Tag: Mountain West Basketball

UNLV vs. Nevada: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

UNLV vs. Nevada: Game Preview UNLV has a chance at breaking their Silver State Series losing streak to intrastate rival Nevada on the road. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Can a new look Wolf Pack team keep the streak alive? WHO: UNLV …

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UNLV vs. Nevada: Game Preview

UNLV has a chance at breaking their Silver State Series losing streak to intrastate rival Nevada on the road.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Can a new look Wolf Pack team keep the streak alive?

WHO: UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (11-9, 6-1 Mountain West) At Nevada Wolf Pack (11-8, 4-3 Mountain West)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 22nd—11:00 PM EST/8:00 PM PST

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

TV: CBS Sports Network 

STREAM: Get a free trial through FuboTV

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: UNLV leads all-time series 60-29

PREVIEW: There is something about intrastate rivalries that feel just a bit different than others. Being able to walk around your local grocery store and seeing a T-shirt or encountering the occasional coworker’s mug from your rival school at a work place makes those rivalries a bit more personal and local for most. The best rivalries in College Basketball can be found when two teams from the same state meet and usually meet often being a part of the same conference.

There’s plenty of names on the list but some notable examples are Michigan-Michigan State, Cincinnati-Xavier, Indiana-Purdue, Louisville-Kentucky and maybe the most famous of all North Carolina-Duke.

The Silver State Series has the potential to join the names above as must see T.V. around the country. Even though he is gone now, Eric Musselman helped put the Wolf Pack on the national radar in recent years and UNLV will always have name recognition across the country from their championship runs in the early nineties. But with new faces at the helms in both Reno and Las Vegas, the rivalry seems as up for the taking as ever and each team is looking to establish dominance for years to come with a win tonight.

Some History:

  • UNLV leads the all-time series 60-29
  • While Nevada has won the last four meetings (all under Eric Musselman)

UNLV

The Runnin’ Rebels are 6-1 in Mountain West play and currently sit behind the Aztecs in sole possession of second place. Tj Otzelberger’s squad has adjusted well after the holiday break, riding a three game winning streak while winning seven of their last eight games by an average of 13.8 PPG. This UNLV team looks a lot different than the one who took the court early on and multiple individuals are stepping up to create a much more well rounded attack.

UNLV has four players averaging double figures at this point but it has been sophomore Bryce Hamilton who has brought balance to the Runnin’ Rebel offense, averaging 20.7 PPG in seven conference games so far and getting hotter by the day with a recent 35 point performance against New Mexico at home on Saturday. He isn’t the only sophomore making noise in the new year though as Marvin Coleman posted UNLV’s first triple-double of the century on Saturday night against the Lobos earning his first player of the week honors from the conference in the process.

Their emergence has been key for UNLV thus far and make this team that much more dangerous going on the road in Reno this evening. Things will be interesting, and it’s not just the young guns having an impact either don’t forget about leading scorer Amauri Hardy or leading rebounder Cheikh Mbacke Diong who should look to take advantage of a very young Nevada frontcourt.

Nevada

Now, while the Runnin’ Rebels have the winning streak, the Wolf Pack have the home court tonight, in which they are 28-2 in their last 30 conference home games. Like UNLV Nevada has also proved some naysayers wrong this season, you know those who said a fourth place finish was too high considering a coaching change and lack of experience (check out my first article ever saying just that here). To be fair it has been upperclassman doing most of the heavy lifting this season, guys like Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson and Lindsey Drew who have helped make the transition in Reno a bit smoother than expected for a new coaching staff who had a lot to live up to coming in (three straight NCAA tournament appearances, three straight regular season conference championships).

With fresh starts at both schools this season, in-state supremacy is up for the taking. For Runnin’ Rebel fans who haven’t had that opportunity in a while, that’s big. And for those wearing blue and silver tonight it’s the chance to keep the title home in a new era under Alford.

Prediction: Nevada 80, UNLV 77

This game will come down to who want’s it more and who is knocking down more shots (like most should). Though while UNLV has a squad that could go about five deep in the scoring column as of recent, Nevada’s big three (i.e. Harris, Johnson, Drew, sometimes Zouzoua) doesn’t receive much help most nights and if one of those Wolf Pack members above isn’t scoring things get a bit trickier for Alford and crew.

