Tag: UNLV basketball

Former Oklahoma assistant coach Kevin Kruger, son of Lon Kruger, named head coach at UNLV

Former Oklahoma assistant coach Kevin Kruger, son of current head coach Lon Kruger, named head coach at UNLV.

Oklahoma basketball knocked off Missouri on Saturday to punch their ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and set a date with the No. 1 team in the country Gonzaga. While preparing for the mighty Bulldogs might cause a coach some stress, some good news could certainly help their overall mood.

That will undoubtedly be the case for Sooners head coach Lon Kruger, who received the news from his son Kevin that he will be the new head coach at UNLV after being promoted up from assistant. Lon was the coach of the Runnin’ Rebels himself from 2004-2011.

Kevin was an assistant under his father at Oklahoma from 2016-2019 before heading west to be a part of the staff with UNLV, and now will get his chance to lead his own program for the first time. As one could probably guess, Lon Kruger was very excited about the news.

The official Twitter account for the Oklahoma men’s team made sure to offer their congratulations to their former assistant as well:

Kevin Kruger takes over a UNLV program he was a player at under his father in 2006-2007 and is now being handed over by T.J. Otzelberger, who left Las Vegas after two seasons to become the new head coach at Iowa State.

Former Oklahoma assistant coach Kevin Kruger, son of Lon Kruger, named head coach at UNLV

Former Oklahoma assistant coach Kevin Kruger, son of current head coach Lon Kruger, named head coach at UNLV.

Oklahoma basketball knocked off Missouri on Saturday to punch their ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and set a date with the No. 1 team in the country Gonzaga. While preparing for the mighty Bulldogs might cause a coach some stress, some good news could certainly help their overall mood.

That will undoubtedly be the case for Sooners head coach Lon Kruger, who received the news from his son Kevin that he will be the new head coach at UNLV after being promoted up from assistant. Lon was the coach of the Runnin’ Rebels himself from 2004-2011.

Kevin was an assistant under his father at Oklahoma from 2016-2019 before heading west to be a part of the staff with UNLV, and now will get his chance to lead his own program for the first time. As one could probably guess, Lon Kruger was very excited about the news.

The official Twitter account for the Oklahoma men’s team made sure to offer their congratulations to their former assistant as well:

Kevin Kruger takes over a UNLV program he was a player at under his father in 2006-2007 and is now being handed over by T.J. Otzelberger, who left Las Vegas after two seasons to become the new head coach at Iowa State.

Five for ’21: Ranking the Mountain West’s Top Five Rebounders

Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Rebounders Predicting the top five Mountain West rebounders for the ’20-21 season Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Who are the top rebounders in the MW? In the final installment of …

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Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Rebounders

Predicting the top five Mountain West rebounders for the ’20-21 season

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Who are the top rebounders in the MW?

In the final installment of Mountain West Wire’s offseason series, Five for ’21, we turn to the league’s best glass-cleaners.

As a reminder, the Five For ’21 series features our ranking of the top five Mountain West players in five different skill sets: passing, scoring, defending, rebounding, and shot blocking. The full Five For ’21 series schedule is below, including links to this week’s previous articles from Larry Muniz (@hardwoodtalk) and myself (@andrewdieckhoff).

Today’s list will borrow heavily from the Wednesday’s group of highlighted shot-blockers (for reasons that should be obvious), but a few fresh faces have been thrown in the mix as well. With those pleasantries out of the way, our final shortlist begins with its shortest player.

(NOTE: Statistics below taken from Sports-Reference.com. Percentages following per-game rebounding averages refer to rebounding rate in the respective category.)

5) David Roddy, Colorado State

  • Height/Weight: 6’5″, 250 lbs.
  • 2019-20 Stats: 5.6 RPG (12.8%), 3.9 DRPG (17.4%), 1.7 ORPG (8.0%)

OK, so while Roddy may not be as tall as any of his peers on this list, at 6’5″ and 250 pounds, he’s built like an NFL linebacker and has the toughness to match. Depending on the source, the Minneapolis native might be listed as a guard, a guard/forward, a wing, a wing forward, or a power forward. No matter what you call him, though, David Roddy brings a grittiness to the floor that few in the league can match.

His raw rebounding stats don’t exactly jump off the page, but consider this: Roddy ranked 12th in the Mountain West in rebound rate on both the offensive and defensive end of the court as freshman, and a handful of the players who finished ahead of him have either graduated or transferred out of the league. Among those departures is former teammate Nico Carvacho, the Mountain West’s career rebound leader. And while promising Rams sophomore Dischon Thomas is the likely beneficiary of most of those unclaimed boards now that Carvacho isn’t around, Roddy could also see a healthy uptick in his numbers.

