Tag: Ryan Swan

Air Force vs. Colorado State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Air Force vs. Colorado State: Game Preview Rams look for sweep of Falcons on senior night. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Colorado State looks for a win on senior night as they welcome in-state foe, Air Force. WHO: Air Force Falcons (11-18, …

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Air Force vs. Colorado State: Game Preview

Rams look for sweep of Falcons on senior night. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Colorado State looks for a win on senior night as they welcome in-state foe, Air Force.

WHO: Air Force Falcons (11-18, 5-12 Mountain West) At Colorado State Rams (19-11, 10-7 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, February 29th—1:00 PM PST/2:00 PM MST/4:00 PM EST

WHERE: Moby Arena, Fort Collins, CO

TV: ESPN3

STREAM: WatchESPN

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Colorado State leads all-time series 81-33

PREVIEW: 

The end of the 2019-2020 regular season is almost upon us and with it comes one of the more bittersweet aspects of college basketball, senior night.

The Rams say goodbye to Hyron Edwards, Kris Martin and a familiar name to college basketball fans everywhere Nico Carvacho. Head coach Niko Medvid found had success in his second year in charge in Fort Collins and look to end the regular season with a win at home before heading to Las Vegas next week for the Mountain West Conference tournament.

Air Force had their senior night on Wednesday when they hosted the Lobos in a narrow 2-point victory. But will have five seniors playing their final regular season game Saturday afternoon against the Rams in LeSean Brown, Caleb Morris, Sid Tomes, Lavelle Scottie and Ryan Swan.

The last time these two met was back on January 18th when the Rams traveled south and left with a 13-point win in Clune Arena. Senior Kris Martin scored what still stands as his season high that night with 19 points on 4-7 shooting from deep and another big performance could provide a nice senior night momentum for Martin. The Falcons had two players score a team high 16-points a piece in that loss with Lavelle Scottie and Sid Tomes combining for 11-18 made field goals on the night.

Air Force is coming off of a nice win at home against New Mexico, while Colorado State is coming off of a close loss to the regular season conference champions San Diego State. This in-state match up means a lot for these two schools but a win for either will provide much needed momentum going into next week.

The stakes, 

Air Force is currently sitting in seventh place in the conference standings and are playing for a sixth conference win to end the regular season. If Air Force loses while on the road on Saturday afternoon they will finish in nine place on the season, only one spot lower than previously picked by the media in preseason. But a win will place them in a possible three way tie for sixth with Fresno State and New Mexico who also playing their final games this weekend.

The Rams like the Falcons are just playing for tournament positioning at this point. A best case scenario would be a 5th place finish which they would share with Boise State. But Colorado isn’t in a bad spot and don’t have the possibility of a huge drop in the standings with ten wins currently and no team below them closer than six.

Match up of the night: Two “youthful” guards

G A.J. Walker Air Force vs. G Isaiah Stevens Colorado State

The Stats: Walker (10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG & 3.1 APG) & Stevens (12.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG & 4.5 APG)

Tonight’s key match up will be between sophomore A.J. Walker and freshman Isaiah Stevens, who both lead that team’s as floor generals in just their second and first season’s. These guys are the future of their respective teams and will play plenty of basketball against each other in the near future, so let’s get a glance of this mainstay match up one more time on Saturday.

Walker stepped into starting role full time during conference play last season as a freshman and has seen a bump in production this season as the full time starter. This team will say goodbye to five seniors this off season and four of them regular starters in the rotation. In short, this should be Walker’s team next season and he should enjoy the proven options he will have alongside him for the couple of more games he has them there.

Isaiah Stevens has had a major impact in his first season in Fort Collins, and alongside some other stellar sophomores and freshman is a part of a group solidifying a Ram’s resurgence in the conference for years to come. He’s leading the team in scoring and assists but struggled to do either last time Colorado State faced Air Force on the road with 11 points on 3-7 FGs and 2 assists on the night.

