Tag: Nevada Basketball

DPI Rankings Week 6: Aztecs take over the #1 spot

Mountain West Basketball: Week 6 DPI Computer Rankings San Diego State takes over, Nevada takes a big step Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Aztecs the league’s new #1 after close call Earlier than ever, the Mountain West basketball season …

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Mountain West Basketball: Week 6 DPI Computer Rankings

San Diego State takes over, Nevada takes a big step

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Aztecs the league’s new #1 after close call

Earlier than ever, the Mountain West basketball season has officially started. And just as quickly, it’s back on hold as teams gear up to finish their out-of-conference schedules.

But even if it was just one week, there was plenty of intrigue.

We had three total overtimes between the New Mexico-Boise State and UNLV-Fresno State games. We had a few teams finally wake up from their long hibernation, while others still looked very much asleep.

And then of course, we had Malachi Flynn coming up in the clutch and ensuring that the league stays represented in the national polls.

The coming week will be light duty for most of the teams around the Mountain West, but there are still a few games to keep an eye on, including two tussles with BYU and some dates with the Pac-12.

So, as we embark further down the road of the 2019-20 campaign, let’s stop and take a look where the Mountain West teams stand heading into Week 6. I’ve provided some graphics that will hopefully give some context for the relative strengths and weaknesses of each team.

The rankings below reflect games played through Monday, December 9. For a rundown of how these rankings are calculated, head over to DPI Hoops. You can also find rankings for all 353 Division I teams.

(Note: Games against non-Div. I opponents are not counted in the DPI.)

 

#1 — SAN DIEGO STATE

The Aztecs have taken over the top spot from Utah State, but they were just a few centimeters away from major disappointment on Sunday against San Jose State. Thankfully, Flynn’s last-second bomb found the bottom of the net and sent San Diego State to a perfect 10-0 record and a spot in the Top 25.

#2 — UTAH STATE

Even though they managed to win both of their games, the Aggies were ousted from the national polls on Monday while the Aztecs took their spot. Utah State could be on the brink of an absolute game-changer, though, with star big man Neemias Queta returning to action after a knee injury.

#3 — NEVADA

The Wolf Pack had a fantastic week and are looking more and more like they could separate themselves from the logjam in the middle of the Mountain West and settle into the #3 spot behind Utah State and SDSU. Jalen Harris, in particular, has been playing out of his mind. Five straight for Nevada.

#4 — NEW MEXICO

It wasn’t always a sure thing, but the Lobos managed to jump out to an early 2-0 mark in the Mountain West. New Mexico survived a boxing match against Boise State that went to overtime before dispatching Wyoming with ease in Laramie. JaQuan Lyle looks to have found his home in ABQ.

#5 — COLORADO STATE

For now at least, the Rams continue to surprise by sitting atop the logjam of teams behind the league’s top four. Nico Carvacho continues to impress, but Colorado State went 0-for-2 on the week, losing to San Diego State and Boise State. Those same Broncos are hot on their tail.

#6 — BOISE STATE

Thankfully for Leon Rice, his star shooter Justinian Jessup has finally woken up from his long slumber. Derrick Alston Jr. and RJ Williams have done an admirable job holding up the load, but the Broncos need to be firing on all cylinders to catch up to the league’s top four teams.

#7 — WYOMING

The Cowboys remain relatively high in the polls, but they are starting to slide backward. Losses to Air Force and New Mexico this past week certainly didn’t do them any favors. Hunter Maldonado might be deserving of all-MWC honors down the line, but this team as a whole is lacking.

#8 — AIR FORCE

The Falcons’ defense has been one of the worst in the nation to start the year, but the offense has been quite good. Those traits were on full display this week, as Air Force allowed both Wyoming and Nevada to set season-high scoring marks while generating an 85.5 points per game of their own.

#9 — UNLV

It took two overtimes, but the Rebels opened their Mountain West season with a win over Fresno State. Unfortunately, they must have used up all of their good karma, because they got absolutely flattened by BYU in Salt Lake City. Turnovers continue to haunt T.J. Otzelberger’s club.

#10 — FRESNO STATE

It’s hard to imagine a more hard-luck team than Fresno State. (Actually, we’ll reconsider that in a moment.) The Bulldogs played three periods of extra time against UNLV and Utah State, but came away with nothing to show for it. Quickly approaching a nightmare scenario in Fresno.

#11 — SAN JOSE STATE

OK, so maybe the Spartans’ bad luck can compete with Fresno State’s. San Jose State hung with Utah State for twenty minutes before giving up the ghost. Then on Sunday, despite the efforts of leading scorer Seneca Knight, the Spartans came up infinitesimally short against SDSU.

That’s it for this week, folks! Check back next week for another round of Mountain West DPI rankings.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for 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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Nevada puts their 5-game winning streak on the line at BYU

Nevada at BYU: Game Preview, Prediction, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Wolf Pack look to continue their recent offensive explosion Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire With both teams fielding scorers aplenty, be ready for a shootout in …

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Nevada at BYU: Game Preview, Prediction, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Wolf Pack look to continue their recent offensive explosion

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

With both teams fielding scorers aplenty, be ready for a shootout in Provo

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Nevada (7-3, 1-0 MWC) vs. BYU (7-4, 0-0 WCC)

WHEN: Tuesday, December 10 — 7:00 P.M. MT / 6:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: Marriott Center, Provo, UT

WATCH: ESPNU

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME RECORD: BYU leads the series, 13-7

ODDS: BYU -7, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

If it feels familiar to see BYU taking on a Mountain West foe, fret not. The Cougars really are on a tour through the conference, with tonight’s game against Nevada being the fourth of five total games against the league for Mark Pope’s side.

