Tag: mw basketball

Mountain West Alumni in the 2020 NBA Playoffs

The NBA 2020 Playoffs are almost here. Eight Mountain West alumni will be playing, another one has a chance to earn a ticket this weekend.

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Eight Mountain West alumni have made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The two weeks since the NBA restart have flown by and the regular season has now ended. Here are the teams with Mountain West alumni that have officially made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and a team that is still fighting for a spot.

Memphis Grizzlies – Brandon Clarke (SJSU 2015–2017)

No. 9 seed in the West
Overall Record: 34-39 Bubble: 2-6
Play-in Game 1: Saturday 2:30pm ET

The play-in, first in NBA history, has been activated and Memphis must battle it out with the Portland Blazers this weekend to secure the final playoff spot in the West. The first, and potentially only, game is on Saturday. If the Blazers win, the Grizzlies will be eliminated. If the Grizzlies win, there will be another game on Sunday.

Brandon Clarke is one of the promising young players for the Grizzlies. Clarke might be overshadowed by the Rookie of the Year finalist Ja Morant, but the former SJSU player’s efficiency and shooting percentage speak for themselves. Clarke finished the regular season at 61.8% from the field, which is slightly better than the NBA rookie shooting record by Steve Johnson at 61.34% through the 1981-81 season.

The last time the Grizzlies and the Blazers faced each other was on July 31 with Portland winning in overtime 140-135. Memphis’ leading scorer was Jaren Jackson Jr with 33 points. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies won’t count with him this time as he suffered a torn meniscus and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Their task won’t get any easier as they have to get through Damian Lillard who has been averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists since the restart. He recorded a total of 154 points in the last three games.

If the Grizzlies pull off two victories, they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 18.

Los Angeles Lakers – JaVale McGee (Nevada 2006–08)

No. 1 seed in the West
Overall Record: 52-19 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 9pm ET vs Memphis/Portland

The Lakers clinched the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference on Aug. 4, the first time since the 2019-10 season.

The Lakers haven’t been at their best since the restart, but they’ll have to step it up if they’re serious about getting their 17th NBA championship. Anthony Davis and LeBron James lead the team with an average of 26.1 and 25.3 points per game, respectively. The superstar duo hasn’t been performing as expected, so the team has relied on other players like Kyle Kuzma to step up.

Javale McGee, a 7’0 center, is one of the Lakers who has seen the most games this season. He has made 68 appearances, all as a starter.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced that the team is bringing reinforcements. Rajon Rondo, who injured his thumb and had surgery in July, has entered the bubble and is doing the required quarantine.

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George (Fresno State 2008-10), Kawhi Leonard (SDSU 2009-11)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 49-23 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 9pm ET vs Mavericks

The Clippers will face the Dallas Mavericks in a playoff game for the first time in NBA history. 

The Mavericks count on the young, but talented, duo of Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis. The Clippers top two players, who happen to be alumni of Mountain West schools, have a lot more experience. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP. Paul George is a six-time NBA All-Star. Meanwhile, this will be Dončić’ and Porzingis’ playoff debuts.

Leonard and George are averaging 27.1 and 21.5 points respectively. The third highest scorer on the stat sheet is Montrezl Harrell, who was not in the bubble due to family matters and hasn’t played an NBA game since March 10. Harrell, a 6th man of the year finalist, has made it into the bubble and is expected to clear quarantine in time for the first playoff game.

Miami Heat – Derrick Jones (UNLV 2015–16)

No. 5 seed in the East
Overall Record: 44-29 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 6:30pm ET vs Indiana

The Heat Clinch No. 5 Seed in Eastern Conference after a loss to the Pacers on Friday. The Pacers locked in the No. 4 seed, and the two teams will face each other again for the first round of the playoffs.

Miami is led by Jimmy Butler who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Heat have been have struck by injuries lately, which have given them mixed results in the bubble. Recent headlines were about Derrick Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. has been dealing with a knee injury but was cleared to play on Friday. He played against the Pacers but had to be carried off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after a hard collision. It appeared serious but the team announced later that evening that he had suffered a neck strain and would be re-evaluated again over the weekend.

Toronto Raptors – Paul Watson (Fresno State 2013-17), Patrick McCaw UNLV (2014–16)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 53-19 Bubble: 7-1
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Brooklyn

The Raptors are the defending NBA champions and this year’s No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The canadian team has talent. Six players are scoring in double digits, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet at the top of the stat sheet with 22.9ppg, 19.4ppg and 17.6ppg respectively. But there are also other members of the team who can contribute.

Paul Watson trained with player development coach Rico Hines, who has worked with Siakam, last offseason. Watson was a standout at Toronto’s G-League affiliate before signing a two-way deal with the Raptors in January. He showed his worth on Friday when Toronto defeated the Denver Nuggets 117-109 and he helped with 22 points. That performance earned Watson and Fresno a shoutout on ESPN. 

The team has another former Mountain West player, Patrick McCaw as a reserve forward, but he left the bubble earlier this month to receive treatment for a benign mass on the back of his left knee. 

