Tag: Mountain West Basketball

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

Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Ten Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Flynn pulls ahead, while Air Force and San Jose State find representation on the list, in …

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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 Ten

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Flynn pulls ahead, while Air Force and San Jose State find representation on the list, in a week full of upsets.

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 tenth week is as follows:

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

28 Points, 9 Rebounds and 3 Steals against Nevada

21 Points, 8 Rebounds and 2 Assists against Colorado State

Knight makes his debut on the list and does so with a bang with a first place finish after a week that featured handing the Nevada Wolfpack their first loss in conference play while averaging 24.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG for the Spartans. San Jose State has had a well known tough transition into the Mountain West, failing to finish above .500 in conference play, posting a 16-98 record since their move in 2014.

Knight has played well for a Spartan’s team that is enjoying 9th place in the conference standings after two wins against top half teams New Mexico and Nevada this season. Those two conference wins give head coach Jean Prioleau more wins in conference play than his previous two years in San Jose combined (which add up to two).

Knight is leading the team in scoring with 13.7 PPG but is averaging 16.6 PPG in conference play. The Spartans are a bit two sided and can bring an upset caliber team to the court (i.e. Hofstra, New Mexico, Nevada) or a team riding an eight game losing streak (Nov. 23rd-Dec. 22nd) any night.

To be fair the Spartans only have one loss to a team outside KenPom’s top-250, and have a strength of schedule rated 67th in the country. Either way this Spartan team may be a bit underrated (I know how it sounds but ask the Lobos or Wolfpack) and would have a “successful” or progressive season if they finish anywhere inside the top-10. And Knight’s play as of recent can get them there.

2. JaQuan Lyle, senior guard New Mexico (4 Points):

14 Points, 10 Assists and 3 Steals against Fresno State

20 Points, 4 Assists and 2 Rebounds against Air Force

3. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (3 Points):

19 Points, 4 Assists and 3 Steals against Wyoming

19 Points, 6 Assists and 3 Rebounds against Boise State

4.  Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (2 Points):

20 Points, 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists against San Jose State

31 Points, 3 Assists, and 3 Rebounds against Utah State

5. Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point):

31 Points, 11 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Utah State

10 Points, 7 Rebounds and 2 Assists against New Mexico

Past Weeks:

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

Current Overall Point Totals:

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (17 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (15 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (14 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (11 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (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)

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)

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)

Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (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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UNLV needs late surge to survive Wyoming upset bid

Game Recap: UNLV 78, Wyoming 69 (OT) Rebels move to 4-1 in MW; Cowboys still winless Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire UNLV holds steady in second place despite a close call in Laramie TJ Otzelberger’s team found a way to survive on …

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Game Recap: UNLV 78, Wyoming 69 (OT)

Rebels move to 4-1 in MW; Cowboys still winless

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

UNLV holds steady in second place despite a close call in Laramie

TJ Otzelberger’s team found a way to survive on Saturday, preserving the hot streak that has marked their coach’s first season in the Mountain West.

UNLV (9-9, 4-1 MW) beat Wyoming 78-69 in Laramie’s Arena-Auditorium, but the Runnin’ Rebels needed a late push – and an extra five minutes – to save themselves from the Cowboys’ upset bid.

The Rebels were led by Bryce Hamilton’s 19 points off the bench. Jonah Antonio and Marvin Coleman were both also in double digits for UNLV, scoring 15 and 14, respectively. Donnie Tillman also added 10 points from the bench.

Kwane Marble paced Wyoming (5-13, 0-6 MW) in the scoring department with 19 points, followed closely by Jake Hendricks with 18 and Hunter Maldonado with 16. Marble was extremely efficient, going 4-for-4 from the field and 9-for-11 on free throws, but Maldonado and Hendricks combined to shoot just 30% on the game.

Wyoming led by seven points with 1:25, after Hunter Thompson hit the front end of a trip to the free throw line. But a 7-0 run, capped by two Donnie Tillman free throws in the dying seconds, forced overtime.

The Cowboys never led again.