While the games against Boise State and San Diego State didn’t break the Cougars’ way, BYU looked like the best version of themselves over the weekend as they took down UNLV, 83-50. The win was a righting of the ship, as BYU was coming off an overtime loss to Utah on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nevada’s offense went out and had themselves a monster week, scoring 98 against Santa Clara and 100 against Air Force.

The Wolf Pack have bounced back beautifully after a disappointing 2-3 start to the year. The season’s low point so far was a 20-point loss to Davidson. That loss looked—at the time—like it might signal a rough first year for new head coach Steve Alford, but Nevada has now won five straight games.

And though it shouldn’t diminish the accomplishment too much, none of those wins came against likely NCAA Tournament participants. Bowling Green is probably the most likely of the five, to give some context.

But they’ve got a chance to reel in a big fish when they travel to Provo.

The Cougars have had their struggles, to be sure. The losses to Boise State and Utah aren’t great. But BYU has also beaten Houston, Virginia Tech, and UCLA on the year, in addition to the haymaker they landed on UNLV.

Long story short, BYU can play.

Thankfully, so can Nevada.

The combination of Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson, and Lindsey Drew is starting to mesh really well. They’ve demonstrated the ability to take turns carrying the scoring load, with the trio combining for eleven 20-point games so far.

Most recently, it’s been Harris taking the lead. The former Louisiana Tech guard has been lighting it up. He’s averaging 24 points per game over the last three contests, including a 31-point performance against Air Force on Saturday. Harris is making a very strong case for All-MWC honors in the early going—and could even find his way into the POY conversation.

If you’re a fan of high-scoring basketball, look no further. This game pits two effective offenses and against two pedestrian defenses. BYU has gone for 83 or more points in its last three games. Nevada has scored more than 84 in three of its past four.

This could end up being the most exciting games of the evening.

BY THE NUMBERS

On Nevada’s offensive possessions…

Steve Alford should continue to ride the horse that got him to this five-game winning streak, putting the ball in the hands of his guards early and often. The Wolf Pack have been an excellent shooting team and they protect the ball as well as just about anyone in the country. But their shooters are going to have to get it right on the first try, because BYU has been great at limiting second-chance opportunities by opposing offenses. Also, don’t expect Nevada to get much from the line, as the Cougars don’t foul much.

On BYU’s offensive possessions…

The performance against UNLV was exactly what this BYU offense wants to do night in and night out. We know that the Cougars have shooters galore, but having the dominant interior presence of Yoeli Childs back should take their efficiency into uncharted waters. Johncarlos Reyes and KJ Hymes haven’t been terrible in the low post for the Wolf Pack, but Childs might be the best post player they’ll face all year (apologies to Neemias Queta). Aside from contesting his shots, Nevada will also need to limit second-chance points better than they’ve done so far on the season.

DPI PROJECTION: BYU 79.87, NEVADA 79.56

Normally I would round the scores off, but I think it’s important to show just how close these two are. The system is projecting this to be a wildly even game, with less than half a point separating the two teams. In the end, though, the DPI projects that the Cougars will defend their home court. But Nevada has every chance in the world to win this game.

If the Wolf Pack have any hope at an at-large bid—a slim prospect, most likely— they need to seize this opportunity on the road.

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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Future Hoops Foes: Week Five Recap of Week Six’s Opponents

Taking a Look At Week Six’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Five Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 6 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week. …

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Taking a Look At Week Six’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Five

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 6

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week.

Future Foes Week Five Recap:

Back to normal in the world of Future Hoops Foes going into the second week of December. 

Air Force Falcons (4-6, 1-1)

Sat, Dec. 14th

Denver Pioneers:

Rodney Billups‘ Pioneer squad is 4-6 on the year after a 19 point loss at UCLA this past Sunday. Not much was expected of this years Denver team as it was picked to finish last in the Summit League. They might surprise a few folks come conference play as they have wins against a Utah Valley team that went toe-to-toe with Kentucky in Rupp Arena this past month and Cal-St. Fullerton who was picked to finish fifth in a competitive Big West Conference this year.

Watch out for senior guard Ade Murkey, as the big guard out of Minneapolis is averaging a team high 12.8 PPG and has scored in double figures in four straight contests.

Boise State Broncos (5-3, 1-1)

Wed, Dec. 11th

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes:

The Golden Hurricanes are 7-2 and are receiving contributions from a little bit of everyone. Frank Haith’s squad was picked to finish tenth in the American this year and that may still be an accurate prediction, as Tulsa has yet to face a big ticket opponent aside from maybe Vanderbilt and the American will be scrappy come conference play. The true tests come in the month of December in road games at Arkansas and Kansas State, not to mention Boise State at home this week.

There are five players averaging eight points or better but the Hurricanes are led by Juco transfer Brandon Rachal averaging 15.9 PPG, which includes a 30 point performance in a win against Austin Peay.