Something else to note is the list of most recent opponents for each squad. While Nevada’s slate consisted of Colorado State (W), Boise State (W), Utah State (L) and San Diego State (L). UNLV has faced Utah State (W), Boise State (their one league loss) and New Mexico (not the same Lobos we were used to either) from the top half of the Mountain West standings. Not to say the Rebels’ performance in those games were something to knock, it just seems like their toughest challenges lie ahead.

But the most important thing tonight is,

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

San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn is shooting up our player of the year watch list.

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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

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

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The list sees a pair of newcomers as UNLV sophomore duo make a splash along with San Diego State big man.

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 eleventh week is as follows:

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

22 Points, 5 Rebounds and 2 Assists against Fresno State

14 Points, 7 Assists and 5 Rebounds against Nevada

Flynn is separating himself from the pack in late January, with a now 7 point lead over second place JaQuan Lyle who is in a bit of a situation at a struggling New Mexico. A lot of people knew Flynn was going to be a difference maker for the Aztecs, but even I can say I didn’t expect a top-5 ranking, undefeated record through nineteen games and a chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament this year.

His role as a leader on this team has made everyone better around him, seeing the emergence of guys like Yanni Wetzell and Matt Mitchell on the court with Flynn at the helm has been key to the Aztecs undefeated run. Even when things aren’t going exactly right he makes the best of his playing time. Though he struggled from the field a bit on Saturday, shooting about 30% on the night. He made sure his presence was felt, distributing the ball well among the Aztecs on his way to 7 assists and a win against a Wolf Pack team who made things interesting most of the way.

The Player of the Year race is his to win or lose at this point as Flynn has the Aztecs on a level most other Mountain West teams cannot get to at this point in the season. The Aztecs just need to make sure if they do suffer a loss in conference play it is from the right team. A bad loss can only hurt their chance at a No. 1 seed and San Jose State is looking for another upset to add to their win column, and the Spartans almost made that happen in Viejas Arena earlier this season. We can only watch and wait as the month of January is almost over and March is on the Horizon.

2. Marvin Coleman, sophomore guard UNLV (4 Points):

17 Points, 8 Assists and 4 Rebounds against San Jose State

11 Points, 12 Rebounds, 11 Assists and 6 Steals against New Mexico

3. Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (3 Points):

16 Points, 3 Assists and 2 Steals against San Jose State

35 Points, 3 Rebounds and 1 Assist against New Mexico

4.  Sam Merrill, senior guard Utah State (2 Points):

12 Points, 8 Rebounds and 8 Assists against Nevada

30 Points, 3 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Boise State

5. Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point):

17 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Assists against Fresno State

17 Points, 16 Rebounds and 2 Blocks against Nevada

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9| Week 10

Current Overall Point Totals:

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (22 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (15 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (14 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (13 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (11 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)

Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (5 Points)

Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Marvin Coleman, sophomore guard UNLV (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)

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)

Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point)

Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego 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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New Mexico vs. San Jose State: Game Preview, TV, Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

The New Mexico Lobos (15-5, 4-3 MW) host the San Jose State Spartans (6-13, 2-5 MW) at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 in Albuquerque, NM.

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New Mexico vs. San Jose State: Game Preview, TV, Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

New Mexico seeks revenge against the San Jose State Spartans.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

The Lobos and Spartans both hope to get back on track after suffering two straight losses apiece.

WHO: New Mexico Lobos (15-5, 4-3 MW) vs. San Jose State Spartans (6-13, 2-5 MW)

WHEN: Tuesday, January 21 — 8:00 PM MT

WHERE: Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit – Albuquerque, NM (15,411)

TV: AT&T SportsNet

STREAM: TheMW.com/Stadium (for out of footprint)

RADIO: TuneIn

SERIES RECORD: New Mexico leads, 14-3

ODDS: New Mexico -11.5

PREVIEW:

Two teams meet up in the Mountain West Conference, both coming off of double digit losses against the same opponents in Colorado State and UNLV. One of the teams, New Mexico (15-5, 4-3 MW) is tied for third in the conference standings, and the other, San Jose State (6-13, 2-5 MW) finds itself in ninth place, tied with Fresno State.