UNLV opened up the extra period with back-to-back three-pointers from Coleman and Antonio. Coleman also hit a three during the late run to push the game into overtime.

The second-year Rebel is averaging nearly ten points per game since being installed in the Rebels’ starting lineup just before Christmas. Antonio, another recent addition to the starting five, reached double figures for the first time since the team’s opening game of the season.

Those adjustment has already paid early dividends for Otzelberger, with the team going 5-1 over their past six games. UNLV has finally climbed back to .500 after losing eight of their first 12 games.

That they were victorious despite a poor offensive showing from Amauri Hardy is especially encouraging for a team that has looked one-dimensional at times.

Saturday’s triumph was the fourth in five tries for UNLV in Mountain West play, keeping them in a second-place tie with New Mexico. The Lobos were also victorious over the weekend, beating Air Force at home. Both teams trail undefeated San Diego State, with the Aztecs moving to 17-0 after an easy win over Boise State.

In stark contrast to the early success of those teams, Wyoming still remains winless on the conference season. The Cowboys are in last place in the Mountain West, trailing Fresno State by a game and a half.

UP NEXT

UNLV hosts San Jose State (6-12, 2-4 MW) on Wednesday night. The Spartans are coming off a loss to Colorado State over the weekend, but they haven’t looked like the pushovers they were a year ago. Jean Prioleau’s club has already beaten New Mexico and Nevada in league play. They also came closer than anyone else to beating San Diego State, with Malachi Flynn’s buzzer-beater serving as the Aztecs’ only saving grace.

Wyoming will head to Reno to take on Nevada (10-7, 3-2 MW) in a Tuesday night matchup. The Wolf Pack have stumbled a bit of late, with the aforementioned loss to San Jose State and another to Utah State making for a very forgettable week. But this team is plenty talented and should have the offensive firepower to outgun the Cowboys. Jalen Harris should be in the mix for MW Player of the Year honors if he can continue to light up the league’s defenses.

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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Utah State snaps losing streak at home against Nevada

Game Recap: Nevada Wolf Pack at Utah State Aggies The Aggies come up big at home against the Wolf Pack Contact/Follow @MWCwire Queta and the Aggies snap 3 game losing streak. Craig Smith, the players, and the fans are breathing a sigh of relief …

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Game Recap: Nevada Wolf Pack at Utah State Aggies 

The Aggies come up big at home against the Wolf Pack

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Queta and the Aggies snap 3 game losing streak. 

Craig Smith, the players, and the fans are breathing a sigh of relief after Utah State snapped a three game losing streak beating Nevada 80-70. The Wolf Pack never led throughout the entire contest as the Aggies took an early 3-0 lead and never looked back.

The Aggies led 32-23 at half time and quickly pushed the lead up to double digits for the remainder of the game.

Neemias Queta had his best game of the season finishing with 19 points and 7 rebounds.  Queta has played sparingly this season due to injury.  The Aggies ran two set plays over and over resulting in bucket after bucket for Queta.  Nevada didn’t make the needed adjustments in order to shut him down and Utah State took advantage.

Sporting a nice black eye, Sam Merrill finished the game with 12 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds.  Merrill has struggled from the field over the past 4 games but the 87% free throw shooter always seems to find a way to score.  Brock Miller, Abel Porter, and Diogo Brito all scored in double digits for the Aggies.

Jalen Harris led the Wolf Pack with 31 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.  The junior guard is leading the Wolf Pack in scoring this season.  Harris hit 5 threes and made 8-9 free throws.  This was Harris’ 8th game this season scoring 20 or more points and his 2nd game with 30 or more. Jazz Johnson, the other high scorer for the Wolf Pack, finished the game with 18 points.  Johnson struggled for most of the game before exploding during the last few minutes of the game.

Up Next:

The Aggies travel to Boise next Saturday to take on Boise State.

The Wolf Pack returns to Reno for a matchup against Wyoming on Tuesday night.

Sideline Notes:

No fire extinguisher cabinets were harmed before, during, or after the game.

Utah State snapped the worst losing streak in the Craig Smith era.

