Tag: Nevada Basketball

New Mexico Steals 83-82Road Win From Nevada, Thanks to Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Game Recap: New Mexico 83, Nevada 82 New Mexico sweeps Nevada for the first time since the Craig Neal era. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico secures the sweep of Nevada with down to the wire road win in Reno. Reno, NV-The name of …

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 Game Recap: New Mexico 83, Nevada 82

New Mexico sweeps Nevada for the first time since the Craig Neal era.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico secures the sweep of Nevada with down to the wire road win in Reno.

Reno, NV–The name of the game this Mountain West season is, win. By any means necessary, on any court possible & any given night. Yes, that’s certainly plenty of any’s for just one article. But that is the only way to survive in this conference this season. As teams are prepared to win at home and on the road on any given night.

Given all of the history between New Mexico & Nevada over the years, fan bases tend to show out when the other Wolf related team comes to town. The last time these two teams met was not too long ago on January 28th, when the Lobos beat Steve Alford’s Wolf Pack 89-55 in front of a packed Pit in Albuquerque.

It was a tale of two shooting performances that night, as the Lobos could not miss. Logging 50% & above shooting numbers from the field, behind the arc & from the charity stripe. While Nevada struggled from all areas of the court.

That game could be notated as the tail end of the Lobos dominant run in the Mountain West. It was also the first win for New Mexico over Nevada in nine previous meetings to go along with being the program’s first win over their former Head Coach, the proverbial cherry on top of the silver sundae.

This far into February though, both teams find themselves fighting for their own post season hopes. Even the Wolf Pack who are coming off of two impressive quad one wins over Top-25 ranked Colorado State & San Diego State just last week.

For both benches, the stakes were high inside the Lawlor Events Center Tuesday night, with eyeballs around the nation staying up late to see Nevada defend their home against New Mexico in the “Biggest Little City on Earth”.

The Lobos started as quick as they began the last time these two met. Taking a 5-2 lead with a Jaelen House three pointer. Both squads would miss a few shots until a Nick Davidson layup gave Nevada their first lead of the game. Back-to-back 4-0 runs on both sides kept things leveled at 11 a piece before a media timeout.

That media driven timeout cooled things down. As both sides received scoring from four different players in those first five minutes of action. Someone didn’t notify Jaelen House, as a quick steal & layup out of the break caused another timeout just seconds later. This time by the Nevada coaching staff.

After another Davidson layup in the paint, Jemarl Baker Jr. knocked down a much needed three pointer. That along with a defensive stop on the other end gave way for a Donovan Dent layup. The Lobos would go on to outscore their hosts 9-5 after that. With yet another Baker Jr. three pointer giving New Mexico a little cushion in their biggest lead of the game.

That lead only continued to grow, with a Mashburn Jr. three pointer increasing it to double digits (32-22) with 6:36 left in the first half.

Nevada wouldn’t stay down for long, not in their own house. Scoring seven points, including a Tre Coleman three pointer which shrunk the lead back down to single digits. But the Lobos answered back, with their long running backcourt duo of House & Mashburn Jr. chipping in four more points to get their lead back to a favorable place.

Each team gave it all they had until the half-time buzzer, as Jarod Lucas scored four straight points to keep his Wolf Pack within striking distance. It was enough to keep his team in the game. But a Mustapha Amzil three pointer was the last bucket before the half, to give New Mexico the 45-35 lead heading into halftime.

Things were pretty leveled on each side. With similar shooting totals, & longtime friends Jaelen House leading his team with 11 points & Jarod Lucas with 8 of his own. Something unexpected was New Mexico’s shooting performance at half-time, knocking down 5-8 three pointers to help give them the 10 point lead.

Nevada started scoring quickly, with a Coleman pull up jumper opening up scoring in the first possession of the second-half. One of three field goals made in the first minute of play.

The Wolf Pack wouldn’t stop there, going on a 7-0 run after having sent Lobo JT Toppin to the free throw line to make the three point play. That 7-0 run shrank the New Mexico lead to just four (48-44), their smallest deficit since the ten minute marker in the first half.

The Wolf Pack’s hot shooting on their home floor to open the half continued. With a Kenan Blackshear pull up, followed by a Nick Davidson dunk down low bringing Nevada to within one point of the Lobo lead (49-48). Prompting a much needed Richard Pitino timeout.

After the break, the two squads stayed neck and neck. Until back-to-back layups by Toppin combined with another from fellow freshman Tru Washington helped the Lobos create some cushion in their lead. Going up 58-52 before Nevada called a timeout of their own. After several misses on each side, a pair of Washington steals would lead to a pair of Donovan Dent field goals.

With the lead back to double-digits (62-52), a media timeout couldn’t have come sooner for Coach Alford. His team responded well, making shots & making New Mexico earn theirs at the charity stripe (next 4 Lobo points, come from Mashburn Jr. FTs).

But in the face of continuous comeback attempts from their hosts, New Mexico stayed composed. With Amzil’s second three pointer of the night helping widen their lead, only for a Jarod Lucas three on the other end to help close it yet again.

As both teams approached the five minute mark, a pair of Daniel Foster free throws brought the Wolf Pack back to within four. New Mexico would fail to capitalize on their next two possessions. Ultimately sending Kenan Blackshear to the line to tie things up at 71-71 with 4:43 left in the game. Nevada would take their first lead of the second-half shortly after, with Toppin sending Davidson to the line for two easy free throws.

A much needed Amzil three pointer gave New Mexico back their lead (74-73). Which was a part of a clutch performance off of the bench from the Finnish big man (12 points in 21 minutes), who went 3-6 from deep against Nevada.