But it was the ninth place team that played closer games against Colorado State and UNLV with a total losing margin of 22 points while New Mexico’s off-the-court woes have led to a beleaguered team that was worn down much more quickly against the Rams and the Rebels, unable to keep pace in their last two outings, getting outscored by 54 points in the two games.

Then there was the matchup between the Lobos and Spartans earlier in the year.

It was the third game New Mexico was without starting center Carlton Bragg and starting point guard JJ Caldwell and one in which it was clear how much each of the two players brought to the team. The two key players remain sidelined, as Bragg has been removed from the team and Caldwell’s suspension remains in effect.

Then the off-court losing streak continued for New Mexico as Vance Jackson went down with a knee injury against Colorado State. As one of New Mexico’s tallest players who has shown an ability, at times, to compete in the paint, it was quite the blow for the Lobos, especially considering what head coach Paul Weir said prior to New Mexico’s loss to San Jose State the first time around.

“We’ve played 15 games (as of December 29th). I think in all 15 games the bigger team has won.”

Without Jackson, which led New Mexico in scoring (alongside JaQuan Lyle) and rebounding the last time out against San Jose State New Mexico is even smaller against a San Jose State team they have already dropped a game to. As a consequence, the remainder of New Mexico’s squad will be hard-pressed to go 13-0 inside the Pit on the season in a match that could favor the Spartans a little more than the 11.5 spread suggests.

This is a Spartan squad that, despite being just 2-5 in the conference, has pushed #4 San Diego State to its limits, losing on one heck of a last second shot at Viejas Arena by mid-season Wooden Award nominee Malachi Flynn. Of course the Spartans had the reverse happen at home, beating New Mexico at the Provident Credit Union Event Center in similar fashion, with a Richard Washington three pointer going in with seconds left in the game.

If New Mexico wants to continue to position itself as one of the top teams in the conference, it will have to put away the Spartans in The Pit. For the Spartans, a win could put them in the mix of the muddled middle-of-the-pack conference standings, which would be a huge improvement over the last many seasons.

Injuries/Roster Updates:

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Miraculous comeback by Boise State sinks Aggies’ at-large hopes

RayJ Dennis scored all of his career-high 19 points in the final 3:23 of regulation as Boise State fought back from a late 19-point deficit.

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Game Recap: Boise St. 88, Utah St. 83 (OT)

Broncos erase 19-point deficit in stunning fashion

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

High drama in Boise means high stress for Utah State

It seemed for all the world that Utah State was moving past its early struggles in the Mountain West, leading comfortably in Boise with just a few minutes to play.

But a late Boise State surge propelled the Broncos to one of the most unlikely wins of the season in college basketball, the home team escaping with an 88-83 overtime win in ExtraMile Arena.

Freshman guard RayJ Dennis led the comeback charge for Boise State, scoring all of his career-high 19 points in the final three-plus minutes of regulation. Dennis shot 5-for-5, including four three-pointers. He was also a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw stripe.

It was one of the most electrifying individual performances of the season—not just in the MW, but in the nation—and it came from one of the most unassuming players on the court.

This win wasn’t just unlikely—it was all but impossible.

According to Ken Pomeroy, the win probability for Utah State (14-6, 3-4 MW) peaked at 98.8% after Justin Bean’s free throws put them up 18 points with 4:10 remaining. The Broncos’ 0.2% shot at victory was about as slim as it gets.

But on some nights, college basketball simply refuses to be penned in by such limits.

Utah State’s collapse spoiled a season-high scoring night from its star player, Sam Merrill, who finished with 30 points on the night. Bean had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Neemias Queta added 12 points before fouling out, but those performances weren’t enough to stave off the Broncos’ late push.

The gut-wrenching loss may be the final straw that breaks the back—and heart—of the Aggies.

With just over six minutes to play in regulation, Queta hit two free throws to give the Aggies a 62-43 lead over Boise State, matching the Aggies’ largest lead of the game at 19 points. Over the next two minutes, the Broncos only managed to chisel one point off of that deficit, with Utah State leading 66-48 with four minutes to play.

Then it happened.

RJ Williams drew a foul on Queta, the fifth of the game for the Portuguese sophomore. Over its next few possessions, Utah State alternated between missed shots and turnovers, resulting in a 14-0 run for Boise State that cut the Aggie lead to four points with one minute remaining.