It is entirely possible that Roddy finishes outside of the Top 10 in rebounding again this season, but his ability to bang around inside and get rebounds despite his height disadvantage was an important factor in Colorado State’s success last year. With the torch now officially passed to the Rams’ young roster, Roddy has a chance to make an even bigger impact this season. There may be some more traditional Goliaths in the league who will grab more rebounds, but I’m giving the nod to David here in the 5-spot.

4) Neemias Queta, Utah State

  • Height/Weight: 7’0″, 245 lbs.
  • 2019-20 Stats: 7.8 RPG (16.3%), 5.8 DRPG (22.9%), 2.0 ORPG (8.9%)

While Queta finished at #2 in our Five for ’21 shot-blockers list, the junior slips a bit lower when it comes to rebounding. As discussed in Wednesday’s piece, Queta’s numbers took a hit following the knee injury he suffered during FIBA play prior to the 2019-20 season. He eventually regained his form, though, and he is surely deserving of being included in this list.

Queta finished fifth in the Mountain West in defensive rebound rate last season, nabbing nearly a quarter of the available boards on that end of the floor. But his sophomore rebounding rates on both ends of the court were two percentage points lower than in his freshman campaign. Of course, it should be noted that there are a multitude of possible reasons that his numbers may have declined that don’t have to do with his injury — one of those reasons appears later in this list — and the kind of drop we are talking about is akin to falling from an A to an A-minus.

With Sam Merrill, Diogo Brito, and Abel Porter gone, it remains to be seen just how large a role Queta will occupy in the Aggie offense next season. If he is being relied upon to take more and more shots, it could cut into his rebounding numbers to some degree. That said, the smart money is on Queta in most of the one-on-one rebounding battles that the Mountain West has to offer.

3) Cheikh Mbacke Diong, UNLV

  • Height/Weight: 6’11 lbs, 230 lbs.
  • 2019-20:  7.9 RPG (17.8%), 4.9 DRPG (22.6%), 3.0 ORPG (13.2%)

Another recycled entry from the shot-blockers list, Diong has turned himself into one of the league’s best defensive big men, even if his scoring hasn’t quite caught up yet. His prowess for bullying others around in the paint is exactly the type of player that coach TJ Otzelberger needs in support of a talented group of scorers including Bryce Hamilton and David Jenkins Jr. For his part, Diong does precisely what is required of him.

As far as the numbers go, Diong finished his junior year as one of only five qualifying players to finish with a defensive rebound rate over 20% and an offensive rebound rate over 10% (min. 40% minutes played). Three of those players have since graduated, and the other one shows up later in this list, so Diong should fall among the league’s Top 5 rebounders almost by default.

With the sharp-shooting Jenkins taking over for Amauri Hardy in the offense, there may be slightly fewer rebounds available for Diong on the offensive end this year, but you can be sure that he’ll be ready to catch anything that comes off the rim. While his game isn’t likely to generate much content for the SportsCenter Top 10, Diong’s dedication to rebounding and defense will be critical to the Rebels’ success in year two of Coach TJ.

2) Nathan Mensah, San Diego State

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 220 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 6.8 RPG (20.2%), 4.8 DRPG (27.2%), 2.1 ORPG (12.8%)

On Wednesday, I detailed the what-ifs surrounding Nathan Mensah, whose 2019-20 season was lost months before it was taken from the rest of us due to a pulmonary embolism. But in the 13 games he did play last year, Mensah showed off some pretty eye-catching rebounding numbers. He was not quite at the level of departed Mountain West compatriots Nico Carvacho and RJ Williams, but the Ghanaian showed that he belongs in any conversation about the league’s best big men.

Because Mensah’s season was cut short, he didn’t qualify for the year-end statistical races. Had he maintained his rates over the full season, though, he would’ve been among the Mountain West’s best half-dozen rebounders. He also would’ve ended up in that prestigious 20/10 club noted above. Keep in mind that Mensah was only playing 20 minutes per game before his injury, and doing so in a very slow-paced offense, so his per-game averages are really not indicative of his skill on the boards.

Assuming Mensah is willing and able to return to the Aztecs when the next season begins, he has a very good chance to finish atop the Mountain West in both offensive and defensive rebounding rates. The main reason he doesn’t finish #1 in this list is because the player ahead of him posted very similar numbers — despite being three inches shorter than Mensah. In reality, it’s probably more of a 1A/1B situation, but now we’re just splitting hairs.

