It was a pretty quiet week in the Mountain West men’s basketball realm, with just three programs playing games. Heading into the New Year, where do we have each team slated?! Let’s dive into it! 1. Utah State Utah was one of nine programs who did not play a single game last week. They have […]
It was a pretty quiet week in the Mountain West men’s basketball realm, with just three programs playing games. Heading into the New Year, where do we have each team slated?! Let’s dive into it!
1. Utah State
Utah was one of nine programs who did not play a single game last week. They have won nine of their 10 against Division-I foes with their three Quad 2 wins coming by three, five and 42 points, respectively. I think they’re the only team with an at-large chance, as of right now. But that can easily change, given how chaotic this conference tends to be.
2. New Mexico
New Mexico enters just outside the top-50 in NET, currently No. 55 with a 2-2 record in Quad 1 and 2 games. Their lone Quad 1 win came against VCU on Dec. 10. Lucky for them, they have two over the next two weeks against Boise and Colorado State, respectively;. Wyoming, who’s just outside Quad 2 territory, offers an intriguing challenge on Jan. 3, too.
3. Colorado State
Colorado State may have gotten embarrassed by Utah State, but they have nine days rest ahead of a tough three-game stretch against Nevada — playing its best basketball — Grand Canyon and UNM. Each of those games currently project to be Quad 2 games, but a convincing win over the Wolf Pack on territory could make it a Quad 3 game. Regardless, this is a big stretch for CSU to rack up some more Q2 wins.
4. San Diego State
Uncharacteristically, SDSU isn’t even in the NET’s top-80. All of us know how talented they are. But they’ve gotten the door slammed in their face thrice in Quad 1 games this season. They have a Quad 1-2 game this week against Boise State before traveling to Reno to face the Wolf Pack on Jan. 6.
5. Nevada
Nevada is playing its best basketball of the season without Corey Camper and Joel Armotrading, two of their best players. The Wolf Pack have won five straight and six of their last seven, climbing nearly 50 spots since the initial NET rankings drop in late Nov. Tayshawn Comer is having his most efficient season yet, averaging 16.1 points on 43.9/37.5/77.8 shooting splits over that span, including 21.3 points over their last three games against Washington State, Duquense and Boise, respectively.
6. Boise State
Boise State joins UNM as the only other MW program to have at least one Quad 1 win. They don’t just one, however, but two! They have also played nearly twice as many Quad 1 games (5) as the next-highest, with their wins coming over St. Mary’s and Butler. They have the inside track in NET, but not in our current power rankings after their 15-point loss to Nevada. But they have a chance to rebound this week against New Mexico and SDSU.
7. Grand Canyon
Now winners of four of their last five, Grand Canyon picked up a 13-point win behind IU Indy, a bottom-50 program in the country. Jaden Henley had a season-high 29 points with eight dimes on a very efficient 10-of-13 shooting across just 29 minutes. This was a nice tune-up ahead of their second MW game, which will come against Colorado State on Saturday, their lone game of the week.
8. Wyoming
Wyoming’s three losses this season have come by eight, four and 12 points, respectively. They have all been to top-100 programs, too. Wyoming struggled offensively — at least in the first half — against Grand Canyon. But the Pokes have a chance to get back on track against Air Force Tuesday before a tough game in The Pit on Jan. 3, their second Quad 1 game fo the season.
9. UNLV
UNLV has been a weird team through their first 11 games. Drink. They are coming off a 12-point win against Frenso State to open MW play with an opportunity to stack up another win against a MW bottomfeeder on Saturday against Air Force. Sandwiched between that, however is a game against La Sierra, an NAIA program from Riverside, Calif.
10. Fresno State
It’s been over a month since Fresno State, a team who started 6-2 last won a game. It has four Quad 1-2 affairs over its next five games and five over its next seven, beginning with a pair of home games this week against Utah State and Nevada.
11. San Jose State
San Jose State nearly tallied their first top-90 win over the season against Stanford two weeks ago, losing 86-82. Similar to Air Force, it has yet to tally a non-Quad 4 win this season. They face a pair of tough opponents (SDSU, USU) this week before Fresno State on Jan. 6.
12. Air Force
Air Force is the only MW team outside of the top-235 in NET, coming in at No. 311. They have yet to pick up a non-Quad 4 win this season — which was their most recent win against IU Indy on Nov. 23.
Category: General Sports
