Tag: Nevada Basketball

Week 8 DPI Rankings: CSU hangs around, UNLV falls behind

Week 8 DPI Rankings: CSU hangs around, UNLV falls behind Off-court turmoil could cause a shake-up in the top half Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Happy Holidays from Mountain West Wire! Enjoy the yuletide with this week’s installment of …

[jwplayer PnvRIOUU]

Week 8 DPI Rankings: CSU hangs around, UNLV falls behind

Off-court turmoil could cause a shake-up in the top half

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Happy Holidays from Mountain West Wire! Enjoy the yuletide with this week’s installment of the DPI rankings.

It seems almost impossible that it’s already the holiday season, but here we are. There have been nearly two months of hoops already and the non-conference season is just about over.

And while we think we may have clarity now, league play is a horse of a different color. Teams that are on cloud nine right now may come crashing back to earth. Others that have been struggling might finally shake the demons free from their backs.

But as we inch ever closer to the official onset of the Mountain West season, let’s take one last look at how all the teams stack up with just a few buy-games left on the league’s non-conference docket.

As always, for a full rundown of how the Dieckhoff Power Index, or DPI, is calculated, head over to my site. And bear in mind, non-Division I games do not count toward the DPI, so all those games against Life Pacific and Portland Bible go out the window. These ratings are current through December 23.

#1 — SAN DIEGO STATE

http://www.dpihoops.net/sdsuwk8.png

The Aztecs had nearly two weeks off between their nailbiter against San Jose State and their next game versus Utah. Clearly, they used this time to reflect and improve. SDSU ran the Utes out of the building just days after the former Mountain West squad beat Kentucky. The defense continues to be the star of the show, but this team can score, too.

#2 — UTAH STATE

The Aggies have been dancing on the knife’s edge over the past few weeks, but they’ve come out on the other side mostly unscathed. In their past four games, Utah State has won in overtime, won by four points, won by two points in overtime, and won by three points. But margins notwithstandings, wins over Florida and South Florida solidified their at-large case.

#3 — NEW MEXICO

Oh, no. Things were going a little too well for the Lobos, weren’t they? After an impressive start, New Mexico announced over the weekend that starters Carlton Bragg and JJ Caldwell would be suspended indefinitely. Paul Weir was able to corral the rest of the team together and they won again over lowly Houston Baptist, but adversity has descended upon Albuquerque.

#4 — NEVADA

The Wolf Pack are the prime candidate to take on third place in the league should the Lobos stumble during this tumultuous time. Their trio of is legitimately dangerous. They hung very tight with Saint Mary’s last week, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them hang a big win over SDSU or Utah State this season. They’ve still got a lot of room to grow, though.

#5 — COLORADO STATE

You just can’t get rid of these Rams! Though they aren’t making many waves on the national scale, give them credit for sticking around the top half of the league for this long. Nico Carvacho is Nico Carvacho, and Isaiah Stevens has been a revelation in Niko Medved’s backcourt. Fellow freshman David Roddy started his first game in CSU’s 111-104 triple OT win over Tulsa.

#6 — BOISE STATE

Boise State has given a pretty good indication of where they are right now with their performance so far, both on the season as a whole and in the Diamond Head Classic. The Broncos lost to a wayward Georgia Tech club and then pummeled an up-and-down Portland team. They got a crummy Christmas gift, drawing a good UTEP team in their final game in Hawai’i.

#7 — FRESNO STATE

Because the DPI doesn’t count non-D1 games, the Bulldogs sit at just 3-8—yet they’ve managed to stay in seventh place, thanks to a slightly above-average defense. It was another heartbreaker for Justin Hutson on Monday, with Fresno State falling to San Francisco by just two points. That’s the sixth time the Bulldogs have either lost by one possession or lost in overtime.

#8 — AIR FORCE

The Falcons continue to struggle during this disappointing year, following up a narrow win over Denver with a loss to Drake. The offense has been good, but they haven’t been able to stop opponents from scoring. They rank near the bottom of the nation both in their ability to make teams miss and in their proclivity toward forcing turnovers.

#9 — UNLV

A rocky start to the season got worse at the start of the month with the news that grad transfer Elijah Mitrou-Long would miss six to eight weeks with a thumb injury. The Rebels are 1-2 without him, with losses to BYU and Pacific buoyed only by a forgettable triumph over Robert Morris. Fans may already be counting down the days until David Jenkins debuts in Vegas.

#10 — WYOMING

More of the same from the Cowboys, as Hunter Maldonado continues to pile up mounds of individual statistics while the team flounders. They did snap a six-game skid, though. To be clear, that’s not a knock on Maldonado. He has developed into a fine player; there’s just not enough talent throughout the roster. But their defensive metrics indicate that they’re putting forth the effort.

#11 — SAN JOSÉ STATE

Yeesh. The Spartans’ skid has extended to eight games after San Jose State fell to Santa Clara and UC Riverside last week. The shots just aren’t falling and they don’t take care of the ball. Seneca Knight is having a good year, but once again, the Spartans have separated themselves as the clear-cut lowest ranked team in the Mountain West.

That’s it for this week. Here’s wishing you all a safe and happy holiday from Mountain West Wire and the DPI.

But buckle up. Conference play starts next week.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”a91365fa8364d5918c7afbfd61fa3801-97672683-123448869″
info=”cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/horizontal-slim-10_7.css” ]

[protected-iframe id=”a4765d451d4d2134c802175f6a037fca-97672683-123448869″
info=”//percolate.blogtalkradio.com/offsiteplayer?hostId=671539″ width=”100%” height=”550px”
frameborder=”0″]

Future Hoops Foes: Week Seven Recap of Week Eight’s Opponents

Taking a Look At Week Eights’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Seven Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 8 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week. …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Taking a Look At Week Eights’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Seven

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 8

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

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

Future Foes Week Seven Recap:

Air Force Falcons (6-7, 1-1)

None

Boise State Broncos (6-5, 1-1)

Sat, Dec. 28th

Cal-State Northridge Matadors:

We have seen Mark Gottfried and the Matadors twice this season against Mountain West opponents and a one point victory over Fresno State remains one of their three wins on the season (3-10), sorry Bulldog fans. There was a lot of hype around the program coming into the season in Northridge. Gottfried returned two prolific scorers in junior guard Terrell Gomez (22.2 PPG) and sophomore forward Lamine Diane (24.8 PPG in 18-19).

