Tag: San Diego State Basketball

Mountain West Basketball Power Rankings: Ringing In 2020

Mountain West Basketball Power Rankings: Ringing In 2020 San Diego State is our first No. 1. Contact/Follow @MWCwire Two teams claim first place votes. The Mountain West basketball season is at the midway point and now is a good point to start our …

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Mountain West Basketball Power Rankings: Ringing In 2020

San Diego State is our first No. 1.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Two teams claim first place votes.

The Mountain West basketball season is at the midway point and now is a good point to start our weekly power rankings now that we know what teams are good or not so good.

San Diego State is one of just a handful of undefeated teams in the country and are No. 15 in the latest AP poll and are the only Mountian West team ranked in the polls.

Utah State is another early Mountain West contender but they are not quite at San Diego State’s level with a pair of losses and sitting at 12-2. New Mexico is also at 12-2 just like the Aggies and these three teams are the early contenders.

The rest of the league, or at least the middle, is a jumbled mess and will see some shuffling throughout these rankings over the rest of the season. When league play gets going there definitely will be some shuffling over the next month.

These initial rankings do have the Aztecs at the top but they do not own every first place vote as there are two votes allocated for Utah State.

Rank Team Previously
1. San Diego State (10-first place votes) 1st
2. Utah State (2-first place votes) 2nd
3. New Mexico 3rd
4. Nevada 4th
5. Colorado State 5th
6. Boise State 6th
7. UNLV 7th
8. Air Force 8th
9. Fresno State 9th
10. Wyoming 10th
11. San Jose State 11th

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

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

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

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

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 Seventh week is as follows:

1. Sam Merrill, senior guard Utah State (5 Points)

21 Points, 4 Rebounds and 3 Assists against Southern Florida

21 Points, 5 Assists and 9 Rebounds against Florida

Merrill has been somewhat of a silent feature on this list consistently throughout the season. Though he has appeared as high as second in prior weeks, this is his first time at the top which brought him into a tie for first with New Mexico’s JaQuan Lyle with 11 points total. Merrill has the Aggies at 12-2 on the season with two losses to some of the West Coast Conference’s best.

Utah State is coming off of two nice neutral courts wins against Southern Florida and the Florida Gators this past week. Merrill continues to be a leader on the court and brings his best game to the Aggies’ biggest games, shooting 52.9% from three in those last two contests. This team will go as far as Merrill take’s them and with Neemias Queta out after re-injuring himself in their game against Florida let’s see how the senior guard handles conference play without him.

2. Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points):

26 Points, 12 Assists and 6 Rebounds against Tulsa

3. Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming  (3 Points):

23 Points, 6 Rebounds and 4 Assists against UVU

20 Points, 9 Rebounds and 4 Assists against Denver

4. Nico Carvacho, senior center Colorado State (2 Points):

15 Points, 18 Rebounds and 2 Assists against Tulsa

5. JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (1 Point):

21 Points, 6 Assists and 2 Steals against GCU

19 Points, 6 Assists and 2 Rebounds against Houston Baptist

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 

Current Overall Point Totals:

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (11 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (11 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (9 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (7 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (7 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (6 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (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)

Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (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. 

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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 …

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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.

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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. …

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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.

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Week 8 College Basketball Rankings: San Diego State Moves Up In AP Poll

San Diego State is now 15th in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll.

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Week 7 College Basketball Rankings: San Diego State Moves Up In AP Poll

Aztecs keep moving on up.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

The undefeated Aztecs climb the polls.

San Diego State is just one of three undefeated teams this year alongside No. 8 Auburn and unranked Liberty. The Aztecs have been on a tear all year and this past week they earned a quality win over Utah who happened to defeat then-No. 6 Kentucky. So, the 80-52 neutral-court victory over the Utes carried some weight.

The 12-0 Aztecs moved up again in the poll and are sitting at No. 15 with one more non-conference game to go as they host Cal Poly on Dec. 28.

Utah State is the only other Mountain West team getting consideration with 36 points in the poll.

In other rankings, the NET really likes San Diego State.

AP TOP 25 POLL

 

1. Gonzaga

2. Ohio State

3. Louisville

4. Duke

5. Kansas

6. Oregon

7. Baylor

8. Auburn

9. Memphis

10. Villanova

11. Michigan

12. Butler

13. Maryland

14. Michigan State

15. San Diego State

16. Virginia

17. Florida State

18. Dayton

19. Kentucky

20. Penn State

21. Washington

22. West Virginia

23. Texas Tech

24. Arizona

25. Iowa

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San Diego State vs Utah: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Odds & More

San Diego State hopes to remain undefeated.