Prediction: Colorado State 85, Air Force 70

The last time these two teams met the Rams were able to come away with a thirteen-point win in a close one on the road. The Falcons haven’t beat the Rams since back in 2018 when they completed their own regular season sweep. Colorado State has an 81-33 all-time lead on the series which get’s even more impressive when you look at their home record in that span, which is 43-11.

If Air Force wanted to beat Colorado State it would have been easier on their home turf. But hey this is college basketball right, anything is possible but I think the Rams make this a special senior night win.

The X-Factor:  Nico Carvacho

It’s senior night for the big guy, and no one has been more dominant on the glass in a Ram’s uniform this decade. Carvacho will leave the Mountain West as it’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,271 to his name at the time this article is published.

On Saturday he will look to take advantage of a much smaller Air Force frontcourt. Last time around the big man had trouble scoring, only notching ten-points, but in true Carvacho fashion grabbed 13 boards.

A big night rebounding and scoring from Carvacho could be the difference in this one, but he needs some help as they were out rebounded 40-30 last time around. Those other guys need to get used to crashing the glass without the senior present next year, might as well start Saturday.

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Air Force vs. Fresno State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Air Force vs. Fresno State: Game Preview Either team happy for a win tonight in the Save Mart Center. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Falcons travel out west for a midweek showdown with the Bulldogs. WHO: Air Force Falcons (10-16, 4-10 …

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Air Force vs. Fresno State: Game Preview

 Either team happy for a win tonight in the Save Mart Center.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Falcons travel out west for a midweek showdown with the Bulldogs.

WHO: Air Force Falcons (10-16, 4-10 Mountain West) At Fresno State Bulldogs (9-17, 5-10 Mountain West)

WHEN: Wednesday, February 19th—7:00 PM PST/8:00 PM MST/9:00 PM EST

WHERE: Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA

TV: ESPN3

STREAM: WatchESPN

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Fresno State leads all-time series 21-7

PREVIEW: 

The Bulldogs host the Falcons on Wednesday night for their second straight game at home before heading out on the road for one game in Reno and then calling it a regular season on February 29th back in the Save Mart Center. Justin Hutson’s team is looking for a win tonight after a loss to Utah State over the weekend while Air Force is playing for a chance at their first win streak since back in mid-December.

Both teams bring in a weird mix of talented young players and impactful veteran leaders. This combination would normally lead to a competitive season, but a lack of consistency on both sides have these teams in the bottom half of the conference standings and well below .500 in mid-February.

The last time these two faced off back on January 28th back in Colorado Springs, the Bulldogs got the best of the Falcons who boast one of the better records at home (7-6) in the conference, 79-68.  The senior duo of Nate Grimes and New Williams was in control back then, combining for over half of their teams overall points with 46 at the end of the night.

The Falcons leading scorers were kept in check by Fresno State’s defense last time around as well. And Air Force has trouble when their bigs are having trouble. This group needs to stretch out the defense by knocking down shots, hopefully freeing up some space for their guys down low. The Falcons look a bit out of sorts when Swan starts taking three point shots. He can make them from time to time, but when the Falcons are getting easy two-point opportunities with the occasional one from deep to keep things interesting, that’s when they nearly break triple-digit scoring.

The stakes, 

Both teams know whats at stake in the remaining games in conference play, and that’s conference tournament field position. The Falcons and Bulldogs are both in the lower half of the Mountain West standings and should be competing for a possible 6th place finish at the end of the month. That would set either team up for a first round tournament showdown against Wyoming, who both teams have beaten this season already and would provide their best shot at advancing past the first round.

Match up of the night: Youth vs. Experience

F Lavelle Scottie Air Force vs. F Orlando Robinson Fresno State

The Stats: Scottie (15.6 PPG 5.6 RPG & 2.0 APG) & Robinson (12.8 PPG 7.0 RPG & 1.6 APG)

Tonight’s match up to keep an eye on is between freshman forward Orlando Robinson of Fresno State and elder statesmen Lavelle Scottie of the United States Air Force Academy. Both are in very different places in their basketball careers but will be extremely impactful in tonight’s game in Fresno.