But is was announced early in the season that Diane had been suspended indefinitely due to being ruled academically ineligible for the first semester. His absence has been felt, and Gomez is keeping the ship afloat with help from sophomore guard Darius Brown II (10.6 PPG). This should be a shootout as the Matadors love to get up shots, ranking in the top-150 in the country for field goal attempts and averaging 36% from three which is good for 89th in the country.

Colorado State Rams (8-6, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 28th

Doane Tigers:

The Doane Tigers are from Doane Univeristy in Crete, NE and play in the Great Plains Athletic Conference in the NAIA. They are 4-11 (0-6 in the GPAC) on the season and unlike most NAIA teams haven’t played a division one opponent thus far. Keep an eye on junior guard Anthony Laravie who is leading the tigers with 17.0 PPG and junior forward Miguel Lopez who is adding 9.7 PPG and a team high 7.5 RPG.

Fresno State Bulldogs (4-7, 0-2)

Mon, Dec. 23rd

San Francisco Dons:

The Dons haven’t missed a beat with the departure of head coach Kyle Smith to Washington State. Todd Golden who spent the past three seasons in the Don’s program as an associate Head Coach has the program at 10-3 with a nice win over Cal at home.

San Francisco takes and makes a lot of shots, as they rank in the top-100 in FG% and 3P%. They also have a well rounded scoring attack with junior guard Jamaree Bouyea leading the pack with 14.8 PPG, junior guard Charles Minlend chipping in 14.2 PPG and 7-foot senior big man Jimbo Lull in the post averaging 12.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG.

Sat, Dec. 28th

UC-Riverside Highlanders:

Another team we have seen a lot of this season is the Highlanders of UC-Riverside who are coming off of an impressive 80-65 win over San Jose State on Sunday. They are now 8-5 on the season with their best win still being an improving Nebraska team out in the Big Ten.

Sophomore big man Callum McRae (7-1 275) leads the team in scoring at 10.2 PPG and he just received some help in form of Washington State transfer Arinze Chidom, who through two games is averaging 12.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG. We thought the Spartans would give them a bit more of a challenge but this team played at a higher level with Chidom in the lineup.

Nevada Wolf Pack (8-5, 1-0)

None

New Mexico Lobos (12-2, 2-0)

Sun, Dec. 29th

UC-Davis Aggies:

Jim Les and crew are in a bit of a rebuilding year, with the Aggies at 5-9 and no quality wins to note. UC-Davis was picked to finish 8th in the Big West this season (and receiving one first place vote in the process) and maybe living up to that prediction thus far. Senior guard Joe Mooney is leading the Aggies in scoring with 16.0 PPG. The Aggies are a smaller team with only three players standing 6-7 or taller.

Their leading rebounder is 6-4 freshman guard Elijah Pepper with 5.1 RPG. The Lobos have trouble with smaller teams that can shoot it, and with Caldwell and Bragg Jr. out with unknown return dates we can expect to see the Lobo team of the foreseeable future on Sunday.

No. 15 San Diego State Aztecs (12-0, 2-0)

Sat, Dec. 28th

Cal Poly Mustangs:

The Mustangs are 2-10 on the season with an impressive win over Siena under their belt and another over NAIA school Simpson (CA). The Mustangs are led by sophomore guard Junior Ballard with 12.4 PPG, and he doesn’t receive much help. Cal Poly is 326th in the country in points per game averaging just 62.5 a contest. I don’t see the Mustangs ending the Aztecs undefeated streak but look for San Diego State to add to that win column on Saturday.

San Jose State Spartans (3-10, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 28th

Pepperdine Waves:

The Waves were given the coveted 4th place predicted finish in the WCC behind the normal big three of Gonzaga, BYU and St. Mary’s. Pepperdine is 7-6 on the season but in a conference with six teams that have 10 wins or more thus far, they may need to adjust and step up their level of play to hold up to that top-5 predicted finish. They are riding a four game winning streak and should have no problem in San Jose on Saturday. Look out for dynamic scorer Colbey Ross (20.3 PPG and 7.2 APG) and low post presence Kameron Edwards (17.3 PPG) to make the Spartans night rough.

Nevada-Las Vegas Running Rebels (5-8, 1-0)

Sat, Dec. 28th

Eastern Michigan Eagles:

UNLV hosts Eastern Michigan this Saturday and the 9-2 Eagles shouldn’t be overlooked. This may be a matchup of the inconsistent this weekend as the Eagles like the Rebels have had some ups and downs all season. With wins against Valparaiso, UMBC and North Texas but coming off of a fresh 53 point loss to Michigan State in East Lansing this past Saturday.

Eastern Michigan is led by the hometown hero, junior forward Ty Groce (12.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG) with help from fellow juniors Noah Morgan (10.5 PPG) and Yeikson Montero (10.4 PPG). This could be anyone’s game and if the Rebels are knocking down shots and preventing penetration from the wing they could head into conference play with a winning streak and some momentum.

Utah State Aggies (12-2, 2-0)

Eastern Oregon Mountaineers:

Another NAIA opponent in the Mountain West this week, the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon play in the Cascade Collegiate Conference out of La Grande, OR. The Mountaineers are 7-6 on the season and are led by junior guard Max McCullough (20.6 PPG) and 7-foot senior big man Jarek Schetzle (19.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG)

Wyoming Cowboys (4-9, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 28th

Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves:

The Praire Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan University are a division three school in Lincoln, NE. They play in the American Rivers Conference and are 10-2 on the season coming off of a 82-84 point loss to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, which ended a six game winning streak for the Prairie Wolves. This technically counts as an exhibition for Nebraska Wesleyan but you can bet they are going to attempt the upset in Laramie. Watch out for senior guard Nate Schimonitz who is averaging 26.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.3 APG and 1.8 SPG.

