Air Force

Non-BCS Top 25: Air Force, Davidson Making Moves

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:55:53 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a CollegeHoops.net original, copied by multiple major outlets. As a weekly companion to our popular CHN Top 50 ranking, it takes an in-depth look into the underrated universe of teams outside of the big six. The original Non-BCS ranking.

Non-BCS Top 25: February 18th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last
1	Gonzaga	25-2	1
2	New Mexico	22-4	2
3	VCU	21-5	5
4	Butler	21-5*	3
5	Colorado St	21-4	7
6	Wichita St	22-5	8
7	Memphis	22-3	9
8	San Diego St	18-7**	4
9	Creighton	21-6*	6
10	MTSU	23-4	11
11	UNLV	19-7*	10
12	Saint Louis	19-5	16
13	St. Mary's	22-5*	13
14	Belmont	20-6*	12
15	Temple	17-8*	15
16	La Salle	18-6	19
17	Bucknell	21-5*	14

Not in CHN Top 50 Ranking

	Team	Record	Last
18	Akron	21-4	21
19	Louisiana Tech	23-3	22
20	Boise St	16-8*	17
21	Wyoming	18-7	24
22	BYU	19-8	23
23	Southern Miss	20-6	25
24	Stephen F Austin	21-3*	20
25	Ohio	19-6	NA

last = last week's ranking

* = Losses this week

Next 5: Charlotte (18-7*), Stony Brook (19-6), Davidson (19-7), Air Force (15-9), Lehigh (18-6*)

Further 5: Xavier (14-10*), Indiana St (16-10**), Valparaiso (20-7*), South Dakota St (21-7), Montana (19-5*)

Out of Top 25: Indiana St

Agree/Disagree? Post your thoughts below or join us @collegehoopsnet

Check out last week's Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking

#15 San Diego State vs. New Mexico: Wednesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:28:36 -0500

With Selection Sunday rapidly approaching the chances left for teams to improve their tournament resumes are dwindling, which makes this week vitally important to Steve Alford's New Mexico (20-4, 6-2) Lobos. While the have an impressive record there aren't a lot of marquee wins to their credit, but they've got a shot at one on the road as they visit #15 San Diego State (20-4, 6-2). What's also on the line this week: the driver's seat in the Mountain West race, as UNM has lost to both SDSU and UNLV while those two split their two meetings.

The first meeting (at The Pit) looked to be headed in the direction of the home team at the outset as New Mexico scored the first ten points of the game. But Steve Fisher's Aztecs didn't wilt in front of the hostile crowd, outscoring the Lobos by 15 points the rest of the way in a 75-70 victory. The key for the Lobos will be the play of guard Kendall Williams (12.2 ppg, 4.3 apg) and forward Drew Gordon (11.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg), two players expected to rank among the best in the Mountain West before the season began.

Both got off to slow starts to the season but have been two key reasons why the Lobos haven't lost to any other teams in league play. Gordon can be a handful in the paint, which should concern SDSU after the ease with which UNLV's Brice Massamba was able to establish position at times on Saturday afternoon. Tim Shelton is one of the better defenders in the Mountain West but neither he nor Garrett Green or DeShawn Stephens has the build to keep a player like Gordon off the glass without help.

The situation on the perimeter is a different story however, as San Diego State has one of the best backcourts on the west coast. Chase Tapley (16.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is the leading scorer for the Aztecs and their four main guards all average at least 9.5 points per game. Jamaal Franklin (16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is their leading rebounder, and his ability to get to the rim offensively makes Franklin a tough matchup for anyone. Xavier Thames (10.2 ppg, 4.7 apg) leads the team in assists and makes sound decisions when running the show while veteran James Rahon (9.5 ppg) has been an important glue guy who can also knock down open shots when needed.