Nevada now sports a 2 game losing streak for only the 2nd time this season.

Nevada falls to 3-2 in conference while Utah State levels out at 3-3.

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Lobos host Air Force with eyes on staying in second place

New Mexico vs. Air Force: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Lobos trying to keep share of 2nd place in the MW Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire New Mexico will look to tame the Falcons after Air Force’s big win earlier this …

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New Mexico vs. Air Force: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Lobos trying to keep share of 2nd place in the MW

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico will look to tame the Falcons after Air Force’s big win earlier this week

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Air Force (8-8, 2-2 MWC) at New Mexico (14-3, 3-1 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 — 4:00 P.M. MT / 3:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: DreamStyle Arena, Albuquerque, New Mexico

WATCH: Stadium/Facebook

LISTEN: 96.3 KKOB; Listen Live

ALL-TIME: New Mexico leads the series, 60-23

ODDS: New Mexico -9, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

New Mexico will look to keep at least a share of second place in the Mountain West, as the Falcons of Air Force descend upon The Pit on Saturday.

The Lobos are 3-1 in league play so far, trailing only undefeated San Diego State and currently tied with Nevada and UNLV in the standings. Aside from the Aztecs, Paul Weir’s crew has the best overall record in the MW at 14-3, with their loss to San Jose State last week serving as the only defeat since their November 25 tilt with unbeaten Auburn.

New Mexico was back to their winning ways earlier this week, dispatching Fresno State with ease, 78-64. JaQuan Lyle has continued to look like a clear All-Mountain West talent, registering a double-double with 14 points and ten assists.

Even more encouraging for the Lobos is the recent explosion of Vance Jackson. He scored 29 points against the Bulldogs after posting 25 in the loss to the Spartans. Jackson has finished in double figures in five straight games after completing the feat just twice in the team’s first 11 contests.

Adding that extra scoring punch has come at a perfect time as Carlton Bragg makes his way back into the offense. The senior forward was averaging a double-double on the season before his suspension last month. After missing three games, Bragg returned against Fresno State but was ineffective, scoring just two points in 22 minutes on the floor.

But if Weir can get all of his pieces working at the same time, the Lobos may have an outside shot at sneaking into the Big Dance.

Air Force, meanwhile, has finally risen back to .500 after wiping the floor with Utah State on Tuesday. On the back of its stout offense, this Falcons team has started to turn things around after a disappointing 2-5 start to the year. Until the game against the Aggies, though, it wasn’t clear whether this team should be considered much of a threat in the Mountain West.

But Dave Pilipovich and the Falcons made their point.

Ryan Swan had a night to remember against Utah State, scoring a season-high 31 points and adding 11 rebounds. He has overtaken fellow senior Lavelle Scottie as the Falcons’ leading scorer on the season, with sophomore guard AJ Walker not far behind. The trio averages a combined 40 points per night, and both Swan and Walker are shooting over 50% on the year.

As a team, the Falcons have shot at one of the best clips in the country, posting an effective field goal percentage that ranks among the nation’s five best. That number is especially impressive when Scottie’s shooting woes are taken into account. The 6’7” senior was one of the league’s best shooters a year ago, but has struggled to the tune of 47% on two-pointers and 44% overall from the floor.

If he can get hot – and stay that way – Air Force could be a dangerous matchup for just about anyone in the Mountain West.

They’ll test that theory against the Lobos on Saturday.

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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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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With Vance Jackson Coming Back Into Form, New Mexico Beats Fresno State 78-64

The New Mexico Lobos defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs 78-64 at Dreamstyle Arena – the Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday night.

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With Vance Jackson Coming Back Into Form, New Mexico beats Fresno State 78-64

New Mexico is 11-0 at home on the season

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Vance Jackson has really come on in recent games.

Vance Jackson (29 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists) led the game in scoring and rebounding and New Mexico (14-3, 3-1 MW) bounced back from a stinging loss against San Jose State to put away Fresno State (5-11, 1-4 MW), 78-64.

Stud freshman forward Orlando Robinson (16 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 block) led the way for the Bulldogs.