Read: 

Check out the latest edition of our Player of the Week series with all previous weeks included.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Wolf Pack Hunting for Marquee Victory over Saint Mary’s

Nevada vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More A tale of two tempos as the Wolf Pack travel to the Bay Area Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Nevada is still in search of its first marquee victory-and the Gaels …

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Nevada vs. Saint Mary’s: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

A tale of two tempos as the Wolf Pack travel to the Bay Area

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Nevada is still in search of its first marquee victory—and the Gaels certainly qualify

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Nevada (8-4, 1-0 MWC) vs. Saint Mary’s (11-2, 0-0 WCC)

WHEN: Saturday, December 21 — 8:59 P.M. PT / 9:59 P.M. MT

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

WATCH: ESPNU / ESPNU on WatchESPN (cable subscription required)

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Saint Mary’s leads the series, 51-33

ODDS: Saint Mary’s -6, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

Nevada got back to their winning ways against Texas Southern on Wednesday, bringing their record to 6-1 over the past seven games. The Tigers came out swinging and led for portions of the first half, but the Wolf Pack eventually pulled away, coasting to a 91-73 victory in Reno.

Especially encouraging for Steve Alford is that the Nevada offense has woken back up after falling asleep at the wheel in their previous game against BYU. That day, the Wolf Pack struggled just to break 40.

But in the five games before that, they averaged 86.6 points per contest.

Sure, those numbers are somewhat inflated because Nevada plays at a high tempo, but this is still a team with a variety of scoring options. It will be interesting to see how the score plays out when the Wolf Pack run up against one of the slowest teams in the country.

Like the Wolf Pack, Saint Mary’s is a team that earns its accolades on the offensive end. Jordan Ford is a bona fide future pro, and fellow veteran Malik Fitts might not be far behind. They are a terrible twosome indeed, but there are experienced players up and down the Gaels’ roster.

Ford launched his All-American campaign pretty much from day one, when he scored 26 in an opening night win over Wisconsin. The senior is averaging 21.5 points per game on the year and is shooting a career-best 44.6% on his three-pointers.

Not only that, but he’s been taking more threes than ever.

And that has been the key for Randy Bennett’s squad in 2019-20. The Gaels rank best in the nation for three-point percentage, shooting a mind-boggling 47.3% on the season. Fitts is shooting right at that average, a clip even better than Ford’s. Tanner Krebs, meanwhile, is shooting over 50% on more than four attempts per game.

These are video game numbers, muted only by the snail’s pace at which the Gaels play their basketball.

Speaking of astronomical numbers, Saint Mary’s hung 96 points on Arizona State earlier this week, while holding the Sun Devils to just 56. It was a drubbing for the ages, one which has set the Gaels’ trajectory back toward the Top 25.

But Nevada could play spoiler on Saturday, while also nabbing a grand feather for their Selection Sunday cap.

GAME PLAN

On THE WOLF PACK’S POSSESSIONS…

Nevada likes to play fast, so expect them to try to get early shots from their guards. Jalen Harris, Lindsey Drew, and Jazz Johnson can all score in buckets. Harris is more an inside threat, while Drew and Johnson will launch three-pointers. Nisre Zouzoua and Zane Meeks can also provide some offense, but don’t expect much scoring punch out of big men Johncarlos Reyes and KJ Hymes.

Despite their frenetic pace, the Pack are remarkably careful with the ball, sporting a Top 30 turnover rate. The Gaels are pretty pedestrian when it comes to forcing turnovers, so Nevada shouldn’t feel too much pressure on the ball.

Saint Mary’s is good at keeping teams off the offensive glass, which certainly won’t help a Nevada squad that has struggled to get those boards all year long. The Gaels don’t foul much, either, so unless Nevada really starts pounding it inside, the Wolf Pack likely won’t be on the line very often.

If the offense shows up—remember, it didn’t against Nevada’s last WCC opponent—then the Wolf Pack should be plenty efficient. But the question remains just how many possessions they’ll end up getting. It should be noted that the Gaels’ defense does allow teams to play a little faster than their own offense’s tempo.

ON THE GAELS’ POSSESSIONS…

Though Nevada is going to try to push the pace, they may be racing to a red light. When the Gaels get the ball, they will look to grind things to a halt. After they make the Wolf Pack wait and wait and wait…they’ll likely score. This is one of the most efficient teams in the nation and they can score from inside as well as out.

That said, it might not be a bad idea to try to work inside a little more with Fitts. Nevada has defended the three-ball well this season, but they’ve been more susceptible to the two-pointer. Still, Reyes and Hymes do well on the defensive boards, even if they don’t get many offensive rebounds.

Saint Mary’s plays an even tighter brand of hoops than Nevada does, ranking in the top 20 in terms of ball security. And if the Gaels’ takeaway game is pedestrian, then the Wolf Pack’s opportunism is next to nonexistent. Nevada forces turnovers at one of the lowest rates in the country, so don’t expect many fast breaks. The Pack also sends opponents to the stripe a bit too often for their own good.

The Gaels are absolutely deadly on offense, but if the tempo gets away from them, it will be telling to see how they respond to being sped up out of their comfort zone.

GAME PREDICTION

SAINT MARY’s 74, NEVADA 72

The DPI projection for this game is very close, with the Gaels prevailing in a one-possession contest. With the game tipping off so late, that kind of exciting contest would be a welcome prize to the fans staying up past their bedtimes. This result would likely close the door on Nevada’s already-slim NCAA Tournament hopes, save for an unexpected romp through league play—or, more likely, a Mountain West Tournament title. But if the Wolf Pack can find their way to victory, it would finally give them the marquee victory that has eluded them throughout the non-conference season.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

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

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

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

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

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

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 description now at the bottom of the article

The order for the Sixth week is as follows:

1. Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (5 Points)

17 Points, 17 Rebounds and 4 Steals against New Mexico State

Carlton Bragg Jr. is really becoming the player many thought he could be out of high school. The former five-star big man has moved around a bit after starting his collegiate career out as a Jayhawk. But Bragg Jr. has found a home in Albuquerque and posted his now fifth double-double of the season last week to help the Lobos sweep in-state rivals New Mexico State for the first time in Paul Weir’s tenure.