The Aztecs look forward to their map conquering.

How does this game pan out for San Diego State’s resume?

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– Contact/Follow @ErwinSports and @MWCwire.

San Diego State plays at Staples Center against Utah.

Who: San Diego State Aztecs vs Utah Utes
When: Saturday 12/21/2019 at 3:30 PM PT
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Pac-12 Network
Streaming: FuboTV – Get a seven-day free trial.
Radio: XTRA Sports 1360 AM
Odds: San Diego State -8
San Diego State meets an old rival in Utah at the Staples Center. The last time San Diego State and Utah faced off was in 2015 on the backend of a home-and-home.
The rivalry in his recent history bends towards the Aztecs.
San Diego State’s all-time record against Utah is 19-54 since 1975. Eleven wins come during the Steve Fisher era of San Diego State, and 6 wins since 2009.
 
On the line for the Aztecs is another quad 2 opponent to build their tournament resume. Utah is coming off an upset against number 6 AP-ranked Kentucky. Larry Krystkowiak is getting his team turned up at the right time as they roll into Pac-12 play.
 
The best metric for the Aztecs: win.
 
The pre-season hope was to breakeven at the Las Vegas Invitational and take a winnable game against Utah on a neutral.
Now a hungry Aztecs team that looks to hold territory in the undefeated Reddit map circulated during every win and loss by any remaining undefeated team.
The Aztecs are likely to lean on Malachi Flynn against the Utes. Flynn has shown up in big moments this season and has a proven record against the Utes. In his last season as a Washington State Cougar, he recorded a 19-point game and a 20-point game. 
 
Defensively, the Aztecs have to keep an eye on Utah’s leading scorer Timmy Allen. Allen’s been averaging 21 points per game and looks forward to playing ball in Southern California, close enough to his hometown of Oak Park.

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San Diego State Aztecs All-Decade Basketball Team

San Diego State Aztecs All-Decade Basketball Team Who made the cut for San Diego State Contact/Follow @aztecbreakdown & @MWCwire The best of the 2010s The decade is coming to a close. In about two weeks we will be in a new decade of basketball. This …

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San Diego State Aztecs All-Decade Basketball Team

Who made the cut for San Diego State

Contact/Follow  @aztecbreakdown & @MWCwire

The best of the 2010s

The decade is coming to a close. In about two weeks we will be in a new decade of basketball. This last one has been pretty good to San Diego State fans. 10 bowl games in football, a couple sweet 16 appearances in basketball, and a bunch of other accomplishments too long to list.

With that, I wanted to look back at some of the players that made 2010-2019 so special. I put out a fan poll on twitter asking for people to list their starting five for their all-decade team.

A few people asked if the exercise was simply to honor past players, or to put the best team (on paper) together. I left it specifically vague and left it to each individual to decide for themselves how to vote. In all reality, I don’t think the results would have been much different regardless. With all that, let’s look at what the fans decided. 

I’m going to ditch the tradition that most writers use and start with the player who received the most votes first. I do this in order to keep a little suspense as we get further down the list.

1. Kawhi Leonard, 35 votes: 

Is this even a surprise? The guy that led SDSU to its first sweet 16. Leonard has since gone on to win two NBA Championships and two NBA Finals MVP’s. The guy whose logo is on the wall in the Jam Center. Leonard is arguably the best basketball player in the world today, and while he wasn’t during his time at SDSU, he was still really, really good.

He was good enough to make consensus 2nd team All-American in 2011.His 2010-11 Player Impact Plus-Minus (PIPM) of 7.36 ranks 9th in the decade among Mountain West Players (not counting this season.)  Kawhi is the only player who was mentioned by every fan who gave an entire starting 5.

2. Xavier Thames, 32 votes: 

Xavier Thames was a real treat to watch. The dude carried a team that was great defensively but struggled offensively to its second sweet 16 appearances in program history. He was the Mountain West Player of the Year in 2014, and finished 7th in KenPom player of the year standings. His PIPM in the 13-14 season was 9.18, which ranks first among Mountain West players this decade (not counting this season). He also has the best Points Over Expectation (POE) among SDSU players this decade, at 4.9 points above average.

3. Jamaal Franklin, 25 votes:

Jamaal Franklin played for SDSU for 3 seasons before turning pro. He was a freshman on the 34-3 team led by Kawhi Leonard. In his sophomore season the team became his. He was one of the countries best rebounders despite being only 6’5”. He knew how to get into the lane and finish, and he excelled at drawing fouls. He was a two time honorable mention All-American, and Mountain West Player of the Year in the 11-12 season.  His PIPM during his Junior season was 7.50, good for 8th in the Mountain West this decade (not counting this season.)