Sat, Dec. 14th

Alabama State Hornets:

The Hornets are currently 1-6 on the season, and that lone win comes against Chicago State who just broke a 53-game losing streak on the road. Scoring is in short supply for an Alabama State team who is averaging 56.6 PPG as a team. But senior guard Tobi Ewuosho leading the team with 14.1 PPG and had a season high 23 points against a good Houston squad.

Colorado State Rams (6-5, 0-2)

Tues, Dec. 10th

South Dakota State Jackrabbits:

First year head coach Eric Henderson is 6-5 on the year but lacks a signature win going into Tuesday’s game in Fort Collins. A win against the Rams may be his best chance at giving his team momentum going into conference play as they are currently riding a two game losing streak. Look out for junior forward Doug Wilson as he is doing his best to replace the scoring prowess of David Jenkins Jr. and Mike Daum with a team high 16.5 PPG and 7.4 RPG.

Fri, Dec. 13th

Colorado Buffaloes:

Tad Boyle‘s squad is coming off of their first loss of the season on the road at Kansas, and need to knock down more shots after going just 18-60 from the field in Allen Field house on Saturday. The Buffaloes are led by Mckinley Wright IV and Tyler Bey who lead a deep team into Fort Collins looking for a second straight win against the Rams after a six point win at home last season. The Buffaloes are still a very dangerous team and should be looking to avoid creating a losing streak which would include their instate rival, but a win for the Rams at home would make for a great blemish on Colorado’s tournament resume.

Fresno State Bulldogs (2-6, 0-2)

Wed, Dec. 11th

California Golden Bears:

The Golden Bears are in a bit of a rebuilding year but have shown promise. Sophomore guard Matt Bradley is leading the charge with 17.0 PPG and has capable players around him, making CAL a be a bit better than their last place prediction in the PAC-12 may suggest. At least outside of the PAC-12 with an overtime win against UNLV under their belt. Mark Fox’s team is looking to break a two game losing streak heading to Fresno on Wednesday and if the Bulldogs aren’t careful, they could give CAL a 2-0 record against the Mountain West.

Sat, Dec. 14th

Cal Poly Mustangs:

The Mustangs are 2-7 on the season but are coming off of a four-point win over Siena on Saturday at home. It hasn’t been pretty for Cal Poly so far in the season and Saturday’s win was the first win over an NCAA division one opponent. But they will try and rally behind sophomore guard Junior Ballard (12.7 PPG) and former Boise State Bronco Malek Harwell (10.3 PPG) to get a win in Fresno this weekend.

Nevada Wolf Pack (7-3, 1-0)

Tues, Dec. 10th

Brigham Young Cougars:

All eyes should be on the Cougars this week as star forward Yoeli Childs is two games into his senior season and ready to make an impact for first year head coach Mark Pope. BYU has been a bit of a mixed bag, and their 7-4 record when further examined might tell you that. A last minute buzzer beater against the other Cougars in Houston followed by an overtime loss in Boise then a win against UCLA followed by a loss to at the time No. 4 Kansas, it’s been a lot.

Most recently they started a three game stretch playing the Mountain West and are 1-0 with a 33 point neutral site win over UNLV this past weekend. The Cougars now have four players averaging double digits and have become the BYU team we all were anxious to see back in August. The Wolf Pack have an opportunity for a solid win on Tuesday and you can bet we will be watching.

New Mexico Lobos (9-2, 2-0)

Sat, Dec. 14th

New Mexico State Aggies:

Part Two of the Rio Grande Rivalry will take place in Albuquerque this weekend, and I think the story line has to be Paul Weir looking for just his second win ever against the Lobo’s in-state rivals. The Aggies have been given a slight bug from the injury bug himself and have been without senior leader A.J. Harris and wing Clayton Henry thus far. They combined for about fourteen points a game last season but brought a defensive presence and play making abilities that may be lacking on an Aggie team that is 5-5 on the season. Even though the time tables are close I don’t expect to see Harris or Clayton suit in Albuquerque on Saturday as of right now.

New Mexico State avenged an earlier season loss to UTEP this past week and could go .500 in rivalry games with a win on Saturday. Look out for senior wing Trevelin Queen who had a season high 23 Points against the Lobos in their first meeting this season. And don’t forget sophomore guard Jabari Rice who is having a great season doubling his playing time while quadrupling his scoring output.

No. 25 San Diego State Aztecs (10-0, 2-0)

None

San Jose State Spartans (3-7, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 14th

Stanford Cardinals:

The Cardinals are 8-1 on the season with their only loss coming by 1 point against an undefeated top-25 ranked Butler squad. Stanford is led by German forward Oscar Da Silva who leads the team with 16.6 PPG and is coming off of his best game of the season against UNC-Wilmington. Backing him up is freshman guard Tyrell Terry with 15.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.2 APG and 2.1 SPG. He can do a bit of everything and compliments Da Silva and a rotation filled with youth and experience.