There would be two more ties after that, at 75 & 77 a piece before a defensive blunder would nearly turn the tides.

A Jaelen House foul on Jarod Lucas beyond the arc sent the sharpshooter to the line for three easy ones. Giving Nevada the 80-77 lead with under two minutes to play. House would go on to miss a three pointer on the other end, but New Mexico would retain the ball.

In comes the Mountain West magic & after being subbed out only seconds prior, in comes Jamal Mashburn Junior. Draining a three pointer that would silence the crowd inside the Lawlor Events Center while tying the game at 80-80. Get ready for the tweets.

If that wasn’t enough to keep Mountain West spectators on the edge of their seat, Nevada would take the lead after another Davidson layup with just thirty seconds to go. No one called a timeout, as offensive maestro Donovan Dent was entrusted to put the ball on the hardwood & drove to the basket only to find one of his team’s best scorers ready for the ball.

A slight lapse in defensive coverage by the Wolf Pack left Mashburn Jr. briefly open in the upper corner. As the clutch shooting guard came under pressure, he fired.

With Mashburn Jr.’s clutch three pointer, he was subbed right back out for the larger Baker Junior. Tasked with preventing a shot that Lobo fans were all too familiar with, a Kenan Blackshear final possession game winner.

With that miss New Mexico earned the 83-82 road win, another quad 1 win & their first sweep over Nevada since the 2015-2016 season.

It was truly a night for scoring in Reno. With New Mexico receiving double-digit scoring from five different players, including Nelly Junior-Joseph’s fifth double-double of the season (11 points, 13 rebounds). While Nevada had four players in double figures, led by 19 point performances from Nick Davidson & Jarod Lucas.

Player Spotlights

Nevada F–Nick Davidson

Stat line: 19 points & 7 rebounds & 2 blocks on 8-15 (53.3%) shooting from the floor, including 3-3 (100%) from deep in 35 minutes on the floor

To choose just one Wolf to highlight after tonight’s edge of your seat game was difficult. I could have easily pointed to Lucas’s offensive efficiency or Blackshear’s ability to get to the free throw line all night while also dishing out 7 assists. But, I don’t think Nevada even comes close to taking New Mexico down to the wire if it wasn’t for Davidson’s play in the post.

Shooting above 53.5% against one of the more talented & lengthy frontcourts in the conference isn’t easy. And Davidson managed to do so with consistency while also challenging for boards & making some clutch free throws when needed.

Playing at maybe Nevada’s shallowest position on the depth chart, the sophomore is vital to their success.

New Mexico G-Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Stat line: 17 points on 4-7 (57.1%) from the floor, including 3-3 (100%) from deep & 6-6 (100%) from the line in just 23 minutes on the floor

Mashburn Jr. definitely deserves his flowers for Tuesday night’s performance in Reno. He was quiet but efficient for most of the game, only logging 23 total minutes on the floor.

As Coach Pitino continuously subbed him in & out, in favor of size to try in order to find their defensive edge. That didn’t shake the mental toughness of this senior guard.

He returned to the floor time & time again to contribute in a highly efficient way. Ending the night shooting 100% from both the free throw line & from deep range. That deep range performance was vital to New Mexico’s win. As they’ve struggled with effective three point shooting all season.

If you would have asked me Tuesday morning if the Lobos would win tonight’s game off of back-to-back three pointers, I would have offered you a coffee to sober up. But big players show up in big moments, and no Lobo stands taller tonight than Jamal Mashburn Junior.

Three Takeaways:

  • After getting swept by UNLV last Saturday with that tough loss at home, New Mexico needed this win. Not only for their morale & momentum to finish out the season, but for their tournament resume. The sweep of Nevada this season is also significant, having not done so in nearly eight years. Not to mention beginning a two game winning streak against their former Head Coach. A second straight win this week in San Diego could be the momentum this team needs heading into a brutal second half of February.
  • Jamal Mashburn Jr. has been overshadowed this season. With the surge in production from sophomore Donovan Dent & the always crowd pleasing & energetic Jaelen House sharing the back court with him, minutes along with praise are sometimes scarce. His team high of 17 points to go along with those two clutch three pointers to win the game for his squad on the road are huge. His confidence & production along with others on this team like Amzil, Junior-Joseph, Washinton & Baker Jr. will be needed come tournament time & to finish strong the rest of the conference season.
  • Nevada played very well Tuesday night against New Mexico. Boasting a three game winning streak coming into this one, which includes back-to-back wins over Top-25 opponents in conference front runners Utah State & perennial powerhouse San Diego State just last week. Even after the loss, they made the correct adjustments throughout the game, which eventually led to them taking control in the closing minutes. The Wolf Pack appear primed & ready to compete for their spot in the Big Dance come March. I can’t wait to see this team thrive going forward, with a favorable stretch to overcome.

Next Up:

The Lobos only get three days off & stay on the road to hopefully finish their week 2-0. With a rare Friday night game against San Diego State on February 16th. New Mexico could secure two sweeps over two of their more problematic conference foes this year. It’s a tall task but remember, any team on any night.

The Lobos haven’t swept the Aztecs since 2017. Which happened to be Craig Neal’s last season in Albuquerque & it was still called Wise Pies Arena back then. That game tips off at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on FS1.

While the Wolf Pack stay in Reno to host their southern in-state rivals, UNLV. The first game in the hardwood edition of the Battle for Nevada takes place on Saturday February 17th.

