Tag: Mountain West Conference

Changes in PAC-12 and Mountain West suggest change is coming to Big Ten soon

Will the Big Ten change its division and championship game format as other conferences make changes?

The future of the conference championship game in college football is beginning to change in a significant way. While the Big Ten has yet to make any adjustments to how it will ultimately crown a conference champion in football, other conferences are making moves they feel is best for their respective situations.

The ACC has already begun exploring a different scheduling technique that would include a 3-5-5 format with three permanent rivals every season for every ACC member and rotating the other 10 schools over two seasons with five one year and five more the next. The ACC also seemed to be taking the lead in the movement to eliminate divisions in its conference structure, which would pave the path to a 3-5-5 scheduling format. The top two teams in the ACC would then play for the ACC Championship at the end of the season.

In the past couple of days, the PAC-12 and Mountain West Conference have taken strides to drastically change their championship game formats as well. The PAC-12 has not scrapped the two-division format at this point in time, but it did pass a change that will pit the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage in the PAC-12 championship game, regardless of division. This format would have resulted in a different PAC-12 championship game in five of the past 11 seasons, although last season’s game would not have been altered.

The Mountain West Conference is moving more in the direction of the ACC by ditching its division structure beginning in 2023. As a result, the two teams with the highest winning percentage in conference games will square off in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game.

All of these changes are being made possible by a decision by the NCAA to lift the restrictions on conference championship games. The NCAA used to require conferences to have 12 members in a division format to hold a conference championship game. However, the Big 12 was granted an exemption from that requirement in recent years despite only having 10 members, which was a step toward updating the way conference championships are crowned. With changes coming to the Big 12 membership with Oklahoma and Texas leaving for the SEC and the conference adding UCF, Houston, BYU, and Cincinnati, discussions are ongoingly centering on how the Big 12 will be structured moving forward.

As for the Big Ten, there are still calls for the conference to scrap divisions and take on a similar scheduling strategy as the ACC, which would seem to work well with an eight-game or nine-game conference schedule. And it looks like there will be plenty of debate on what the Big Ten should do.

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West Coast basketball top-25 rankings: Bubble teams take big strides in February

A handful of bubble teams took positive steps forward on the west coast, while UCLA got swept by the Arizona’s. Inside last week’s action:

It was a huge, bubble-altering week of college basketball on the west coast.

San Francisco throttled BYU, sending the Cougars on a spiral that could cost them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, Wyoming cruised through a pair of tough Mountain West opponents, re-establishing themselves as a player not just for an at-large bid – but for a straight up conference title.

Seattle University lost some ground in their quest for a conference championship, while Washington State made up ground and is nearing “last four in” territory this March.

In non-bubble news, UCLA lost twice to Arizona and Arizona State, Arizona also beat USC, Gonzaga ran through BYU, and Randy Bennett’s Saint Mary’s squad remains a potent force defensively.

Only one newcomer to the list this week, Montana State, who replaces fellow Big Sky tem Weber State in the power rankings, moving up as the team to beat in the conference.

Without further ado, here are the top-25 west coast college basketball power rankings after the first week of February:

Team Preview: Fresno State offense will test Oregon’s young secondary

Fresno State’s offense has plenty of weapons to provide Oregon some problems in the Ducks season opener.

If Mario Cristobal’s goal is to schedule good competition for his Oregon Ducks football team right away in Week 1, mission accomplished.

It would be easy to invite a team from the Football Championship Subdivision such as Portland State to begin the first normal season in two years, but Oregon will welcome Fresno State Sept. 4. When the two teams take the field, it will be 644 days since a full Autzen Stadium will witness a game.

The Bulldogs come into the contest already with a win under their belt as they blew out Connecticut 45-0 last week. Granted UConn didn’t play last season and the Huskies looked more than sluggish, but Fresno State was able to show their overall team speed and an accurate quarterback that will test Oregon’s young secondary.

“They’re a team that’s impressive and you can tell they return a lot of starters,” Cristobal said of Fresno State in his weekly press conference. “They’re explosive on offense and it relates to a couple of different things. At running back, they’re as good as you’ll find. They also have a very experienced quarterback that came over from Washington and can tell by the efficiency of their passing game, the timing and precision, and their ability to protect and launch it down the field when they want to.”