After two Abel Porter free throws with eight seconds to play, Utah State held a 75-70 lead and looked like they would be able to survive Boise State’s big haymaker.

But Dennis came down and capped off his out-of-the-blue explosion, nailing a three-pointer with four seconds remaining.

Boise State’s comeback hinged on forcing one last turnover.

Justinian Jessup didn’t disappoint.

The senior sharpshooter was able to intercept Diogo Brito’s inbounds pass, and he quickly layed the the ball in with 1.3 seconds on the clock, tying the game at 75.

The two teams would take that scoreline with them into overtime. With the wind fully at their backs, Boise State drew first blood in the extra period—and never gave the lead back.

Jessup and Williams both finished in double figures for the Broncos, with Derrick Alston also chipping in 19 to tie Dennis for the team-high in scoring.

The win moves Boise State (12-6, 4-4 MW) to .500 in league play—something Utah State can no longer claim. The Broncos have had issues with depth at times this year, but the big plays out of RayJ Dennis and Max Rice down the stretch is a sign of growth for Leon Rice’s bench.

It’s a step in the right direction for a Broncos team coming off two straight losses to San Diego State and Air Force. Consistency hasn’t been this team’s strong suit this season, but any indications of progress are encouraging. If nothing else, it seems unlikely that Boise State will repeat its dismal showing in the Mountain West after last season’s mess.

For the Aggies, the loss not only hands them a losing record in conference play—it might have completely dashed any remaining hopes that Utah State had to get an at-large bid in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Craig Smith’s team came into the season with massive expectations, but the Aggies have fallen well short of them. Utah State was pegged to win the league going away, with San Diego State a distant second in the league. Questions lingered about how the team would fare with Queta on the mend from a summer knee injury, but a 7-0 start to the season for the Aggies quelled those fears.

But since Thanksgiving, that narrative has been completely flipped on its head, with Utah State going just 7-6 in games since their holiday trip to Montego Bay for the Jamaica Classic. And things are getting worse in 2020, with the Aggies having won just one game in five tries so far in the new year. Those games include losses to Air Force and UNLV.

Even on the road, those were games the Aggies were supposed to win.

At this point, preseason projections have to be thrown out. Though it’s not entirely clear what is wrong with the Aggies, they are nowhere near where the prognosticators—myself included—thought they would be.

The Aztecs, meanwhile, are still standing as the last undefeated team in the nation.

Utah State does hold wins over LSU and Florida, but those victories won’t be enough to buoy the Aggies’ chances at getting an at-large bid. At this point, they may need to run the table the rest of the way to have a shot at one. Failing that, Utah State’s only way forward will likely be through the Mountain West Tournament.

They will have plenty of competition there, though, with San Diego State having already all but locked up their ticket to the Big Dance. No other team in the league can make such a claim, so the stakes will be enormous at the Thomas & Mack Center in March.

Let’s hope that all of those games can be exciting as this one was.

UP NEXT

Boise State: The Broncos will have something of a light week compared to their recent forays against SDSU, Air Force, and Utah State. On Saturday, Boise State hosts Fresno State (6-12, 2-5 MW), who has struggled to the tune of a 2-5 start in league play. The Bulldogs have weapons, though. Leon Rice would do well to remind his team not to rest on their laurels, especially with no midweek game to keep them sharp.

Utah State: The Aggies will look to right the ship at home against Air Force (9-10, 3-4 MW). Remember: this team beat the Aggies by 19 points just two weeks ago. The Falcons’ offense has been impressive behind the play of Ryan Swan and Lavelle Scottie, but Dave Pilipovich has yet to field a consistent winner on the year. Utah State will also host San Jose State (6-13, 2-5 MW) next Saturday.

It’s not a stretch to say that these are must-win games for Utah State if they are to have any hope at getting into the NCAA Tournament through the front door.

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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UNLV Routs New Mexico, 99-78, Behind Coleman’s Triple Double

The UNLV Rebels defeated the New Mexico Lobos 99-78 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday January 18, 2020.

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UNLV Routs New Mexico 99-78, Retains Second Place in Mountain West

UNLV was too much for an ailing New Mexico at the Thomas and Mack.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Former walk-on Marvin Coleman II scored a triple-double.