This rivalry may have seen some better days with UNLV’s inconsistency & NCAA Tournament drought over their last decade or so. Both programs are attempting to fight their way out of their mid-table positions.

But have proven their lethality to other team’s tournament hopes this season. That matchup tips off at 8:30 PM PT and can be seen on FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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No. 25 New Mexico Continues Hot Streak, Beating Nevada 89-55

The Lobos achieved their first win over the Wolf Pack in five years, in convincing fashion. Ending a 9-0 losing streak to Nevada on Sunday.

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 Game Recap: New Mexico 89, Nevada 55

New Mexico slams Nevada by 34 points at home Sunday night.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Lobos achieved their first win over the Wolf Pack in five years, in convincing fashion.

Albuquerque, NM–A conference rivalry like no other. Two programs that share a similar mascot, a lopsided series record as of late & a shared appreciation for Steve Alford. The latest installment of that rivalry, was also the lone Mountain West game on Sunday night.

Meaning there were plenty of fans, regionally & bystanders nationally tuned in to see if New Mexico was the real deal & if Nevada was going to be the team to expose them.

Richard Pitino’s group put peddle to the metal against their visitors Sunday night, opening things up with a 10-0 run and not really looking back. Receiving contributions from seven Lobos in the first twenty minutes of action, New Mexico took the lead from the get go and never let go of the reins. Heading into half-time up 38-24, after what was an 18-point Lobo lead was chipped away by Nevada in the closing minutes.

It was a team effort in the first half, but New Mexico was led by 10 points, 6 rebounds & 2 blocks from Nelly Junior-Joseph. While Pitino’s trio of guards went for 17 of his squad’s 38 points, shooting 7-14 from the floor. Stud freshman JT Toppin was sidelined early with 5 points & two fouls, but it didn’t matter, not tonight.

Nevada struggled to knock down shots, looking for their first bucket for nearly five minutes into the game & trailing the rest of the way. Their best chance came with around 12:57 left to go in the second-half. As a Nick Davidson dunk sparked a 7-0 Wolf Pack run, which helped Nevada shrink their deficit to just nine points (their smallest all night).

That momentum was short lived as New Mexico responded with back-to-back three pointers, which livened the crowd inside the Pit. The home team’s lead reached 20-points soon after and only got larger as time went on.

As the final nail in the coffin coming in the form of a 7-0 run around the five minute mark, the Lobos had done it. Earning their first win over Nevada since January of 2019. Not to mention their first win over Steve Alford since his return to the Mountain West.

It was an impressive display from the Lobos and much needed after what Kenan Blackshear did inside that arena just a year ago. The win was also their fifth straight, all by double-figures & by an average margin of victory of 20.8 PPG. Also placing them in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West, behind No. 18 Utah State, whom the Lobos have already beaten once this season.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico G-Jaelen House

Stat line: 21 points, 6 steals & 6 assists on 7-13 (53.8%) shooting, including 4-8 (50%) from deep

House had one of his most impressive games of the season. Which seems like something I’ve written multiple times this season. But Sunday’s performance had flair, passion & efficiency to boot. Shooting a monster 53.8% from the floor & knocking down shots from everywhere on the floor. Thanks to a huge second-half, where he had 14 of his 21 points.

Not to mention a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio and a dominant defensive performance on the perimeter with six logged steals & countless other disruptions. House has always had poise and confidence but shooting 50% on a night with four other Lobos reaching double-figures was what was needed to send the Wolf Pack home in convincing fashion.

Nevada F–Tylan Pope

Stat line: 5 points, 4 rebounds & 1 block in just 12 minutes on the floor

Maybe the toughest player spotlight choice of the season, as no Wolf Pack player’s performance stood out. A player who played hard during his time on the floor & didn’t look intimidated by the score was Tylan Pope.

Nevada Sports outlets have been praising the Tulane transfer for his play off of the bench as of late. I see why after this dunk through traffic that the Nevada Twitter account doesn’t have a video of.

Three Takeaways

  • This Nevada loss was bound to happen sometime during Alford’s tenure in Reno. An undefeated record against his old employers is nothing to snuff at, but Sunday’s bombardment likely changes the power dynamic between these two programs for now. It wasn’t the most dignified way to lose (34 points and all), but New Mexico is one of the hottest teams in the country at the moment. Not to mention they’ve already done the same to Utah State & San Diego State this season.
  • Back in early January when UNLV handed the New Mexico their second loss in conference play I said things needed to change in the Lobo locker room. They couldn’t have an amazing non-conference performance just to fold in conference play like they did last year. Someone in that locker room felt the same way and since New Mexico has looked like a different team. One with confident stars playing in rhythm and role players like Junior-Joseph & Amzil thriving to give Richard Pitino one of the more dangerous squads in the country. Anything short of a No. 20 ranking come Monday would be a bit of an insult.
  • This Lobo team is playing with a passion, energy & confidence that I haven’t seen in maybe over a decade. One of the moments that I feel perfectly encapsulates this idea, is one of the many Lobo fast breaks of the night. A defensive stop from a mix of House, Junior-Joseph & Dent that led to all three of those players well ahead of any Wolf Pack player, which resulted in House rising in support of a then Dent slam dunk. It’s great to see, a revitalized fan base, student section & along with players inside the program.

Next Up:

The Lobos take their win and continue their two game homestand against a struggling but always dangerous Boise State squad. The two sides split their home and home series last season, but each team defended their home courts. That 8:30 PM MT tip-off can be seen on FS1 as the sole MWC game of the night.