UNM counters on the perimeter with a deep corps in addition to Williams, led by leading scorer Tony Snell. Snell (12.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who was a high school teammate of former SDSU great Kawhi Leonard, is a very good shooter who knocks down 49% of his shots from the field and 42.7% from three. In addition to those two there's the point guard tandem consisting of freshman Hugh Greenwood and sophomore Jamal Fenton, who combine to average 5.3 assists per game. The key for Fenton will be his decision-making, which can be an issue at times despite the fact that he averages just 1.3 turnovers per game.

Where will this game be won? Possibly on the glass as the Lobos manage to corral 37.3% of their missed shots on the season. That all leads back to Gordon, who's currently averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per game. If he can control the boards on both ends and the young guard (Fenton and Greenwood) don't struggle with either SDSU's capable defenders or "The Show", New Mexico has a shot at leaving Montezuma Mesa with a much-needed win and sole possession of first place. San Diego State is 15-1 at home for a reason however, so accomplishing those tasks is far easier said than done.

The Top 25 features two other contests in which the unranked team could use a resume-building victory, beginning with Northwestern visiting #20 Indiana. Bill Carmody's Wildcats fell at Purdue on Sunday night so a win in Bloomington would definitely help them out from an NCAA tournament standpoint. Drew Crawford and John Shurna rank among the best scoring tandems in the country but the play of Reggie Hearn could prove critical down the stretch. The biggest question for Northwestern is whether or not they have an answer for Cody Zeller inside. Combining a hot Zeller with the Hoosiers' capable perimeter shooters would spell doom for many teams much less Northwestern.

Also in the Big Ten, Purdue visits Illinois in a game the Illini desperately need at this point. Bruce Weber's team has been struggling mightily of late, and part of the reason could be the health of point guard Sam Maniscalco. Without the Bradley transfer Illinois really doesn't have another credible option to get the offense going, and in turn key figures such as Brandon Paul and Meyers Leonard haven't been as good as they can be. Matt Painter's club is looking to build on their win over Northwestern, and with Kelsey Barlow and D.J. Byrd coming off of good performances maybe the Boilermakers can go on a run down the stretch.

Miami, a team that many did not think would be able to work their way into a "bubble" situation, is right there with a shot at their second win over a Top 10 team as they host #7 North Carolina. This game should be played at a pace more comfortable for the Tar Heels than Saturday's win over Virginia was, and for the Hurricanes that means veteran guards Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott need to make sound decisions alongside freshman Shane Larkin. But the battle in the paint will prove to be worth the cost of admission alone, as Miami's Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji have the ability to make things difficult on John Henson and Tyler Zeller.

In the Atlantic 10, Temple hits the road to take on St. Bonaventure and the Owls better be careful in Olean. The Bonnies have a first-round draft pick in the middle in senior center Andrew Nicholson, but truth be told this trip would be even more treacherous if Micheal Eric weren't back in the rotation for the Owls. The key for Bona will be how they match up with Temple's perimeter stars, with Khalif Wyatt and Ramone Moore rolling and Juan Fernandez also more than capable of making things happen.

USC looks for some revenge in the second meeting with city rival UCLA but that's going to be tough given the many injuries the Trojans have had to deal with this season. But in Maurice Jones, USC has a tough, skilled guard who should be on one of the All Pac-12 teams at the end of the season. Without the Saginaw, Michigan native who knows how many games Kevin O'Neil's team would have found a way to win. And back in the Mountain West both Wyoming and Colorado State have games they can't afford to lose if they're to have any shot of going dancing. The Pokes host Air Force, who just fired they coach last week, while CSU heads north to take on Boise State.