Marvin Coleman II (11 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 6 steals) finished with a triple-double, and UNLV cruised past New Mexico behind a strong second half showing at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

It was a battle in the first half and New Mexico was up by as many as nine, but UNLV finished the half strong, and carried momentum off of a 9-0 run all the way through the second half.

The Rebels took the lead in the first after a made free throw by Donnie Tillman (7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist), and finished the half with a Bryce Hamilton (35 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal) jumper.

Just a five point game with the Rebels maintaining the small lead with 11:57 remaining, UNLV kicked it into high gear, keeping the Lobos at bay for most of the second half, before blowing the lead wide open beginning with a couple of free throws from Jonah Antonio (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) to put the rebels up 10, 78-68.

Two layups off of Lobos turnovers and a JaQuan Lyle (20 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal) technical foul later and the Lobos watched a close game with 4:30 remaining become a hopeless cause with little energy (nor defensive effort) available to make the game close, eventually giving up 23 points in the last four minutes and 26 seconds.

While the Rebels looked like one of the top squads in the Mountain West, it was clear that New Mexico is ailing amidst the turmoil in the program, missing key personnel in starters Carlton Bragg (removed from the team), JJ Caldwell (suspended) and Vance Jackson (knee) and struggling to find its identity.

UP Next: 

UNLV looks to take its hot streak to Reno on Wednesday against Nevada. New Mexico hopes to stop the bleeding in front of its home crowd, where it puts its undefeated home record on the line against San Jose State.

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Struggling MW Teams Meet as Wyoming Hosts Fresno State

The Mountain West’s worst teams face off on Saturday afternoon in Laramie, as Fresno State travels to Arena-Auditorium to face Wyoming.

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Fresno State at Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Cowboys searching for first MW win after two close calls

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

The two teams are a combined 1-12 on the early Mountain West season

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Fresno State (5-12, 1-5 MWC) at Wyoming (5-14, 0-7 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, January 18 — 4:00 P.M. MT / 3:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium, Laramie, Wyo.

WATCH: Mountain West Network

LISTEN: TuneIn Wyoming; TuneIn Fresno State

ALL-TIME: Fresno State leads the series, 8-4

ODDS: Fresno State -4, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

If you’ve seen Fight Club, then you already understand just how ugly a basement fistfight can get. David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s modern classic serves as a rough approximation for Saturday’s matchup between Wyoming and Fresno State.

Physicality. Grit. Desperation.

This clash of the Mountain West’s ninth- and tenth-place teams may not be a blockbuster, but it could act as a springboard for one of these squads to reverse their fortunes.

Fresno State does have the slight advantage over the Cowboys in the standings, though they won’t be quick to brag about their 1-5 start. That sole victory came against San Jose State, and while the Spartans’ program is starting to show signs of life, Jean Prioleau’s club is still ranked #283 in the KenPom ratings.

It’s been a tremendously tough season for Justin Hutson and the Bulldogs, especially coming off of last year’s relatively surprising success. But the departure of two bona fide studs will do that to a team.

And if anyone can relate to Hutson’s frustrations, it’s Allen Edwards.

Remember: just two years ago, Edwards was putting the finishing touches on his second 20-win season in as many tries as head coach of the Cowboys. Like Fresno State, Wyoming suffered a devastating loss when it bid farewell to talented seniors like Hayden Dalton, Alan Herndon, and Louis Adams.

They still haven’t recovered.

Justin James put the team on his back, but could only drag them as far as an 8-24 record after Hunter Maldonado went down with an injury. Now, that mantle has been passed to Maldonado, who is doing an admirable impression. The sophomore is averaging nearly 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and a steal every night.

But similar to last year, the individual performances aren’t adding up to wins.

Wyoming remains winless at 0-7, but they have come tantalizingly close to getting that first victory in their past two outings. First, they fell in overtime at home against UNLV. Next, it was Jalen Harris putting the dagger in the Cowboys’ heart as he lifted Nevada to a 68-67 win in Reno.

A return to Arena-Auditorium could help push them over that threshold and finally into the winner’s circle.

But even if Fresno State won’t have home court advantage, the Bulldogs do have the edge when it comes to the numbers.