While Nevada return home to host San Jose State on Friday February 2nd inside the Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack look to return to their winnings ways after dropping four of their last five. That 8:00 PM PT tip-off can be seen on the FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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

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

 

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

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

Contact/Follow @KayceeClark-Mellott and @MWCwire

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

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:30 PM MT

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

TELEVISION: Mountain West Network

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

LINE: Nevada +8.5

RANKINGS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Players to the Game:

G Kenan Blackshear–Nevada

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

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

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

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

F Caden Powell-Wyoming

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

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

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

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

Keys to the Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction:

Nevada 68, Wyoming 60

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

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

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Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico & Others Rise

Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico Rises Lobos shine in a tough week for the Mountain West. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire After a tough week in the college basketball landscape, several Mountain West slide and others …

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Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico Rises

Lobos shine in a tough week for the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

After a tough week in the college basketball landscape, several Mountain West slide and others rise. 

After a flattering and impressive first edition of the NET Rankings were released last week, fans around the Mountain West were likely feeling giddy. With a team in the top-ten, four more in the top-50 and more teams in the top-36 than any other conference aside from the Big 12. It felt as though the conference was finally getting the respect it deserved while separating itself from other mid-majors.

That feeling should still be very alive in fans hearts. As the Mountain West is ranked just behind the six high major conferences in KenPom’s current rankings. With an adjusted efficiency margin of nearly double their closest competitors.

So, as any longtime fan can tell you, setbacks do happen. It doesn’t feel great when the conferences leading programs slide down the rankings a bit after what can be considered hard fought losses. But there is still plenty to be hopeful for.

There are still four teams in the top-50 and one just outside of it. Including five teams whose ranks have risen in the last seven days. Not to mention Fresno State’s recent rise, which means no Mountain West team is outside of the top-240.

How It Works

The NET is the NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee a better idea of team’s performances. The new NET ranking’s metrics, shrank from five to just two in 2020, two years after it’s debut in 2018.

Team Value Index-Algorithm set up to reward teams who beat other good teams. Results-oriented component of the N.E.T. *Game results versus Division-I opponents only.

Adjusted Net Efficiency-The adjusted efficiency is a team’s net efficiency (offensive efficacy minus defensive efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played.

Quadrant Ranking System-the quality of wins and losses will be organized based on game location and the opponent’s NET ranking.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Analyzing the Rankings

Still at the top of all Mountain West teams in week two is Colorado State. The Rams like many others have slipped just a bit down the rankings as of Monday morning.

A two game homestand last week resulted in a close win over Denver and a three-point dagger in the heart by the always tough St. Mary’s on Saturday. The Gaels don’t have the notoriety in the rankings this year as they did in the past, so losses to Randy Bennet’s squad this season hurt twice as much.

Other schools to slip in the top-50 section of the rankings were San Diego State and Nevada. Nevada fell out of the top-50 all together with a tough neutral site loss in nearby Henderson, NV against Drake. The Bulldogs are led by one of the best mid-major stars in the country in Tucker Devries, coached by his father Darian Devries.

It’s not a bad loss by any means, but the Wolf Pack have a very weak strength of schedule at the moment, with their loss to Drake putting them 1-1 against quad 1 opponents.

Albeit they are 6-0 against all other opponents, but all of those were quad 4 wins, meaning the only weight they carry is as wins. Yes a confusing sentence, but when your wins don’t carry much weight, certain losses carry thrice as much. Look at their 31 space drop as a good example of that.

The Aztecs on the other hand had just entered the AP Top-25 before they went on the road against a Grand Canyon team that is making it’s name as the next powerful mid-major. They fell inside GCU Arena on Tuesday, 79-73 in what is classified as a quad 1 loss. But the level of play both teams brought with them to Phoenix cushioned their fall.

Teams outside of the top-50 that experienced a fall were Air Force, San Jose State & UNLV. The Falcons have an impressive record but no quad 1 or 2 wins. Which means their first loss in under a month to Eastern Washington at home this past weekend hurt enough for a 42 space fall.

While the Runnin’ Rebels chance at a resume booster on the road against Dayton last week was postponed due to the tragic shooting that took place on the UNLV campus last week. That followed by a close loss to Loyola Marymount in the Jack Jones Classic are factors in their 17 place drop.

To end on a high note Boise State, Fresno State & Wyoming all rose up the rankings. Joining them were Utah State, who are currently on an 8 game winning streak and New Mexico.

The Lobos became the talk of the mid-major town this past week. As they extended their eight game winning streak with wins over UC Santa Barbara and Santa Clara by combined average margins of 20.0 PPG. Besides garnering national attention for some convincing wins against quality mid-major opponents of late, New Mexico is doing so while showcasing depth no one could have predicted.

It’s a lot to take in and a lot to research but the Mountain West needs another strong week to keep momentum going as the holidays approach.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

16 (7) Colorado State 9-1 (0-0)

24 (36) New Mexico 9-1 (0-0)

29 (24) San Diego State 8-2 (0-0)

31 (34) Utah State 9-1 (0-0)

52 (21) Nevada 7-1 (0-0)

113 (126) Boise State 6-3 (0-0)

160 (118) Air Force 7-3 (0-0)

150 (130) San Jose State 6-5 (0-0)

172 (187) Wyoming 6-3 (0-0)

214 (197) UNLV 3-4 (0-0)

232 (299) Fresno State 5-4 (0-0)

Just one week removed from our NET Rankings Debut update, things have changed. That’s to be expected and part of the game. The word upset is in the dictionary because anyone can beat anyone on any given night. What matters now is how teams bounce back from tough losses and look forward.

