1. BYU (23-6, 12-2) Up next: TCU 3/8
After a win over Utah on Saturday, Wyoming forward Joseph Taylor called out BYU center Trent Plaisted, saying he was “coming for him.” Plaisted’s response to Taylor was a 23-point, 11-rebound effort on Wednesday night, and the Cougars blasted the Cowboys, 78-61. The win locked up BYU’s second consecutive outright MWC title. The Cougars will likely meet the Cowboys again next week in the first round of the MWC tournament.
2. New Mexico (23-7, 10-5) Up next: @ CSU 3/8
Just try and stop J.R. Giddens. Seriously, do it. It’s no secret that he is New Mexico’s best player, but time and time again, he lights up opposing teams for big numbers, and the Lobos win. Most recently, he tallied 17 points and 15 rebounds, and New Mexico beat No. 2-seed UNLV at The Pit on Tuesday, 59-45. Having won seven of their last eight games (and a ninth on the way against CSU), the Lobos are quickly becoming the team to beat in the MWC.
3. UNLV (22-7, 11-4) Up next: Utah 3/8
Despite a disappointing loss against New Mexico on Tuesday, the Rebels still have the upper hand in the MWC tournament as they will be playing within the friendly confines of the Thomas & Mack Center. National Head Coach of The Year candidate Lon Kruger will need to regroup his bunch if they are to get back into the win column before the tournament. The Rebels play host to a desperate Utah team on Saturday.
4. San Diego State (19-10, 9-6) Up next: @ Air Force 3/8
Lorrenzo Wade has made his case for the MWC Player of the Year this season. When second-leading scorer Kyle Spain spontaneously combusted midway through the season, Wade picked up the slack for his departed teammate and has led the Aztecs to a respectable 9-6 conference record. However, even the superstar forward will need help if SDSU is to advance past the first round of the tournament.
5. Air Force (15-13, 7-8) Up next: SDSU 3/8
With TCU playing at BYU on Saturday, the Force put a virtual lock on at least a No. 6 seed with their 57-36 win over the Horned Frogs on Wednesday. Air Force can earn a fifth seed if it beats SDSU tomorrow in Colorado Springs, Colo. If it can’t defeat the Aztecs, the Falcons appear to be headed toward a first-round showdown with red-hot New Mexico.
6. Utah (16-12, 7-8) Up next: @ UNLV 3/8
After four consecutive losses, the Runnin’ Utes finally righted the ship on Tuesday. The bad news? It was against conference doormat Colorado State. Utah needs another win against UNLV on Saturday to gain more positive momentum and prove they belong in the upper echelon of the conference. So long as Air Force loses to SDSU on Saturday, the Utes will have the No. 5 seed in the tournament and face the Aztecs in the opening round.
7. TCU (14-14, 6-9) Up next: Utah 2/27
It was a pick-your-poison moment for the Horned Frogs on Wednesday when they faced Air Force. If they lost, they would likely face UNLV on the Rebels’ home court in the opening round of the MWC tournament. A win would mean they would likely take on the Lobos. Either way, they were screwed. They drew the former, and now they have the monumental task of beating the Rebels on their home court, where they have won their last 11 games. Better luck next year.
8. Wyoming (12-17, 5-11) Up next: Bye
So, I’ve gone through the past six teams and I still can’t believe that ass clown Joseph Taylor. Why would you talk trash to one of the best players in the MWC? Especially when you’re a nobody, your team sucks and Plaisted’s team is about to win its second consecutive conference title. There is no reason for it. For that, Taylor got to be embarrassed in front of a sold-out Marriott Center crowd on Wednesday, and he gets to be embarrassed yet again when the Cougars thrash the Cowboys in the first round of the MWC tourney.
9. Colorado State (6-23, 0-15) Up next: New Mexico 3/8
I’m not going to be tart or snide toward the Rams. They’ve been through enough.