Brooklyn Nets – Tyler Johnson (Fresno State 2010-14)

No. 7 seed in the East
Overall Record: 35-37 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Raptors

The Nets would be a more intimidating team if they weren’t missing big-name players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, as well as shot creator Spencer Dinwiddie. However, Caris LeVert has managed to carry the team with an average of 18.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Tyler Johnson, previously with the Phoenix Suns, signed with the team late June. He makes a good pair with Chris Chiozza and has already shown what he can give the Nets. He scored 21 points during a 129-120 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Aug. 9. After the game, LeVert had a lot of good things to say about his new teammate.

“Tyler’s been huge for us…His basketball IQ is very high,” LeVert said. “He’s huge for us, knocking down shots, being in the right spot defensively and just knowing what to do.”

Orlando Magic – Khem Birch (UNLV 2012-14)

No. 8 seed in the East
Overall Record: 33-40 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 1:30pm ET vs Milwaukee

Orlando’s depth has been stretched thin several times during this season, so even making it into the playoffs is an accomplishment.

Mo Bamba, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 11, left the NBA bubble for a “comprehensive post-Coronavirus evaluation,” the team announced Friday. Bamba had been splitting time with Khem Birch as backup center for Nikola Vucevic throughout the season. Birch was seeing more time during the restart. He has has appeared in 48 games this season, starting in 24 of those, while averaging 19.2 minutes per game. 

The Magic finished the regular season with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans had already been eliminated and were resting all of their starters during that game, but the Magic still had a good performance. 

The team shot at 73% from beyond the arc during the first half, hitting 13 out of 18 attempts. Eight different players contributed to this. By the end of the game the team had finished 15-of-28 in three pointers. This stat was a big deal for Orlando since the team had been struggling in this category.

 

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Five for ’21: Ranking the Mountain West’s Top Five Rebounders

Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Rebounders Predicting the top five Mountain West rebounders for the ’20-21 season Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Who are the top rebounders in the MW? In the final installment of …

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Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Rebounders

Predicting the top five Mountain West rebounders for the ’20-21 season

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Who are the top rebounders in the MW?

In the final installment of Mountain West Wire’s offseason series, Five for ’21, we turn to the league’s best glass-cleaners.

As a reminder, the Five For ’21 series features our ranking of the top five Mountain West players in five different skill sets: passing, scoring, defending, rebounding, and shot blocking. The full Five For ’21 series schedule is below, including links to this week’s previous articles from Larry Muniz (@hardwoodtalk) and myself (@andrewdieckhoff).

Today’s list will borrow heavily from the Wednesday’s group of highlighted shot-blockers (for reasons that should be obvious), but a few fresh faces have been thrown in the mix as well. With those pleasantries out of the way, our final shortlist begins with its shortest player.

(NOTE: Statistics below taken from Sports-Reference.com. Percentages following per-game rebounding averages refer to rebounding rate in the respective category.)

5) David Roddy, Colorado State

  • Height/Weight: 6’5″, 250 lbs.
  • 2019-20 Stats: 5.6 RPG (12.8%), 3.9 DRPG (17.4%), 1.7 ORPG (8.0%)

OK, so while Roddy may not be as tall as any of his peers on this list, at 6’5″ and 250 pounds, he’s built like an NFL linebacker and has the toughness to match. Depending on the source, the Minneapolis native might be listed as a guard, a guard/forward, a wing, a wing forward, or a power forward. No matter what you call him, though, David Roddy brings a grittiness to the floor that few in the league can match.

His raw rebounding stats don’t exactly jump off the page, but consider this: Roddy ranked 12th in the Mountain West in rebound rate on both the offensive and defensive end of the court as freshman, and a handful of the players who finished ahead of him have either graduated or transferred out of the league. Among those departures is former teammate Nico Carvacho, the Mountain West’s career rebound leader. And while promising Rams sophomore Dischon Thomas is the likely beneficiary of most of those unclaimed boards now that Carvacho isn’t around, Roddy could also see a healthy uptick in his numbers.

It is entirely possible that Roddy finishes outside of the Top 10 in rebounding again this season, but his ability to bang around inside and get rebounds despite his height disadvantage was an important factor in Colorado State’s success last year. With the torch now officially passed to the Rams’ young roster, Roddy has a chance to make an even bigger impact this season. There may be some more traditional Goliaths in the league who will grab more rebounds, but I’m giving the nod to David here in the 5-spot.

4) Neemias Queta, Utah State

  • Height/Weight: 7’0″, 245 lbs.
  • 2019-20 Stats: 7.8 RPG (16.3%), 5.8 DRPG (22.9%), 2.0 ORPG (8.9%)

While Queta finished at #2 in our Five for ’21 shot-blockers list, the junior slips a bit lower when it comes to rebounding. As discussed in Wednesday’s piece, Queta’s numbers took a hit following the knee injury he suffered during FIBA play prior to the 2019-20 season. He eventually regained his form, though, and he is surely deserving of being included in this list.