1) Justin Bean, Utah State

  • Height/Weight: 6’7″, 210 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 10.5 RPG (19.8%), 6.9 DRPG (24.6%), 3.6 ORPG (14.3%) 

Despite being on a Utah State team with a program all-timer in Sam Merrill and an exciting NBA prospect in Neemias Queta, Bean managed to carve out some good publicity for himself with a breakout sophomore campaign. As a freshman walk-on, Bean averaged 12 minutes per game and did not register a single start. He was effective in those limited minutes, both in terms of scoring and rebounding, which not only earned him a scholarship, but also a starting role in Craig Smith’s rotation.

In case you hadn’t yet put it together, Bean is the mystery man I alluded to earlier when discussing the 20/10 club for defensive and offensive rebounding rates. To be clear, including the Oklahoman in this list is not just some act of charity for the “little” guy. Bean’s numbers put him squarely among the league’s best rebounders, regardless of height. But while we’re on that subject, don’t forget that at various times the 6’7″ forward was competing for rebounds against three seven-footers on his own team: Queta, Kuba Karwowski (7’2″), and Trevin Dorius (7’0″).

Bean will enter his junior year at Utah State with much more weight on his shoulders than either of the previous two seasons, as the program moves on from the Merrill/Porter/Brito trio that played such a huge part in the Aggies’ recent success. But fans in Logan shouldn’t fret too much, as the best pound-for-pound rebounder in the Mountain West will still be cleaning the glass in Smith Spectrum.

Also considered (in alphabetical order): Mladen Armus, Boise State; Aguek Arop, San Diego State; K.J. Hymes, Nevada; Orlando Robinson, Fresno State; Robby Robinson, Nevada; Dischon Thomas, Colorado State.

Andrew Dieckhoff is a current USBWA member covering college basketball for Mountain West Wire. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a website dedicated to his college basketball ratings system and bracketology projections.

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Five for ’21: Ranking the Mountain West’s Top Five Shot Blockers

Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Shot Blockers Predicting the top five Mountain West shot blockers for the ’20-21 season Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Who are the top shot blockers in the MW? In the third installment …

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Five for ’21: Ranking The Mountain West’s Top Five Shot Blockers

Predicting the top five Mountain West shot blockers for the ’20-21 season

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Who are the top shot blockers in the MW?

In the third installment of Mountain West Wire’s offseason series, Five for ’21, we shift our focus from the league’s offensive stars onto its defensive stalwarts.

As a reminder, the Five For ’21 series features our ranking of the top five Mountain West players in five different skill sets: passing, scoring, defending, rebounding, and shot blocking. The full Five For ’21 series schedule is below, including links to this week’s previous articles from Larry Muniz (Twitter: @hardwoodtalk).

  • Monday: Passers
  • Tuesday: Scorers
  • Wednesday: Shot Blockers
  • Thursday: Defenders
  • Friday: Rebounders

Today, we focus on the Mountain West’s top shot-blockers. This list has a distinctly international feel, so it is fitting that we start our countdown with one of the league’s most well-traveled players, whose long trip from Belgrade to Boise features a two-year stop in the Volunteer State.

5) Mladen Armus, Boise State

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 230 lbs.
  • 2018-19 (at ETSU): 33 GP (24 GS), 1.0 BPG, 5.5 BLK%, 4.6 FC/40

After spending two seasons in the SOCON at East Tennessee State, the 6-10 Armus decided to pack his bags and head west to ride with the Broncos, where he will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out last season. In his sophomore season for ETSU, Armus racked up nearly eight points and eight rebounds per game and became a fixture in the starting lineup — and not just for his serviceable offensive game.

The Serbian center showed steady improvement on defense in his second year in Johnson City, tallying just under two “stocks” (steals plus blocks) per game in 2018-19. As a freshman, Armus’ block percentage in SOCON games was just 1.4% — for reference, Justinian Jessup finished last season with a 1.6 BLK% — but he brought that number up to 5.9% in SOCON play last season and 5.5% overall, which would have been good for fifth-best in the Mountain West last year.

Armus could fill a huge role for Boise State on defense in 2020-21. While RJ Williams was able to make up for the team’s lack of size last season with a remarkable tenacity and instinct for rebounding, his 6’7″ stature didn’t translate to many blocks. With Derrick Alston Jr. back for one more year, and plenty of offensive support from Abu Kigab, Marcus Shaver, Devonaire Doutrive, and Emmanuel Akot, Armus will be relied upon to be the defensive anchor down low that Leon Rice needs to round out this talented roster.