Bragg Jr. finished the night shooting 80% from the field and going 9-10 from the free throw line. He has been a force down low, and a defensive anchor with 1 block and 4 steals in this contest. This is Bragg Jr.’s debut on our list but now seeing him get consistently better throughout the season, it most likely will not be the last.

2. Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard Boise State (4 Points):

10 Points, 7 Rebounds and 2 Assists against Tulsa

31 Points 4 Assists and 4 Rebounds against Alabama State

3. Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (3 Points):

19 Points, 10 Rebounds and 1 Block against Tulsa

12 Points, 16 Rebounds and 1 Steal against Alabama State

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

14 Points, 4 Rebounds and 1 Block against BYU

11 Points, 9 Rebounds and 3 Assists against St. Katherine

5. Nico Carvacho, senior center Colorado State (1 Point):

12 Points, 12 Rebounds and 1 Block against South Dakota State

9 Points, 10 Rebounds and 3 Blocks against Colorado

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5

Current Overall Point Totals:

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (10 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (9 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (6 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (6 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (5 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

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

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (4 Points)

Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (3 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

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. 

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

It was back to non-conference play last week for the Mountain West. Not everybody was in action—and some who were now wish they hadn’t been.

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Week 7 DPI Rankings: Lobos Rising After Six-Game Streak

The top two stand pat, but plenty of movement below

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico, Boise State climbing in the latest DPI rankings for Week 7

It was back to non-conference play last week for the league’s affiliate members on the heels of the opening salvo to the long Mountain West season. Not everybody was in action—and some now wish they hadn’t been.

But it wasn’t all misery.

Some teams are making big strides, including one squad trying to make a move into the uppermost echelon of the MWC.

Below are the DPI rankings heading into the heart of Week 7. If you’re new to the rankings or just want a refresher, head here for a rundown of how the DPI is calculated. The ratings below reflect games played through Tuesday, December 17. As always, non-Division I games are not counted in the DPI.

[lawrence-related id=23624]

#1 — SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

Last Week: #1

The Aztecs moved to the #1 spot in the Mountain West last week and with no games since their close shave against San Jose State, they haven’t moved much up or down. Brian Dutcher’s team is still undefeated and boasts one of the best defenses in the country. Malachi Flynn’s star turn has propelled SDSU into the national polls, along with the play of Matt Mitchell, Yanni Wetzell, and Jordan Schakel. If KJ Feagin can provide a little more offense, this team could really turn in a special season.

#2 — UTAH STATE AGGIES

Last Week: #2

It’s been a bit of a rough patch for the Aggies over the past few games. They still have one of the two best rosters in the league, but they aren’t quite living up to preseason expectations so far. After losing to Saint Mary’s and looking underwhelming in their first two Mountain West games, Utah State fell to BYU on Saturday in Salt Lake City. It was only their second loss, but it’s a missed opportunity for a good out-of-conference win to put on their NCAA Tournament resume.

#3 — NEW MEXICO LOBOS

Last Week: #4

The Lobos have won six straight after toppling New Mexico State and Grand Canyon since the last DPI rankings were posted here. Though they aren’t playing at the level of SDSU just yet, this patchwork roster of homegrown talent and incoming transfers has performed admirably in the early going. JaQuan Lyle has been everything that Paul Weir could have wanted and more. Oh, and Carlton Bragg is averaging a double-double. So far, so good.

#4 — NEVADA WOLF PACK

Last Week: #3

The Wolf Pack looked like they were starting to turn a corner over the past few weeks, winning five straight games on either side of Thanksgiving. But last week, Nevada was the second casualty of BYU’s surge, along with Utah State and UNLV. The offense had been clicking on all cylinders, but immediately downshifted from a 100-point performance against Air Force to a 42-point outing against the Cougars. That kind of volatility that makes it tough to trust Steve Alford’s club.

#5 — BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Last Week: #6

Leon Rice is getting things back on track in Boise, but outside of their win over BYU—before Yoeli Childs came back, of course—the Broncos haven’t really beaten anybody. It was another rocky showing for Boise State last week, with a midweek loss to Tulsa preceding a blowout win over Alabama State. Derrick Alston is averaging 21 points and Justinian Jessup is finding his form. But the starting five is not the problem here; Rice’s team suffers from a lack of depth.

#6 — COLORADO STATE RAMS

Last Week: #5

The Rams jumped out to a promising start, but they’ve lost three of their past four games, including both of their opening Mountain West bouts. Mixed in there was a 72-68 win over South Dakota State, and while the Jackrabbits are not a bad squad by any means, that they played CSU so closely gives a good indication of where the Rams are right now. Niko Medved’s team gave in-state rivals Colorado a run for their money, but ultimately fell 56-48 over the weekend.

#7 — AIR FORCE FALCONS

Last Week: #8

The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but recently, the Falcons have been getting better results than they did during a rough November. The new month has been kinder to the cadets, with Air Force winning four of its past five (Note: Tuesday’s 99-42  win over Johnson & Wales is not counted in the DPI). AJ Walker has taken an important step forward as an offensive option. The sophomore was averaging 20 points per game over the past three games coming into Tuesday.

#8 — FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

Last Week: #10

Justin Huston finally got his team to a second Division I win on Saturday against Cal Poly. But the bigger story here is the seven losses that they have already incurred. Nate Grimes is doing exactly what was expected of him so far, averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per night. Guards Jarred Hyder and New Williams both have some good performances under their belts, but they haven’t been able to click at the same time. That needs to change.

#9 — UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS

Last Week: #9

The Rebels didn’t play last week, so the bad taste of the 33-point loss to BYU back has been lingering for a week and a half. There have been a lot of close calls, with UNLV playing in four separate overtime games so far. They are shooting under 42% from the field and turning the ball over 15 times a night. Games against Pacific and Robert Morris this week offer TJ Otzelberger the chance to start making some headway in his first year at the helm.