That quarterback from Washington is senior Jake Haener. He transferred from the Huskies to the Bulldogs after the 2018 season where he appeared in four games in Seattle. Haener sat out the 2019 season per NCAA transfer rules, but when he was able to step out on the field for Fresno State, he delivered.

In 2020, Haener was an All-Mountain West honorable mention, leading the conference in averaging 337 yards a game. He also completed nearly 65 percent of his passes. Haener threw for 14 touchdowns in the six games the Bulldogs played last season. In the 2021 season opener, Haener picked up right where he left off going 20-of-26 for 331 yards and three scores.

The Fresno State tailback Cristobal mentioned was senior Ronnie Rivers, a 5-foot-9, 195-pounder from Brentwood, Calif. Although he had a slow day against UConn (13 carries for 58 yards), Rivers has been spectacular in his career.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Rivers was a first-team all-conference tailback last season where he scored seven rushing touchdowns and nine total. Rivers’ next touchdown, his 45th, will make Rivers the all-time leading touchdown scorer in school history.

Fresno State’s deep threat was on full display last week with receiver Jalen Cropper. The 6-0, 172-pounder from Parlier, Calif. had an 86-yard touchdown against UConn where his speed was just too much for the Huskies’ secondary to handle. But that was the first time Cropper has exploded for a score in his career. Far from it.

Cropper has 55 catches in his two-plus-year career and is averaging almost 15 yards per reception. He caught 37 passes last year, good for 520 yards and five touchdowns in the six-game season.

As for their next game, inside a full Autzen Stadium, Fresno State offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb knows Oregon will provide a more difficult challenge than UConn did.

“Jake (Haener) is going to have to get that ball out on time,” he said of his quarterback avoiding sacks. “I think a big part of it is staying in rhythm and not getting ourselves in a position where Jake has to throw the ball. The O-line has to play well and know where the matchup is. We’re looking for a heavy dose of a pass rush and we just have to stay firm up there.”

A lot of offensive coordinators have said the same thing when facing the Ducks defense led by defensive Kayvon Thibodeaux and have walked away wondering what went wrong. Fresno State could be in that same position about three hours after kickoff.

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Penn State’s all-time record against each FBS conference’s current membership

Penn State’s all-time records vs each FBS conference’s current membership

Penn State is among college football’s all-time winningest programs and is the most recent member of the 900-win club. Sprinkled throughout Penn State’s 9-2 all-time wins entering the 2021 season are victories against nearly every FBS program with a few notable exceptions.

We have taken a look at Penn State’s all-time records against each current FBS program, categorized by conference. But if you were curious what Penn State’s all-time cumulative record is against each FBS conference’s entire membership, look no further!

To keep in line with our previous breakdowns, all of which are linked below for each conference, this listicle is calculated using each conference’s current membership and not what conference a school played in previous meetings. For example, all games Penn State has played against Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska are included in Penn State’s all-time record against Big Ten schools.

As always, this listicle will be updated accordingly.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

New Mexico, New Mexico St asked by NM governor to stop football prep

Big developments in the state of New Mexico

Had USC been playing a full schedule this fall, recent news from a few days ago would have had a potentially severe impact on that.

The Trojans were scheduled to play the New Mexico Lobos on September 12, right after the Crimson Tide (Sept. 5) and right before Stanford (Sept. 19). With the move to conference-only scheduling by the Pac-12, New Mexico lost out on a $1,050,000 payday against USC, $100,000 of which had already been paid to UNM back in 2016 to help with their budget shortfall situation, per Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Review Journal.

If a story affects UNM or NMSU, Grammer is usually the first to break the story.

So, UNM was already facing a problem given it was likely to have to pay USC back unless the Lobos could work out a plan to include that money in a game to be played after the pandemic ends. That’s likely what will happen. No college is callous enough to try to bleed a stone at this juncture, especially USC. $100,000 to the Trojans is a very small buffet to feed the entire athletic department on a random Tuesday. It is pocket change… but not for New Mexico or New Mexico State.

