Tag: Mountain West

Weighing the pros and cons of Utah State as Pac-12 expansion target

The Pac-12 has Utah State on its radar as a geographic fit for conference expansion.

The Pac-12’s first wave of expansion involved bringing in four Mountain West programs – Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State – to join Washington State and Oregon State starting in 2026.

The league is looking to get to at least eight programs in order to be FBS eligible for the 2026 season, with sights set on marquee brands in the American conference like Memphis and Tulane.

However, a recent report from Brett McMurphy of Action Network indicated the conference could pivot and add two more Mountain West programs to stay in the same geographical footprint, citing UNLV and Utah State as the top targets.

UNLV is perhaps the most obvious remaining Mountain West program to join the Pac-12, but Utah State is a bit less known as a brand. However, there are plenty of reasons the Aggies make sense as a future Pac-12 squad:

The Pros

Utah State’s recent performance in the two revenue generating sports – football and men’s basketball – has been on a consistent upward trend the past half decade plus.

The football program has appeared in a bowl game every season since 2011 except 2016 (3-9) and 2020 (1-5). The program was ranked in the AP Poll in 2021 and 2018, and while they are off to an ugly 1-3 start this year the sudden firing of head coach Blake Anderson just before the year began didn’t exactly set the team up for success.

Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team has appeared in four of the past five NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the second round last year after getting ranked as high as No. 16 overall in the AP Poll. The upcoming 2024-25 season will be a third straight with a new coach, losing Ryan Odom to VCU after 2023 and only getting Danny Sprinkle for one season before he departed for Washington.

The football and men’s basketball success has spread to the rest of the programs as well, with the Aggies winning four Mountain West championships across all sports last year.

Utah State is also a large institution with roughly 27,000 students and nearly 200,000 alumni, putting it in line with other recent additions to the Pac-12.

The Cons

Utah State is located in Logan, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City with a population of roughly 54,000. The media market for Utah State will include the Salt Lake metro area, which makes it look quite large, but that market is largely made up of Utah fans who aren’t as interested in the Aggies.

Overall, Utah State’s media footprint is not on the level of the other programs in the Pac-12 or being pursued by the Pac-12, and while getting back into the state of Utah is no doubt an appeal – Utah State is third in the state behind Utah and BYU in the pecking order.

Verdict

Utah State is pretty clearly behind the four already added Mountain West schools and UNLV on the Pac-12’s wish list. The Aggies are deservedly ahead of programs like Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming, but being located in a small market that borders a big city that supports another team is not ideal whatsoever.

The recent success in basketball and football is a promising sign the Aggies could sustain success with a move to the Pac-12, but there’s little doubt the conference would rather make things work with teams like Memphis, Tulane, or South Florida before continuing to poach from the Mountain West.

Mountain West could lose another program as conference realignment floodgates open

The Mountain West already lost four programs to the Pac-12, and now rumors are flying that Air Force could join Army and Navy in the American.

Anyone who was following conference realignment last summer knows that once the first domino falls, it doesn’t take long for things to start spiraling.

It appears that could be the case for the Mountain West, who already saw four huge programs depart for the new-look Pac-12 last week.

Losing Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State and going from 11 schools to seven was a devastating blow for one of the most well-known non-power conferences in college athletics, but it wasn’t a knockout punch.

However, the recent rumor that talks between the American Athletic Conference and Air Force are heating up is a frightening sign for the league, which has been around since 1999.

Air Force has been in discussion with the AAC since before the Mountain West was gutted, and certainly it’s easy to see the appeal as a service academy to join a league that already features Army and Navy.

The Falcons have been Mountain West members since its inception, posting an impressive 131-84 record since Troy Calhoun took over as head coach in 2007.

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1835757632793296985

If the Mountain West does lose Air Force to the AAC, it drops them to just six programs and creates an urgent situation for commissioner Gloria Nevarez to backfill the league as soon as possible or risk continued departures.

Teams like New Mexico State, UTEP, Texas State, or even FCS programs North Dakota State and South Dakota State are on the table for this league to sustain themselves in the ever changing college sports landscape.