GAME PLAN

On Wyoming’s possessions…

When the home team has the ball, feel free to get up and get another drink. The Cowboys’ average offensive possession lasts over 19 seconds, one of the slowest times in the country. A large portion of those possessions end with three-point attempts, which comprise nearly half of Wyoming’s entire shot selection. Unfortunately, they only connect on roughly 31% of them.

As alluded to in the previous section, the offense runs through Hunter Maldonado. There are other player capable of scoring—namely Jake Hendricks and Hunter Thompson—but Maldonado’s running a usage rate well north of 30%.

This team doesn’t get offensive rebounds. Well, it does, but at a lower rate than any other team in Division I men’s basketball. The Cowboys crash the glass successfully at a 13.6% clip, which is less than half of the national average of 28.2%, per KenPom. It’s especially strange when you consider that Wyoming is one of the taller teams in the country, on average.

Turnovers are not a huge issue for Wyoming, but ball security isn’t exactly a strong suit, either. This offense is one of the least effective in the country overall, but their shooting and rebounding woes are much more to blame than their ballhandling abilities.

On Fresno State’s possessions…

Orlando Robinson and Jarred Hyder have both emerged as offensive weapons alongside Nate Grimes and New Williams, giving Justin Hutson a wealth of options. Still, Fresno State has had issues shrugging off their early issues shooting the ball. They are shooting just 38.4% from the floor in conference play, suggesting that the problem is actually getting worse.

And though the Cowboys shoot a lot of three pointers, the Bulldogs make their numbers look paltry. Fresno State’s more long balls per possession than most of the country, with 48.9% of all shots coming from beyond the arc. But again like Wyoming, those shots aren’t falling often enough.

But while Wyoming can’t grab an offensive rebound to save their collective life, Fresno State has done remarkably well for themselves, rating well above average in this department thanks to Grimes and Robinson. The battle of the boards will be where Fresno State has the biggest advantage against the Cowboys.

GAME PREDICTION

Fresno State 68, Wyoming 63

The Bulldogs will likely shoot right around 40% for the game, but their ability to create second chances will help mitigate their inaccuracy. And as Fresno State’s defense is scant more than mediocre, a slowly improving Wyoming offense will keep it close. But Fresno State should be able to escape from The Equality State with its second MW win.

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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Colorado State Lets It Fly In A 105-72 Rout of New Mexico

The CSU Rams tied the NCAA mark for three point makes this season with 19 in a 33 point rout of a shorthanded New Mexico Lobos team.

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Colorado State Lets It Fly In A 105-72 Rout of New Mexico

The Rams tied the NCAA season mark for three point makes with 19.

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The Rams broke out of their three point shooting slump.

The Colorado State Rams came into this game against the New Mexico Lobos shooting 32.9% from behind the three point line. After this game, the Rams are tied for the most three point makes in the NCAA this season, they set a new school record for three points makes, and came within one make of tying the Mountain West record for three point makes after going 19-28 (68.7%) from deep.

The Rams were on fire from three early. They made their first four and nine of their first 11 attempts from deep. The breakout from the early shooting slump came at a key for the Rams. They more than likely won’t shoot this well for the rest of the season, but if they can become more consistent from deep they can be a dangerous team come conference tournament time.

CSU came into this game with 66% of their season point total scored by the underclassman. Against the Lobos, they accounted for 78% of the Rams point total. Isaiah Stevens had a big night as the Rams leading scorer, finishing with 19 points and eight assists. He also went five for six from deep. David Roddy got out of his slump from deep finishing two of four and with 12 points.

The Lobos came into this game down two players after Carlton Bragg was suspended on Sunday (J.J. Caldwell had previously been suspended). Both players were big pieces of this Lobo team and they were sorely missed. New Mexico struggled early and really fell off after Vance Jackson went down with an ankle injury.

The lone bright spot for this New Mexico team was Zane Martin. The junior guard finished as the only Lobo in double figures with 17 points. Martin finished seven of eleven from the field, two of three from deep, and one of two from the line.

The Lobos road doesn’t get any easier as they now head to Las Vegas to face the Rebels. The Rams head down south to Air Force as they prepare for a tough Falcons team.

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Colorado State vs. New Mexico: Game Preview, TV, Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

The Colorado State Rams take on the New Mexico Lobos in the Mountain West Conference in Moby Arena on Wednesday.