#10 — WYOMING COWBOYS

Last Week: #7

Allen Edwards got his Cowboys out to a 3-3 start, but they have dropped five straight games, including their most recent defeat at the hands of Northern Colorado. The Bears didn’t just sneak past Wyoming, either—the Big Sky hopefuls handed the home team a 21-point drubbing at Arena-Auditorium. The defense has been fair to middling, but the offense has been dreadful thus far. The Cowboys are shooting under 50% on two-pointers and just over 30% on threes.

#11 — SAN JOSÉ STATE SPARTANS

Last Week: #11

There’s a bit of a running joke around here about which Spartan is most likely to transfer next year, since the sputtering Spartans have seen five double-digit scorers depart in the past three offseasons—including Brandon Clarke, who parlayed his post-SJSU star turn at Gonzaga into a budding NBA career. All jokes aside, Seneca Knight has separated himself as the Spartans’ top option, scoring 12.5 points per game. Hopefully the sophomore can remain an important building block for Jean Prioleau.

That’s it for this week. Check back next week to see who’s rising and falling in the Mountain West and be sure to visit the Dieckhoff Power Index daily for updated rankings on all 353 teams in Division I basketball.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Nevada vs. Texas Southern: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Nevada vs. Texas Southern: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Wolf Pack should be on high alert against pesky Tigers Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire With a big game this weekend, the Pack can’t afford to look past Texas …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Nevada vs. Texas Southern: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Wolf Pack should be on high alert against pesky Tigers

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

With a big game this weekend, the Pack can’t afford to look past Texas Southern

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Nevada (7-4, 1-0 MWC) vs. Texas Southern (3-6, 0-0 SWAC)

WHEN: Wednesday, December 18 — 7:00 P.M. PT / 8:00 P.M. MT

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

WATCH: Nevada Sports Net

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: This is the first meeting between the two schools.

ODDS: Nevada -15, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

The Wolf Pack’s five-game winning streak ended last week when BYU trounced Nevada in Provo, 75-42. And with another WCC foe on the horizon—a date with Saint Mary’s awaits on Saturday—Steve Alford can’t afford to let his team look past Texas Southern.

The Tigers made quite a name for themselves last year as a giant killer, knocking off Oregon, Baylor, and Texas A&M during the non-conference season. Though this year’s squad isn’t quite as good as last year’s, Johnny Jones is sure to have some tricks up his sleeve for his old employer.

Between his previous head coaching gig at LSU and his current job at Texas Southern, Jones served as associate head coach for Nevada in 2017-18. Despite his team’s headline-stealing upsets, Texas Southern fell short of the NCAA Tournament last season and had to settle for a CIT Semifinals appearance in March.

The Tigers have yet to recreate any of the magic from last season, stumbling out to a 3-6 start, which includes one victory over non-Division I opponent Concordia (TX). Outside of a close call in a 69-63 loss to Wichita State, the average margin in the Tigers’ five other losses is 27 points per game.

Nevada comes into Wednesday with a record of 7-4, though none of the losses are necessarily prohibitive to their longshot NCAA Tournament hopes. The biggest issue for their resume is that they don’t have any good wins. This game against Texas Southern won’t provide that opportunity, but there’s a big juicy chance waiting on Saturday when Nevada travels to San Francisco to take on St. Mary’s.

But even though Texas Southern hasn’t scored their marquee upset yet, that doesn’t put Nevada in the clear. The Wolf Pack’s shooters have to be on target, lest they suffer their first objectively bad loss of 2019-20.

GAME PLAN

On NEVADA’S POSSESSIONS…

The green light is on for the Wolf Pack under Alford. Per Sports-Reference, the team ranks 37th in the nation in three-point attempts—and more importantly, 13th in the country in three-point makes. Jazz Johnson, Lindsey Drew, and Nisre Zouzoua are all shooting over 40% on more than four long-range shots per game. Jalen Harris, meanwhile, leads the team in scoring and does most of his scoring inside the arc.

Nevada takes great care of the ball, averaging just 12 giveaways per game. So they don’t lose many possessions to carelessness, but because they shoot so many threes, there aren’t as many opportunities for second chances on the offensive boards. But if any team is going to let the Wolf Pack crash the glass, it’s Texas Southern, who has one of the worst defensive rebound rates in the nation.

ON TEXAS SOUTHERN’S POSSESSIONS…

The Tigers have really struggled on offense, even in comparison to their lowly defense. If Steve Alford is giving his squad a permanent green light, Johnny Jones has his team stuck on red. Texas Southern shoots a very low number of three-pointers, perhaps because they are connecting on well under 30% of them. Tyrik Armstrong is the team’s leading scorer, but he is going to get a lot of attention from Lindsey Drew and the rest of Nevada’s backcourt.

All that attention will likely expose what is perhaps Texas Southern’s biggest weakness: their turnovers. The Tigers average a giveaway on nearly a quarter of their possessions, which means Nevada might finally have a chance to force a few. The Wolf Pack are near the bottom of the ranks in defensive turnover rate. Nevada has been a good defensive rebounding team, while Texas Southern is nothing special on the offensive glass.

GAME PREDICTION

NEVADA 86, TEXAS SOUTHERN 68

After laying an egg last week, expect the Wolf Pack offense to be back in form at home against Texas Southern. The Tigers may keep up for a while, but Nevada should be able to run away with this one over the full forty minutes. And if they want to hang on to their slim chances at an NCAA Tournament bid, they had better fall prey to this trap game.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

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

Taking a Look At Week Seven’s Mountain West Opponent’s Performances in Week Six Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 7 Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Take a look at each team’s opponents for this week and how they did last week. …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

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

Each Mountain West Teams Opponents for Week 7

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

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

Future Foes Week Six Recap:

Air Force Falcons (5-6, 1-1)

Tues, Dec. 17th

Johnson and Wales Wildcats:

The Wildcats are 6-4 on the season and currently compete in NCAA division three. Through those ten games they are led by senior guard Brian Hogan-Gary who is averaging 22.3 PPG and 10.6 RPG. He has help though, and that is junior guard Justin Bullock who is contributing 17.7 PPG so far. Looks like a nice game to get the Falcons back to .500 on the season.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Drake Bulldogs:

The Bulldogs are 8-3 on the season and have nice wins against Murray State and Lehigh so far. Second year head coach Darian DeVries posted an impressive twenty-four win season and regular season championship in his first year in Des Moines and isn’t looking for any stoppage in momentum.