Scottie who is nearing the end of his collegiate career is playing great basketball in the month of February but isn’t getting much help from his teammates. The senior forward is averaging 18.2 PPG and 6.7 RPG over his last four games. And his experience could give him the edge tonight against one of the more talented but younger teams in the Mountain West.

Robinson who has a tremendous amount of potential and will be one of the faces of the league in years to come. But has a battle to win down low tonight, and his length and mid range shooting should give him an advantage.

Prediction: Fresno State 72, Air Force 68

The Falcons are coming off of a nine-point win over San Jose State at home this past Saturday where they almost hit the triple digit mark (95-86), with four players scoring ten points or better. While Fresno State struggled shooting the ball against second place Utah State squad on Saturday in their 12-point loss to the Aggies.

This game will come down to which teams knocks down the most buckets (as most should) as both have struggled in the month of February with a melting pot of top scorers each, which makes it hard to nail down which player will have the biggest impact in tonight’s game.

The X-Factor:  Chris Joyce

If the sharpshooter is knocking them down, it will be a long night guarding the perimeter.

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Air Force vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Air Force vs. Boise State: Game Preview The Broncos welcome Air Force to ExtraMile Arena Tuesday night with hopes of conference standing ascension. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State looks to avenge seven-point loss to Air Force …

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Air Force vs. Boise State: Game Preview

The Broncos welcome Air Force to ExtraMile Arena Tuesday night with hopes of conference standing ascension. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State looks to avenge seven-point loss to Air Force last month with their home court advantage as added element. 

WHO: Air Force Falcons (9-15, 3-9 Mountain West) At Boise State Broncos (16-9, 8-5 Mountain West)

WHEN: Wednesday, February 11th—8:00 PM PST/7:00 PM MST/9:00 PM EST

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID

TV: AT&T Sports Network 

STREAM: Get a free trial through FuboTV

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Boise State leads all-time series 12-6 

PREVIEW: 

After suffering a seven-point loss to the Falcons a little under a month ago in Clune Arena the Broncos are looking to improve their 11-1 record at home, reach second place (no matter who else is there with them) and get some revenge on Tuesday night in ExtraMile Arena. Boise State like everyone situated in 2nd-5th place in the conference at the moment is looking for a win tonight. Aside from the juggernaut season San Diego State is currently having everyone else has been handing out losses and taking them right back.

The Stakes,

Boise State is in a current three-way tie for third place with Colorado State and Utah State (who face off tonight in another important match up to keep an eye on). And the race for a top seed in the conference tournament will take a couple of turns tonight as the winner of the Rams vs. Aggies matchup dictates a lot. If Colorado State wins they keep sole possession of second place and give Boise State sole possession of third (for now). But an Aggie win creates a two-way tie for second place, knocking the Rams to third place just ahead of Nevada.

Air Force is playing for a better seed in the conference tournament at this point with the hopes of making a deep tournament run to make the big dance. The Falcons are currently sitting in two-way tie for seventh place with the Spartans of San Jose State.

Air Force

Air Force has been exactly the sort of team we usually expect them to be each year and have dished out some upsets and challenged teams at times this season. But in true Air Force fashion has also struggled at times with scoring consistency and defense (refer to their Feb. 4th box score against Nevada for further explanation). But when they’re knocking down shots they are one of the most dangerous teams in the Mountain West (refer to their Jan. 7th box score against Utah State for further explanation).

Lavelle Scottie has played well for the Falcons as of late (15.8 PPG and 6.0 RPG in his last five games). And the possible emergence of junior guard Christopher Joyce who had 23 points against San Diego State on Saturday on 5/8 shooting from deep may be just what this Air Force team needs to break a six game losing streak. Which began after their win over the Broncos last month, and what a better way to break it than with a regular season sweep of Boise State in the process.