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Colorado State vs. New Mexico : Game Preview, TV, Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

New Mexico is, once again, without Bragg.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Carvacho and Colorado State – the home favorites – will test the New Mexico post presence without Bragg.

WHO: Colorado State Rams (11-7, 2-3 MW) vs. New Mexico Lobos (15-3, 4-1 MW)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 15 — 7:00 PM MT

WHERE: Moby Arena – For Collins, CO (8,745)

TV: None

STREAM: ESPN3 (WatchESPN.com)

RADIO: TuneIn

SERIES RECORD: New Mexico leads, 78-46

ODDS: Colorado State -3

PREVIEW:

In a season not without its share of off-the-court issues, New Mexico (15-3, 4-1 MW) is, once more, without low-post player Carlton Bragg (12.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.5 blocks per game), who has been removed from New Mexico’s roster.

Bragg, who led New Mexico in both rebounds and blocks (he was also among the nation’s top 20 rebounders), will be sorely missed in what would have been an enticing matchup to watch between the New Mexico senior and the Rams’ senior big man, Nico Carvacho (12.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game).

Meanwhile, Carvacho has averaged a conference best 10.7 rebounds per game (14th nationally) including 16 rebounds against San Jose State in the Rams’ 81-70 win at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.

Colorado State (11-7, 2-3 MW) will likely look to exploit a New Mexico team that is a little thinner out front, but New Mexico remains a talented group that is difficult to scout (and to outscore) because of the number of offensively talented players on the team.

Corey Manigault, while not a rebounder of the same caliber as Bragg, has been consistent as ever in his last five games amidst the Lobos’ off-court issues, averaging 16.4 points, 6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and an impressive 2.4 steals per game. Zane Martin, who had not played point guard prior to heading to New Mexico, has looked good in the role lately, averaging 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in his last five. Then there’s the most consistent player on the team, JaQuan Lyle (17.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals per game) who has, like Martin has recently, done a little bit of everything all season long.

Throw in players that have not had the same level of consistency, but have often produced when needed (Vante Hendrix, Makuach Maluach, Vance Jackson) and the Lobos can just be darn hard to guard.

Paul Weir said about his team after beating Air Force, “I think it’s a testament to our team that we’re on the court in a really big game and I look down the bench and I see JaQuan and Vance sitting on the bench.”

Colorado State has relied much on two freshman in David Roddy (11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game) and Isaiah Stevens (12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game).

Though New Mexico has certainly been winning, they often struggle when the team they play is similarly skilled offensively, and they also give up a lot of possessions to other teams through turnovers and giving up offensive rebounds.

Unfortunately for Colorado State, these have not been areas that have seen major success this year on average. The Rams force 13.28 turnovers per game (226th nationally), pull down 8.5 offensive rebounds per game (284th nationally) and aren’t quite as offensively efficient according to KenPom.com, which has the Lobos ranked 48th in offensive efficiency and the Rams at 139th in the same statistical category.

Of course, this is college basketball and these are things that often stray from the averages and New Mexico has also been a different team on the road compared to their 12-0 home record, posting a 2-2 record in away contests (3-3 including neutral court games).

Still, it seems like New Mexico should be able to keep a pace that makes it difficult for Colorado State to hang with, despite what could be a big game for Nico Carvacho.

Injuries/Roster Updates:

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New TV Deal Ensures Exposure For Mountain West Basketball

New TV deal ensures exposure for Mountain West hoops CBS, FOX will carry as many as 75 basketball games Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire The new agreement lays out a more prominent platform for Mountain West basketball Last week, the …

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New TV deal ensures exposure for Mountain West hoops

CBS, FOX will carry as many as 75 basketball games

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

The new agreement lays out a more prominent platform for Mountain West basketball

Last week, the Mountain West announced a new television rights deal with CBS and FOX that will pay the league a total of $270 million for the rights to broadcast its football and men’s basketball games. Though the league did not disclose the specifics of how the rights fees would be split between the two networks, CBS Sports will remain the primary broadcast partner for the conference.

The six-year deal goes into effect at the beginning of the next college football season and runs through the 2026 men’s basketball campaign.

The most significant aspects of this massive joint venture pertain to the gridiron. In addition to football being the major source of value in the deal for all parties, the MW also has two very unique situations at Boise State and Hawai’i that pertain only to the football programs at those schools.