Nevada-Las Vegas Running Rebels (4-7, 1-0)

None

Utah State Aggies (9-1, 2-0)

Tues, Dec. 10th

St. Katherine Firebirds:

St. Katherine is an NAIA team out of San Marcos, CA and are currently 3-8 on the year so far. The Firebirds are led by junior guard Zethan Dumpson who is averaging 13.3 PPG and had a season high 20 points against NAIA No. 10 ranked Arizona Christian in early November. The Aggies are undefeated against NAIA opponents and should stay that way heading in the weekend against in-state rival BYU.

Sat, Dec. 14th

Brigham Young Cougars:

All eyes should be on the Cougars this week as star forward Yoeli Childs is two games into his senior season and ready to make an impact for first year head coach Mark Pope. BYU has been a bit of a mixed bag, and their 7-4 record when further examined might tell you that. A last minute buzzer beater against the other Cougars in Houston followed by an overtime loss in Boise then a win against UCLA followed by a loss to at the time No. 4 Kansas, it’s been a lot.

Most recently they started a three game stretch playing the Mountain West and are 1-0 with a 33 point neutral site win over UNLV this past weekend. The Cougars now have four players averaging double digits and have become the BYU team we all were anxious to see back in August. The Wolf Pack have an opportunity for a solid win on Tuesday and you can bet we will be watching.

Wyoming Cowboys (3-7, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 14th

Northern Colorado Bears:

The Bears are 4-4 but are more dangerous than their record reflects. Northern Colorado was picked to finish in the top five of their conference in both the media and coaches preseason polls. This even after losing guard Jordan Davis who averaged 23.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 4.7 APG last season. They have some weapons, and it starts with sophomore guard Bodie Hume who is averaging 16.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG. Hume has help though, and senior guard Jonah Radebaugh is a go to player for the Bears. Radebaugh is a 6’3 guard but is second on the team in rebounding at 7.0 RPG and leads the team in assists with 4.4 a game.

Side Note:

Make sure to revisit our Head of the Class article to check up on the best players around the conference ranked based on class.

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Head Of The Class: Ranking The Best Players Through The First Month Of Games By Year

Head of the Class: 1st Edition Mountain West Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Mountain West conferences best players according to class. The month of November is behind us and the Mountain West …

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Head of the Class: 1st Edition 

Mountain West Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Mountain West conferences best players according to class. 

The month of November is behind us and the Mountain West has looked good out of the gate. Utah State is still ranked in the top twenty after their first loss to Jordan Ford and Saint Mary’s and San Diego State is on the cusp of a top-25 ranking after receiving votes in both polls this week.

The conference as a whole is different this year and teams have lost players due transfer, graduation and professional options. They have also brought players in during that time as well. Regardless of whether players are new to the conference or not much of the success teams are having can be attributed to the individual performances of certain players thus far.

We have started our new column the Mountain West Wire’s Player of the Year Watch list, which is meant to highlight five players a week based on their performances and one in particular is awarded out player of the week. This has been a fun article to put together but the conference as a whole has had talented players emerge and they have had great performances all month long. The point of this article will be to update our readers on some players and performances that may have been missed.

First Off,

The Freshmen

5. Zane Meeks, Nevada

Season Stats: 4.6 PPG 3.8 RPG 0.4 APG (8 GMS)

Best Performance: 11 Points, 4 Rebounds on 5-8 made FGs against Valparaiso 11/24

Nevada has struggled a bit on the way to that 5-3 record they have currently with losses to USC, Davidson and Utah. The core of Nevada’s team is made up of transfers and Lindsey Drew but Meeks who committed to at the time newly dubbed head coach Steve Alford last spring has made an impact on a very shallow Wolf Pack frontcourt while showing potential.

4. David Roddy, Colorado State

Season Stats: 8.9 PPG 4.6 RPG 1.0 APG

Best Performance: 14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 3 Blocks and 1 Steal against Arkansas St. 11/20

Roddy is a 6-5 250 GUARD who can shoot the ball from deep. Roddy chose basketball over football before committing to CSU last year and has made an impact as a true freshman on a 6-3 Rams squad. The future is bright with Roddy and Stevens in Fort Collins, don’t worry Nico Carvacho the Rams are in good hands.

3. Orlando Robinson, Fresno State

Season Stats: 10.5 PPG 6.3 RPG 0.7 SPG (6 GMS)

Best Performance: 16 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Assists and 2 Steals against Cal-St. San Bernadino 11/17

Robinson had high major offers back in high school and has shown why while being impactful on a Fresno State team that is loaded with bigs. He and Nate Grimes need to figure something else out though if they want to live up to preseason expectations.

2. Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State

Season Stats: 12.3 PPG 3.4 RPG 3.6 APG (9 GMS)

Best Performance: 21 Points, 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists against Loyola Marymount 11/16

Colorado State is 6-3 so far and a combination of youth and senior leaders is a big reason why. Stevens has had some great performances so far and looks like a solid leader on the team as just a freshman.

1. Jarred Hyder, Fresno State

Season Stats: 15.6 PPG 3.8 RPG 2.4 APG (5 GMS)

Best Performance: 26 Points, 3 Assists and 2 Steals against Winthrop 11/10

Hyder has been a bright spot for Bulldog fans who were looking for a bit more from their veteran guards. He is leading the team in scoring and is a big reason Fresno State has two wins so far this season.

UP NEXT: SOPHOMORES

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

Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Four Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Four. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Who is in the running for Player of the Year? The staff at the Mountain …

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

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

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week. 