Drake isn’t shooting the lights out of the gym and leading scorer Roman Penn is only averaging 10.7 PPG just ahead of senior guard Anthony Murphy at 10.5 PPG and 7-foot sophomore Liam Robbins at 10.2 PPG. They have multiples guys that can get it done and are a part of a defense that is holding opponents to just 62.3 PPG on the season, good for 53rd in the nation.

Boise State Broncos (6-4, 1-1)

Sun, Dec. 22nd

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:

Josh Pastner’s Yellow Jackets are 4-4 on the season so far, and aside from a 34 point loss to Syracuse at home the other three losses all to SEC teams were a lot closer. Georgia Tech has formiddable athletes and length which could provide issues for a Bronco team that has a shallow front court presence to begin with. Their second and third leading scorers are both 6-9 big men in junior Moses Wright (12.3 PPG) and senior James Banks III (10.6 PPG). But their most dangerous asset is sophomore guard Michael Devoe who is averaging 19.4 PPG and 3.5 APG which includes a 34 point performance at Georgia where he also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Colorado State Rams (7-6, 0-2)

Sat, Dec. 21st

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes:

Tulsa is a tough team, and if you are unsure ask Boise State. The Golden Hurricanes have found a formula that works with junior college transfer Brandon Rachal leading the pack and three players averaging nine points or more right behind him. Tulsa was able to come out with a win at home last week against the Broncos by completely taking Alston Jr. and Jessup out of the game.

They have long athletic forwards who can guard the perimeter and give three point shooters a hard time while clogging the lanes with that same length and athletic ability. Tulsa is a good team and they were tested against an even better Eric Musselman led Arkansas team and came away with a loss last week to make them 8-3 on the year.

Fresno State Bulldogs (3-7, 0-2)

Fri, Dec. 20th

IUPUI Jaguars:

George Hill’s alma mater is 4-8 on the season with a win against an average South Florida team as the highlight of an otherwise lack luster non-conference slate. Head coach Jason Gardner is in his sixth season in charge of IUPUI with the 2018-19 season being the closest he has come to reaching the .500 mark. He has senior guard Marcus Burk averaging 20.0 PPG through their first twelve games but not much else. Watch out for Burk on Friday Fresno fans.

Nevada Wolf Pack (7-4, 1-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Texas Southern Tigers:

The Tigers are coached by former Nevada assistant Johnny Jones and Jones has the juggernaut of the SWAC known as Texas Southern at 3-6 thus far in the season. The Tigers always have an impressive SOS in non-conference play with a lineup full of high profile buy games. That 3-6 record isn’t too shabby considering those losses are to San Diego State, Arkansas and Gonzaga. And with a nice win over Northern Kentucky, Texas Southern looks to be a power in conference play once again.

Senior guard Tyrik Armstrong is leading this squad with 13.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 3.6 APG. Watch out for him and pretty much everyone else as this squad has some talented newcomers and high major transfers getting minutes off of the bench.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Saint Mary’s Gaels:

We knew heading into the season that Mountain West fans would see the Gaels quite a bit, and they haven’t disappointed. They gave Utah State their first loss of the season and beat Fresno State in a neutral site game. Next up is the Nevada Wolf Pack in a neutral site game in San Francisco and Steve Alford’s team could make a statement in the Mountain West by doing something no one else has been able to do, beat the Gaels.

Jordan Ford has been Jordan Ford and junior forward Malik Fitts is back at his normal level of play after struggling a bit early on. A loss to #13 ranked Dayton is their only blemish at 10-2, while let’s not forget Winthrop.

New Mexico Lobos (10-2, 2-0)

Tues, Dec. 17th

Grand Canyon Antelopes:

Dan Majerle and crew are having a bit of a down year in Phoenix. The Lopes of Grand Canyon opened the year with a loss to Davenport at home and have gone 4-8 on the season since. The Lopes aren’t lacking talent but are having a hard time putting it all together. Junior big man Alessandro Lever is leading the team with 14.3 PPG but grabbing just 4.8 rebounds in the process.

Carlos Johnson isn’t having the senior jump in production we might have expected, staying steady at 13.0 PPG (1.3 PPG short of last years average) while grabbing a team leading 5.4 boards a game. J.J. Rhymes is out for the season with an injury but the Lopes do get junior guard Mikey Dixon on Tuesday after transferring over from St. John’s last season. GCU can be a tough game on any schedule but a loss to this year’s team would be a bad look for a New Mexico team gaining momentum.

Sun, Dec. 22nd

Houston Baptist Huskies:

The Huskies are currently 0-8 and are one of three remaining winless teams in the country. They are extremely guard heavy and are led by senior guard Jalon Gates at 17.6 PPG and complimented by Junior guard Ian Dubose with 16.9 PPG. The Huskies get up a lot of shots and if these two are both knocking them down the Lobos who sometimes attempt to win games by making more shots then their opponents with little defense may be in for a tough night.

They haven’t played any slouches either, with losses to Tulsa, Texas Tech, Michigan, Houston and Dayton so far. The Lobos need to guard the perimeter and stop any penetration in the lane if they want to win this game, or just knock down more shots.

No. 20 San Diego State Aztecs (10-0, 2-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

San Diego Christian Hawks:

The Hawks are 2-6 on the season as they make their yearly trip into Viejas arena on Wednesday. And although the stats on the San Diego Christian’s basketball site aren’t too accurate it looks like senior guard Bryce Parsons might be leading the Hawks in scoring. 