Top 25 Games
9:00 PM Oklahoma State at (3) Missouri (ESPN3)
8:00 PM (7) North Carolina at Miami (FL) (ESPN)
8:00 PM (14) Murray State at Southeast Missouri State (ESPN3)
10:15 PM New Mexico at (15) San Diego State (CBS CN)
10:30 PM Loyola Marymount at (16) Saint Mary's
6:30 PM Northwestern at (20) Indiana (BTN)
7:00 PM Rutgers at (25) Notre Dame (ESPNU)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM DePaul at Connecticut (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Maine at Hartford (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Villanova at South Florida (ESPN3)
7:00 PM South Dakota at IUPUI
7:00 PM New Hampshire at Boston University
7:00 PM Bowling Green at Ohio
7:00 PM Saint Joseph's at Rhode Island
7:00 PM Canisius at Niagara
7:00 PM Holy Cross at Lafayette
7:00 PM Vermont at Albany
7:00 PM Miami (OH) at Akron
7:00 PM Chattanooga at Appalachian State
7:00 PM Toledo at Ball State
7:00 PM UMBC at Binghamton
7:00 PM Army at Colgate
7:00 PM Samford at Davidson
7:00 PM Charlotte at Dayton (FCS)
7:00 PM Fordham at Duquesne
7:00 PM Maryland-Eastern Shore at Hampton
7:00 PM Washington Adventist at Longwood
7:00 PM Loyola (MD) at Marist
7:00 PM Charleston at UNC Greensboro
7:00 PM Southern Utah at Oakland
7:00 PM Iona at Rider (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Georgia at South Carolina (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Elon at Wofford
7:00 PM Detroit at Wright State
7:00 PM Oral Roberts at IPFW
7:30 PM Navy at American
7:30 PM Georgia Tech at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
7:30 PM St. Peter's at Fairfield
7:30 PM Delaware State at Norfolk State
8:00 PM Drake at Bradley (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Richmond at Saint Louis
8:00 PM Temple at St. Bonaventure
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at Texas State
8:00 PM Morehead State at Austin Peay
8:00 PM SIU-Edwardsville at Eastern Illinois
8:00 PM Southeastern Louisiana at Lamar
8:00 PM UTSA at McNeese State
8:00 PM Western Michigan at Northern Illinois
8:00 PM Central Arkansas at Sam Houston State
8:00 PM UAB at SMU
8:00 PM North Dakota State at South Dakota State
8:00 PM Tulsa at Southern Miss
8:00 PM Texas-Arlington at Stephen F. Austin
8:00 PM Arkansas at Tennessee (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Eastern Kentucky at Tennessee Tech
8:00 PM Memphis at Tulane
8:00 PM UMKC at Western Illinois
8:00 PM Air Force at Wyoming (The Mtn.)
8:05 PM Northern Iowa at Evansville
8:05 PM Missouri State at Wichita State (ESPN3)
8:30 PM Purdue at Illinois (BTN)
9:00 PM Weber State at Montana State
9:00 PM Providence at Cincinnati (ESPNU)
9:05 PM Northern Colorado at Eastern Washington
10:00 PM Cal State Fullerton at UC Riverside
10:00 PM Colorado State at Boise State (The Mtn.)
10:00 PM UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Cal Poly at Cal State Northridge
10:05 PM Sacramento State at Portland State
10:30 PM USC at UCLA (FSN PT)

Illinois vs. #10 Michigan State: Tuesday's Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:27:14 -0500

One of the season's bigger mysteries in the Big Ten has been figuring out which Illinois (15-6, 4-4) team would show up on any given night. A big reason for that is their inconsistent nature on the offensive end of the floor, as the Illini go through bouts with poor shot selection that's gotten them in trouble at times. Despite being at home they can ill-afford to go through such issues against #10 Michigan State (17-4, 6-2), who looks every bit the Big Ten title contender few expected them to be back in October.

Tom Izzo's team could be short-handed however as freshman guard Travis Trice is dealing with a groin injury and was deemed questionable on Monday. Not having him would limit the Spartans' backcourt depth but the progression of guards Keith Appling and Brandon Wood have played a major role in Michigan State's growth as a team. Appling (12.3 ppg, 4.0 apg) has done a better job of taking care of the basketball while also being the team's second-leading scorer, and Wood (9.2 ppg, 2.3 apg) has improved as well.