Queta finished fifth in the Mountain West in defensive rebound rate last season, nabbing nearly a quarter of the available boards on that end of the floor. But his sophomore rebounding rates on both ends of the court were two percentage points lower than in his freshman campaign. Of course, it should be noted that there are a multitude of possible reasons that his numbers may have declined that don’t have to do with his injury — one of those reasons appears later in this list — and the kind of drop we are talking about is akin to falling from an A to an A-minus.

With Sam Merrill, Diogo Brito, and Abel Porter gone, it remains to be seen just how large a role Queta will occupy in the Aggie offense next season. If he is being relied upon to take more and more shots, it could cut into his rebounding numbers to some degree. That said, the smart money is on Queta in most of the one-on-one rebounding battles that the Mountain West has to offer.

3) Cheikh Mbacke Diong, UNLV

  • Height/Weight: 6’11 lbs, 230 lbs.
  • 2019-20:  7.9 RPG (17.8%), 4.9 DRPG (22.6%), 3.0 ORPG (13.2%)

Another recycled entry from the shot-blockers list, Diong has turned himself into one of the league’s best defensive big men, even if his scoring hasn’t quite caught up yet. His prowess for bullying others around in the paint is exactly the type of player that coach TJ Otzelberger needs in support of a talented group of scorers including Bryce Hamilton and David Jenkins Jr. For his part, Diong does precisely what is required of him.

As far as the numbers go, Diong finished his junior year as one of only five qualifying players to finish with a defensive rebound rate over 20% and an offensive rebound rate over 10% (min. 40% minutes played). Three of those players have since graduated, and the other one shows up later in this list, so Diong should fall among the league’s Top 5 rebounders almost by default.

With the sharp-shooting Jenkins taking over for Amauri Hardy in the offense, there may be slightly fewer rebounds available for Diong on the offensive end this year, but you can be sure that he’ll be ready to catch anything that comes off the rim. While his game isn’t likely to generate much content for the SportsCenter Top 10, Diong’s dedication to rebounding and defense will be critical to the Rebels’ success in year two of Coach TJ.

2) Nathan Mensah, San Diego State

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 220 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 6.8 RPG (20.2%), 4.8 DRPG (27.2%), 2.1 ORPG (12.8%)

On Wednesday, I detailed the what-ifs surrounding Nathan Mensah, whose 2019-20 season was lost months before it was taken from the rest of us due to a pulmonary embolism. But in the 13 games he did play last year, Mensah showed off some pretty eye-catching rebounding numbers. He was not quite at the level of departed Mountain West compatriots Nico Carvacho and RJ Williams, but the Ghanaian showed that he belongs in any conversation about the league’s best big men.

Because Mensah’s season was cut short, he didn’t qualify for the year-end statistical races. Had he maintained his rates over the full season, though, he would’ve been among the Mountain West’s best half-dozen rebounders. He also would’ve ended up in that prestigious 20/10 club noted above. Keep in mind that Mensah was only playing 20 minutes per game before his injury, and doing so in a very slow-paced offense, so his per-game averages are really not indicative of his skill on the boards.

Assuming Mensah is willing and able to return to the Aztecs when the next season begins, he has a very good chance to finish atop the Mountain West in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates. The main reason he doesn’t finish #1 in this list is because the player ahead of him posted very similar numbers — despite being three inches shorter than Mensah. In reality, it’s probably more of a 1A/1B situation, but now we’re just splitting hairs.

1) Justin Bean, Utah State

  • Height/Weight: 6’7″, 210 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 10.5 RPG (19.8%), 6.9 DRPG (24.6%), 3.6 ORPG (14.3%) 

Despite being on a Utah State team with a program all-timer in Sam Merrill and an exciting NBA prospect in Neemias Queta, Bean managed to carve out some good publicity for himself with a breakout sophomore campaign. As a freshman walk-on, Bean averaged 12 minutes per game and did not register a single start. He was effective in those limited minutes, both in terms of scoring and rebounding, which not only earned him a scholarship, but also a starting role in Craig Smith’s rotation.

In case you hadn’t yet put it together, Bean is the mystery man I alluded to earlier when discussing the 20/10 club for defensive and offensive rebounding rates. To be clear, including the Oklahoman in this list is not just some act of charity for the “little” guy. Bean’s numbers put him squarely among the league’s best rebounders, regardless of height. But while we’re on that subject, don’t forget that at various times the 6’7″ forward was competing for rebounds against three seven-footers on his own team: Queta, Kuba Karwowski (7’2″), and Trevin Dorius (7’0″).

Bean will enter his junior year at Utah State with much more weight on his shoulders than either of the previous two seasons, as the program moves on from the Merrill/Porter/Brito trio that played such a huge part in the Aggies’ recent success. But fans in Logan shouldn’t fret too much, as the best pound-for-pound rebounder in the Mountain West will still be cleaning the glass in Smith Spectrum.