As teams around the Mountain West have a little over two weeks left before the end of the colander year and the beginning of conference play, every game counts.

Full List Here

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Net Rankings Debut: Colorado State Out In Front At No. 7, Four Others Make Top-40

Net Ranking Debut: The Rams make the top10 after an impressive first month of action. Colorado State leads the conference in first Net Rankings of the season. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The first NET Rankings of the season are out, with …

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Net Ranking Debut: The Rams make the top10 after an impressive first month of action.

Colorado State leads the conference in first Net Rankings of the season.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The first NET Rankings of the season are out, with five Mountain West schools in the top-50, headlined by Colorado State.

The first NET Rankings of the year were released on Monday. Which, are the NCAA’s primary decision making tool come selection Sunday in March. So naturally we took a look at how Mountain West schools have faired after a tough first month of non-conference action.

How It Works

The NET is the NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee a better idea of team’s performances. The new NET ranking’s metrics, shrank from five to just two in 2020, two years after it’s debut in 2018.

Team Value Index-Algorithm set up to reward teams who beat other good teams. Results-oriented component of the N.E.T. *Game results versus Division-I opponents only.

Adjusted Net Efficiency-The adjusted efficiency is a team’s net efficiency (offensive efficacy minus defensive efficiency, adjusted for strength of opponent and location (home/away/neutral) across all games played.

Analyzing the Rankings

Noticeably at the top is Colorado State at No. 7. The Rams have been one of the more delightful surprises of the non-conference slate thus far. To say Niko Medved’s group is exceeding preseason expectations is fair, as the Rams were predicted to finish 5th in the Mountain West Preseason Poll in October.

Though after an impressive 8-0 start to the season, which includes four straight wins over high major schools on the road and or neutral site games, they find themselves leading the pack.

The last true rankings booster on the Ram’s non-conference schedule is this Saturday when the Gaels of St. Mary’s come to Fort Collins. Colorado State beat Saint Mary’s in Moraga last season and a win for the second year in a row would help solidify their place in the top-10 in likely both the NET and AP-top 25 before the holiday break.

Other teams to make the top-50 include Nevada (No. 21), San Diego State (No. 24), Utah State (No. 34) & New Mexico (No. 36). All four teams have enjoyed non-conference success so far, with Nevada the only other unbeaten team in the conference. As Steve Alford’s squad boasts a quad 1 win over the Washington Huskies and maybe more importantly five quad 4 wins at home beating teams they should by an average margin of 19.0 PPG.

The other three teams all have one blotch in the loss column to weaken their rankings just a tad. For the Aztecs that was a quad 1 loss to former Mountain West rival BYU on the road in early November.

For Utah State it was an early season loss to Bradley on the road in Peoria, to give the Aggies a quad 2 loss. A small damper on what has been an impressive start to year one of the Danny Sprinkle era in Logan.

Lastly the Lobos, who fell to Saint Mary’s early in the season in the Gaels revenge win over Richard Pitino’s group, who beat them last season in non-conference play. Randy Bennet’s group is struggling a tad this year, losing five of their last six game’s, making New Mexico’s defeat in November a quad 3 loss.

No other team made the top-100 in the ranking’s first iteration. Some surprising pieces being Air Force having a higher ranking than Boise State & UNLV the first time around. There is nothing flashy about the Falcons’ 7-2 record thus far. With no quad 1 or 2 wins, but no non-DI games to weaken their results and more maybe importantly a 3-1 record on the road.

While Boise State & UNLV may simply be victims of their strong schedules. As the Broncos dropped all of their high major contests in the first month of play. The Runnin’ Rebels on the other hand have only one excusable loss. That coming at the hands of Florida State to go along with a less than stellar opening night loss to Southern.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

7. Colorado State 8-0 (0-0)

21. Nevada 6-0 (0-0)

24. San Diego State 6-1 (0-0)

34. Utah State 6-1 (0-0)

36. New Mexico 7-1 (0-0)

118. Air Force 7-2 (0-0)

126. Boise State 3-3 (0-0)

130. San Jose State 4-4 (0-0)

187. Wyoming 3-3 (0-0)

197. UNLV 3-3 (0-0)

299. Fresno State 2-4 (0-0)

Preseason predictions can always be taken with a grain of salt. As teams will always over or under produce with injuries and chemistry issues usually to blame. This season is no different as not many would have predicted their team’s place in the first NET rankings of the year.

Luckily there are plenty of basketball games to be played and anyone can rise through the rankings, but they can also fall at any moment. We’ll do our best here at Mountain West Wire to keep you updated throughout the season.

Full List Here

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A colony of bats invaded a Nevada basketball game, prompting an all-time rant from Steve Alford

“The bat thing is getting pretty embarrassing.” 

If you’re looking for the strangest story of the college basketball season, look no further than Nevada.

In what’s an absolutely hysterical and deeply unfortunate development for the Wolf Pack, the men’s team saw a stoppage in play in its home opener against Sacramento State on Tuesday night because, go with us here, a colony of bats descended from the Lawlor Events Center rafters onto the court.

Yes, seriously, the game had to stop momentarily because a bunch of bats started flying around the stadium like it was Bruce Wayne’s Batcave. It’s really something you have to see for yourself.

Holy basketball, Batman! Outside of causing a delay in play, the bat fiasco led to one of the funniest rants in a postgame press conference you’re ever going to hear from Nevada men’s coach Steve Alford.

You know things are going to be good when someone starts a response by saying, “The bat thing is getting pretty embarrassing.”