Illinois' perimeter rotation is in for a challenge, especially juniors Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson. Paul (14.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads the team in scoring and does have that scintillating 43-point performance against Ohio State to his credit, but the efficiency numbers tend to show that him firing away at will is a bad thing for the Illini more times than not. Richardson's been inconsistent of late as he's reached double figures in just two of Illinois' last six games (33.3% FG in those games). That can't happen against a Michigan State defense that's allowing opponents to shoot 38% from the field, a number that ranks second in the Big Ten.

Also of note for Illinois are senior point guard Sam Maniscalco and freshman Joseph Bertrand, with Maniscalco recently returning from an ankle injury (still not 100%) and Bertrand averaging 8.8 points per game since his 25-point outing against Nebraska on January 7th. The play in the paint will be just as important, with Michigan State being led by one of the frontrunners for Big Ten Player of the Year and Illinois calling on a seven-footer who's likely the league's most improved player. Draymond Green (15.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.7 apg) does just about everything for the Spartans, and his comfort both inside and out makes him a very tough matchup.

Meyers Leonard (13.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg) has stepped up for Bruce Weber's team, giving them a more consistent option inside than their two departed seniors did last season. But he's got to become more assertive on the offensive end of the floor, as this could end up helping the Illini avoid some of the bad perimeter shots they take. Michigan State's deeper inside as they can call on Adriean Payne, Derrick Nix and Branden Dawson, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility that multiple players are given the responsibility of guarding Leonard.

Those big men for Michigan State are one reason why they're so good on the glass, out-rebounding their opponents by 9.5 rebounds per game and boasting an offensive rebounding percentage of 38.8%. Illinois has done a good job of taking care of their defensive glass and they'll need to continue that in front of the home folks if they're to win. But shot selection, especially for Paul and Appling, will go a long way in determining the outcome as well.

Also of note is Seton Hall's trip to Milwaukee, where the slumping Pirates will look to boost their profile and pick up a much-needed win against #18 Marquette. There weren't many people outside of the Marquette fan base who thought that Buzz Williams' team would be 7-2 at the halfway point in the Big East, especially with the loss of center Chris Otule, but the Golden Eagles have stepped up.

Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have been the two biggest reasons but the play of forward Davante Gardner has been just as important. Seton Hall needs seniors Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope to get back to playing as they did earlier this month, and their NCAA hopes could hinge on how quickly that turnaround occurs.

Kansas State's trip to Ames has become a little more important for the Wildcats due to their loss to Oklahoma over the weekend, and while Iowa State is coming off of a win over Kansas Fred Hoiberg's team can use all the quality wins they can get. Royce White has been one of the best players in the Big 12 this season, and slowing him down will be a tough task for a K-State team whose front court players outside of Jamar Samuels are far more comfortable in the paint.

Can Will Spradling and Rodney McGruder perform well enough to push Kansas State to a win on the road? Clemson, who will be without Milton Jennings due to suspension (unresolved academic issue), visits Virginia and Vanderbilt visits Arkansas in two other intriguing match ups. And in the nightcap New Mexico had better be careful at Air Force as the Falcons nearly knocked off UNLV in overtime on Saturday.

Top 25 Games
7:00 PM Tennessee at (1) Kentucky (ESPNU)
9:00 PM (6) North Carolina at Wake Forest (ESPNU)
7:00 PM (10) Michigan State at Illinois (ESPN)
8:00 PM Seton Hall at (15) Marquette (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Clemson at (18) Virginia (ESPN2)
8:00 PM (20) Wisconsin at Penn State (BTN)

NCAA Division I Games
7:00 PM Trinity Baptist at Savannah State
7:07 PM Kent State at Central Michigan (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Youngstown State at Milwaukee
8:00 PM Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (ESPN3)
9:00 PM Vanderbilt at Arkansas (ESPN)
9:00 PM Kansas State at Iowa State (ESPN3)
10:00 PM New Mexico at Air Force (The Mtn.)