Also considered (in alphabetical order): Mladen Armus, Boise State; Aguek Arop, San Diego State; K.J. Hymes, Nevada; Orlando Robinson, Fresno State; Robby Robinson, Nevada; Dischon Thomas, Colorado State.

Andrew Dieckhoff is a current USBWA member covering college basketball for Mountain West Wire. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a website dedicated to his college basketball ratings system and bracketology projections.

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Five for ’21: Ranking the Mountain West’s Top Five Shot Blockers

Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Shot Blockers Predicting the top five Mountain West shot blockers for the ’20-21 season Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Who are the top shot blockers in the MW? In the third installment …

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Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Shot Blockers

Predicting the top five Mountain West shot blockers for the ’20-21 season

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Who are the top shot blockers in the MW?

In the third installment of Mountain West Wire’s offseason series, Five for ’21, we shift our focus from the league’s offensive stars onto its defensive stalwarts.

As a reminder, the Five For ’21 series features our ranking of the top five Mountain West players in five different skill sets: passing, scoring, defending, rebounding, and shot blocking. The full Five For ’21 series schedule is below, including links to this week’s previous articles from Larry Muniz (Twitter: @hardwoodtalk).

  • Monday: Passers
  • Tuesday: Scorers
  • Wednesday: Shot Blockers
  • Thursday: Defenders
  • Friday: Rebounders

Today, we focus on the Mountain West’s top shot-blockers. This list has a distinctly international feel, so it is fitting that we start our countdown with one of the league’s most well-traveled players, whose long trip from Belgrade to Boise features a two-year stop in the Volunteer State.

5) Mladen Armus, Boise State

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 230 lbs.
  • 2018-19 (at ETSU): 33 GP (24 GS), 1.0 BPG, 5.5 BLK%, 4.6 FC/40

After spending two seasons in the SOCON at East Tennessee State, the 6-10 Armus decided to pack his bags and head west to ride with the Broncos, where he will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out last season. In his sophomore season for ETSU, Armus racked up nearly eight points and eight rebounds per game and became a fixture in the starting lineup — and not just for his serviceable offensive game.

The Serbian center showed steady improvement on defense in his second year in Johnson City, tallying just under two “stocks” (steals plus blocks) per game in 2018-19. As a freshman, Armus’ block percentage in SOCON games was just 1.4% — for reference, Justinian Jessup finished last season with a 1.6 BLK% — but he brought that number up to 5.9% in SOCON play last season and 5.5% overall, which would have been good for fifth-best in the Mountain West last year.

Armus could fill a huge role for Boise State on defense in 2020-21. While RJ Williams was able to make up for the team’s lack of size last season with a remarkable tenacity and instinct for rebounding, his 6’7″ stature didn’t translate to many blocks. With Derrick Alston Jr. back for one more year, and plenty of offensive support from Abu Kigab, Marcus Shaver, Devonaire Doutrive, and Emmanuel Akot, Armus will be relied upon to be the defensive anchor down low that Leon Rice needs to round out this talented roster.

4) K.J. Hymes, Nevada

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 210 lbs.
  • 2019-20 Stats: 31 GP (1 GS), 1.0 BPG, 8.7 BLK%, 9.5 FC/40

Hymes came into his first season in Reno with some considerable hype, after being pegged as the preseason Mountain West Freshman of the Year. Unfortunately for the Phoenix native, he never quite lived up to that billing. For Hymes, the issue was not so much about talent or athleticism, but discipline in defending. He averaged just under 14 minutes per game as a freshman behind BC grad transfer Johncarlos Reyes, and Hymes likely would have seen a larger share of playing time had he been able to stay out of foul trouble.

But when Hymes does stay on the floor, he can be a nightmare for would-be scorers entering into his airspace. All that time in the penalty box (so to speak) kept the big man from qualifying in the Mountain West’s statistical races, but if the threshold is lowered to include all players who appeared in more than a third of their team’s total minutes last year, Hymes had the best block percentage in the Mountain West by a decent margin, beating out Neemias Queta’s mark by almost a full percentage point.

The shot-blocking talent is certainly there for Hymes, but it is difficult to swat anything from the bench. If he can develop some more defensive discipline as a sophomore, he should find a welcome home into Steve Alford’s starting five. The question then becomes whether the impressive statistics will carry over to a larger sample size, of course, but there is good reason to believe that Hymes will be among the five best shot-blockers in the Mountain West in 2020-21.

3) Cheikh Mbacke Diong, UNLV

  • Height/Weight: 6’11”, 235 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 32 GP (27 GS), 1.2 BPG, 6.0 BLK%, 4.6 FC/40 

Over the course of three seasons in Las Vegas, Diong has become an absolute difference maker for the Runnin’ Rebels. While the Senegalese senior is no threat to win a scoring title anytime soon, his tough interior play has allowed him to become one of the league’s top defensive big men. Diong’s 7.5 BLK% during Mountain West play last year was second only to Utah State’s Neemias Queta (7.9) among qualified players, and his steal percentage was fourth-highest in the conference.