4) K.J. Hymes, Nevada

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 210 lbs.
  • 2019-20 Stats: 31 GP (1 GS), 1.0 BPG, 8.7 BLK%, 9.5 FC/40

Hymes came into his first season in Reno with some considerable hype, after being pegged as the preseason Mountain West Freshman of the Year. Unfortunately for the Phoenix native, he never quite lived up to that billing. For Hymes, the issue was not so much about talent or athleticism, but discipline in defending. He averaged just under 14 minutes per game as a freshman behind BC grad transfer Johncarlos Reyes, and Hymes likely would have seen a larger share of playing time had he been able to stay out of foul trouble.

But when Hymes does stay on the floor, he can be a nightmare for would-be scorers entering into his airspace. All that time in the penalty box (so to speak) kept the big man from qualifying in the Mountain West’s statistical races, but if the threshold is lowered to include all players who appeared in more than a third of their team’s total minutes last year, Hymes had the best block percentage in the Mountain West by a decent margin, beating out Neemias Queta’s mark by almost a full percentage point.

The shot-blocking talent is certainly there for Hymes, but it is difficult to swat anything from the bench. If he can develop some more defensive discipline as a sophomore, he should find a welcome home into Steve Alford’s starting five. The question then becomes whether the impressive statistics will carry over to a larger sample size, of course, but there is good reason to believe that Hymes will be among the five best shot-blockers in the Mountain West in 2020-21.

3) Cheikh Mbacke Diong, UNLV

  • Height/Weight: 6’11”, 235 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 32 GP (27 GS), 1.2 BPG, 6.0 BLK%, 4.6 FC/40 

Over the course of three seasons in Las Vegas, Diong has become an absolute difference maker for the Runnin’ Rebels. While the Senegalese senior is no threat to win a scoring title anytime soon, his tough interior play has allowed him to become one of the league’s top defensive big men. Diong’s 7.5 BLK% during Mountain West play last year was second only to Utah State’s Neemias Queta (7.9) among qualified players, and his steal percentage was fourth-highest in the conference.

Diong’s imposing physical presence has always made him a bulwark in the post, but his improved timing and positioning helped the center finish just outside the Top 100 nationally in block percentage the past two seasons, as well as a Top 50 finish in offensive rebounding. He was also one of only four Mountain West players to record three or more games with 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks last year (Justin Bean, Nate Grimes, and Neemias Queta being the others).

A hard-nosed grinder, Diong has carved out a solid niche for himself on this UNLV roster, which does lose some size and physicality with the departures Donnie Tillman, Nick Blair, and Vitaly Shibel. While Diong’s offensive game has improved to some degree, players such as Bryce Hamilton, David Jenkins Jr., and Marvin Coleman should be carrying the scoring load, freeing the big man up to continue honing his blue-collar craft on defense.

2) Neemias Queta, Utah State

  • Height/Weight: 7’0″, 245 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 22 GP (20 GS) 2.6 BPG, 7.8 BLK%, 3.5 FC/40

While others may have had better numbers in smaller sample sizes, it was Queta who will go down as the Mountain West’s best shot-blocker of 2019-20. Despite missing multiple games himself due to an offseason injury, Queta was able to secure enough minutes on the season to let his 7.8 BLK% rule the day. Unfortunately for the Portuguese big man, he had to relinquish his MW Defensive Player of the Year crown to San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn. But he’ll have his eyes set on getting it back in 2020-21.

There is some cause for concern about Queta’s shot-blocking, however. In his freshman season at Utah State, he recorded a 10.5 BLK%, which was easily the best in the league and Top 20 in Division I. However, following the knee injury Queta suffered during FIBA play in the summer of 2019, some of the spring seemed to have gone out of his step. But Queta returned to form down the stretch, recording at least one block in 12 of his last 13 games, with multiple blocks coming in ten of those contests.

Even after accounting for the dip in Queta’s post-injury block percentage, the junior seven-footer is still undoubtedly one of the two best post defenders in the Mountain West. But with Sam Merrill gone, it will be more important than ever to keep Queta out of foul trouble, which could mean he has to trade some of the defensive risk-taking that has earned him so many blocks in his first two years in Logan.

1) Nathan Mensah, San Diego State

  • Height/Weight: 6’10”, 220 lbs.
  • 2019-20: 13 GP (13 GS); 1.7 BPG, 10.7 BLK%, 4.9 FC/40

In a cruel (and scary) twist of fate, the tremendous start to Mensah’s season was cut short by a pulmonary embolism that was thankfully caught before the situation turned any more tragic. The Aztecs were still perfect at that point, and we will simply never know what could have been had Mensah been able to play for the full season, both for the team and individually. (Go ahead and add all that to the list of things we’ll never know about the 2019-20 season.)