Boise State

The Broncos have had a bit of trouble getting solid production from leading scorer Derrick Alston Jr. of late, as the 6-9 guard averaged 4.5 PPG, 1.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in two games last week. Justinian Jessup has stepped in up his absence along with fellow senior guard Alex Hobbs with big performances in a win over Wyoming on Tuesday night and a tough loss on the road against Utah State on Saturday. It’s been hard to predict a leading scorer for the Broncos recently, with five different players taking that honor over their last ten games. But Leon Rice’s crew were just enjoying a five game winning streak just last Tuesday and could use a win before they host San Diego State this Sunday at home for what could be the Aztec’s first loss of the season.

Some history, 

Aside the fact both schools are only about three and half hours away from each other by plane, these two squads have only met on the court eighteen times in their short history. A twenty year gap between their first matchup on Dec. 27th, 1991 and their next one on Jan. 14th, 2012 in Boise State’s inaugural season in the Mountain West conference.

The last time these two met back on Jan. 15th of this year, Ryan Swan scored 17 points scoring his 1000th career point in the process, becoming the 27th Falcon to do so.

Matchup of the night: Down Low

F RJ Williams Boise State vs. F Ryan Swan Air Force

The Stats: Williams (1.4 PPG, 8.0 PRG & 1.0 SPG) & Swan (12.8  PPG, 4.5 RPG & 1.8 APG)

Both are coming off of some of their worst performances of the season against San Diego State and Utah State respectfully, but both should have an impact in tonight’s Mountain West presentation of the NBA’s “small ball”. Both struggled against bigger opponents last week but both stand at 6-7 with Swan winning the weight portion of the contest and Williams winning for best motor.

Williams is at his best when he’s down low getting second chance boards and receiving assists from driving teammates. Swan gets his buckets when he’s knocking down mid-range jumpers or getting to the line, look for him to drive against a smaller Bronco frontcourt tonight.

Prediction: Boise State 80, Air force 70

This one will come down to how hot the Falcons can get tonight on the road and whether or not the Broncos can get hotter. The home record speaks for itself, and the Broncos are as dangerous as anyone in the conference when playing in ExtraMile Arena where they have averaged 84.5 PPG over the twelve games played their this season.

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Jalen Harris’ 38-Point Performance Leads Nevada Past Air Force, 88-54

Game Recap: Nevada 88, Air Force 54 Jalen Harris and company step up in a bounce back win over Air Force at home. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Wolf Pack looked very comfortable behind a solid defensive team effort and solid overall …

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Game Recap: Nevada 88, Air Force 54

Jalen Harris and company step up in a bounce back win over Air Force at home. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Wolf Pack looked very comfortable behind a solid defensive team effort and solid overall play from Harris. 

The Wolf Pack bounced back in a big way against Air Force at home in Lawlor Events Center Tuesday night in a 88-54 win over the visiting Falcons. Nevada lost both games on the road last week, one in a 91-92 heart breaker against the Rams in Fort Collins on Wednesday and on Saturday in Boise 64-73. The Wolf Pack hasn’t fared well away from home, with a combined 1-7 record

on the road this season. But they knew it would be a different story on Tuesday night, because they were back at home and facing the Air Force Falcons who were in sole possession of seventh place at 3-7 in conference play.

The Wolf Pack have had some success in the Lawlor Events Center going 9-2 at home this season. First year head coach Steve Alford and company had no intention of changing that narrative as the team rallied behind an impressive offensive performance from their star junior guard Jalen Harris. The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog and Musselman import has been the center piece of a relatively young and inexperienced squad this season.

Harris who almost transferred out the program upon learning of former head coach Eric Musselman’s new gig in the SEC ultimately decided to stay in Reno and is looking at a first-team all-Mountain West Conference finish and maybe a run at either player of the year or newcomer of the year.

His performance on Tuesday was phenomenal, finishing with 38 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 36 minutes of play. He also got others involved by distributing the basketball while drawing double teams on almost every possession and freeing up his bigs down low.

Harris has been able to do a little bit of everything for Nevada this season, he’s got a terrific motor, can drive the ball, distribute it and shoot it from anywhere. And after his 38-point performance is the only Wolf Pack player in program history with five 30-point plus performances in the same season.

But like I said he got everyone some touches, with a little bit of everyone playing solid minutes on Tuesday night. Senior guard Lindsey drew was a defensive force all night, ending the night with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks while also netting his 900th career point and grabbing his 600th rebound all of which has come in Reno.