Diong’s imposing physical presence has always made him a bulwark in the post, but his improved timing and positioning helped the center finish just outside the Top 100 nationally in block percentage the past two seasons, as well as a Top 50 finish in offensive rebounding. He was also one of only four Mountain West players to record three or more games with 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks last year (Justin Bean, Nate Grimes, and Neemias Queta being the others).

A hard-nosed grinder, Diong has carved out a solid niche for himself on this UNLV roster, which does lose some size and physicality with the departures Donnie Tillman, Nick Blair, and Vitaly Shibel. While Diong’s offensive game has improved to some degree, players such as Bryce Hamilton, David Jenkins Jr., and Marvin Coleman should be carrying the scoring load, freeing the big man up to continue honing his blue-collar craft on defense.

2) Neemias Queta, Utah State

  • Height/Weight: 7’0″, 245 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 22 GP (20 GS) 2.6 BPG, 7.8 BLK%, 3.5 FC/40

While others may have had better numbers in smaller sample sizes, it was Queta who will go down as the Mountain West’s best shot-blocker of 2019-20. Despite missing multiple games himself due to an offseason injury, Queta was able to secure enough minutes on the season to let his 7.8 BLK% rule the day. Unfortunately for the Portuguese big man, he had to relinquish his MW Defensive Player of the Year crown to San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn. But he’ll have his eyes set on getting it back in 2020-21.

There is some cause for concern about Queta’s shot-blocking, however. In his freshman season at Utah State, he recorded a 10.5 BLK%, which was easily the best in the league and Top 20 in Division I. However, following the knee injury Queta suffered during FIBA play in the summer of 2019, some of the spring seemed to have gone out of his step. But Queta returned to form down the stretch, recording at least one block in 12 of his last 13 games, with multiple blocks coming in ten of those contests.

Even after accounting for the dip in Queta’s post-injury block percentage, the junior seven-footer is still undoubtedly one of the two best post defenders in the Mountain West. But with Sam Merrill gone, it will be more important than ever to keep Queta out of foul trouble, which could mean he has to trade some of the defensive risk-taking that has earned him so many blocks in his first two years in Logan.

1) Nathan Mensah, San Diego State

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 220 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 13 GP (13 GS); 1.7 BPG, 10.7 BLK%, 4.9 FC/40

In a cruel (and scary) twist of fate, the tremendous start to Mensah’s season was cut short by a pulmonary embolism that was thankfully caught before the situation turned any more tragic. The Aztecs were still perfect at that point, and we will simply never know what could have been had Mensah been able to play for the full season, both for the team and individually. (Go ahead and add all that to the list of things we’ll never know about the 2019-20 season.)

Here’s what we do know: Nathan Mensah was on a trajectory to be the league’s best shot-blocker before his season was ended early. His 10.7 BLK% would have led the league by a full two points had he kept that pace for the long haul, and it would have placed him somewhere in the back end of the Top 20 nationally. While Queta had the minutes to qualify for the season-long statistical races, it was Mensah who began to blossom into the Mountain West’s most elite shot-blocker on a per-minute basis.

Of course, Mensah’s health remains a question mark, as updates regarding his recovery have been scarce. Thankfully, the stories have been trending in a positive direction since January, and all indications point to him returning to the Aztecs’ lineup whenever the college basketball season resumes. If the Nathan Mensah Block Party does resume on time, San Diego State will be well-positioned to defend last year’s regular-season crown. With any luck, Mensah can finally put to rest some of those nagging what-ifs from 2020.

Also considered (in alphabetical order): Desmond Cambridge, Nevada; Assane Diouf, Fresno State; Trevin Dorius, Utah State; Kuba Karwowski, Utah State; Eduardo Lane, San Jose State; Bayron Matos, New Mexico; Braxton Meah, Fresno State; Orlando Robinson, Fresno State; David Roddy, Colorado State; Warren Washington, Nevada.

Andrew Dieckhoff is a current USBWA member covering college basketball for Mountain West Wire. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a website dedicated to his college basketball ratings system and bracketology projections.

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Williams, Jessup spur Broncos to Senior Day victory over UNM

Game Recap: Boise State 74, New Mexico 61 Williams ties career-high with 26 points, adds 17 rebounds Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Senior Day goes off without a hitch as Broncos stampede New Mexico For a team with as much experience as …

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Game Recap: Boise State 74, New Mexico 61

Williams ties career-high with 26 points, adds 17 rebounds

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Senior Day goes off without a hitch as Broncos stampede New Mexico

For a team with as much experience as Boise State has, Senior Day was always going to be a special evening.

For Broncos senior RJ Williams, it was one last chance to put on a career performance in front of the home fans in Boise.

Williams tied his career-high with 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, spurring his team to a 74-61 win at ExtraMile Arena on Sunday afternoon. The forward was nearly perfect on Sunday, making 11 of 14 shots while also posting a perfect mark at the free throw line.