4. Skylar Spencer, 25 votes:

Skylar tied with Jamaal Franklin in votes, which was a little surprising to me at first. Considering how important he was to the Aztecs defense though, it makes sense. He’s also the only player so far to play four seasons at San Diego State. He also bolstered his case by voting for himself, being one of two players who voted (the other being Dwayne Polee, who also voted for Skylar.) The Aztec’s defensive dominance started before Spencer came along, but he embodied arguably better than any other player.

He led the defensive efforts on the 2014 team that made the sweet 16, patrolling the paint and blocking shots.

His best PIPM was a 4.50. It was weighed down by his offense, as his defensive PIPM was 6.29, which ranks first in defensive PIPM in the conference this decade. His other seasons rank 3rd, 11th, and 15th in the decade. The only other player in the conference to have more than one top 15 defensive season was Khem Birch, who made it twice. Skylar Spencer set the standard for how defense is played in the Mountain West.

5. Malachi Flynn, 14 votes:

This one really was a surprise, but it shows the impact Malachi Flynn has had in his short time on the Mesa. Malachi Flynn has Aztec fans truly believing this team can be something special again. Many voters said they wanted to vote for Malachi, but couldn’t because his time at SDSU has been so short. While I understand that point, I do like that he made the team.

I can’t remember the last time I was so happy I screamed, and that’s what Malachi Flynn did to me when he hit that shot against San Jose State. With everything considered, I think Malachi is placed perfectly here. His PIPM so far this season is 7.86, second in the Mountain West at the time I’m writing this, and it is better than all but 4 players who played full seasons this decade.

This team would be fun to watch, although spacing would likely be a problem. Regardless, these were/are all great players that we have had the pleasure of watching. Later in the offseason I will try to put together a team with the intent of having it win on the floor rather than just in our hearts.

others receiving votes

6. D.J. Gay, 10 votes.

7. Billy White, 7 votes.

8. Malcolm Thomas, 7 votes.

9. Chase Tapley, 7 votes.

10. Josh Davis, 5 votes.

11. Jalen McDaniels, 5 votes.

12. Tim Shelton, 1 vote.

13. Dwayne Polee, 1 vote.

14. J.J. O’Brien, 1 vote.

15. Malik Pope, 1 vote.

16.Winston Shepard, 1 vote.

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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. …

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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.

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NET Rankings Debut: San Diego State At No. 3

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

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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

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Week 7 AP College Basketball Rankings: San Diego State Moves Up To No. 20

The Aztecs are the only ranked Mountain West team.

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Week 7 AP College Basketball Rankings: San Diego State Moves Up To No. 20

Aztecs move up a few spots.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Just the one Mountain West team.

The latest Associated Press college basketball rankings are out and there was a lot of movement. On the national front, there is a new No. 1 team in Kansas and they are the fifth different team to take the top spot which is the most movement at the to pre-New Year’s Day.

Within the Mountain West, it is San Diego State who is the lone ranked team at No. 20. They have not played since their last-second win over San Jose State back on Dec. 8, and due to other movement climb five spots.

The Aztecs get a decent opponent on Dec. 21 as they take on Utah down in Los Angeles as a chance to maybe move up in the rankings.

Utah State is earning votes even after its loss to BYU over the weekend. For a second team to be ranked it will take a while for the Aggies to move into the polls. They do face San Diego State early in league play so that would be an opportunity for Utah State to re-enter the polls.

AP Top 25

1. Kansas
2. Gonzaga
3. Louisville
4. Duke
5. Ohio State
6. Kentucky
7. Maryland
8. Oregon
9. Virginia
10. Baylor
11. Memphis
12. Auburn
13. Dayton
14. Michigan
15. Michigan State
16. Arizona
17. Butler
18. Villanova
19. Florida State
20. San Diego State
21. Tennessee
22. Washington
23. Penn State
24. Texas Tech
25. West Virginia

Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina 41, Xavier 40, Wichita State 31, Purdue 30, Liberty 25, Marquette 23, Indiana 23, Virginia Commonwealth 21, Utah State 14, Saint Mary’s 13, Northern Iowa 12, Colorado 12, Texas 10, Florida 7, DePaul 6, Georgetown 3, Richmond 3, Virginia Tech 3, LSU 3, Stanford 3, Seton Hall 3, Oklahoma State 2, Duquesne 1, BYU 1, Arkansas 1

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