While senior guard and the team’s second leading scorer Jazz Johnson sat out his second consecutive game due to injury, others stepped up. Others like fellow senior guard Nisre Zouzoua who played well with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal on the night.

Last week’s Wolf Pack squad looked out of sorts, plus without one of their top scorers and team leaders on Saturday just survived the week. But this Nevada team looked different, they were confident, knocked down shots and played hard on both sides of the floor. Not only outscoring the Falcons but out rebounding them 49-29. Like most other teams in the Mountain West this season they have enjoyed ups and ridden out downs, but if they can find a rhythm and star guard Jalen Harris continues his current level of play, watch out.

The Falcons looked flat out defeated most of the night. After trailing the Wolf Pack 44-22 at the half didn’t show any more fight in the second half, shooting 19-58 from the field (32.8%) and only knocking down 50% of their free throws. Lavelle Scottie was the only Falcon in double figures last night with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals on the night, while the four other starters combined for only 17 points on 5-23 shooting overall.

Air Force has played like two different teams at times this season, upsetting some teams and losing by thirty-four to others. The team should take advantage of Scottie and Swan’s presence down low for the remainder of the season, as both seniors won’t be around next season and the frontcourt will look a lot different.

Up Next:

Air Force:

The Falcons now turn their attention to the big fish coming into Colorado Springs this weekend. As the No. 4 ranked San Diego State Aztecs make their way west for a 6:00 PM MST showdown in Clune Arena on Saturday. It may seem just a bit repetitive at this point but we all know what’s at stake, the chance to knock off the undefeated Aztecs and on top of that doing it at home! The Falcons enjoy a 6-5 record at home and have upset both Boise State and Utah State at Clune Arena this season.  Let’s see if Dave Pilipovich and company can make it 23-1 for the Aztecs on Saturday.

Nevada:

After tonight’s 34-point win the Wolf Pack get a shot at either redemption or revenge this weekend, your call. As Nevada plays host to the San Jose State Spartans who back on January 8th handed the Wolf Pack their first loss in conference play on the road in San Jose. So a month later there is a bit more up for grabs than meets the eye in Saturday’s game in Reno. Tip-off is at 5:00 PM MST.

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

Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Ten Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Flynn pulls ahead, while Air Force and San Jose State find representation on the list, in …

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Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

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

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Flynn pulls ahead, while Air Force and San Jose State find representation on the list, in a week full of upsets.

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 tenth week is as follows:

1. Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (5 Points)

28 Points, 9 Rebounds and 3 Steals against Nevada

21 Points, 8 Rebounds and 2 Assists against Colorado State

Knight makes his debut on the list and does so with a bang with a first place finish after a week that featured handing the Nevada Wolfpack their first loss in conference play while averaging 24.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG for the Spartans. San Jose State has had a well known tough transition into the Mountain West, failing to finish above .500 in conference play, posting a 16-98 record since their move in 2014.

Knight has played well for a Spartan’s team that is enjoying 9th place in the conference standings after two wins against top half teams New Mexico and Nevada this season. Those two conference wins give head coach Jean Prioleau more wins in conference play than his previous two years in San Jose combined (which add up to two).

Knight is leading the team in scoring with 13.7 PPG but is averaging 16.6 PPG in conference play. The Spartans are a bit two sided and can bring an upset caliber team to the court (i.e. Hofstra, New Mexico, Nevada) or a team riding an eight game losing streak (Nov. 23rd-Dec. 22nd) any night.

To be fair the Spartans only have one loss to a team outside KenPom’s top-250, and have a strength of schedule rated 67th in the country. Either way this Spartan team may be a bit underrated (I know how it sounds but ask the Lobos or Wolfpack) and would have a “successful” or progressive season if they finish anywhere inside the top-10. And Knight’s play as of recent can get them there.