But while football may be what brought everybody to the table, the inclusion of the TV rights for men’s basketball should not be overlooked.

The deal not only lines the coffers of the conference for years to come, but it also ensures increased exposure for men’s hoops. To that end, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson was quick to dispel the notion that basketball was an afterthought in the agreement.

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“Basketball is a valuable commodity to the Mountain West and was an important part of these negotiations,” Thompson noted during the media call announcing the deal.

Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of CBS Sports, echoed those sentiments.

“There was absolutely an emphasis placed on the high-quality basketball that’s played across the league,” Weinberg said, adding that the sport was “forefront in the discussions” and “absolutely part of the process.”

The result of that process is that CBS and FOX will now combine to show as many as 75 games across all platforms.

The deal guarantees that 32 regular-season Mountain West games will be shown on either CBS or CBS Sports Network. The network will also have the option to select 10 games for its burgeoning digital arm, CBS All Access. Importantly, the network will be able to select what it considers to be the 12 best games to add to its programming schedule.

At least two games will be broadcast annually on CBS’ flagship network television channel, under the terms of the agreement. This is up from zero broadcast games under the current media rights deal.

The Mountain West Championship Game will continue to be broadcast on CBS, though an interesting wrinkle in the new deal offers the network a way out of that obligation.

The deal stipulates that the contest “must be played on NCAA Tournament selection weekend.” That clause may have been spurred by the unusual circumstances of the 2020 MWC Tournament, which will be played one week earlier than normal due to the massive 2020 Conexpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas the week of Selection Sunday.

UP NEXT: EXPLAINING FOX SPORTS AGREEMENT

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Mountain West Basketball Transfer Game: Where Are They Now?

Where did some of your favorite players end up? In short the AAC, AEC, Big East, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big West C-USA, Division 2 & 3, Horizon, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, MVC, NAIA, NJCAA, PAC-12, RMAC, SEC, Southland, Summit, SWAC, WAC Contact/Follow …

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Where did some of your favorite players end up? 

In short the AAC, AEC, Big East, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big West C-USA, Division 2 & 3, Horizon, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, MVC, NAIA, NJCAA, PAC-12, RMAC, SEC, Southland, Summit, SWAC, WAC 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

What are past Mountain West Players up to this season?

College basketball’s allure comes with its many different facets and components. Things like recruiting, geographic rivalries and a tournament that produces Cinderella-like stories for underdog schools in the nooks and crannies of this great country, it’s all so great.

But there are also some things we would consider changing if left up to us, like maybe an expanded tournament field (maybe), better metrics for grading tournament teams, hardship waivers have been an issue and NCAA rulings when it comes to eligibility. Sometimes you take what you can get, but an aspect of college basketball that always comes with mixed emotions is the transferring of players. This is something that can go either way for fans as we get excited when our teams bring guys in but wish others would have stayed (for the most part).

Now guys transfer for a multitude of reasons and fans should never hold grudges against 18-24-year-old individuals who at the end of the day have the right to look for the best opportunity for themselves. Some guys get buried on the bench by increased depth, move to be closer to home or find opportunities at larger institutions where they can play against a higher level of talent on television on a weekly basis. It’s okay, and remember these things happen.

There are also coaching changes that occur in every conference across the country, which bring a level of turnover inside a program that can only be matched by corporate takeovers. Never the less if you are like me and glance at box scores, check-in on the occasional American East game, notice offers to familiar names on JUCO sites or find yourself genuinely curious asking yourself questions like, “what happened to that guy?” or “I wonder how he is doing?”, then this list is for you.

There are other former Mountain West players out their with college eligibility but this list aims at finding the guys with a nice internet trail and letting you know how they’re doing on their new team.

Things to note:

  • There may be a few transfers out there sitting out the 2019-2020 season due to transfer rules. These guys won’t be reflected here, that’s a topic for another day.
  • If a player still has college eligibility but maybe stopped playing college basketball all together or their trail ran cold, they aren’t listed below.
  • If a player is still playing but was dismissed from a team and didn’t transfer, they were also left off of this list.
  • Lastly you won’t see guys who left teams to turn pro with college eligibility still remaining either.

Now let’s get to it.

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