Heading into the season, I assumed the Mountain West would lose some of its luster as players like Luke Nevill, Lee Cummard, and Wink Adams departed. All three were major figures on their teams (Utah, BYU, and UNLV for those of short memory), but new stars have emerged in the MWC. While both BYU and New Mexico look like they are NCAA tournament locks, the nine-team conference could get a third bid if another team sneaks through the grass. The conference is also chockfull of fantasy talent, which should be on display in Las Vegas.
Schedule (All times Pacific)
Wednesday, March 10
G1 - #8 Wyoming vs. #9 Air Force
Thursday, March 11
G2 - #1 New Mexico vs. Wyoming/Air Force winner
G3 - #4 San Diego State vs. #5 Colorado State
G4 - #2 BYU vs. #7 TCU
G5 - #3 UNLV vs. #6 Utah
Friday, March 12
G6 - Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3 - 3 p.m.
G7 - Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13
Mountain West Championship Game
Sleeper: San Diego State Aztecs
It's a bit hard to designate a sleeper when the top two teams are so dominant. Is BYU a sleeper if they beat New Mexico? Not really. So, I am going to go with the Aztecs who have won six of their last seven games. Granted, their one loss was against BYU and they were swept by the Cougars, but they played the Lobos tough (winning in San Diego and taking New Mexico to overtime on the road). In freshman Kawhi Leonard, the Aztecs have the best freshman in conference. The 6-foot-7 forward provided 12.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. Pepperdine transfer Malcolm Thomas provides a nice post presence with 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds. Their potential game against New Mexico in the semifinals could be an epic battle.
Bust: UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Perhaps you are thinking that there is no way that the Rebels could lose early: they are playing in their home city and boast a four-game winning streak. While I can't deny that UNLV should have a homecourt advantage, their winning streak is mainly against the dregs of the Mountain West. Prior to the winning streak, they dropped three straight to New Mexico, Utah, and San Diego State. In fact, they were swept by Utah who happens to be their first round opponent. In other words, getting to the semifinals is no sure thing. G Tre'Von Willis will do his best, but the team lacks depth.
Players to Watch
Darington Hobson, G/F, New Mexico Lobos
What a season for the 6-foot-7 junior college transfer. He wasn't even mentioned in my Mountain West preview, but that is much more my fault than his. Who knew he would come to the desert and take over? Well, not me - that's for sure. He did whatever the Lobos needed to win and provided 15.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. He led the team in all three categories. Hobson finished strongly as well with six double-doubles in his last eight games. He averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in his last two games.
Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU Cougars
I was sorely tempted to go with another of the Cougars' many fine players in this space. Fredette has not played much in the last three games and missed the second half of the game against New Mexico last weekend because of illness. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-2 junior is the player to watch for BYU and had a stretch of dominance during the MWC schedule. Before the Lobo game, he had at least 21 points in eight of nine games, including two 36-point performances. The Cougars blew out their last two opponents, so there was no need to push Fredette, but he'll be needed in the tournament. Will he be available?
Kawhi Leonard, F, San Diego State Aztecs
Initially, I wrote above that Leonard was the Newcomer of the Year in the Mountain West. Unfortunately, for the 6-foot-7 jumping jack, Hobson is also a newcomer so he'll have to be content with Freshman of the Year. That's no slight to Leonard who has been a double-double machine on a team that has a very deep frontcourt. Leonard had nine double-doubles in MWC play and added five others in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Against Colorado State, the Aztecs' first round opponent, Leonard averaged 14 points and 13.5 rebounds.
Tre'Von Willis, G, UNLV Runnin' Rebels
As noted above, the Runnin' Rebels did not finish the season particularly well (despite their four-game winning streak). Willis, a 6-foot-4 junior who started his collegiate career at Memphis, has shown the ability to take over games and hoist UNLV on his shoulders. He is averaging 17.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Although his team was swept by the Utes, Willis averaged 29.5 points in the two contests. With no one else on the team averaging more than 10.6 points, it might be Willis' show on the strip.
Desmar Jackson, G, Wyoming Cowboys
If you are looking for a sleeper for the Mountain West Conference tournament or someone to consider for next year, look no further than this 6-foot-5 freshman. Through the Cowboys' Jan. 20 game at BYU, Jackson showed flashes of promise and scored in double figures seven times. In that game against the Cougars, swingman Afam Muojeke went down with a knee injury and Jackson stepped into the scoring void. While the Cowboys only won once in that span, it was against their play-in game opponent, Air Force. Jackson scored in double-figures in all but one game and topped out at 31 points in a Feb. 27 loss at Utah. You should get two games out of Jackson and he'll bring a bucketful of points.