“We are a big-time basketball program, and we shouldn’t be dealing with bats,” an understandably frustrated Alford shared with reporters after Tuesday’s game. 

We get why this situation is driving Alford absolutely … batty.

Apparently, Nevada’s Lawlor Events Center has dealt with the winged guests before, per CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno.

In 2017, several bats took over the arena and the Nevada Department of Wildlife confirmed at the time there could be up to 30 bats living inside the arena.

Yikes. Until the arena officials can figure out an ethical way to clear the bats out of the stadium, it sounds like they could still be flying around at the worst-possible moments for Nevada’s basketball teams this season.

Our solution? Either ask if Batman and Robin can come sort out their pals or see if Dwight Schrute is available.

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Mountain West Basketball: 2023-2024 Conference Schedule Announced

With a little over a month on the ole college basketball countdown tracker, entities around the sport continue to release 2023-24 schedules.

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MWC Basketball: 2023-2024 Conference Schedule Announced

A first look at this year’s conference slate.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The 2023-2024 Mountain West Conference schedule release.

With a little over a month on the ole college basketball countdown tracker, entities around the sport are almost done releasing conference, non-conference & multi-team event participation for the 2023-2024 season.

The announcement also came with this season’s national T.V. schedule. With the hype earned from San Diego State’s Cinderella run to the National Championship game this past March. There will likely be more eyes on the Mountain West than ever before. And as in years past fans around the conference as well as newcomers gained from the big dance can catch their favorite team on CBS & Fox outlets.

This season each team will play nine home games & make nine away games. As of now, league play kicks off on January 2nd, when New Mexico heads north to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State.

CBS

The first game on CBS will be on November 29th when Colorado State hosts in-state rival Colorado on CBS Sports Network. This will be the first of over forty-nine televised games across CBS and CBS Sports Network.

A key date to circle on the CBS broadcast calendar should be UNLV at National Championship runner up San Diego State on Saturday, January 6th. Another matchup to look forward to will be the Aztecs at league rival New Mexico on Saturday, January 13th. Both games between these two conference foes last season made for must-watch TV, we can look forward to much of the same with revamped rosters on both sides.

A last matchup of note will be between conference title contenders San Diego State and Boise State. This showdown of Mountain West heavy weights airs on CBS Saturday, January 20th.

Not to mention all games airing on CBS are also accessible via stream on Paramount+.

FOX

On the Fox side of things, thirty-two games will be televised nationally. The first FS1 broadcast is a non-conference meeting featuring Cal State Fullerton at San Diego State on Monday November 6th. Among the key conference games to catch on FOX is Utah State at San Diego State on Saturday, February 3rd.

As with CBS & Paramount+ all games on FS1 will also be available on the FOX Sports App and FOXSports.com.

But for those without access to any of CBS or Fox’s outlets, don’t worry. All other games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

Important Dates

-January 2nd-League play begins with five contests

-March 9th-Regular Season Concludes

-The 2024 tournament will take place March 13th-16th

March Madness

CBS Sports will televise the Mountain West Basketball Championship as in years past. The quarterfinals & semifinals will air on the CBS sports Network. With the championship game televised on CBS (as well as Paramount+) on Saturday March 16th.

This is an exciting time around the Mountain West Conference. For the last year or so it appeared that the upcoming season was going to be the conference’s last hurrah. But as predictable yet at the same time unpredictable as conference realignment machine can be, here we are.

So with fresh eyes aplenty, rejuvenated fanbases throughout and a raised ceiling by San Diego State, fans this season should be excited to say the least.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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The Mountain West Joins The Threads App

The brand-new social media platform from Meta debuted yesterday and the Mountain West Conference made its presence known on day one.

The Mountain West Joins The Threads App

The brand-new social media platform from Meta debuted yesterday and the Mountain West made its presence known on day one.

Contact/Follow @MattK_FS and @MWCwire

A new frontier for everyone.

There’s little doubt that Twitter is the number-one social media website for all things sports, but a number of recent highly-publicized missteps by Elon Musk have given competitors like Mastodon and Bluesky an opportunity to challenge for the throne and our attention spans.

The newest platform, Threads, was unveiled to the world yesterday by Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and nearly every team in the Mountain West wasted little time making their presence known in unique ways.

Air Force, for instance, took the opportunity to remind everyone which military academic actually runs college football:

 

Post by @af_falcons
View on Threads

Colorado State, New Mexico, and San Jose State decided to keep their introductions simple:

 

Post by @csuathletics
View on Threads

 

Post by @unmloboathletics
View on Threads

 

 

Post by @sjsuspartans
View on Threads

 

Hawaii leaned on tried and true tradition to announce its arrival:

 

Post by @rainbowwarriorsfootball
View on Threads

 

Nevada and UNLV, on the other hand, already found a way to bring their Silver State rivalry to a new stage. The Rebels have already set the bar for other teams in the Mountain West to match:

 

Post by @runninrebels
View on Threads

 

Utah State has embraced the audiovisual aspect of the new platform:

 

Post by @usufootball
View on Threads

 

Last but not least, the Mountain West Conference itself found its way onto Threads, as well:

 

Post by @mountainwestconference
View on Threads

 

Not every Mountain West program is represented on Threads yet — Fresno State and Boise State are only nominally present at the moment while San Diego State and Wyoming are absent — but it appears that a lot of people across the Mountain West are interested in finding out whether this new venture has staying power.

Threads is available now through the Google Play Store and Apple Apps.