Fellow senior Justinian Jessup finished with 15 points and added another trio of three-pointers to his ledger, further extending his Mountain West all-time record for triples. The prolific shooter also added five rebounds and a team-leading four assists on the day.

Derrick Alston Jr. scored 17 points for Boise State, coming off the bench in deference to seniors Alex Hobbs, Marcus Dickinson, and Robin Jorch. That said, while he is just a junior, Alston could be forgiven for stealing some of the spotlight on Sunday—the guard has long been discussed as a professional prospect, thanks to a breakout year last season.

If this was his last game in Boise, he made it memorable.

Some of Boise’s seniors didn’t get the memo.

While Hobbs, Dickinson, and Jorch were all in the starting lineup and remained on the floor until the first media timeout, none of the three were very effective in their final game in front of the home fans. The trio combined to score just four points on 1-for-12 shooting.

Still, even as those elder statesmen struggled, Leon Rice watched as the rest of his team came together to secure an 11th league victory. With the win, the Broncos remained just a half-game behind Utah State and Nevada for second place in the Mountain West standings.

The result provides even further contrast between the top six in the MW and the bottom five.

And New Mexico is squarely in the second camp now.

The Lobos have now dropped four straight since beating Wyoming at The Pit on February 8, and have lost nine of their past eleven games. If the beginning of New Mexico’s season was a fairy tale, then the back half has been the panicked journal entries of a sailor lost at sea.

Paul Weir’s roster has been decimated by on- and off-the-court issues since their 15-3 start. This most recent loss drops them to just a half-game lead over Fresno State for the #7 seed in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament.

Vance Jackson did his part to try to keep New Mexico alive in this game, pouring in a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds. Jackson was joined in double-figure scoring by only one other Lobo, Keith McGee, who finished with twelve points.

The Lobos will be happy to put Boise in their rear-view mirror as they prepare for the final week of the regular season, before heading to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament. They will be guaranteed to be among the first-round contestants, solidifying their place in the league’s bottom six this week with losses to Nevada and Boise State.

UP NEXT

The Broncos will get an early taste of next week’s tournament venue when UNLV hosts Boise State on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. A Boise State win would clinch a first-round bye for the blue and orange. And with just one game remaining in the regular season, Leon Rice and the Broncos will be watching from home on Saturday for the final Mountain West gameday.

The Lobos finish the season with a trip to Clune Arena to do battle with Air Force, before finally heading home for their own Senior Day on February 29 against Utah State. It’s hard to know just how much is left in the tank for a team that has had a difficult season, both physically and mentally. But a win over the Aggies at The Pit would certainly be a nice send-off for seniors JaQuan Lyle and Corey Manigault.

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 Leads The Race for #2 Seed in MW Tournament

The Mountain West title has already been won, but a battle is brewing for 2nd place – and a spot on the other side of the bracket from SDSU.

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Utah State Leads Six Teams Vying for #2 Seed in MW Tourney

Aggies have the inside track, but any slip-ups could cause chaos

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

SDSU has already clinched the top spot, but how will things play out beneath them?

With the Mountain West regular season title already locked up by San Diego State—and with the Aztecs focusing on bigger things, like a potential #1 seed and a chance to cut down the nets in Atlanta—the major storyline in the league has shifted to who will finish in second place.

Currently, there are five teams leading the fight for the Mountain West’s silver medal: Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada, Boise State, and UNLV. The Aggies currently hold a half-game edge over the Rams and Wolf Pack, with the Broncos a full game back. UNLV is in sixth place, but their 8-6 record is only one and half games off Utah State’s pace.

Why is the race for second place so important?

Because with undefeated San Diego State on the other side of the bracket, the teams that finish in second and third will have a few extra games before they have to play the Aztecs. The teams that earn the #4 and #5 seed will face the difficult task of playing an above-average team in their first game and SDSU in the next.

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, each game holds massive sway over seeding for the Mountain West Tournament. To give you an idea of just how contentious these next few weeks will be, take a look at some of the big matchups remaining on the schedule:

  • 2/18 – Nevada @ New Mexico
  • 2/18 – Colorado State @ UNLV
  • 2/22 – UNLV @ San Diego State
  • 2/23 – New Mexico @ Boise State
  • 2/25 – Colorado State @ San Diego State
  • 2/26 – Boise State @ UNLV
  • 2/29 – San Diego State @ Nevada
  • 2/29 – Utah State @ New Mexico

With so many important games remaining, there are myriad scenarios of how the standings will look on March 1. Here’s a quick investigation into how each team can find their way to second place in the Mountain West.

NEW MEXICO (17-10, 6-8 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Nevada, 2/23 @ Boise State, 2/26 @ Air Force, 2/29 vs. Utah State

Yes, that’s right. The Lobos are still in it.

New Mexico is currently in seventh place and below .500 in league play, but they have just enough rope that if everything goes right—and it really is almost everything—they could end up finishing in second place.