The state of New Mexico has intervened. The governor asked the Lobos and the Aggies to suspend all football activities immediately due to a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases both in New Mexico and around the United States. Geoff Grammer broke this news story as well.

What this would cost both schools was not mentioned in the letter, but it’s safe to assume it’s going to be a lot of money over the course of a season. The two programs — the Lobos and Aggies — will also miss out on conference revenue sharing, unless the playing institutions agree to share the pie anyhow. While the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University may have been the first programs to face these problems at the Division I FBS level, they’re not likely to be the last. If cases keep rising, governors will have little choice but to suspend large gatherings of people, just as they did early in the pandemic.

The economic toll facing some of these programs is eye-popping. How some of these schools are going to survive may come down to the generosity and magnanimity of their elite donors and booster clubs. The season is already facing a massively disjointed dimension in competition. Should teams within those conference begin dropping like flies, it’s only going to compound the complications of the season. It’s sure as hell not going to make choosing postseason teams any easier, and we covered that in a previous article for Trojans Wire.

There is a lot to consider. A lot to ponder… and there is still so much that will ultimately exist beyond the control of those in charge. Pandemics do not listen to health commissioners or sports commissioners. They don’t care about your budget shortfalls or canceled games with UCLA.

Sorry, New Mexico State, you’re simply out that $1.2 million. What’s going to happen to the sport as a result of the coronavirus is going to far surpass what’s going to happen to the sport as the result of a name, image, and likeness rules. Mark that down and be ready to cash it in the bank.

If only New Mexico and New Mexico State could cash those winnings. Alas, they won’t be able to.

Mountain West Alumni In NBA Bubble

Ten Mountain West basketball alumni are inside the Disney World NBA bubble as the 22 teams are getting ready for the 2019-20 season to resume.

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Mountain West alumni in the NBA bubble

Five Mountain West schools will be represented as the NBA resumes

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The NBA is getting ready for a restart at the end of this month with the 22 teams that made it into the bubble in Florida. Among the players who made the trip are 10 Mountain West alumni representing five schools in eight NBA teams.

JaVale McGee – Los Angeles Lakers 
Nevada Wolf Pack (2006–2008)

Before the season was paused, McGee was proving to be a valuable asset for the Lakers, the team that currently sits at the top of the Western Conference with a 49-14 record. 

He’s played in 61 games this season. In the 16.8 minutes he is averaging, the 7’0 center is getting 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Before the pause, he was shooting at 64.0% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc.

McGee has asthma, and was even hospitalized with pneumonia for three days in 2018. However, he has made it known that he feels the organization will take the necessary precautions to keep him and others safe in the bubble.

 

Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers
San Diego State Aztecs (2009–2011)

Leonard delayed his trip to Orlando due to family matters but he has arrived and participated in his first practice on July 13. 

He is eight overall in the league in scoring this season with an average of 26.9 points per game. He is also contributing 7.3 rebounds and 5 assists per game to his team. His talent is obvious, the main question is his health. Leonard is known for load management, and was struggling with an old knee injury when the NBA was suspended.

During media availability on July 13 head coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t expect limits on Leonard because “Kawhi is healthy, for the most part” but that they were still going to be smart about how they maintained him and the rest of the players to get to the playoffs with a healthy team.

Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers
Fresno State Bulldogs (2008–2010)

Like Leonard, George wasn’t fully healthy when the world of sports stopped turning. He was recovering from offseason surgery on both shoulders but the last four months have given that recovery some extra time.

George is the Clippers’ second highest scorer, contributing 21.0 points. 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

The Clippers are No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, just below the Lakers, a team the Clippers have already beat twice this season. The two LA teams will face off on the first day of reopening. 

Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies
SJSU Spartans (2015–2017)

This is Clarke’s first season in the NBA. He has appeared in 50 games, averaging 12.0 points 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. The 6’8 power forward suffered a quadriceps injury late February, but the four-month break gave him time to recover so he can finish his rookie season on the court.

Memphis will reopen the season with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 31. When the Grizzlies beat Portland on Feb. 12, Clarke tied his season-high 27 points by going 12-of-14 from the field. That wasn’t completely out of character because he has been shooting at 62.3% this season.