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NCAA Tournament First Round: Mountain West Preview

Four Mountain West Conference teams will play Wednesday/Thursday in the First Round, or Play-in Game. Here’s a short preview of each matchup

NCAA Tournament First Round: Mountain West Preview

4 MWC teams are playing in the Big Dance. Here’s a brief look at each matchup.

https://twitter.com/coachmosser & @MWCwire

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It’s the middle of March, and you know what that means. Time to fill out your brackets, be unproductive at work, and watch the greatest sporting event in the country from dawn to dusk on both Thursday and Friday. For fans of the Mountain West Conference, they get an added bonus, as they’ll have action on Wednesday night as well. They also corralled an impressive 4 bids for the second consecutive year. The trick now becomes winning one or more of these games, something they have struggled mightily to do the last several years. Nevada in 2018 is the last MWC team to win a game in the Big Dance, and last year’s 0-4 effort was a stain on the league’s reputation.

The four teams selected this season have an opportunity to reverse that narrative. There are similarities between the two years when looking at the seeds. Each had/has a team in a play-in game (Wyoming in 2022, Nevada in 2023), each had/has a fairly high seed (#6 Colorado State last year, #5 San Diego State this year), and each had/has two teams in toss-up games (#8 Boise State and #8 San Diego State a year ago, #10 Boise State and #10 Utah State currently). Got all that? Fans of those four teams and the conference hope the similarities end there. Let’s take a quick look at the strengths/weaknesses of the opponents the Mountain West teams will take on, listed in order of game time.

NEVADA VS. ARIZONA STATE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15TH – 9:10 EST, 6:10 PT
DAYTON, OH; truTV
ARIZONA STATE -2

Nevada was a surprise entry in the tournament to some, who projected the Wolf Pack to be one of the first schools left out. But they will not apologize for being chosen, and in fact, teams in Nevada’s position have won play-in games before. To do that, they will have to reverse the late season swoon that almost cost them this spot.

An interesting storyline in this game is a pair of the Sun Devils starters. Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Warren Washington spent a few seasons with the Wolf Pack and now are major contributors for Bobby Hurley’s club. Cambridge is the leading scorer, though like his team as a whole, he does not shoot the ball well. In fact, ASU ranks low in most offensive statistical categories. They are here on the backs of their defense, and will try to make life miserable for Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear. Washington and Will Baker are going to have a nice battle in the paint, and Pack defensive stopper Tre Coleman will be tasked with slowing down Cambridge. The Sun Devils like to force turnovers, but Nevada has been pretty solid taking care of the basketball. There also should be a few second chance buckets on offer, as ASU is a below average rebounding team. This one sets up as a defensive affair, with points at a premium. Like many play-in games recently it should also go right down to the wire. Lucas will try to channel his experience as an Oregon State Beaver two years ago when they made it all the way to the Elite Eight. That may be the difference here.

Prediction: Nevada 64 Arizona State 60

UTAH STATE VS. MISSOURI
THURSDAY, MARCH 16TH – 11:40 AM MT, 10:40 AM PT
SACRAMENTO, CA; TNT
UTAH STATE -1

Despite falling in the conference tournament championship game, Utah State comes in as one of the hotter teams in the field. Their offense has been humming, and the defense has improved tremendously in the last two months. Head coach Ryan Odom should have fond memories of the NCAA Tournament – in his lone appearance, his UMBC team shocked the college basketball universe, becoming the first and only #16 seed to knock off a #1 seed (Virginia).

For an opponent, the Aggies draw Missouri, a super athletic club that likes to play fast and score points. That’s quite alright with Utah State. The Tigers were a surprise in the SEC this season under first year coach Dennis Gates. They lack size, and as a result, USU should have an edge on the glass, both Dan Akin and Trevin Dorius may be able to grab their share of offensive boards. Where the Tigers are dangerous is with their aggressive defense; they force a lot of turnovers and score plenty of points off of those turnovers. If Utah State takes care of the ball, that cuts off a massive source of Missouri offense.

We see a couple of advantages for Utah State. The first is in one of the Aggies strengths – shooting the ball. Missouri’s metrics grade out poorly in several important defensive areas, primarily effective field goal % defense and three-point % defense. Here is what is really striking about those numbers. The SEC this season, for as good as some of its teams are, is an abysmal shooting conference (anybody watch Mississippi State last night?). If Missouri’s defensive field goal % numbers are bad against teams that struggle to shoot, they are up against it when facing Ashworth, Funk, and company. One other thing that must be noted is the logistics at play; the game is in California, and yet for some reason (well we know the reason, it’s TV) this game tips off at 10:40 local time. That’s 10:40 AM. While Missouri is not on the east coast, they have not played a game west of Texas this season, and they may have a hard time getting their body clocks adjusted. On top of that they’ll be tipping off when they’d normally be having breakfast. They’ll figure it out eventually, but it still provides a bit of an edge for USU. The Tigers have great athletes and won’t fold, but this is one the Mountain West should get.

Prediction: Utah State 84 Missouri 75

SAN DIEGO STATE VS. CHARLESTON
THURSDAY, MARCH 16TH – 3:10 EST, 12:10 PT
ORLANDO, FL; truTV
SAN DIEGO STATE -5.5

Out of any of the four Mountain West teams to fall in the opening round a year ago, San Diego State probably has the worst nightmares. The Aztecs led the entire way, including by 8 with less than 3 minutes left, in a low scoring game nonetheless, but they could not hang on, and fell in overtime to Creighton. They returned much of their core, added a few pieces, and completed an impressive regular season/conference tournament double. Now it’s time to win in March, late March.