Here’s what we do know: Nathan Mensah was on a trajectory to be the league’s best shot-blocker before his season was ended early. His 10.7 BLK% would have led the league by a full two points had he kept that pace for the long haul, and it would have placed him somewhere in the back end of the Top 20 nationally. While Queta had the minutes to qualify for the season-long statistical races, it was Mensah who began to blossom into the Mountain West’s most elite shot-blocker on a per-minute basis.

Of course, Mensah’s health remains a question mark, as updates regarding his recovery have been scarce. Thankfully, the stories have been trending in a positive direction since January, and all indications point to him returning to the Aztecs’ lineup whenever the college basketball season resumes. If the Nathan Mensah Block Party does resume on time, San Diego State will be well-positioned to defend last year’s regular-season crown. With any luck, Mensah can finally put to rest some of those nagging what-ifs from 2020.

Also considered (in alphabetical order): Desmond Cambridge, Nevada; Assane Diouf, Fresno State; Trevin Dorius, Utah State; Kuba Karwowski, Utah State; Eduardo Lane, San Jose State; Bayron Matos, New Mexico; Braxton Meah, Fresno State; Orlando Robinson, Fresno State; David Roddy, Colorado State; Warren Washington, Nevada.

Andrew Dieckhoff is a current USBWA member covering college basketball for Mountain West Wire. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a website dedicated to his college basketball ratings system and bracketology projections.

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Mountain West Alumni In NBA Bubble

Ten Mountain West basketball alumni are inside the Disney World NBA bubble as the 22 teams are getting ready for the 2019-20 season to resume.

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Mountain West alumni in the NBA bubble

Five Mountain West schools will be represented as the NBA resumes

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The NBA is getting ready for a restart at the end of this month with the 22 teams that made it into the bubble in Florida. Among the players who made the trip are 10 Mountain West alumni representing five schools in eight NBA teams.

JaVale McGee – Los Angeles Lakers 
Nevada Wolf Pack (2006–2008)

Before the season was paused, McGee was proving to be a valuable asset for the Lakers, the team that currently sits at the top of the Western Conference with a 49-14 record. 

He’s played in 61 games this season. In the 16.8 minutes he is averaging, the 7’0 center is getting 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Before the pause, he was shooting at 64.0% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc.

McGee has asthma, and was even hospitalized with pneumonia for three days in 2018. However, he has made it known that he feels the organization will take the necessary precautions to keep him and others safe in the bubble.

 

Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers
San Diego State Aztecs (2009–2011)

Leonard delayed his trip to Orlando due to family matters but he has arrived and participated in his first practice on July 13. 

He is eight overall in the league in scoring this season with an average of 26.9 points per game. He is also contributing 7.3 rebounds and 5 assists per game to his team. His talent is obvious, the main question is his health. Leonard is known for load management, and was struggling with an old knee injury when the NBA was suspended.

During media availability on July 13 head coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t expect limits on Leonard because “Kawhi is healthy, for the most part” but that they were still going to be smart about how they maintained him and the rest of the players to get to the playoffs with a healthy team.

Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers
Fresno State Bulldogs (2008–2010)

Like Leonard, George wasn’t fully healthy when the world of sports stopped turning. He was recovering from offseason surgery on both shoulders but the last four months have given that recovery some extra time.

George is the Clippers’ second highest scorer, contributing 21.0 points. 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

The Clippers are No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, just below the Lakers, a team the Clippers have already beat twice this season. The two LA teams will face off on the first day of reopening. 

Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies
SJSU Spartans (2015–2017)

This is Clarke’s first season in the NBA. He has appeared in 50 games, averaging 12.0 points 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. The 6’8 power forward suffered a quadriceps injury late February, but the four-month break gave him time to recover so he can finish his rookie season on the court.

Memphis will reopen the season with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 31. When the Grizzlies beat Portland on Feb. 12, Clarke tied his season-high 27 points by going 12-of-14 from the field. That wasn’t completely out of character because he has been shooting at 62.3% this season.

 

Zylan Cheatham New Orleans Pelicans
San Diego State Aztecs (2015–2017)

Cheatham went undrafted in 2019 but his participation with the Pelicans during Summer League that year helped him sign a two-way contract with the team.

The rookie has only appeared in three games for the Pelicans so far, but he’s had good experience with Erie, the Pelican’s G-League affiliate. In 34 appearances there he averaged 16.2 points and 11.6 rebounds. 

