No. 1 BYU Cougars (25-6, 14-2 MWC)
Currently ranked No. 24 in the nation, BYU joins UNLV as the two favorites to win this week’s tournament. The Cougars feature a balanced inside-out attack that begins with center Trent Plaisted and ends with a handful of sharpshooters including Jonathan Tavernari, Lee Cummard, Sam Burgess and freshman sensation Jimmer Fredette.Although BYU owns the second-highest scoring offense and third-best defense in the conference, they can be inconsistent as they live and die by the 3-pointer. The Cougars surprised the nation by beating No. 6 Louisville and giving No. 1 UNC all it could handle, but have struggled against lesser competition like Boise State and SDSU.The Cougs have won 13 of their last 14 games and recently claim the MWC season title for the second year in a row. BYU appears to have righted the ship and figure to make some noise in March Madness.
Player to watch: Lee CummardAs the most versatile tool on BYU’s shelf, Lee Cummard is often the X-factor in the Cougars’ wins. The do-it-all forward ranks in the top 10 of nearly every major statistical category in the conference. The junior is averaging 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and was recently named co-MWC Player of the Year.Jason Peterson
BYU Cougars vs. Play-in-game winnerThursday, March 13, Noon
Play in game
No. 8 Wyoming Cowboys (12-17, 5-11 MWC
Having finished with the eighth-best record in the conference, Wyoming hasn’t yet earned a spot in this week’s tournament-yet. Seeing as how the only roadblock to getting in (and a shot at No. 1 seed BYU) is lowly Colorado State, it’s pretty safe to say the Cowboys are a virtual lock.Wyoming could quite possibly be the most dangerous 12-17 team in the nation. They beat the Utes twice and gave the Rebels a scare in Las Vegas. Led by a pair of spark plug guards in Brandon Ewing and Brad Jones, the athletic Cowboys own a potent offense ranked as the MWC’s third best, averaging more points per game than UNLV, Utah and SDSU.The Cowboys can also corral the boards (second in MWC with a 36.4 average) and blocks (first in MWC with 4.3 per game). Wyoming’s Joseph Taylor leads the team in both categories with 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.Look for Wyoming to be a wild card capable of upsetting anyone and altering the tournament’s outcome.
Player to watch: Brandon EwingPlayer to watchIn his junior year, Brandon Ewing is averaging 17 points (fourth in the MWC), four assists (sixth in the league) and nearly four rebounds per game. Ewing has repeatedly taken the Cowboys on his back-particularly when the games are close-and has scored 20 or more points 10 times. Jason Peterson
Wyoming Cowboys vs. Colorado State RamsTuesday, March 12, Noon
No. 9 Colorado State Rams (6-24, 0-16 MWC)
From the first game on Nov. 9, when the Rams lost 75-39 to little-known Montana, it was clear it might be a tough year for the CSU men’s basketball team. Before starting conference play, the Rams lost in triple overtime to Division-II Panhandle State. Although the Rams haven’t won a game in 2008 (their last win was on Dec. 29), anything could happen in the Mountain West Conference Tournament. CSU showed signs of mediocrity with a few close conference games. A one-point loss to San Diego State and a two-point loss to Air Force are the closest the Rams came to winning. However, most of the Rams games were double digit drubbings.
Player to watch: Marcus WalkerColorado State has the second leading scorer in the MWC in Marcus Walker. The 6-foot junior guard averaged 18.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game in conference play. Walker had a season-high 43 points on Nov. 17 at Tennessee State. Tim Haslam
No. 2 UNLV Rebels (23-7, 12-4 MWC)
Who better to have at the helm of a program heading into the toughest stretch in college basketball than Lon Kruger? After leading the Rebels to the Sweet 16 a year ago behind a wide breadth of senior talent, Kruger’s cupboard was thought to be empty and UNLV was considered a conference afterthought.So much for that notion.Kruger pulled his best Martha Stewart impression and cooked up a winner from scratch, making guys such as Corey Bailey and René Rougeau look like…well…not Corey Bailey and René Rougeau. Kruger was recently named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.UNLV isn’t playing its best basketball heading into the tournament, but it does carry a 12-game winning streak at the Thomas and Mack Center-the venue for the 2008 MWC Tournament.
Player to watch: Curtis TerryThe most dangerous player in a Rebel uniform is Curtis Terry. Terry leads the Rebels-and the conference for that matter-with an average of 5.10 assists per game. Oh yeah, he also shoots more than 41 percent from the floor, scores 10.5 points and tallies 3.2 rebounds per game.Cody Brunner
UNLV Rebels vs. TCU Horned FrogsThursday, March 13, 7 p.m.