UNLV strengthens case for Pac-12 membership with win on Friday

UNLV was left out of the first wave of Pac-12 additions, but could a huge win over Kansas help get them accepted?

The Pac-12 conference began the process of rebuilding earlier this week, securing membership from four Mountain West programs: Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and San Diego State.

The UNLV Rebels were not among the four programs accepted into the Pac-12, although the conference will need to get to at least eight programs by July of 2026 in order to compete at the FBS level.

While a lot of attention is on schools in the American conference, like Memphis, Tulane, or Tulsa, UNLV remains a compelling target for the Pac-12 – and it doesn’t hurt the football program is off to a 3-0 start with two wins over Big 12 programs after defeating Kansas on Friday evening.

The Pros

Few media markets are more coveted right now than Las Vegas, which has aggressively rebranded as a sports hub over the past decade or so – adding an NHL team, a WNBA team, and snagging the Raiders from Oakland.

College football and basketball games are frequently played in Las Vegas, including this year’s massive matchup between LSU and USC in Week 1 and multiple conference basketball tournaments, including the Mountain West, WCC, WAC, and the Pac-12.

UNLV gives the Pac-12 a steady footprint in Vegas, and that alone is a huge selling point for the program.

It also doesn’t hurt the team looks good right now under coach Barry Odom, going 9-5 last year and 6-2 in conference play before losing to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl – a loss they got revenge for on Friday.

Additionally, while the men’s basketball program hasn’t been great the past decade, the Rebels have a rich history of success in that realm – including a national championship back in 1991. Last year’s team went 21-13 overall and 12-6 in a very deep Mountain West conference, so there’s reason to believe they can compete at the Pac-12 level right away.

The Cons

UNLV is 12-5 in the Barry Odom era dating back to the start of the 2023 season, but the football history prior to his arrival is, to put it lightly, not good. The Rebels made just one bowl appearance between 2001 and 2023, a loss to North Texas in the Heart of Dallas bowl in 2013.

From 2014-2022 the Rebels went 29-74 overall and 19-51 in conference play, a stretch that included the final year of Bobby Hauck’s tenure and the entirety of coach Tony Sanchez and Marcus Arroyo’s time in Vegas. Odom has been great, but when (not if) he gets scooped up by another program, who’s to say the program won’t go right back to being a doormat – which is not what the Pac-12 is looking for in the early stages of rebuilding.

Plus, while the allure of Vegas as a market remains, UNLV doesn’t have its own football stadium which likely gives the Pac-12 some pause. The program currently plays at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, but not having a home arena curtails fan interest – especially in an area that is dominated by tourism traffic.

Lastly, it is possible the two Nevada schools, UNLV and Nevada, are expecting to be a package deal which almost certainly isn’t appealing to the Pac-12. Nevada is in a much smaller market and doesn’t have much track record for football, making them a very low priority for the conference at this time.

Verdict

Las Vegas is a huge media draw for a rebuilding conference like the Pac-12, and UNLV’s current hot start to the season and success in men’s basketball make it a bit of a surprise they were not added in the first wave of poaching via the Mountain West.

However, the poor history on the gridiron, lack of a home stadium, and potential tie to Nevada-Reno is plenty reason for the Pac-12 to look at other schools – namely Memphis, Tulane, or Tulsa – before making the Rebels a priority.

Where does Mountain West turn after losing four programs to Pac-12?

The Mountain West is down to seven schools, how might they proceed after the Pac-12 poached four major brands?

Overnight the Mountain West conference went from 11 schools to just seven, with the Pac-12 swooping in and stealing Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Colorado State starting in 2026.

The four additions give the Pac-12 six total schools, with two more required to reach the NCAA minimum. The Pac-12 has plenty of options to finalize their lineup of teams, which could include coming back to the Mountain West to try and land UNLV and Nevada.

Whether that happens or not, the Mountain West now has work to do to ensure it remains a viable – and strong – athletic conference moving forward.

Unfortunately, as long as the Pac-12 is publicly known to be hunting for new teams, convincing marquee programs to join the Mountain West will be tricky.