Patrick McCaw – Toronto Raptors 
UNLV Rebels (2014–2016)

McCaw has won three championship rings in his first three seasons in the NBA. He’ll continue chasing a fourth one alongside the Raptors, the team that has surprised the league by reaching second place in the Eastern Conference even without Kawhi Leonard.

McCaw has seen the court in 37 games this season, with an average of 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The Raptors had all 17 roster members go into the bubble. The players and other members of the organization have been in Florida since June 22.

Paul Watson – Toronto Raptors
Fresno State Bulldogs (2013–2017)

Watson started the season with Raptors 905, Toronto’s G-League affiliate, averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 13 games. It took almost three years after graduating from Fresno State, but Watson finally made his NBA debut with the Atlanta Hawks early January thanks to a 10-day contract.

After he was released by the Hawks, Watson signed a two-way deal with Toronto on Jan. 15. 

Derrick Jones Jr.– Miami Heat
UNLV Rebels (2015–2016)

Jones tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after the NBA began mandatory testing in preparation for the resumption of the season. The 23-year-old never reported any symptoms and he was cleared in time to travel to Florida with the rest of his team.

Jones has played in 51 games this season, averaging 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Tyler Johnson Brooklyn Nets
Fresno State  (2010–2014)

Johnson is new to the Nets. The 6’4 guard signed with the team late June, but he brought plenty of experience with him. He appeared in 31 games with the Phoenix Suns earlier this season, averaging 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.6 minutes per game.

He has registered a combined 301 career games with the Suns and the Miami Heat.

Khem Birch – Orlando Magic
UNLV (2012–2014)

Birch was re-signed by the Magic in 2019, a two-year deal. The 6’9 center is not a scorer, but he is a valuable role player. Head coach Steve Clifford asked the 27-year-old to go way outside his comfort zone this season. Injuries were affecting the team and as a result, Birch was asked to play as starting power forward. 

The NBA is beginning scrimmages on July 22, and the Magic will get a good look at where they are at by having their first game be against the Clippers.

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Daily Hike: Brett Favre Compares Colin Kaepernick To Pat Tillman

Get caught up with the latest news from around the Mountain West.

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Lots of Mountain West Conference news slips through the cracks, but we have you covered.

Like what you see? Check back first thing most mornings.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Brett Favre Compares Colin Kapernick To Pat Tillman

ESPN has a series of the best NFL talent from every conference and the Group of 5 is lumped together, but there is some serious Mountain West talent. [ESPN]

Where is Steve Addazio recruiting his talent? [Coloradoan]

New Colorado State head coach is reaching out beyond Colorado to build his football team.

“Our success will be based off of Colorado, Texas, and California and the sprinkling of some other very targeted areas.”

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Father’s Day smack talk [Twitter]

Updated Mountain West odds with Wyoming, Nevada good value bets [Sports Books USA]

Brett Favre compares Colin Kapernick to Pat Tillman [TMZ Sports]

Hall of Fame QB Favre calls the former Nevada quarterback a hero like the late Pat Tillman who left the NFL after 9/11 to join the Army Rangers.

“I can only think of — right off the top of my head — Pat Tillman’s another guy who did something similar, and we regard him as a hero,” Favre said. “So I’d assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.”

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2020-21 Mountain West Basketball Non-Conference Schedule Tracker

Stay up to date with the Mountain West basketball non-conference schedule.

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2020-21 Mountain West Basketball Non-Conference Schedule Tracker

Schedules are taking shape for Mountain West hoops.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Non-conference games.

The Mountain West non-conference basketball schedule is taking shape and we will update when more games are announced. We are getting a lot of help from the invaluable help from @D1Docket on Twitter who rounds up a lot of these schedules.

This list will be updated when more games are confirmed.

Air Force

  • Nov. 19-21 Puerto Rico Event. Teams involved are Florida Atlantic, Hofstra, and Southern Illinois
  • Dec. 5 at St. Joseph’s

Boise State

  • vs. Tulsa (TBD)
  • at BYU (TBD)
  • Santa Clara (TBD)
  • at Cal State Northridge (TBD)
  • Nov. 26 – 29: Orlando Invitational (Press Release)
  • Dec. 5 at Rhode Island

Colorado State

  • MGM Main Event: Nov. 20 vs. Louisville
  • MGM Main Event: Nov. 22 vs. Arkansas or San Francisco
  • Dec. 5 vs. Richmond

Fresno State

  • at San Francisco (TBD)
  • vs. Cal State Northridge (TBD)
  • Nov. 20 vs. San Diego
  • Dec. 5 vs. George Mason
  • Dec. 12 vs. Cal Poly