No. 7 TCU Horned Frogs (14-15, 6-10)
The TCU Horned Frogs probably wish the Mountain West Conference Tournament was played on their home floor in Fort Worth, Texas, instead of in Las Vegas. TCU is 1-11 on the road this season and its lone win came over MWC bottom-feeder Colorado State. To make a run in the tourney, the seventh-seeded TCU will have to get past host No. 2 UNLV. The first step is to make more shots. It sounds simple, but maybe isn’t for the worst-shooting team in the conference. The Frogs converted less than 40 percent of their shots on the year. The team has countered its poor shooting by being the best offensive rebounding team in the MWC, but that only led them to a 6-10 conference record.
Player to watch for: Kevin LangfordKevin Langford is the cornerstone of TCU’s foundation. He scored double digits in 21 straight games this season. The streak started with 16 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 17 and ended with 10 points in a loss at Wyoming on Feb. 13.Jon Gilbert
No. 3 New Mexico Lobos (24-7, 11-5 MWC)
The Lobos are possibly the most versatile team in the Mountain West Conference. The all-around brute J.R. Giddens leads the Lobos. and the MWC, in rebounding despite being just 6-foot-5. After getting off to a 3-4 start in conference play, the Lobos rattled off wins in eight of their last nine games, with the only slipup coming to conference champ BYU. An ESPN favorite for a bubble-watch team, New Mexico must go deep into the Mountain West Conference Tournament if it has hopes of taking an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. Traditionally a tough home-court team, the Lobos look to take on the Utes, a team they swept during conference play, in the first round in Vegas. The Lobos snuck out a 72-71 victory in Salt Lake City on Feb. 23.
Player to watch: J.R. GiddensNew Mexico’s J.R. “Mr. Versatile” Giddens finished off the season leading the MWC in scoring (18.3) and rebounding (8.4). A guard-forward combo, Giddens plays tough at any position. At 215 lbs, Giddens is a rarity in the MWC with tremendous speed, strength and shooting ability.Chris Kamrani
New Mexico Lobos vs. Utah UtesThursday, March 13, 9:30 p.m.
No. 6 Utah Utes (16-13, 7-9 MWC)
They say one of the hardest things to do in college basketball is beat a team three times in one season. Well, that is exactly what New Mexico has to do to get past the Utes in the first round of the MWC Tournament.Utah went just 1-5 down the stretch but showed some promise when Boylen moved the team leader in assists, Luka Drca, into the starting point guard slot. The Runnin’ Utes still don’t have a proven creator, but if Luke Nevill can continue his aggressive play in the paint, teams will be forced to double the 7-foot Aussie, which opens up things for Utah’s plethora of efficient outside shooters. Utah becomes an even bigger potential giant killer with its improved defense.
Player to
watch: Luke NevillThe Utes’ success resides primarily in their Aussie center. Nevill has shown shades of the aggressive player every Utah fan has dreamed of, but it has cost him in foul trouble. If Nevill can play hard without fouling, the entire Ute game plan opens up.
No. 4 San Diego State Aztecs (19-11, 9-7 MWC)
San Diego State is looking to win its third Mountain West Conference Championship as it will face Air Force in the first round of the tournament. The Aztecs will be looking to avenge their regular season finale against the Falcons, where they lost 46-43 on the road.Head coach Steve Fisher is one of the most experienced and decorated coaches in the MWC and has led the Aztecs to back-to-back 20-plus win seasons. A win against Air Force will increase that record to three in a row.The road to a MWC title for the Aztecs will most likely go through top-seeded BYU in the second round. If San Diego State’s team plays as it did the last time it met the Cougs, the Aztecs would have a good shot to make the title game.
Player to watch: Lorrenzo WadeLorrenzo Wade is one of the best players in the MWC, and his play usually determines the outcome of the game. Wade’s 15.1 point-per-game average leads the team, and he is a major asset to the Aztecs. The junior is an explosive player and might be the best defender in the MWC.James Boehly
San Diego State Aztecs vs. Air Force FalconsThursday, March 13, 3:30 p.m.
No. 5 Air Force Falcons (16-13, 8-8 MWC)
The Falcons haven’t dropped below .500 this season and are coming off two consecutive wins. Most recently, they beat San Diego State, 46-43. Air Force went 8-8 in conference play, sweeping Wyoming, Colorado State and TCU and also beating UNLV and SDSU this season. Air Force was last in scoring offense after averaging 59 points per game, but was first in scoring defense, allowing only 57.3 points per game. The Falcons were also last in both rebounding categories, averaging 5.28 on the offensive end and 21.41 on the defensive end. Their deliberate pace proved to be the Falcons’ greatest ally in the end as it consistently held teams below its season average. Air Force could be a tough matchup for the conference’s upper echelon if given the opportunity.
Player to watch: Tim AndersonSenior guard Tim Anderson leads the way for the Falcons. Anderson averaged 13.9 points, 2.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Anderson had a season-high 30 points at Wake Forest early in the season and he was also named Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.Tim Haslam