In front of them is one of the best stories of the season in college hoops – Coach Pat Kelsey and Charleston, who amassed an incredible 31-3 record. To win 31 of your 34 games is difficult no matter what, but there is no denying the lack of competition on the schedule. The Cougars defeated Virginia Tech, Colorado State, and tournament entry Kent State, but that’s about it, as their conference was pretty poor overall. That doesn’t mean they aren’t good and can’t play, it just means they aren’t as battle tested as most are. They like to play up-tempo, and they score 80 points a game.

This game does have a bit of the opposite travel impact that Utah State’s game does, as the Aztecs are traveling cross-country, while the Cougars and their supporters have just a 380 mile trip down I-95. However, there are a couple of marks in SDSU’s favor here, in addition to the edge in competition. Charleston obviously did many things well to finish with the record they finished with, but they were especially strong in a couple of areas. One is on the glass, they rebounded very well. They will have their hands full in that regard against the Aztecs, who dominate the boards themselves, and have an athletic advantage as well. The other area is their depth. The Cougars have nine players averaging between 15 and 28 minutes per game, and they wore many of their opponents out. They drew the wrong matchup for that edge to matter; SDSU also utilizes nine players, they all know their role, and they are not likely to be worn down. Charleston is feisty and will give max effort for 40 minutes, but they have not seen the pressure or athleticism that they will see here.

Prediction: San Diego State 70 Charleston 62

BOISE STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN
THURSDAY, MARCH 16TH – 5:35 MT, 4:35 PT
SACRAMENTO, CA; truTV
NORTHWESTERN -1.5

Boise State finds themselves in a first round toss-up for the second straight year. Last season they ran into a red-hot Memphis team, and dug too big of a hole to crawl out of. After sputtering a bit to the finish line, the Broncos will hope almost a full week off recharges the batteries and leads them to the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament victory.

Standing in their way is Northwestern, who was picked last in the Big Ten, but exceeded expectations, and is in making just their second appearance in the Big Dance. The Wildcats are a defense-first squad, holding their opponents to 62 ppg. They are not a particularly strong shooting team, but they do have two very good guards. Veterans Boo Buie and Chase Audige combine to average 31 points per game, nearly half of the teams output. The percentages from behind the arc are not great, but they find a way to score the ball. And if the game is close late, Northwestern is one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country; they will have five players on the floor that shoot above 80% from the line, impressive. The Wildcats are not very deep, but neither is Boise State, so that pretty much washes out. The Broncos may have a slight edge on the glass, and both teams protect the ball well. There is not a lot separating these two, and it’s likely to come down to who executes the best, and who makes the big shots. Fortunately for Boise State, they have Big Shot Shave in the holster, as Marcus Shaver has made numerous huge shots near the buzzer in his career. That may be required here, in what shapes up as a massive rock fight.

Prediction: Boise State 61 Northwestern 59


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NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada-First Look At The Sun Devils

NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada-First Look At The Sun Devils Who are the Sun Devils? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Nevada secures first four battle against Arizona State, with some familiar faces. It’s …

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NCAA Tournament Round of 64: No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Nevada-First Look At The Sun Devils

Who are the Sun Devils?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Nevada secures first four battle against Arizona State, with some familiar faces.

It’s been established that the Mountain West Conference was an absolute battlefield to navigate this season. Established ahead of the ACC in both KenPom and the NET Rankings.

Steve Alford’s Nevada Wolf Pack, like many other teams in conference play this season survived with some tough losses. But while also securing top wins of their own against league leaders San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State and more.

As a bubble team in most projections heading into Selection Sunday. The Wolf Pack drew a Last Four In No. 11 vs. No. 11 matchup against a similar styled opponent. The Arizona State Sun Devils are led by former Wolf Pack members Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Warren Washington.

Who Are The Sun Devils

Coach

The Sun Devils are led by now 8th year head coach Bobby Hurley. The Duke Blue Devils legend is in his second head coaching stint after getting his feed wet at Buffalo in the MAC.

In his final season in Upstate New York, coach Hurley lead the Bulls to a regular season title, conference tournament title and a trip to the big dance. Since he’s been at the helm in Tempe, Arizona State has made back to back trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 2017-2018 & 2018-2019, while accumulating a record of 140-112 (55.6%).

Star Players

Gr. G-Desmond Cambridge Jr. (6-4, 180)

Stats: 13.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2 APG & 1.8 SPG

Jr. G-DJ Horne (6-1, 175)

Stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.4 APG & 1.2 SPG

Sr. F-Warren Washington (7-0, 215)

Stats: 9.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.5 APG & 1.7 BPG

How Did They Get Here

Like the aforementioned ACC, the Pac-12 experienced a bit of a decline nationally this past season. Outside of Arizona and UCLA, USC and Arizona State were not sure fire selections come Sunday.

Arizona State 22-12 (11-9, 5th in Pac-12) managed to secure a non-conference neutral site wins over a No. 20 ranked Michigan squad and a Creighton squad that ended the year 3rd in a very competitive Big East. Although the Sun Devils still struggled to fend off Pac-12 foes, they managed a road win over a top-10 Arizona Wildcats team as a part of an 8-4 record in their last twelve games.

All of this culminating to a bubble team sanction before Sunday. Even though they were a part of the field of 68, their Last Four In designation describes just how close of a call it was for coach Hurley’s squad this year.

Biggest Wins: 

Neutral Site-No. 20 Michigan 87-62

Neutral Site-Creighton 73-71

@-No. 7 Arizona 89-88

NET Ranking:  66th

KenPom:  68th

RPI:  56th

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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