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

14 Points, 10 Assists and 3 Steals against Fresno State

20 Points, 4 Assists and 2 Rebounds against Air Force

3. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (3 Points):

19 Points, 4 Assists and 3 Steals against Wyoming

19 Points, 6 Assists and 3 Rebounds against Boise State

4.  Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (2 Points):

20 Points, 5 Rebounds and 5 Assists against San Jose State

31 Points, 3 Assists, and 3 Rebounds against Utah State

5. Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point):

31 Points, 11 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Utah State

10 Points, 7 Rebounds and 2 Assists against New Mexico

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9

Current Overall Point Totals:

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (17 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (15 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (14 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (11 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (11 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (7 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (7 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

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

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (5 Points)

Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Orlando Robinson, freshman forward Fresno State (4 Points)

David Roddy, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

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

Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (2 Points)

Corey Manigault, senior forward New Mexico (2 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

Abu Kigab, junior forward Boise State (1 Point)

Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point)

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. 

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Lobos host Air Force with eyes on staying in second place

New Mexico vs. Air Force: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Lobos trying to keep share of 2nd place in the MW Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire New Mexico will look to tame the Falcons after Air Force’s big win earlier this …

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New Mexico vs. Air Force: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Lobos trying to keep share of 2nd place in the MW

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico will look to tame the Falcons after Air Force’s big win earlier this week

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Air Force (8-8, 2-2 MWC) at New Mexico (14-3, 3-1 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 — 4:00 P.M. MT / 3:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: DreamStyle Arena, Albuquerque, New Mexico

WATCH: Stadium/Facebook

LISTEN: 96.3 KKOB; Listen Live

ALL-TIME: New Mexico leads the series, 60-23

ODDS: New Mexico -9, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

New Mexico will look to keep at least a share of second place in the Mountain West, as the Falcons of Air Force descend upon The Pit on Saturday.

The Lobos are 3-1 in league play so far, trailing only undefeated San Diego State and currently tied with Nevada and UNLV in the standings. Aside from the Aztecs, Paul Weir’s crew has the best overall record in the MW at 14-3, with their loss to San Jose State last week serving as the only defeat since their November 25 tilt with unbeaten Auburn.

New Mexico was back to their winning ways earlier this week, dispatching Fresno State with ease, 78-64. JaQuan Lyle has continued to look like a clear All-Mountain West talent, registering a double-double with 14 points and ten assists.

Even more encouraging for the Lobos is the recent explosion of Vance Jackson. He scored 29 points against the Bulldogs after posting 25 in the loss to the Spartans. Jackson has finished in double figures in five straight games after completing the feat just twice in the team’s first 11 contests.

Adding that extra scoring punch has come at a perfect time as Carlton Bragg makes his way back into the offense. The senior forward was averaging a double-double on the season before his suspension last month. After missing three games, Bragg returned against Fresno State but was ineffective, scoring just two points in 22 minutes on the floor.

But if Weir can get all of his pieces working at the same time, the Lobos may have an outside shot at sneaking into the Big Dance.

Air Force, meanwhile, has finally risen back to .500 after wiping the floor with Utah State on Tuesday. On the back of its stout offense, this Falcons team has started to turn things around after a disappointing 2-5 start to the year. Until the game against the Aggies, though, it wasn’t clear whether this team should be considered much of a threat in the Mountain West.

But Dave Pilipovich and the Falcons made their point.

Ryan Swan had a night to remember against Utah State, scoring a season-high 31 points and adding 11 rebounds. He has overtaken fellow senior Lavelle Scottie as the Falcons’ leading scorer on the season, with sophomore guard AJ Walker not far behind. The trio averages a combined 40 points per night, and both Swan and Walker are shooting over 50% on the year.

As a team, the Falcons have shot at one of the best clips in the country, posting an effective field goal percentage that ranks among the nation’s five best. That number is especially impressive when Scottie’s shooting woes are taken into account. The 6’7” senior was one of the league’s best shooters a year ago, but has struggled to the tune of 47% on two-pointers and 44% overall from the floor.

If he can get hot – and stay that way – Air Force could be a dangerous matchup for just about anyone in the Mountain West.

They’ll test that theory against the Lobos on Saturday.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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