forward RJ Williams get’s in foul trouble Robin Jorch needs to step up offensively. And something I think we all need to see is Alston stepping up as maybe the primary ball handler and continuing to drive the ball into the post and set up his teammates if he doesn’t get fouled first. He is really hard to stop given his frame and ball-handling ability and if the Broncos need to win the game from the free throw line so be it.

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Boise State vs. Pacific: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Boise State vs. Pacific: Game Preview Boise State looking to start a winning streak after overtime win against BYU. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Can the Broncos make it two in a row this weekend in California against the Tigers? WHO: …

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Boise State vs. Pacific: Game Preview

Boise State looking to start a winning streak after overtime win against BYU.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Can the Broncos make it two in a row this weekend in California against the Tigers?

WHO: Boise State Broncos (2-2, 0-0 Mountain West) vs. Pacific Tigers (5-2, 0-0 West Coast)

WHEN: Saturday, November 23 — 4:00 PM EST/5:00 PM MST

WHERE: Alex G. Spanos Center, Stockton, CA

TV: None

STREAM: Stadium

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Pacific leads all-time series 8-2

ODDS: Boise State -2, per KenPom

PREVIEW: The Broncos are coming off of a much needed win Tuesday night against a BYU team that has been hard to read this early in the season. Tuesday night’s game went into overtime tied at 58 a piece and great penetration by Derrick Alston Jr. and big defensive plays at the top of the key by Justian Jessup sealed the win. Both players will be needed on Saturday in Stockton along with senior forward RJ Williams who is averaging a double-double (16.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG) in order to leave California with a win. 

Alston has been dominant in four games, averaging 25.3 PPG 6.0 RPG and 1.8 APG, and even with a supporting cast of talented scorers sometimes his efforts are not enough. Shots just weren’t falling against UC-Irvine and Oregon is looking like a top 10 team with solid wins so far and should only get better with the return of N’faly Dante come December.

The Broncos are going to face a Tigers team who isn’t putting up big numbers (68.9 PPG) and are winning games by small margins as of the past week. They will need to simply knock down shots and outscore the Tigers who are led in scoring by junior guard Justin Moore with 12.0 PPG followed by senior guard Jahlil Tripp with 11.7 PPG and 7.7 RPG. The Tigers match up nicely with the Broncos in terms of height. Neither teams are very tall with starting big man Amari Mccray (6-9 265) playing around four guards and RJ williams a 6-7 forward essentially doing the same, even if the Broncos do have two guards who stand above 6-6. Look for Boise State to use their height advantage in certain positions as a weapon defensively again and for Alston to have another big game.

Game Prediction: Boise St. 80, Pacific 70

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