 

Zylan Cheatham New Orleans Pelicans
San Diego State Aztecs (2015–2017)

Cheatham went undrafted in 2019 but his participation with the Pelicans during Summer League that year helped him sign a two-way contract with the team.

The rookie has only appeared in three games for the Pelicans so far, but he’s had good experience with Erie, the Pelican’s G-League affiliate. In 34 appearances there he averaged 16.2 points and 11.6 rebounds. 

Patrick McCaw – Toronto Raptors 
UNLV Rebels (2014–2016)

McCaw has won three championship rings in his first three seasons in the NBA. He’ll continue chasing a fourth one alongside the Raptors, the team that has surprised the league by reaching second place in the Eastern Conference even without Kawhi Leonard.

McCaw has seen the court in 37 games this season, with an average of 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The Raptors had all 17 roster members go into the bubble. The players and other members of the organization have been in Florida since June 22.

Paul Watson – Toronto Raptors
Fresno State Bulldogs (2013–2017)

Watson started the season with Raptors 905, Toronto’s G-League affiliate, averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 13 games. It took almost three years after graduating from Fresno State, but Watson finally made his NBA debut with the Atlanta Hawks early January thanks to a 10-day contract.

After he was released by the Hawks, Watson signed a two-way deal with Toronto on Jan. 15. 

Derrick Jones Jr.– Miami Heat
UNLV Rebels (2015–2016)

Jones tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the NBA began mandatory testing in preparation for the resumption of the season. The 23-year-old never reported any symptoms and he was cleared in time to travel to Florida with the rest of his team.

Jones has played in 51 games this season, averaging 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Tyler Johnson Brooklyn Nets
Fresno State  (2010–2014)

Johnson is new to the Nets. The 6’4 guard signed with the team late June, but he brought plenty of experience with him. He appeared in 31 games with the Phoenix Suns earlier this season, averaging 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.6 minutes per game.

He has registered a combined 301 career games with the Suns and the Miami Heat.

Khem Birch – Orlando Magic
UNLV (2012–2014)

Birch was re-signed by the Magic in 2019, a two-year deal. The 6’9 center is not a scorer, but he is a valuable role player. Head coach Steve Clifford asked the 27-year-old to go way outside his comfort zone this season. Injuries were affecting the team and as a result, Birch was asked to play as starting power forward. 

The NBA is beginning scrimmages on July 22, and the Magic will get a good look at where they are at by having their first game be against the Clippers.

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Mountain West Conference Suspends Spring Athletic Events Indefinitely

The coronavirus’s impact on the American sports landscape finally reaches the Mountain West.

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Mountain West Conference Suspends Spring Athletic Events Indefinitely

The coronavirus’s impact on the American sports landscape finally reaches the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire

The conference moves quickly to stay safe.

Yesterday, the coronavirus made its biggest mark on American pop culture to date, touching everything from Tom Hanks to the NBA. Today, the Mountain West Conference made a move to be proactive that reflects many of the decisions being made elsewhere on the sports landscape.

As of today, all MWC sporting events have been postponed. In a press release put out by associate commissioner Javan Hedlund, exceptions will be made for those teams who are currently on the road, but it touches a number of sports like baseball and softball.

This decision by the conference also exempts teams who have qualified for an NCAA championship like Utah State and San Diego State men’s basketball or Boise State women’s basketball. However, other projected top seeds like Duke have preemptively tapped the brakes on participating in the men’s tourney, putting an on-time presentation in doubt:

The statement also leaves the status of Mountain West football’s spring games and recruiting processes at the discretion of each university. Some programs like Fresno State have not announced a formal response to COVID-19, but others like New Mexico have taken steps to close practices and Pro Day to the public at present, presumably with an eye on periodic reassessment before the spring game on April 4:

We will keep you updated on any further coronavirus-related developments.

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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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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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Boise State looking for fourth-straight win over struggling Wyoming

Mountain West play resumes as Boise State hosts Wyoming at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday night.