Still, there are quite a few teams out there that make sense for the Mountain West to pursue, and we have broken them up into three distinct categories:

American Athletic Conference

The Mountain West will no doubt look at programs in the American Athletic Conference, although those teams will almost certainly wait and see if the Pac-12 will come calling first. Memphis feels like a strong candidate to get a call from the new-look Pac-12, and even if they don’t the Tigers may opt to stay where they are and wait to see if a power conference – perhaps the Big 12 – will scoop them up in the next round of realignment.

Tulane and Tulsa are also expected to be on the Pac-12’s radar, but if neither of them gets an invite the Mountain West should make a strong push to bring them on board. Tulsa would give the conference a footprint in Oklahoma, while Tulane would give them a big media market in New Orleans.

However, Texas is arguably the most important state for any conference to have inroads, especially a football-focused league like the Mountain West, which makes UTSA, Rice, and North Texas all appealing options.

UAB is a bit of a wildcard option here, but Birmingham is a big market and the Blazers have had success recently – although they’d be on a bit of an island geographically unless they join alongside Tulsa or Memphis.

Conference USA

If the state of Texas is the priority, both UTEP and Sam Houston make a ton of sense for the Mountain West. UTEP has been in Conference USA since 2005, although the Miners have struggled to sustain success with just one season over .500 in conference play since 2006.

Sam Houston is much newer to the FCS level, having gone 3-9 in 2023 and off to a 1-1 start so far in 2024. They’d be a bit of a gamble addition, but one that could pay off handsomely if the team can grow over in Huntsville.

Additionally, despite a disastrous couple of years for New Mexico State in football and men’s basketball, the Aggies are a logical target for the Mountain West so they can pair them with New Mexico for a local in-state rivalry.

FBS Programs

FBS additions are probably a last resort for the Mountain West, but if North Dakota State and South Dakota State are interested and available this would be well worth looking into.

The likely outcome here would be bringing the two programs in as football-only members, which is a seamless transition since they are currently football-only in the Missouri Valley and in the Summit League for everything else.

A few other FBS programs that could be targeted for the Mountain West include a trio of teams in the Big Sky Conference: Eastern Washington, Montana State, and Northern Arizona.

The next round of realignment is contingent on how the Pac-12 approaches finalizing their conference, the Mountain West appears likely to be in the driver’s seat for some decent programs in desirable media markets – which will help ease the sting of losing four of the biggest brands the league has ever had.

Previewing the Boise State Broncos defense ahead of Week 2 game vs. Oregon Ducks

The Boise State defense didn’t have an impressive season opener and things won’t get any easier as they face Oregon inside Autzen Stadium.

Giving up 45 points and 461 yards to Georgia Southern in the season opener wasn’t what Boise State had in mind.

Fortunately for the Broncos, they were still able to come out with a 56-45 victory. But one would think things aren’t going to get any easier when Boise State comes to Autzen Stadium Saturday night against an Oregon offense looking to prove something.

Boise State gave up 322 yards through the air and 139 yards on the ground. The Broncos have a pair of preseason All-Mountain West defenders in Ty Benefield and Jeremiah Earby.

Benefield, who plays mostly the safety position, led the Broncos with nine tackles last week and was voted to the preseason All-Mountain West Second Team as a sophomore. As a freshman, Benefield had 46 tackles, 4.5 for loss and three sacks.

As for Earby, the former California Bear, he is no stranger to Autzen as he came to Eugene playing for Justin Wilcox’s crew. He managed seven tackles last week with a forced fumble.

Last season with Cal, Earby had 26 tackles and an interception. He was also voted to the preseason All-Mountain West Third Team as a junior after being a Pac-12 Honorable Mention as a freshman in 2022.

Redshirt junior safety Zion Washington was all over the field at Georgia Southern as he had six tackles and three pass breakups.

But overall, the Broncos know they are in for a tough test against the Duck offense who didn’t exactly perform up to expectations in the 10-point win over Idaho.

Getting off the field was a problem for the Boise State defense. The Eagles faced a total of 19 third downs and managed to move the chains 12 times. Boise State’s defense was in the backfield plenty of times as they accounted for four sacks and four forced fumbles, including two from linebacker Andrew Simpson.
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Previewing the Boise State Broncos offense ahead of Week 2 game vs. Oregon Ducks

Breaking down the Boise State Broncos offense ahead of the Week 2 game against the Oregon Ducks.