Nevada

  • at UT-Arlington (TBD)
  • Pacific (TBD)
  • Nov. 23-25 Cayman Islands Classic
  • Dec. 2 vs. Pacific
  • Dec. 6 vs. Dayton
  • Dec. 18 at Santa Clara
  • Dec. 21 at San Diego

New Mexico

  • vs. UTEP (TBD)
  • Abilene Christian (TBD)
  • @ Grandy Canyon (TBD)
  • Nov. 21 vs. New Mexico State
  • Nov. 26-27 Las Vegas Exempt Event
  • Dec. 2 St. Bonaventure
  • Dec. 5 at New Mexico State

San Diego State

San Jose State

  •  Nov. 12 vs. Cal Poly
  • Nov. 16 at Maryland
  • Nov. 18 at Duquesne
  • Nov. 21 vs. Cal Baptist
  • Nov. 25 vs. Hofstra
  • Dec. 21 vs. Santa Clara

UNLV

  • Nov. 23-25 Maui Invite
  • Nov. 28 Whittier College
  • Dec. 2 at VCU
  • Dec. 5 at Kansas State
  • Dec. 16 vs. Florida A&M
  • Dec. 20 vs. Omaha
  • Dec. 22 at SMU

Utah State

  • At Weber State (TBD)
  • vs. UC Irvine (TBD)
  • Nov. 18 – 21 Myrtle Beach Invitational
  • Dec. 1 at Davidson
  • Dec. 5 vs. BYU
  • Dec. 12 vs. Saint Mary’s
  • Dec. 15 vs. Dixie State
  • Dec. 21 vs. Mississippi State (at Panama City Beach, Florida)

Wyoming

  • South Dakota State (TBD)
  • Arkansas-Pine Bluff (TBD)
  • Dec. 5. vs. Duquesne
  • Dec. 12 at Utah Valley

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Mountain West To Expand To 20 Conference Games Starting 2022-2023

Mountain West To Expand To 20 Conference Games Starting 2022-2023 The expanded twenty game conference schedule will take place in two years. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Athletic Directors around the conference vote in favor of expanded …

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Mountain West To Expand To 20 Conference Games Starting 2022-2023

The expanded twenty game conference schedule will take place in two years. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Athletic Directors around the conference vote in favor of expanded conference schedule with a plan to implement the change in two years. 

A topic that has always brought much debate in the Mountain West conference over the past decade is under a microscope again and this time it looks like change is on the horizon, whether some programs like it or not. Athletic Directors from all eleven schools voted in favor of a proposed change to the number of conference games scheduled on Monday, with the next step being another vote by the conference Board of Directors come June. 

The change would expand the conference schedule from eighteen games currently to twenty come the 2022-2023 season, which is when the current Mountain West-Atlantic 10 Challenge deal is set to expire. The dual conference challenge would have created further scheduling complications that would have resulted in a twenty-one game conference schedule if implemented next season, according to San Diego State Athletic Director John David Wicker who spoke to Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune regarding Monday’s talks. The proposed 20-game version would create a true round-robin schedule compared to the current model where every team skips one home and one away opponent.

The Mountain West’s history with conference scheduling will depict a very back and forth notion on the number of conference games played since inception. The conference played a 14-game schedule from 1999-2005 with eight members (then comes TCU), then a 16-game schedule until BYU and Utah left in 2011 (back down to eight members with the addition of Boise State). Followed by a 14-game schedule in TCU’s last season in Mountain West before making a move to the Big 12 (enter Fresno State and Nevada), which was then switched to an 18-game schedule ahead of the 2013-2014 season (welcome San Jose State) and hasn’t been touched since, well until now.

This comes during a tough time for many mid-major conferences nationwide as their high major neighbors have opted to expand their own schedules to twenty games to increase the number of big ticket conference matchups they can present while leaving out some of those unnecessary buy games that rarely pad the tournament resume. Where does this leave everyone else you might ask? Exactly where the Mountain West is, attempting to rectify the problem with their own twenty game schedule. Schools like Utah State and Fresno State were among the programs sill looking for non-conference match ups just weeks before their season openers and were likely a part of the lot in favor of the change, unable to secure annual home-and-home series with high major programs and left at the mercy of neutral court match ups. Though one can argue Utah State came out of those in a better position than expected.

The solution to this yearly scheduling headache was proposed Monday and passed with a majority vote of 7-4 with a second round of voting this time from the Presidents of all member schools taking place early next month. But for some, this isn’t the way they would have wanted things to play out and it appears they couldn’t put the idea on hold any longer. It’s rumored that the four schools against the expanded conference schedule were UNLV, Nevada, San Diego State, and Air Force, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s report. 