Here’s how: Wyoming would need to beat Utah State and Nevada. San Jose State would need to beat Colorado State, Utah State, and UNLV. Air Force would need to beat the Rams in Fort Collins. If all of that happens, and New Mexico takes care of its own business against the Wolf Pack, Broncos, and Falcons, it would set up a spectacular season finale in The Pit.

If the Lobos could win that game, then New Mexico, Utah State, Nevada, Boise State, and Colorado State would all finish with a league record of 10-8. Tiebreaking procedures dictate that the team with the best record against these opponents will receive the highest seed. The Lobos and Aggies would move into a two-way tiebreaker by virtue each having gone 4-2 against these opponents.

The tiebreaker then moves to head-to-head record, which would give New Mexico the advantage—the final game of the season would be the only regular-season meeting of the two teams.

There is virtually no chance that all of that would happen. But the mere fact that it is even still a possibility is amazing, considering how quickly the Lobos have fallen off the map after their 15-3 start to the season.

UNLV (13-14, 8-6 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Colorado State, 2/22 @ San Diego State, 2/26 vs. Boise State, 2/29 @ San Jose State

It would still take some major chaos in the Mountain West for the Rebels to finish in second place, but it’s not as far-fetched as New Mexico’s bid. UNLV has plenty of roads into second place—even without a win over San Diego State.

Like New Mexico, the Rebels would really need Utah State to fall apart down the stretch, with the other three teams currently ahead of them stumbling as well. But UNLV could lose to the Aztecs and still finish 11-7. A handful of scenarios could see the Rebels sitting clear of everyone else in the #2 position.

Interestingly, if the Rebels can’t land in the #2 or #3 spot, they may actually have better luck down as the #6 or #7 team. They could stay away from San Diego State and will still have the benefit of playing at home for the Mountain West Tournament.

These scenarios are much, much more likely than the Rebels finishing second. But even more likely is that one of the next four teams will take home the silver. [CONTINUED]

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Aggies fight off another Boise St. comeback to win 70-61 at home

Utah State won 70-61 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday night, beating Boise State to pull even in the Mountain West standings.

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Game Recap: Utah State 70, Boise State 61

Aggies pull into three-way tie for 3rd place with BSU, Nevada

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Utah State bent but never broke as they evened the season series with Boise State on Saturday.

Utah State got revenge against their neighbors to the north, beating Boise State 70-61 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday. While the Aggies led for nearly the entire game, the Broncos didn’t allow themselves to be put away for good until the final minute. The win pulls Utah State up into a three-way tie for third place with Boise State and Nevada.

The Aggies (19-7, 8-5 MWC) led by as many as 12 points during the second half, but they also let the Broncos stay within reach for the duration of the game. The deficit shrunk to as small as a single point after Riley Abercrombie’s field goal with just over a minute remaining.

But on the ensuing possession, the Aussie freshman was charged with a flagrant foul after pulling down Utah State’s Neemias Queta on a shot attempt.

The decision from the referees meant that the Aggies retained the ball after Queta made both free throws, and fellow USU star Sam Merrill added two more on the bonus possession. The Broncos were unable to score another point, as Utah State ended the game on an 8-0 run.

Queta led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, adding five rebounds and five blocks. Merrill contributed 17 points and four assists. Diogo Brito had 11 ponts and seven rebounds for the Aggies, while Justin Bean had 16 rebounds to go along with seven points.

Despite getting the win, Utah State will not be happy with their three-point shooting performance. They finished the game just 2-for-19 from beyond the arc, barely eclipsing the 10% mark. For a team with multiple sharpshooters, this kind of inefficiency simply does not compute.

They were bailed out in this instance, by a Boise State team that didn’t fare much better from three-point land. The Broncos went 6-for-29 from deep, good for just 20.7% on the night.

Senior guard Justinian Jessup was the only Boise State player to hit multiple threes, knocking down a trio of triples to extend his newly-earned Mountain West record for career threes made to 301. He is the first player in league history to surpass the threshold.

Jessup led Boise State (16-9, 8-5 MWC) with 20 points. Alex Hobbs had a second-straight impressive offensive showing, putting up 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. After scoring a career-high 24 points off the bench against Wyoming earlier this week, Hobbs got the start in place of Abu Kigab, who sat out of Saturday’s game with a hip injury.

Derrick Alston Jr.’s struggles this week continued through the weekend. The junior went 0-for-7 and scored just two points against the Cowboys on Tuesday. His box score improved on Saturday, but he still managed only seven points on 2-of-8 from the floor.

Abercrombie was forced into extra action against the Aggies after RJ Williams and Robin Jorch both fouled out. Though he did have some success on the interior, Abercrombie was 0-for-5 from beyond the arc—and also committed the ill-timed flagrant foul near the end of the game.

UP NEXT

Utah State’s next matchup is a Tuesday showdown on the road against Colorado State (17-8, 8-4 MWC). Now that the Aggies have climbed back into third place in the Mountain West, only the Rams stand between them and San Diego State. A win in Fort Collins would give Utah State at least a share of second place in the league. It would also position the Aggies to hold firm in that position, with their final four games all coming against teams in the bottom half of the conference.