How It Works: 

Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:

1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts

2nd place: 4 pts

3rd place: 3 pts

4th place: 2 pts

5th place: 1 pt

The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points. 

Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.

This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays. 

The order for the Fourth week is as follows:

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

11 Points, 3 Assists and 2 Steals against Tennessee State

21 Points, 3 Assists and 2 Steals against Creighton

28 Points, 4 Assists and 3 Steals against Iowa

Malachi Flynn helped put the San Diego State on the national radar after key performances during a successful Turkey Week for the Aztecs. Brian Dutcher’s team received votes in both the AP (89) and Coaches (19) top-25 polls this past week after wins against Tennessee State, Creighton and Iowa to become the 2019 Continental Tire Las Vegas International Champions while Flynn earned tournament MVP honors.

This Aztec team is on the rise and Flynn has been a key part of the success that Brian Dutcher’s squad is having in his third year in charge of the Aztecs.

2. Justin Bean, sophomore forward Utah State (4 Points):

24 Points, 9 Rebounds and 2 Steals against Saint Mary’s

3. Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (3 Points):

25 Points, 5 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Bowling Green

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

23 Points, 6 Rebounds and 2 Steals against Saint Mary’s

5. Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (1 Point):

20 Points, 6 Rebounds, 7 Assists and 2 Steals against Bowling Green

Current Overall Point Totals:

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (8 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (6 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (6 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (6 Point)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

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

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (4 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (3 Point)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 

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Mountain West Basketball: Week 5 DPI Computer Rankings

Mountain West Basketball: Week 5 DPI Computer Rankings Aggies and Aztecs already separating themselves from the pack Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire ‘Tis the season…for computer rankings Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone-and more …

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Mountain West Basketball: Week 5 DPI Computer Rankings

Aggies and Aztecs already separating themselves from the pack

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

‘Tis the season…for computer rankings

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone—and more importantly, with nearly 1,200 Division I games having been played—it’s time to start looking at how teams are stacking up against one another.

To do so, allow me to introduce my analytics system, the Dieckhoff Power Index—or DPI, for short.

The DPI assigns teams an overall rating out of 100 points, which will hopefully make it easy to digest for people who, like me, have little to no knowledge of advanced math.

Without getting into too long an explanation, the DPI is a mixture of:

  • offensive efficiency
  • defensive efficiency
  • statistical performance in the “four factors”: shooting, turnovers, offensive rebounds, and free throws.

A deeper explanation of the history and methodology behind the system can be found at the DPI website. The site has the full rankings for all 353 teams and will feature bracketology projections later in the season.

But for our purposes here at Mountain West Wire, all you really need to know is this: high scores are good and low scores are bad. These ratings paint a picture of how the eleven teams in the MWC match up on both sides of the ball, nationally and within the league.

Updated DPI rankings for the Mountain West will be posted here weekly throughout the season. I will also give some insights into each team and track their movement in the standings.

Without further ado, here are the first batch of rankings for the DPI on the heels of the holiday weekend. The grades and rankings are current through all games played on Monday, December 2.

(Note: Games against non-Div. I opponents are not counted in the DPI.)

Utah State (#1 MW, #11 overall) — DPI GRADE: 86.50

  • Offense Grade: 88.9 (#1 MW, #11 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 83.9 (#2 MW, #19 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 86.7 (#2 MW, #45 overall)

Though it seems counter-intuitive with potential All-American Sam Merrill in the mix, Utah State’s weakest offensive trait so far has been its shooting. The defense has also struggled to force turnovers. But when the Aggies get Neemias Queta (knee) back, both of those marks should go up considerably. These issues are minor, though, as Utah State has been a top-20 team on either side of the ball. They’re still tops in the MW—for now.

Games this week: 12/4 @ San Jose State; 12/7 vs. Fresno State

San Diego StATE (#2 MW, #20 overall) — DPI GRADE: 84.95

  • Offense Grade: 80.9 (#2 MW, #61 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 85.8 (#1 MW, #8 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 88.1 (#1 MW, #32 overall)

Outside of Michigan, the Aztecs had probably the best weekend out of any team in the country. After garnering lukewarm NCAA Tournament consideration before the season, SDSU is already knocking on the door of the Top 25 polls after just four weeks. Their top-10 defense has been the key, with the Aztecs allowing the 17th-lowest effective field goal percentage in the country. They are charging hard for Utah State’s throne.

Games this week: 12/4 @ Colorado State; 12/8 vs. San Jose State

 

COLORADO STATE (#3 MW, #109 OVERALL) — DPI GRADE: 76.15

  • Offense Grade: 77.8 (#3 MW, #88 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 69.0 (#7 MW, #165 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 81.6 (#4 MW, #91 overall)

A bit of a shock here, as the Rams were picked to finish ninth in the preseason Mountain West poll. Colorado State has a couple regrettable losses already, but recent wins over Washington State and Loyola Chicago were encouraging. The team has shot the ball relatively well, but its secret to success so far has been getting to the free throw line. The Rams have already made more than 200 trips to the line, a top-10 mark nationally.

