This coming season will be the end of an era for the Mountain West. The 2010-11 season will be the last stand for BYU and Utah, who will flee to the West Coast Conference and Pac 12, respectively. All of the movement has caused the most successful year in recent conference history to go quietly. The conference sent four of its nine teams to the NCAA tournament. The conference is chalk full of fantasy talent, so let's take a spin in the Rockies.
Air Force Falcons
Needless to say I'm starting this Mountain West preview alphabetically as there is nothing Air Force did last season that would put them at the lead of any MWC basketball discussion. The Falcons finished 1-15 in the MWC and 10-21 overall while averaging a conference-low 57.2 points. With such a low-scoring team, it's understandable that there is not much high-level fantasy talent to work with. The top statistical returnee is senior guard Evan Washington who averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Perhaps reflective of Air Force's overall weakness, Washington was the team's leading rebounder. Tom Fow and Michael Lyons could both see jumps in their production this season.
BYU Cougars
Entering into their final season in the MWC before moving on to the West Coast Conference in 2011-2012, BYU is a favorite coming off of its 30-6 season. The Cougars feature one of the nation's top returning fantasy producers (and coolest names) in senior shooting guard Jimmer Fredette. During a junior season in which he battled the effects of mono, Fredette was still able to increase his averages in all three major statistical categories (22.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds). While it may be Fredette's world, he's not the only talented player in BYU's roster. Fredette's backcourt mate Jackson Emery is solid. He averaged 12.5 points, 2.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 steals. A freshman who may make an immediate impact is guard/forward Kyle Collinsworth.
Colorado State Rams
Mediocrity marked the Rams season last season as they finished 16-16 overall and 7-9 in conference play. One Ram to focus on is point guard Dorian Green who led the Colorado State in scoring with 11.8 points while adding 2.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds. Expect to see some growth in those stats for his sophomore season. Senior forward Andrew Ogide was a close second in scoring with 11.7 points while also grabbing a team-high 6.5 rebounds. Senior forward Travis Franklin is the other double-digit returning scorer after averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds. There is some early buzz about incoming freshman center Chad Calcaterra but he is not likely to be strong fantasy contributor in his first season.
New Mexico Lobos
The returning MWC champions lost fantasy stud Darington Hobson during the offseason when he declared early for the NBA draft. Despite the loss of Hobson, the Lobos return senior guard Dairese Gary. While Gary averaged 13.1 points overall last season, he closed out the year strong averaging 19.9 points and 3.7 assists over the last seven games of the season. Carrying this production into his senior season would make him a top-flight fantasy producer. The Lobos will get a gift of sorts during the holiday season when UCLA transfer forward Drew Gordon becomes eligible. Before leaving UCLA, Gordon was averaging 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks and could quickly become a post presence in Albuquerque. Other front court players to watch are junior forward A.J. Hardeman and transfer Emmanuel Negedu. Freshman recruit Alex Kirk was one of the top center prospects in the country and chose to stay in-state and is worth monitoring early.
San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs, who return all five starters, are being picked by many to win the MWC. Trom a fantasy perspective they are a very intriguing team because they feature the best post tandem in the conference. Sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard had a sensational freshman season averaging 12.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals. He will be counted on to match or increase these totals for 2010-2011. Senior forward Malcolm Thomas helps support Leonard in the post by averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 boards, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks. SDSU also gets double digit scoring help from senior forward Billy White and senior point guard D.J. Gay. Offseason reports indicate that Leonard has been a workout maniac and will come into the season in better shape setting up the potential for a breakout improvement.
TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs will not be a threat in the MWC but do feature one of the conference's most exciting fantasy guards in Ronnie Moss. The junior averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds last season. Paired with Moss in the backcourt is Virginia Tech transfer Hank Thorns who may take a bite into some of Moss' assist totals but should relieve some pressure in the backcourt. While the Frogs' backcourt is solid, the departure of forward Zvonko Buljan leaves TCU searching for a post player. My pick for a breakout season is sophomore forward Nikola Cerina who saw his role grow throughout last season and showed flashes of scoring ability including 21- and 17-point efforts in back-to-back conference games. I really had to hold back from saying Cerina could be electrifying as he once attended a school in Serbia named after famed inventor Nikola Tesla.
UNLV Runnin' Rebels
To say the Rebels had a turbulent offseason is putting it mildly. At one point it looked like senior guard Tre'Von Willis may have been out of basketball for good after being arrested on domestic violence charges. A plea agreement reached in late-September ensured he would return for the 2010-2011 season. He has been suspended for at least three games by UNLV coach Lon Kruger. Willis was a solid fantasy contributor last season with 17.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds and could improve those numbers even with the suspension. Swingman Chace Stanback will be given an early chance to shine and should improve on his 10.7-point and 5.8-rebound averages from last season. Keep an eye on former Kentucky guard Derrick Jasper who missed the last half of the season after spraining his MCL. He will provide solid guard play if healthy. Kansas transfer Quintrell Thomas and redshirt freshman Carlos Lopez could be worth looks if either one breaks out early.
Utah Utes
Like BYU, Utah is entering their final season of MWC play. While the Cougars enter the season with a surefire conference player of the year candidate, the Utes aren't even sure who will fill out their starting five. The lone returning starter is senior forward Jay Watkins who averaged 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds last season. Faced with the departures of leading scorers Carlon Brown and Marshall Henderson, Utah will be leaning heavily on four JUCO playersThe most notable of these players may be Will Clyburn, who averaged 19 points last season and exploded for 54 points in a single game. With no proven scorers on the roster, Clyburn could be a sleeper pick with huge scoring upside. Also keep an eye on JUCO guard Josh Watkins, who led his team to the JC national title last season while averaging 16 points.
Wyoming Cowboys
Despite their awful record (10-21), the Cowboys' enter the season with some renewed hope due to the return of guard/forward Afam Muojeke. Before going down with a knee injury in the middle of last season, the swingman was averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds. In his absence, sophomore guard Desmar Jackson stepped in and played a pivotal role averaging 18.5 points over the final 12 games of the season. It will be interesting to see how their roles flesh out after Muojeke's return and this situation is worth monitoring. The Cowboys are thin upfront with Djibril Thiam providing rebounding support.