It would be so easy for Boise State to hand the ball off to running back Ashton Jeanty 35-40 times a game and take their chances.

He’s that good.

But the Broncos have a good quarterback and explosive receivers that a defense has to account for so it can’t just focus on Jeanty. This is how they operate and this is how they plan on playing the Ducks when the Broncos come to Autzen Stadium Saturday night for a 7 pm kickoff televised on the streaming service Peacock.

Quarterback Maddux Madsen is entering his first season as the full-time starter and he had a good opener against Georgia Southern. He was 22-of-31 passing, good for 280 yards and a touchdown.

According to Dan Lanning, the Broncos offense is multi-faceted and difficult to prepare for.

“Their offense does a lot of good things to scheme you up. And you know, they have compliments off of each play,” he said. “So a great stretch play is going to have a great boot play action off of it as well. So they hold you accountable. They make you tackle. They’re going to make, you know, DBs tackle. They do a really good job of that. And the back certainly, you know, is a big piece of their success.”

That back, Jeanty, is one of the best backs in the country and Lanning says the Broncos star is ready to play on Sundays right now. Unfortunately for the Ducks, Jeanty is still playing on Saturday.

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“I think it’s the best running back I’ve seen since I’ve since I’ve been here,” Lanning said. “You know, he’s certainly an NFL guy, and he is. He doesn’t go down on first contact ever. He’s one of the best arm guys that we’ve gone against. You know, he runs really, really physical.

The Oregon defense is going to have to be as physical on every level, including the back end. Boise State has some receivers that are as good as they’ll face in the Big Ten.

Their leading receiver last week was Cam Camper, a transfer from Indiana. He led the Broncos with four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Behind Camper was Latrell Caples with his five catches and 81 yards. He redshirted last season due to injury, but in 2022, he led Boise State with 51 catches549 yards and four touchdowns.

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San Jose State Running Back And Line Backer Enter The Transfer Portal

San Jose State Running Back And Line Backer Enter The Transfer Portal

Less than 24 hours after San Jose State announced Ken Niumatalolo will take over for former head coach Brent Brennan who left for Arizona, Spartans’ running back Quali Conley and linebacker Bryun Parham have entered the transfer portal.

After transferring from Utah Tech to SJSU, Conley was integral to the Spartans’ ascension from 1-5 to bowl eligible, rushing for 842 yards, nine touchdowns and wound up ranked second among Mountain West players with 130+ carries in yards per carry (6.4). Keep in mind, Conley was backing up 2023 All-Mountain West First Team honoree Kairee Robinson.

Conley’s portal entry now means SJSU won’t return its starting quarterback, top-two rushers and four of its offensive lineman. Tight end Dominick Mazotti, who was a key piece of SJSU’s run game, transferred to University of Massachusetts last month.

According to 247 Sports’ crystal ball predictions, Conley has a 100% chance of transferring to Arizona. If this happens, it would signify that SJSU associate head coach, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator will join Brennan and former SJSU offensive line coach Josh Oglesby in Tucson.

Parham’s transfer portal announcement, meanwhile, is a massive blow to Niumatalolo’s defense next year.

Dec 20, 2022; Boise, Idaho, USA; San Jose State Spartans linebacker Bryun Parham (6) strips the ball from Eastern Michigan Eagles quarterback Taylor Powell (7) during the second half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Albertsons Stadium. Eastern Michigan beats San Jose State 41-27. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

In 2023, Parham led SJSU with 106 tackles, had the fifth-most tackles for loss (five), second-most quarterback hits (four) and the most fumble recoveries (two). In 2022 —his first season as a starter — he finished with the second-most tackles (74).

With defensive backs Tre Jenkins, Drew Jenkins, Chase Williams, defensive lineman Noah Lavulo, Jay Kakiva, Matthew Tago graduating, the Spartans will have several holes to fill.

Sandwiched between the news of Conley and Parham, was Brock Purdy’s younger brother, Chubba, decommiting from SJSU and transferring to Mountain West-foe Nevada.

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It’s likely SJSU’s roster will undergo more changes as both Brennan and Niumatalolo fill out their staffs.