Games this week: 12/4 vs. San Diego State; 12/7 @ Boise State

NEW MEXICO (#4 MW, #110 overall) — DPI GRADE: 76.07

  • Offense Grade: 75.2 (#6 MW, #126 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 72.4 (#4 MW, #127 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 80.7 (#5 MW, #105 overall)

It’s been a mixed bag so far for Paul Weir’s new-look Lobos, but the results have been mostly positive. New Mexico would surely like to get that game to UTEP back, but their win over Wisconsin cancels out the loss to the Miners. The Lobos were above-average at mostly everything in November, but those numbers are boosted by some blowout victories. Early indications are that UNM will be closer to .500 than they will be to the NCAA Tournament.

Games this week: 12/4 vs. Boise State; 12/7 vs. Wyoming

NEVADA (#5 MW, #120 OVERALL) — DPI GRADE: 75.63

  • Offense Grade: 75.6 (#5 MW, #120 overall)
  • Defense Grade: 69.5 (#5 MW, #159 overall)
  • 4-Factor Grade: 81.8 (#3 MW, #89 overall)

There’s precious little daylight separating Teams 3 through 5 in the Mountain West right now, as the Rams hold just a half-point edge over the Wolf Pack. New head coach Steve Alford has already experienced some turbulence, as Nevada has lost to its three best opponents so far. But their shooting and turnover stats indicate that they should be a Top 100 team soon.

Games this week: 12/4 vs. Santa Clara; 12/7 @ Air Force

Head to the page 2 for the back half of the standings.

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Future Hoops Foes: Week Four Recap of Week Five’s Opponents

Mountain West beings league play.

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Taking a Look At Week Five’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Four

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 5

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week.

Future Foes Week Four Recap:

This weeks edition of Future Hoops Foes will look a bit different in preparation for a break in non-conference play. There are still two games against non-conference opponents (Santa Clara and BYU) this week and you can find their reviews as normal down below. But since we are getting an early round of conference match ups in the first week of December, there will just be the listed dates and opponents for your favorite Mountain West teams in the remaining slots.

Air Force Falcons (3-5, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Wyoming Cowboys

Sat, Dec. 7th

Nevada Wolf Pack

Boise State Broncos (4-2, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

New Mexico Lobos

Sat, Dec. 7th

Colorado State Rams:

Colorado State Rams (6-3, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

San Diego State Aztecs

Sat, Dec. 7th

Boise State Broncos

Fresno State Bulldogs (2-4, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

New Mexico Lobos

Sat, Dec. 7th

Utah State Aggies

Nevada Wolf Pack (5-3, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Santa Clara Broncos:

Herb Sendek’s Bronco squad is 8-1 on the season and should’t be overlooked after convincing wins against Denver, SEMO and CSU Fullerton last week all by double-digits. Their lone loss comes at the hands of a very good Stanford team and they do boast an 8 point win over Washington State. Santa Clara is receiving production from a number of players on the court and as a whole are averaging a bit over eighty points a game.

They are led in scoring by sophomore guard Trey Wertz (11.6 PPG) and down low 6-11 sophomore forward Guglielmo Caruso is averaging 11.3 PPG. The Bronco’s are a tough squad this season and fully expect to leave Nevada with a win on Wednesday night and increase their win streak to six.

Sat, Dec. 7th

Air Force Falcons

New Mexico Lobos (7-2, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Boise State Broncos

Sat, Dec. 7th

Wyoming Cowboys

San Diego State Aztecs (8-0, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Colorado State Rams

Sun, Dec. 8th

San Jose State Spartans

San Jose State Spartans (3-5, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Utah State Aggies

Sun, Dec. 8th

San Diego State Aztecs

Nevada-Las Vegas Running Rebels (3-6, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

Fresno State Bulldogs

Sat, Dec. 7th

Brigham Young Cougars:

Mark Pope‘s squad had a successful trip to Hawaii coming away with a 2-1 record in the Maui Invitational and 6-3 overall. A Loss to top five ranked Kansas was their only blemish of the week and they ended the weekend with a 35 point win over Montana Tech. TJ Haws and Jake Toolson helped solidify their positions as leaders of this team last week with solid performances.

But the big news surrounding the Cougars this week will be the return of star big man Yoeli Childs who returns from a nine game suspension dealt by the NCAA after his testing of NBA Draft waters took an unforeseen turn due to the misfiling of paperwork and alleged funds exchanging hands. Childs averaged 21.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 2.1 APG last year and will completely change how this BYU team plays.

Utah State Aggies (7-1, 0-0)

Wed, Dec. 4th

San Jose State Spartans

Sat, Dec. 7th

Fresno State Bulldogs

Wyoming Cowboys (3-5, 0-0)

 Wed, Dec. 4th 

Air Force Falcons

Sat, Dec. 7th

New Mexico Lobos

Side Note:

Make sure to revisit our top-25 opposing players article before you watch Saturdays game against BYU, as Yoeli Childs makes an appearance in our top five with a review of his own alongside Saint Mary’s guard Jordan Ford who has been tearing up Mountain West teams this season and handed Utah State their first loss of the season this past week.

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

Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Three Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Three. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Who is in the running for Player of the Year? The staff at the …

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

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

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week. 

How It Works: 

Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:

1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts

2nd place: 4 pts

3rd place: 3 pts

4th place: 2 pts

5th place: 1 pt

The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points. 

Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.

This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays. 

The order for the third week is as follows:

1. Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (5 Points)

13 Points, 9 rebounds and 4 Assists against Davidson

22 Points, 7 Assists and 6 Rebounds against Fordham

25 Points, 6 Rebounds and 5 Assists against Valparaiso

Harris was an instrumental piece this past week for the Wolf Pack, as he helped Nevada bounce back from a loss at Davidson on Tuesday to go on a two game win streak at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Setting the Wolf Pack up for a game in the finals against Bowling Green on Monday night while averaging 20.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 5.3 APG.

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

21 Points, 3 Rebounds and 3 Assists against UTSA

24 Points, 4 Rebounds and 8 Assists against LSU

5 Points, 5 Rebounds and 3 Assists against North Texas

3. JaQuan Lyle, senior guard New Mexico (3 Points):

19 Points, 9 Rebounds and 1 Block against UTEP

24 Points, 2 Assists and 3 Steals against NMSU

4. Alphonso Anderson, junior guard Utah State (2 Points):

7 Points, 11 Rebounds and 2 Assists against UTSA

24 Points and 6 Rebounds against LSU

19 Points, 5 Rebounds and 2 Steals against North Texas

5. Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (1 Point):

25 Points, 2 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Abilene Christian

18 Points, 3 Assists and 3 Rebounds against Texas State

13 Points, 3 Rebounds and 4 Assists against SMU

Current Overall Point Totals:

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (8 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (4 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (4 Point)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (3 Point)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (3 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

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Future Hoops Foes: Week Three Recap of Week Four’s Opponents

Taking a Look At Week Four’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Three Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 4 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week. …

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Taking a Look At Week Four’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Three

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 4

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week.

Future Foes Week Three Recap:

Air Force Falcons 

Sun, Dec. 1st

Jackson State Tigers:

The Tigers of Jackson State are 1-5 so far, but that lone win comes against New Orleans-Southern and their losses to division one opponents haven’t been close. They do have SWAC preseason defensive player of the year Jayveous Mckinnis back and averaging 11.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 1.8 BPG. He and leading scorer junior guard Tristan Jarrett (16.7 PPG) need some help from from the rest of their team if they hope to get their first win against a division one opponent some time this week.

Boise State

Fri, Nov. 29th

UNC-Wilmington Seahawks:

The Seahawks are heading to Boise on Friday and they come in with a 4-3 record. North Carolina-Wilmington has played some North Carolina power house programs in UNC and Davidson and two of their wins come against non-division programs, but they will likely be riding a two game winning streak come friday and look out for sophomore guard Jaylen Sims (15.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 1.0 APG) who needs to be impactful if they want to leave Boise with a win.

Colorado State Rams 

Mon, Nov. 25th-Cayman Islands Classic 

New Mexico State Aggies:

Chris Jan’s squad played just one game this past week, and that was a one point loss at home to in-state rival New Mexico. The Aggies have been dominant in the WAC every year and should figure things out by conference play when they bring back senior guards A.J. Harris and Clayton Henry who have both watched from the bench this season with hand and wrist injuries. The Aggies are a very well balanced team but are led by senior wing Trevelin Queen who is averaging 18.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 3.0 APG. New Mexico State is 2-3 through five games, but don’t underestimate this team who has consistently punched tickets to the NCAA tournament this past decade.

Possible Opponents: Loyola Chicago Ramblers, South Florida Bulls, Washington State Cougars, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Old Dominion Monarchs, George Mason Patriots

Sun, Dec. 1st

Utah Valley Wolverines:

The Wolverines are 4-3 on the season and look to be a solid contender in the WAC against the aforementioned Aggies of New Mexico State. A team led by senior guard T.J. Washington who is averaging 17.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.8 APG has two solid wins agains UAB and North Dakota State. But a near upset against the Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp Arena this past week is probably the highlight of the season for Wolverine fans this so far. Also watch out for former Oklahoma State guard Brandon Averette who compliments Washington in the backcourt and averages 14.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.9 APG while doing it.

Fresno State Bulldogs 

Sat, Nov. 30th

Cal-St. Northridge Matadors:

In Mark Gottfried’s second season in Northridge the Matadors are currently 0-6 in a tough start to the season. The team is without star forward Lamine Diane who is sitting out after being ruled academically ineligible, and junior guard Terrell Gomez is leading the team in scoring (20.8 PPG) but hasn’t received much help from his team mates. The Matadors aren’t a very tall team either. That statement seams misleading when there are multiple seven footers on the roster but they haven’t logged any minutes so far this season.

Nevada Wolf Pack 

Mon, Nov. 25th-Paradise Jam

Bowling Green Falcons:

The Falcons are 5-1 on the year and are coming off of an impressive 91-84 OT win against Cincinnati on Sunday night. Bowling green’s lone loss comes against a top-25 ranked LSU squad, but that game was closer than the 9 point deficit they lost by. The Falcons are good, and junior guard Justin Turner is leading them in points, assists and scoring. He is averaging over twenty points a game and has four teammates averaging over eight points a game behind him. The Wolf Pack need to bring their A game on Monday night to leave with a trophy and some momentum returning to Reno.