Sat, Dec. 21st

Utah Utes:

Larry Krystkowiak’s group is 8-2 on the season with a questionable loss to Coastal Carolina and a slightly understandable one to a Tulane team that Ron Hunter has on the up and up. Timmy Allen is a name to watch as the sophomore forward has stepped up as needed for Utah averaging 20.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG. Allen was a part of our top-25 opposing players to watch out for rankings at the beginning of the season and we can see why.

He and fellow sophomore Both Gach have stepped up big time and a win over this Utah team will only benefit the Aztecs. But they also have to be careful as this team full of freshmen and sophomores is beginning to figure things out and could ruin an unblemished resume for Aztecs come this weekend.

San Jose State Spartans (3-8, 0-2)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Santa Clara Broncos:

The Broncos continue to impress as they are looking to extend a 12-game winning streak at home against the Spartans on Wednesday. Santa Clara is 10-2 on the season and are currently led by sophomore big man Guglielmo Caruso with 11.2 PPG and a team high 5.5 RPG. The leading scorer role has been an interchangeable one for the Broncos this season as it has been shared by fellow sophomore Trey Wertz and junior forward Donovan Mitchell throughout the season.

Mitchell and San Jose State Guard Richard Washington were teammates back in Winston-Salem, and a win for the Spartans could go a long way as they are looking for their fourth win of the season which would tie last years overall win total in just December.

Sun, Dec. 22nd

UC-Riverside Highlanders:

This years Highlanders team looks much improved, and like San Jose State are attempting to surpass last seasons win total of ten games by garnering their 8th win on Sunday. They are led by 7-1 275 lb sophomore center Callum McRae with 10.7 PPG and 7.6 RPG. UC-Riverside has a power five win against an improving Nebraska team to boast about but not much else. This is a very winnable game for San Jose State, but if things aren’t firing on all cylinders they could give UC-Riverside that eighth win on Sunday.

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

Wed, Dec. 18th

Pacific Tigers:

The Tigers are 10-3 on the season including a triple overtime battle with Boise State in late November. Damon Stoudamire’s squad plays tough defense keeping their opponents to 58.8 PPG which is 19th in the country. Senior forward Jahlil Tripp has emerged as the leader on this Tigers team with 13.0 PPG and a team high 7.1 RPG. But he has a versatile supporting cast filled with efficient big men and tall guards. UNLV needs a solid win in the middle of December in preparation for conference play and this could be it.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Robert Morris Colonials:

The once mighty Colonials look to be in a down year, picked 5th in the NEC preseason poll. Stuck behind what looks like a four team race in the NEC, Robert Morris is 3-8 on the year with an okay win against Florida Gulf Coast on the road. Senior guard Josh Williams leads the team in scoring with 11.4 PPG. The Colonials have a hard time scoring the basketball ranking 287th in the nation, UNLV should come out with a win on Saturday as long as their big men are the difference in this one.

Utah State Aggies (10-2, 2-0)

Wed, Dec. 18th

South Florida Bulls:

Brian Gregory’s squad is 6-4 on the year but has been all over the place in terms of production. With a bad loss at home to IUPUI followed by a solid win against Wofford the following week. Junior guard David Collins leads this Bulls squad with 15.3 PPG, supported by senior guard Laquincy Rideau with 13.4 PPG and a team high 3.7 APG. South Florida should be a nice test for Utah State after coming off of a loss to BYU in a neutral site match up right before their next biggest test of the season in Florida in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Florida Gators:

Mike White’s Gators are 6-3 on the year, with losses to Florida State, UCONN and Butler. Florida just hasn’t figured out how to put a lot of talented pieces together, and graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. whose leading the team in points (13.3) and rebounds (8.4) hasn’t taken the Gators to that next level as expected. Another disappointing fixture has been freshman Scottie Lewis, who is averaging just 7.9 PPG (5th on the team) after coming to Gainesville as the 3rd best overall recruit all time and bringing the 8th ranked 2019 recruiting class with him.

This was a heavily anticipated match up in the preseason and even though Neemias Queta isn’t at full strength, he will still be scouted based on his match up with Blackshear Jr. down low.

Wyoming Cowboys (3-8, 0-2)

Wed, Dec. 18th

Utah Valley Wolverines:

Utah Valley is a dangerous match up and it’s hard to gauge which caliber of Wolverines team you might get on any given night. With junior guard Isaiah White returning from injury recently first year head coach Mark Madsen now has five players averaging double figures going into Wednesdays game. Even though they have some bigger than average guards, they still display a guard heavy rotation led by senior TJ Washington alongside White. If the Cowboys can utilize their size advantage in the front court, this could be a nice win at home.

Sat, Dec. 21st

Denver Pioneers:

The Cowboys will be the fourth Mountain West team the Pioneers have faced this season, and they could be their lone Mountain West win at home on Saturday night if things go well. Wyoming has had some ups and downs and if they aren’t careful could head back home with a loss at the hands of Rodney Billup’s squad in Denver.

Senior guard Ade Murkey (14.7 PPG) and sophomore guard Jase Townsend (14.0 PPG) lead a struggling Denver team in scoring, but the difference maker could be freshman big man Robert Jones in the post. Jones is a former top-200 recruit and could take advantage of a Wyoming frontcourt that has had a hard time on the glass this season.

Side Note:

Revisit our Top-25 opposing players ranking with multiple players that made the list player your favorite Mountain West teams this week.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

NET Rankings Debut: San Diego State At No. 3

Where do the Mountain West teams stack up in the first NET rankings?

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Net Rankings Debut: San Diego State Aztecs at No. 3

Initial rankings have Mountain West teams distributed as expected

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

With the Net Rankings debut the Aztecs look to be the clear Mountain West front runner.

The Holidays came just a week early for some as the media, fans and coaching staffs across the country were given their first look at this season’s NET Rankings this morning. And after a much critiqued initial debut last year, adjustments were made to the ranking system in it’s second year of existence to assure accuracy and draw less scrutiny. And amongst the blue bloods, high majors and Gonzaga’s of the world stood a familiar face at number three.