It’s also worth noting that Niumatalolo won’t be running his patented triple option offense at SJSU this season and, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, “is expected to target an offensive coordinator for some type of wide-open and pass-heavy system.”

Niumatalolo ran the triple option in his 25 years at Navy and in his 15 years as a head coach from 2007-2022, he became the winningest head coach in program history, went to 10 bowl games, and from 2015-19 was a three-time recipient of the American Athletic Conference coach of the year award as the Midshipmen had four AP Top 25 poll finishes.

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Brock Purdy’s Younger Brother Chubba Decommits from SJSU and transfers to Nevada

Brock Purdy’s Younger Brother Decommits from SJSU and transfers to Nevada

The news of Brock Purdy‘s younger brother, Chubba, transferring from Nebraska to San Jose State lit up the Bay Area last weekend.

The idea of Chubba dominating on a Saturday followed by Brock on a Sunday was storyline gold. Seriously, what could be better than that?

But all those imaginations won’t become reality now that Chubba has decommited from SJSU and transferred to Mountain West-foe Nevada.

The news isn’t surprising after Chubba deleted his initial commitment post on Sunday, Jan. 21 — the same day SJSU announced the hiring of new head coach Ken Niumatalolo who will be taking over for Brent Brennan.

A former four-star from Gilbert, Ariz., Purdy played two years at Florida State, compiling 317 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 147 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Then, after transferring to Nebraska in 2022 for two years, he threw for 529 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for 353 yards and three scores. He was 0-4 as a starter.

Purdy’s commitment to Nevada also comes on the same day SJSU running back Quali Conley entered the transfer portal. 247 Sports’ crystal ball puts Conley’s chances at transferring to UA at 100%.

If Conley becomes a Wildcat, it could signify former SJSU associate head coach, running backs coach, and recruiting coordinator Alonzo “Zo” Carter joining Brennan in Tucson.

So now, if Niumatalolo doesn’t bring in a quarterback through the transfer portal, SJSU’s options are Oregon transfer Jay Butterfield, freshman Anthony Garcia, redshirt freshman Tyler Voss, and redshirt sophomore Walker Eget.

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Also noteworthy, is that Niumatalolo won’t be running his patented triple option offense at SJSU this season and, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, “is expected to target an offensive coordinator for some type of wide-open and pass-heavy system.”

Niumatalolo utilized the triple option in his 25 years of coaching at Navy. In his 15 years as a head coach from 2007-2022, he became the winningest head coach in program history, went to 10 bowl games, and from 2015-19 was a three-time recipient of the American Athletic Conference coach of the year award as the Midshipmen had four AP Top 25 poll finishes.

BREAKING: San Jose State to hire Ken Niumatalolo as next head coach

BREAKING: San Jose State to hire Ken Niumatalolo as next head coach

Ken Niumatalolo, the most successful head coach in Navy history, should be taking over San Jose State “within the next 48 hours” according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Niumatalolo’s hiring comes nearly a week after former SJSU head coach Brent Brennan left to become Arizona’s head coach to replace Jedd Fisch who departed to Washington.

Niumatalolo went to 10 bowl games in his first 12 seasons, and from 2015-19, he was selected as the American Athletic Conference coach of the year three times and led the Midshipmen to four AP-Top 25 poll finishes. But after going 11-23 in the three seasons that followed, Niumatalolo was let go after losing to rival Army on Dec. 10, 2022.

Niumatalolo, who finished 109-83 in those15 full seasons at Navy, then traveled westward and took up up a leadership role on Chip Kelly’s staff at UCLA in 2023 and was set to be the tight ends coach in 2024.

“He’s a voice for all of us,” Kelly told The Washington Post prior to the 2023 season. “He also meets with our coaching staff, and just talking about leadership, not talking about scheme, not talking about X’s and O’s, but has brought a lot of different stuff to our staff from that standpoint and has really made an impact.”

With Thamel also reporting that “Niumatalolo will not be running the triple option” at SJSU, there will be several conversations centered around the “X’s and O’s.”After all, Niumatalolo only ran the triple-option at Navy as a head coach and member of the offensive staff from 2002-07.