The Aztecs have been long opponents to an expanded conference schedule, arguing the lack of flexibility in creating a competitive non-conference schedule to help boost NCAA tournament resumes with expanded conference obligations in mind. Other schools in the Mountain West have often struggled to fill their non-conference slate year in and year out, looking towards the NCAA’s Division II or NAIA ranks to fill in the gaps. Not to mention spending more and more of their non-conference schedule away from their home arenas and away from fans, which bring a home court advantage in addition to game day income to a shrinking amount of home games played.

It’s definitely a tough discussion for the conference as a whole, especially given the Mountain West’s desire to return to multi-bid status. But as some teams are scheduling with an appearance in the big dance in mind, others are just looking to create a schedule that benefits them both competitively and logistically, while hoping not to break the bank on a buy game against a bottom tier Summit League opponent. Though for now, nothing is set in stone as that aforementioned vote will take place in the coming weeks and will surely ruffle some feathers among Mountain West teams given the same results. 

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All-Time Mountain West Basketball: No. 2 SDSU vs. No. 15 UNLV

Our historical series continues with 2020 San Diego State taking on 2011 UNLV.

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All-Time Mountain West Basketball: No. 2 SDSU vs. No. 15 UNLV

Who will win between the 2020 Aztecs and 2011 Rebels

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Round 2 of our best of seven series.

Round 2 is another fun matchup, as UNLV was the only team to beat 2020 SDSU in the regular season. Can the 2011 UNLV team pull off the upset?

It’ll be tough. They don’t have the best size in their starting lineup and they do not seem well equipped to take advantage of the Aztec’s weaknesses. Both teams focus on defense, but San Diego State is very well balanced and UNLV’s offense lags behind its defense.

Keys for UNLV: Collect offensive rebounds, as SDSU can struggle on the glass, force turnovers to get the ball out of Flynn’s hands.

Keys for SDSU: Play inside out and use Yanni Wetzell’s size to your advantage, Protect the rim as UNLV doesn’t shoot well from the perimeter.

Now onto the series being played out on What If Sports.

Series 2 Results: 

Game 1- Viejas Arena, Series tied 0-0.

Game 2- Viejas Arena, SDSU leads series 1-0.

SDSU suffers through a shooting slump but still comes out victorious.

Game 3- Thomas and Mack Center, SDSU leads series 2-0


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Mountain West Basketball: Off Season Transfer Tracker 2019-2020

Departures around the conference and possible destinations. It is that time again, maybe a little earlier than normal but the off season is here and so the transfers begin. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Keep track of all basketball …

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Departures around the conference and possible destinations.

It is that time again, maybe a little earlier than normal but the off season is here and so the transfers begin.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Keep track of all basketball movement in and out of the conference.

College basketball’s end this past week is still a bit surreal, but as many players are already doing across the country we must plan for the future and continue coverage of the Mountain West with the current situation at hand.

So, with any tournament action or updates at a bit of a standstill, we look towards the players in this vacuum of basketball. And for those with eligibility left, this is the time to evaluate their current situations and make decisions.

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Still a point of conversation among the NCAA and player advocates, players themselves aren’t waiting around for any kind of new legislation or changes regarding their rights to transfer. As players around the country are already entering their names in the transfer portal as the 2019-2020 season comes to an end.

So we will have an ongoing transfer tracker of players leaving and entering the Mountain West going forward. So make sure to revisit this page all off season for updates as they happen.

Air Force

In: Kind of rare actually

Out: N/A

Boise State

In: N/A

Out: N/A

Colorado State

In: N/A

Out: N/A

Fresno State

In: N/A

Out:

Lozaro Rojas, Redshirt Junior Forward-Porto Seguro, Brazil

Years of Eligibility: 1

19-20 Stats: 1.0 PPG 1.2 RPG & 0.1 BPG in 10 games (0 starts)

Best Performance: 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist against Cal-State San Bernadino on Nov. 17th

Possible Destinations: No rumored interest at the time of this publication.

Rojas was buried behind a mountain of frontcourt depth this season after playing in twenty-seven games (2 starts) last season as one of only three players standing 6-7 or above on the roster. This season was a different story as there were three players standing 6-10 or above, not to mention three others at 6-7 or above. Stuck on the bench and only seeing action in ten games (5.1 MPG), it was time for a switch. As only senior Nate Grimes‘ graduation was guaranteed to free up minutes and local seven-footer Braxton Meah is set to arrive soon for next season, eating up more minutes.

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