The game was a close one throughout the first half at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit in Albuquerque, with New Mexico heading into the locker room at halftime with a 41-37 edge over a Bulldogs team that was forced to withdraw New Williams (10 points, 1 assist)from the game for most of the first half after he picked up his second foul with 16:51 remaining in the half.

But Fresno State was never able to get as close as its four-point striking distance in the second half, eventually falling behind by as many as 18 points with just 2:02 left on the clock.

New Mexico benefited greatly from the point guard play of JaQuan Lyle (14 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 block), who had previously been playing shooting guard, and the return of Carlton Bragg (2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks), who drew a number of fouls from the opposition and made scoring in the paint difficult for the Bulldogs, which shot poorly from three on the night.

New Mexico, however, had one of their better nights shooting beyond the arc, going 9-22 for the contest, six of which came from Jackson, who went 6-7 in the game.

Plenty of threes were open for both teams, thanks to a clean game with relatively few turnovers and good ball movement. New Mexico’s 19 assists (10 of which came from Lyle and 6 of which came from Zane Martin) were instrumental in keeping things flowing offensively.

The win keeps New Mexico among the top four in the league, just behind undefeated UNLV, Nevada and #7 San Diego State. The loss finds the young Fresno State squad in the company of Colorado State and San Jose State with just one win apiece in the conference.

The Jackson Five:

For five straight games, Vance Jackson has recorded double figures. Fans were expecting much more out of the junior wing/forward after he averaged 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game in the 2019 Mountain West Tournament, en route to being voted as an all-tournament team player. The shots are finally falling for Jackson. Self-labeled “old man” on the team, JaQuan Lyle, said about his teammate, “It’s a difference when you’re making shots and when you’re not. Credit to him for. . .getting in the gym and staying with it, keeping the confidence in himself and now the shots are falling. We all knew that eventually that they would and now they are.”

Jackson has averaged 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in the last five games.

Up Next:

New Mexico stays in Albuquerque to take on an Air Force team which pummeled preseason conference favorite Utah State by 19 in Clune Arena.

Fresno State will try its luck against the rolling San Diego State Aztecs, which are perfect not only at home, but on the season.

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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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Top-half teams clash as Nevada hosts Boise State

Nevada vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Wolf Pack looking to stay undefeated in MW play Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire High-powered offenses come head-to-head in the Biggest Little City in the World GAME …

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Nevada vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Wolf Pack looking to stay undefeated in MW play

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

High-powered offenses come head-to-head in the Biggest Little City in the World

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Boise State (10-5, 2-1 MWC) at Nevada (9-5, 2-0 MWC)

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

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

WATCH: CBS Sports Network

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Nevada leads the series, 47-27

ODDS: Nevada -4, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

Two of the top teams in the Mountain West come together on Saturday when Nevada hosts Boise State as the second week of league play continues.

The Wolf Pack are one of three teams that remain undefeated in MWC play, along with San Diego State and UNLV. Steve Alford is off to a good start in Reno, and the team is coming off a win over Colorado State on Wednesday.

The victory moved the Pack to 2-0 in league play, but Saturday presents their toughest conference test to date.

Nevada doesn’t have a great shot at getting an NCAA Tournament bid, but if they turn in a top-3 performance in the Mountain West, those odds will improve. Boise State will also be competing for that spot.

The Broncos have been on a tear of late, as well, winning their past four games. Their most recent victory came on Wednesday when they beat Wyoming.

But Boise State will have to shake their travel woes in order to keep from falling to 2-2 in league play. The Broncos are just 1-3 in true road games this season, with their only win coming against Pacific after three overtimes.

Nevada, meanwhile, hasn’t lost in its past 13 Mountain West home games. That has to bode well.

GAME PLAN

On THE WOLF PACK’S POSSESSIONS…

As always, Alford will lean on his high-scoring guard trio of Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson, and Lindsey Drew. Nisre Zouzoua’s offensive play has also earned him a very long look. This team likes to launch threes and they have been well-rewarded for their boldness, hitting nearly 38% of their shots from downtown. They won’t try to go to the rim too much with their bigs, but Harris is particularly skilled at scoring inside.