So if Niumatalolo won’t be running his coveted attack, what will he run? Furthermore, what will his staff look like? It hasn’t been determined which SJSU coaches will follow Brennan to Arizona.

But that shouldn’t distract how good of a hire— on paper— this is for SJSU.

Jeff Konya, SJSU’s Director of Athletics, found a proven winner that could convince fans and the donor base that the program won’t plunge back to irrelevance. Plus, Niumatalolo also understands the struggles SJSU is facing in the NIL space.

Because Navy players are considered federal employees, they aren’t able to rake in NIL deals, which put the program at a disadvantage behind other teams in the AAC.

“But even some of the lower-tier guys for us, we can’t compete with that,” Niumatalolo told ESPN back in 2022.

The hiring also illustrates how far SJSU has come pre and post Brennan era.

Brennan’s hiring in 2017 was a byproduct of potential candidates turning the job down out of the fear the tenure could be disastrous to the point where they’d never get another head coaching opportunity again.

So Brennan, then an outside wide receivers coach at Oregon State, got the gig and produced just three wins in his first two seasons. Then came an encouraging 5-7 season in 2019 followed by the prized 2020 Mountain West Championship.

From 2020-23, Brennan became the first SJSU head coach to make three bowl games and those three bowl appearances marked SJSU’s first time making three bowl games in the span of four years.

“I don’t know how long this will go,” Niumatalolo said in the above mentioned Washington Post article. “Chip and I have talked. I want to make one more run at it, and I feel like coming here has helped me from that perspective.”

And now Spartan Nation hopes Niumatalolo gained the “perspective” necessary to continue the program’s golden era.

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Nevada vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, How to Watch, Central Players, Keys & Prediction

The Nevada Wolf Pack travels to the high plains of Wyoming to snap its six-game losing streak against the Wyoming Cowboys.

 

Nevada vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, How to Watch, Central Players, Keys & Prediction

The Wolf Pack travels to the high plains of Wyoming to snap its six-game losing streak against the Cowboys.

Contact/Follow @KayceeClark-Mellott and @MWCwire

WHO: Nevada (15-3, 2-2 in the MWC) vs. Wyoming (9-8, 2-2 in the MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:30 PM MT

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium “Dome of Doom”, Laramie, Wyo.

TELEVISION: Mountain West Network

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

LINE: Nevada +8.5

RANKINGS:

  Nevada Wyoming
AP RV (22) NR
USA TODAY COACHES POLL RV (14) NR
NET RANKINGS 45 204
KENPOM 47 214

The last victory for the Nevada Wolf Pack against the Wyoming Cowboys came in the 2020 COVID-19 season, Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder’s first season. Linder and the Pokes have won six straight from that season sweep of the Cowboys, including four games in Laramie.

Nevada’s season, thus far, is the best since the 2018-19 season, when they played in the NCAA Tournament as a seven-seed. The Wolf Pack is one of the best defensive teams in the Mountain West Conference (MWC), allowing the fewest points in the league. Coupled with three players scoring in double figures, Nevada has become one of the top teams in the conference. However, the team has lost two straight matchups against Boise State and San Diego State.

Both losses included some of Nevada’s worst shooting percentages of the season and the most fouls committed in a game against the Aztecs. The Wolf Pack allowed 41 rebounds in both games, the most in a season. Although both teams are in the top four in the conference for rebounding, Wyoming and Nevada are in the middle of the MWC.

The Cowboys have a season of many unknowns. They lost four starters from last season to graduation or the transfer portal. The only returning players for Wyoming are Brendan Wenzel, Caden Powell, Kenny Foster — who experienced a season-ending injury in the preseason — and Cort Roberson — who mainly works on the scout team.

As the team has already matched its win total from last year, the Cowboys are looking to reach double-digit wins with an upset over the Wolf Pack. Games at the “Dome of Doom” have favored Wyoming thus far this season, with a 6-1 record, including two conference victories, courtesy of Akuel Kot’s game-winning buzzer-beaters over San Jose State and Fresno State.

Turnovers have troubled the Pokes all season as the 20th most per game in the NCAA. Sam Griffin and Kot lead the team with 3.1 turnovers each per game. Only two games have seen the Cowboys commit less than 10 turnovers.