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Mountain West Basketball Recruiting Round Up: Early Signing Period Edition

A Look At Recruiting Classes From Around The Mountain West Plenty of prospects signed early this year. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Runnin’ Rebels have the highest ranked recruiting class in the Mountain West. We have created this …

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A Look At Recruiting Classes From Around The Mountain West

Plenty of prospects signed early this year.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Runnin’ Rebels have the highest ranked recruiting class in the Mountain West.  

We have created this list of players signed by coaching staffs in the early signing period so far for next season. Below is a list of each team and their signed players so far, with some info on that player and excerpts from head coaches on that signee.

Coaches aren’t allowed to comment on players who commit to a program throughout the year until they have received a signed National Letter of Intent from that prospect. Prospects can commit at anytime they want during the year and have two periods in which they can sign a letter of intent to play for that school.

The “early” signing period is a week long and started Nov. 13th and extended out to Nov. 20th. Most guys signed within the first two days of the week with only UNLV getting commitments and letters of intent signed after. The second signing period of the 2019-2020 season begins April 15th, 2020 and ends on May 20th, 2020.

Things To Note:

  • UNLV and first year head coach TJ Otzelberger have the largest signed group in the conference and the highest ranked. Otzelberger was able to keep a promise when it came to recruiting by getting local guys to sign with the Runnin’ Rebels. Half of his recruiting class is either from Nevada or have played high school basketball in Nevada.
  • Several teams have signed more prospects than they have seniors scheduled to leave, that means some current players will be expected to transfer.
  • Wyoming was the lone team without a commit or signee in the early signing period.
  • Air Force has 12 commits for the 2020 class per Verbal Commits. But with a complex system that includes possibly enrolling at Prep School and no confirmation of these commitments on the team’s website, they were excluded.

Boise State: 3 Signed

Bukre Smith 6-11 215 C Trinity Episcopal School-Glen Allen, VA

“Burke is extremely skilled for his size and his age,” Rice said. “Our program has always looked for skilled bigs to play our style and he does three things at a really advanced level that fit that mold: he shoots with range; he puts the ball on the floor, and he’s a very good passer. With his love for the game and outstanding work ethic he has a bright future at Boise State.” – Coach Rice

Kasean Pryor 6-9 179 SG Link Year Prep-Branson, MO

“Kasean is a long, athletic wing with huge upside,” Rice said. “He has a great combination of skill and feels not often seen in players his size. His game and body type is in the mold of James Webb and Derrick Alston, and he will be a tremendous fit in our system.” – Coach Rice

Jace Whiting 6-1 165 PG Burley HS-Burley ID 

“Jace has a great feel for the game and brings a tremendous amount of skill to the combo guard position,” Rice said. “It’s always important to keep the best players in the state at home and we’re excited to have Jace in our program.” – Coach Rice

Colorado State: 2 Signed

Isaiah Rivera 6-5 190 SF Geneseo High School-Geneseo, IL 

Jacob Jenniseen 6-1 205 C Sauk Centre Secondary-Sauk Centre, MN

Fresno State: 3 Signed

Braxton Meah 7-0 230 C San Joaquin Memorial HS-Fresno,CA

“Braxton is a 7-foot athlete, who can protect the rim and finish above the rim with the best of them,” Hutson said of Meah.  “He’s a local product and has been very well coached and developed. We are glad to be able to keep him home and our community will really enjoy watching him play.” -Coach Hutson

Leonardo Colimerio 6-7 180 SF Wasatch Academy-Mount Pleasant,UT

“Leo is a versatile, positionless basketball player,” Hutson said of Colimerio.  “Incoming from Brazil, he has an international feel for the game with great athleticism.  We look forward to him playing all over the floor.” – Coach Hutson

Destin Whitaker 6-5 185 SG Romeroville HS-Romeoville, IL

“Destin can really shoot it,” Hutson said.  “He comes from a basketball family and has been coached really well.  Destin has a high basketball IQ, and while his strength is shooting, he is very versatile.” -Coach Hutson

Nevada: 4 Signed

Tre Coleman 6-7 185 SF Jeffersonville HS-Jeffersonville, IN

“Tre is a big athletic wing who can defend all over the court.  He gives us a ton of versatility. A high-level athlete who will bring energy on both sides of the ball.” – Coach Alford 

Alem Huseinovic 6-3 180 SG PHHoenix Prep-Scottsdale, AZ

“Alem is a tough, heady shooting guard.  He really knows how to create and make shots.  A fierce competitor who really knows how to play.” – Coach Alford 

DeAndre Henry 6-7 225 PF PHHoenix Prep-Phoenix, AZ 

“Dre has a tremendous ceiling as a basketball player.  He is a strong and athletic player who loves to compete at both ends of the floor.  He will improve daily due to how hard he works.” – Coach Alford 

Jelani Clark 6-2 180 SG Archbishop Riordan HS-San Francisco, CA

“Je’Lani is a high energy, high motor player.  He has a very high basketball IQ and is committed to being a great player.  He has the ability to lead a team and program.” – Coach Alford 

Daniel Foster 6-6 185 PG Golden State Preparatory School (CA)-Melbourne, AUS

“Daniel is a versatile guard who can play a variety of positions.  A tough-minded competitor who knows how to play the game. We’ve had tremendous success with Australian born players.” – Coach Alford 

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