Boise State heads home to host Air Force (9-15, 3-9 MWC). The Falcons were the latest team to put a scare into San Diego State but were unable to seal the deal at Clune Arena. Dave Pilipovich’s team has been disappointing compared to preseason projections, but they are always capable of surprising an unsuspecting team. If the Broncos want to keep pace in the MW for second or third place, they cannot afford to overlook this midweek tussle, especially with a Sunday tilt with SDSU looming.

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 Gets Up Early, Holds On Late for 73-64 Win over Nevada

Game Recap: Boise St. 73, Nevada 64 Justinian Jessup ties Jimmer Fredette for MW 3-point record Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Nevada’s furious comeback attempt comes up short in Boise Following a 73-64 home victory over Nevada, Boise …

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Game Recap: Boise St. 73, Nevada 64

Justinian Jessup ties Jimmer Fredette for MW 3-point record

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Nevada’s furious comeback attempt comes up short in Boise

Following a 73-64 home victory over Nevada, Boise State has moved into a second-place tie in the Mountain West with Colorado State. The Broncos improved to 7-4 in league play, prevailing at ExtraMile Arena behind 24 points from junior guard Derrick Alston, Jr.

Justinian Jessup added 17 points for the Broncos and added a special individual honor in the process.

The loss drops Nevada (13-10, 6-5 MW) into a share of fifth place with Utah State, as the Aggies fell to undefeated San Diego State on Saturday. The Wolf Pack were gifted another memorable offensive performance from Jalen Harris, who dropped 30 points for the third time this season.

Unfortunately for Harris, the rest of the Pack barely managed to outscore him. No other Nevada player reached double digits in scoring.

Nevada’s chances in this contest took a major blow when senior guard Jazz Johnson was announced as a late scratch due to injury. Without Johnson, the team struggled from beyond the arc and were unable to recover from a 32-10 Boise State run to start the game.

The Broncos (15-8, 7-4 MW) proceeded to give back most of that lead, letting Nevada creep back into the game slowly throughout the middle twenty minutes of the contest. With 10:57 to play, a Lindsey Drew layup brought the deficit to just three points, at 48-45.

But Alston, Jessup, and company would not allow the Wolf Pack to bring the game level. The deficit ebbed and flowed over the last few minutes, with Nevada coming within four points of Boise State after a Drew three-pointer with 4:37 left in the second half.

Jessup answered that triple with one of his own—and it was a special one, at that.

The senior’s three-pointer with 4:13 to play was the 296th of his illustrious career in Boise. That number ties the Mountain West record set by former BYU star Jimmer Fredette. Jessup missed his only subsequent attempt from beyond the arc, so Fredette will hold onto at least a share of the record for at least a few more nights.

That record will almost certainly soon be Jessup’s alone.

More important than any individual accolades, however, is how this Boise State team has bounced back from a somewhat shaky start to the season. The additions of Abu Kigab and RayJ Dennis into the starting lineup has provided a spark to Leon Rice’s lineups, and questions about the Broncos’ depth have been answered satisfactorily over the past few games.

For Nevada, this is another disappointing result on the week, following a heartbreaking defeat on Wednesday against Colorado State. Certainly, the absence of Jazz Johnson can explain away some part of this loss to Boise State, but the Wolf Pack have made an unfortunate habit of squandering chances to separate themselves in this league.

Instead, they now slip back in the standings and enter a dangerous zone in which a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament is suddenly at risk. The top five schools in the league receive a bye in the first round of the conference tournament.

Still, Nevada faced the difficult task of facing two teams on a positive streak in enemy territory.

Despite taking two losses in rapid succession, the Wolf Pack still boast arguably the best offensive player in the league in Harris. If Johnson returns quickly, and he can join with Drew and Nisre Zouzoua to lend Harris some scoring support, Nevada should be able to stay in the top five.

For Boise State, besides moving up in the Mountain West leaderboard, the win provided some catharsis following an 83-66 loss to Wolf Pack in Reno.

UP NEXT

Boise State travels to Laramie on Tuesday night to face last-place Wyoming (6-17, 1-10 MW). The Cowboys just picked up their first win of the Mountain West season as they snapped an eight-game losing streak with a road victory over San Jose State. The Broncos should hold an advantage over Allen Edwards’ club, but the unfriendly confines of Arena-Auditorium could prove a difficult backdrop for an easy win. Boise State won the first matchup between the schools this season, coming away with a 65-54 victory at home back on New Year’s Day.

Nevada returns home to Lawlor Events Center as Air Force (9-13, 3-7 MW) comes to town on Tuesday night. Just a few weeks ago, the Falcons were feeling good after knocking off Utah State and Boise State over a three-game span. More recently, however, Dave Pilipovich’s squad has sputtered to a four-game losing streak that includes defeats against Fresno State and San Jose State. Still, this team boasts an offense that has the capacity to hang around with Nevada. That was on full display back on December 7, when Nevada cruised to a 100-85 victory in Colorado Springs.

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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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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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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