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

Broncos, Cowboys trending in different directions

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

This game could solidify both teams’ place in the Mountain West hierarchy

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Boise State (9-5, 1-1 MWC) vs. Wyoming (5-9, 0-2 WCC)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 1 — 6:00 P.M. MT / 5:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID

WATCH: Mountain West Network on Stadium

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Boise State leads the series, 15-14

ODDS: Boise State -16, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

Mountain West play resumes for both teams in the New Year as the Broncos look to keep the celebration going into Wednesday night in Boise.

Leon Rice’s team has won three games in a row after losing to Georgia Tech in the opening round of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii last week. After dropping their game to the Yellow Jackets, Boise State responded with strong showings against Portland, UTEP, and Cal State Northridge.

One reason for their recent success is the debut of Abu Kigab, who transferred to Boise State after starting his career at Oregon. The junior was hled out of competition during the fall semester, but Kigab didn’t take long to make a big impact. He scored 33 points against CSUN in the team’s latest game. The outburst was especially encouraging for a team that was in need of a bit of size and scoring punch.

Boise State is in a good groove as conference play gets back underway, but their opponents haven’t had such a leisurely stroll over the past few games.

Wyoming has fallen to 5-9 and will almost assuredly spend the season fighting with San Jose State for 10th place in the Mountain West. The Cowboys have won two straight, although one of those wins came against Nebraska Wesleyan of Division III. Before a December 21 win over Denver, Wyoming had lost six in a row.

Their overtime victory against the Pioneers may have snapped the streak, but the Cowboys still look they are playing at a different level than the rest of their Mountain West peers.

And not in a good way.

This game could help solidify both the Broncos’ place in the top half of the league and Wyoming’s place in the cellar.

GAME PLAN

On THE BRONCOS’ POSSESSIONS…

The Broncos can attack teams in a number of ways, but they are at their best when they are raining threes down on their opponents. They’ve mostly thawed out of a cold spell that plagued that at the start of the season, and Justinian Jessup is always a threat to get hot from outside. Derrick Alston is the team’s primary scorer, though, and is good as anyone in the league at getting points from all over the court.

Boise State – and Jessup, in particular – takes very good care of the ball, and it is one of the reasons that Leon Rice has stuck with Marcus Dickinson in his backcourt, despite the senior’s limitations as a scorer.

In the frontcourt, RJ Williams has delivered an asbolutely fantastic performance on the season. Though he is relatively undersized at 6’7”, the senior has been one of the best rebounders in the country and has turned heads with his never-ending motor on the offensive end.

The Cowboys have certainly been better on the defensive end than they have been on offense, but that is a low bar to clear. Their best trait on defense has been their rebounding, but the Broncos should still be able to grab a few off the glass for some easy put-backs. And with Wyoming forcing turnovers at one of the lowest rates in America, expect Boise State to have plenty of opportunities to score against this pedestrian defense.

ON THE COWBOYS’ POSSESSIONS…

Well, it’s a pretty simple formula for Allen Edwards’ club: give the ball to Hunter Maldonado and let him work. And run out a lot of clock in the meantime. The Cowboys play one of the slowest tempos in the country, clocking in just outside of the bottom 10 nationally in possessions per game.

For his part, Maldonado has had no shortage of opportunities to advertise his offensive skills, racking up usage rates well over 30%. The offense moves – slowly – through the sophomore. Hunter Thompson and Jake Hendricks are the only other Wyoming players to have taken more than 100 shots on the year.

But while this dearth of shots can be mostly explained away by the slow pace and the Maldonado-centric offense, Wyoming has cost themselves a number of opportunities – and they almost never get second chances.

The Cowboys are slightly below average in terms of ball security, but the Broncos aren’t particularly opportunistic, so that won’t be as much of a liability as the team’s abysmal offensive rebounding will be. No team in the country has struggled on the glass more than Wyoming, and they won’t have an easy time against a tenacious Boise State club.

GAME PREDICTION

BOISE STATE 72, WYOMING 60

The Broncos should win this one going away, but if their hot shooters head into an early hibernation, they could find themselves in trouble. Alston, Jessup, and Maldonado could all put up video game numbers in this one, but with the way Wyoming plays, don’t expect the score to climb into the 80s.

Regardless of the final margin, Boise State should be moving to 2-1 in league play, while the Cowboys slip to 0-3.

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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