The Aztecs were the highest ranked Mountain West team in our first glimpse of the season, debuting at number three in the nation just behind Ohio State and Kansas. San Diego State is also the highest-ranked undefeated team in the nation, followed by No. 7 Auburn, No. 19 Liberty and No. 20 Duquesne.

The NET is the new NCAA metric and it gives the selection committee an idea of team’s performances based on the combination of four ratings. It takes it’s own metrics and those of KenPom, BPI, the Sagarin ratings and team’s strength of schedule to give us a full 353 team ranking.

Now for one, these aren’t set in stone and there is still plenty of basketball to be played before these rankings turn into tickets punched, but it’s a start. And though they have been adjusted and initial critiques are taken into consideration, they are still a tad flawed.

Number six ranked Kentucky is currently listed at 58th, but a more explainable ranking could be found with North Carolina at 95th at 6-4 on the season with some questionable losses. But there can be some truth to the rankings, as National Champion runner up Texas Tech debuted at No. 3 last season. Right behind eventual champion Virginia at No. two.

The rest of the Mountain West faired a bit how you may suspect at this point of the season. Utah State is in the top-50 at 47th and New Mexico is just outside of it with losses to Auburn and UTEP at 57th. Nevada and Boise State are the only other Mountain West teams in the top-100, while Colorado State is the last team to be ranked inside of the top-200.

Mountain West NET Rankings:

3. San Diego State 10-0

47. Utah State 10-2

57. New Mexico 10-2

94. Nevada 7-4

100. Boise State 6-4

140. Colorado State 7-6

219. Fresno State 3-7

224. Air Force 5-6

232. UNLV 4-7

268. San Jose State 3-8

289. Wyoming 3-8

As the conference has hopes of becoming a multi-bid league in the near future this wasn’t a bad start. The conference as a whole is better when San Diego State and New Mexico are at their best, and Utah State’s reemergence after taking some time off from their 2000s dominance in the WAC doesn’t hurt.

While others like Nevada and Boise State will figure it out with a first year head coach settling in and sit-out reinforcements coming next year. And other traditional powers like UNLV may be back to normal sooner than you may think. But this first ranking has certainly given us something to keep our eyes on and come tournament time something to refer back to.

Full List Here

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Dec. 14, 2019 Mountain West Basketball Scoreboard, Schedule, Updates

Dec. 14, 2019 Mountain West Basketball Scoreboard, Schedule, Updates Mountain West hoops has a full slate on this Saturday. Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire More non-conference hoops. Air Force at Denver, 3 p.m. ET, TV: Altitude KenPom: …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Dec. 14, 2019 Mountain West Basketball Scoreboard, Schedule, Updates

Mountain West hoops has a full slate on this Saturday.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

More non-conference hoops.

Air Force at Denver, 3 p.m. ET, TV: Altitude

KenPom: Colorado State -3

Jeremy: Air Force

Larry: Air Force

Josh F: Denver

Erwin: Air Force

Ted: Air Force

Andrew: Air Force

Alabama State at Boise State, 6 p.m. ET, TV: Mountain West Network

KenPom: Boise State -17

Jeremy: Boise State

Larry: Boise State

Josh F: Boise State

Erwin: Boise State

Ted: Boise State

Utah State at BYU, 7 p.m. ET, TV: BYUtv

KenPom: Utah State -7

Jeremy: Utah State

Larry: Larry (!!)

Josh F: Utah State

Erwin: BYU

Ted: Utah State

Andrew: Utah State

Stanford at San Jose State, 7 p.m. ET, TV: CBS Sports Network

KenPom: Stanford -16

Jeremy: Stanford

Larry: Stanford

Josh F: Stanford

Erwin: Stanford

Ted: Stanford

New Mexico State at New Mexico, 7 p.m. ET, TV: AT&T SportsNet

KenPom: New Mexico -5

Jeremy:  New Mexico

Larry: New Mexico 

Josh F: New Mexico

Erwin: New Mexico

Ted: New Mexico

Northern Colorado at Wyoming, 9 p.m. ET, TV: Mountain West Network

KenPom: Northern Colorado -2

Jeremy: Wyoming

Larry: Northern Colorado 

Josh F: Northern Colorado

Erwin: Wyoming

Ted: Wyoming

Fresno State at Cal Poly, 10 p.m. ET, TV: BigWest.org

KenPom: Fresno State -8

Jeremy: Fresno State

Larry: Fresno State 

Josh F: Fresno State

Erwin: Fresno State

Ted: Fresno State

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”c0286d6e1aad69344270e42782a7311d-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

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

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

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

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

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

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. Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (5 Points)

24 Points, 3 Rebounds and 2 Assists against New Mexico

27 Points, 4 Rebounds and 2 Steals against Colorado State

Jessup makes his Mountain West Wire Player of the Year watch list debut after an impressive week shooting it from deep in two Mountain West conference games last week. Jessup went a combined 13-21 from beyond the three-point line while averaging 25.5 PPG. Now the Broncos did lose in The Pit on Wednesday but if Jessup made just one more three it would have been an entirely different feel around the conference this week.

But our staff didn’t seem to mind and this shooting performance coupled with his defensive contributions out on the top of the key made for an impressive performance.

2. Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (4 Points):

18 Points, 8 Rebounds, 9 Assists and 2 Steals against Air Force

27 Points, 6 Rebounds and 2 Assists against New Mexico

3. Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (3 Point):

16 Points, 11 Rebounds and 8 Assists against Santa Clara

31 Points, 2 Assists and 6 Rebounds against Air Force

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

31 Points, 6 Assists and 2 Steals against Boise State

13 Points, 3 Assists and 3 Rebounds against Wyoming

5. Derrick Alston Jr. junior guard Boise State (1 Point):

20 Points, 5 Rebounds and 6 Assists against New Mexico

20 Points, 11 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Colorado State

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 

Current Overall Point Totals:

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (10 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (6 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (6 Point)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

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

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (4 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (3 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]