Nevada is very careful with the ball and Boise State doesn’t force many turnovers, so don’t expect the Wolf Pack to cough up possessions. But offensive rebounding continues to be a problem for the team. The team’s reliance on three-pointers leads to fewer free throws than the average team shoots, and the Broncos are a disciplined team in terms of fouling.

If Nevada wins the offensive battle, it will be because they are hitting from beyond the arc. If they struggle there, they could have serious issues keeping up with the Broncos.

ON THE BRONCOS’ POSSESSIONS…

Derrick Alston has looked great this season, but the game against Wyoming was about as bad as it gets for him. He shot 1-for-10 from the field and scored a season-low four points. That said, this was an aberration. Alston should be able to carry this offense against Nevada’s defense. But even if he can’t, Justinian Jessup and Abu Kigab appear to be up to the task of providing the scoring punch.

Like Nevada, the Broncos like to shoot threes, but they go inside much more often. Unfortunately, they don’t gather up offensive rebounds very well, outside of RJ Williams. They make up for a lack of second chances by making good use of their first chance. Boise State doesn’t turn the ball over very often, ranking among the 25 best schools in the country in this department. And if that wasn’t enough, Nevada is one of the worst in the country at forcing turnovers.

In order to keep up with a high-powered Nevada offense, Boise State needs Alston to get untracked so that they are firing at full bore.

GAME PREDICTION

Nevada 83, Boise State 79

This game has all the makings of an entertaining battle. Two offenses that can score in bunches. Two defenses that won’t fall on their face, but won’t slow things down too much, either. Ultimately, the biggest difference between the two is that Nevada is playing at home.

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

The Rams and Wolf Pack face off in conference action. Both teams are looking to build momentum into the heart of conference play.

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

The Rams and Wolf Pack look to start off the new year with a conference win

Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire

Who can gain momentum into the conference season?

WHO: Colorado State Rams (9-6, 0-2 Mountain West) vs Nevada Wolf Pack (8-5, 1-0 Mountain West)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 1 — 8:00 PM MT/7:00 PM PT

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center; Reno, Nevada (11,536)

TV: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain

STREAM: Mountain West Network (Outside AT&T Broadcast area)

RADIO: Colorado State | Nevada

SERIES RECORD: Nevada leads the series 14-9

ODDS: Nevada -7 per VegasInsider.com

The Colorado State Rams head to Reno to face the Wolf Pack in both teams first conference match up of 2020. The Rams are coming off two momentum building wins, one in triple-OT against Tulsa and a getting the rust off victory of NAIA Doane. The Wolf Pack are coming off a close 68-63 loss to St Marys.

The Rams will need to be ready to play. They have come out flat in their last couple of games and it cost them a potential four game winning streak. Nico Carvacho will need to be his normal self. He needs to play hard and smart. The Wolf Pack have a trio of 6’10” forwards that will rotate throughout the game, so Carvacho can’t get into foul trouble.

Kris Martin and Hyron Edwards are also going to be key pieces for the Rams in this game. The underclassmen on this team are going to play their game, but Martin and Edwards are seniors and need to keep the composure for this team. Too many times, this Rams team has had sloppy play and the seniors have been a big part of that.

The Wolf Pack will need to keep doing what they are doing with Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson, and Lindsey Drew. This trio has been the leaders for Nevada this season and they look to continue their recent dominance against the Rams. Johnson and Drew could have big nights as the Rams struggle to defend the three point line.

Another trio who will be big will be Zane Meeks, Johncarlos Reyes, and K.J. Hymes. Each of these three players are 6’10”. The Rams only have two players that tall or taller and one is redshirting this season. The Wolf Pack have a potential size advantage if they want to take advantage of it.

Prediction: Wolf Pack 78-72 Rams

The Rams will come out flat again and fight back to make the game close, but the shooting prowess of Nevada will be too much and the Wolf Pack will pull it out in the end.

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