While Nevada looks to get back on track in conference play, Wyoming aims to achieve a winning record in the conference.

Key Players to the Game:

G Kenan Blackshear–Nevada

23-24 Stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG & 51.4% FG

Last time out: 14 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals on 6-12 (50%) shooting, including 2-5 from the line, at San Diego State.

Kenan Blackshear is an all-around player for the Wolf Pack. He leads the team in assists and steals and is second among starters in scoring, rebounds and shooting percentage. His four highest-scoring games have all come this season, with a career-high of 31 points at Washington in November. 

Both guards — Blackshear and Jarod Lucas — are prominent players for Nevada, but the stature of Blackshear may pose difficulties for Wyoming’s defense. His passing vision and abilities can help propel the Wolf Pack while drawing attention away from others.

F Caden Powell-Wyoming

23-24 Stats: 7.2 PPG, 1.0 APG, 5.9 RPG, 0.9 BPG & 50% FG

Last time out: 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block on 0-2 shooting against Fresno State.

The obvious answer for the Pokes is leading scorer Griffin or Kot with the buzzer-beaters and scoring double digits in all but one game this season. However, Powell must be a dominant force on the glass. As Nevada has allowed over 40 rebounds in their last two games, it’s central for the Cowboys to continue that trend.

Powell also makes half the shots he puts up, and while playing the best scoring defense in the conference, throwing up the most efficient shots is vital. Since MWC play started, Powell has yet to post double figures, only averaging 4.8 points on 46.2%. A dominant big-man performance can send Wyoming into the driver’s seat of this game. 

Keys to the Game

For Nevada:  Control the glass. Improve shooting efficiency. Get back on defense.

The game plan must focus on rebounds after allowing over 40 rebounds in back-to-back games. The Wolf Pack has been outrebounded in half of its games this season. Additionally, the team’s rebound margin is even at zero, ranking 193 in the NCAA. The combination of Nick Davidson and Blackshear must be highly prominent in the paint, offensively and defensively. 

The Wolf Pack also must find efficient shots to take. Since MWC play started, the team’s field goal percentage has dropped 4.4 percentage points. Nevada shot 36% against Boise State. Additionally, the team has become less effective at the line, dropping nearly six percentage points in that same time. The goal is always to have more points than the opponent, and decreasing numbers is not a good sign for winning. 

Against San Diego State, Nevada gave up 15 fast break points. In MWC games, the average Nevada has allowed is 7.75, but it has only scored 7.83 on the season. It is pertinent to ensure that the Cowboys can’t get fast points against an unset defense, notably when Wyoming is ranked 19th lowest in fast break points.

For Wyoming: Get to the charity stripe. Box out and snag the rebounds. Beyond the arc action.

The Cowboys are one of the best from the line in the league. At 75.3%, Wyoming only trails Colorado State in free throw percentage. In addition, Nevada fouls the third most in the MWC, sending San Diego State to the line for 34 shots. Not a single player for Wyoming shoots under 50% from the line, with seven players shooting 80% or better.

Rebounding is a fundamental key to winning games. As a middle-tier rebounding team in the conference, Wyoming posts a 6-3 record when winning the rebound margin while 3-5 when opponents outrebound the Pokes.

Wyoming is one of the best from beyond the arc. Despite the low number of shots beyond the arc per game, the team shoots 38.6% from three and is ranked 16th in the NCAA. Wyoming has shot over 40% in eight games this season and won seven of them. Even when the team shoots above its average, it holds an 8-2 record while 1-6 when below. The magic number for the Pokes is 38.6%.

Prediction:

Nevada 68, Wyoming 60

Wyoming will cover the spread of +8.5 but ultimately come up short. While Nevada has not been able to grab a board the past two games, this came against the conference’s top teams. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they are neither a top team in the MWC nor prolific at grabbing boards. The Wolf Pack will also clean up some of their foul troubles and return to the win column. Nevada will halt the Pokes’ domination over them and move to 16-3.

Kaycee Clark-Mellott covers college football and basketball for the Mountain West Wire, mainly covering the Wyoming Cowboys.

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