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Blue Devils Win Thriller in Maui

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:43:58 -0500

The game between Duke and Kansas more than lived up to the pregame expectations on Wednesday night, but it was an unsung hero who stepped to the forefront late. Tyler Thornton, essentially a defensive substitute when Austin Rivers picked up his fourth foul, knocked down a pair of critical three pointers late to catapult the Blue Devils to the 68-61 win. Duke earned their fifth Maui Invitational title and moved to 15-0 all-time in the prestigious early season event.

Tournament MVP Ryan Kelly and forward Mason Plumlee scored 17 points apiece with Plumlee also grabbing 12 rebounds, and the big difference between the two teams was the three-point line. Duke made 11 of their 25 attempts from beyond the arc while Kansas finished 2-for-8, and that 27-point difference made up for a combined 4-for-13 night for guards Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins.

Tyshawn Taylor led the Jayhawks with 17 points but also had an unfortunate double-double with 11 turnovers, with things getting away from him in the second half. Thomas Robinson was a warrior for Kansas all week, and he added 16 points and 15 rebounds while Jeff Withey added 14 and 10 to cap a solid three days in Maui. But turnovers played a major role in the outcome, with one of Taylor's miscues setting the stage for Thornton's game-sealing three pointer.

Kansas held a 61-60 lead with 1:31 to go following a Travis Releford three, only to have Thornton answer with a trifecta of his own 21 seconds later. Coming out of a timeout Taylor turned the ball over five seconds later, and Duke's ensuing possession looked to be headed nowhere. But Thornton let fly from in front of the Duke bench at the end of the shot clock with the primary goal being to avoid the violation. The shot fell, making the score 66-61 with 20 seconds to go and essentially putting the game away.

"When Seth kicked me the ball, I looked at the shot clock, it was [at] three seconds, and I just tried to get up a good shot," said Thornton. "Once it left my hands, I kind of thought it was going to be good and luckily it was."

Duke capped a stretch of seven games in 13 days, so the rest that comes will be welcomed for a group that's had the quest for the all-time wins record for their coach to deal with as well. Rivers, who made the All-Tournament team, will continue to figure out how to mesh his superlative talents with what the teams wants to get done offensively and he'll grow defensively as well.

But most importantly Duke learned more about veterans such as Kelly, who averaged 17.0 points per game in Maui and emerged as an offensive option they'll be able to count on. And Mason Plumlee showed the ability to handle the workload on the glass, which in turn allows Duke to start the more offensively-inclined Kelly and bring Miles Plumlee off the bench. As for Kansas, he Jayhawks showed themselves to be a more talented team than many anticipated before the season began, meaning an eighth straight Big 12 title is more than possible.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Iowa fails to bounce back from their loss to Creighton, falling to Campbell at home.
Sunday was a flat-out bad day from Fran McCaffery's team as they were blown out in Des Moines by the Creighton Bluejays, but it wasn't unrealistic to expect the Hawkeyes to bounce back against Campbell on Wednesday night. That did not happen, as Eric Griffin led the Camels to a 77-61 win with 23 points and 13 rebound. Four Campbell starters reached double figures and as a team the Camels shot 62.2% from the field. In many games like this the expectation is that the winner concentrated heavily on the three-point line. Not so much with Campbell, who only attempted eight (making four) while shooting 68% from inside of the arc.

One tie in both losses for Iowa: Melsahn Basabe. He didn't play well against Creighton and that was the case on Wednesday as well, scoring two points and grabbing three rebounds in 19 minutes of action. Is Basabe solely to blame? Of course not, but when a player with the talent to become an All-Big Ten caliber player says things like this he'd better step up. Matt Gatens scored 17 points and Devyn Marble 14 to lead Iowa, who's going to need guys such as Basabe and Eric May to step up if they're to make a move in the Big Ten standings.

2. The evolution of Dion Waiters sparks Syracuse's win over Virginia Tech in New York City.
It's been reported many times in the preseason as well as early in the year about Dion Waiters, that the frustrated freshman was ready to transfer at the end of the season. But he stuck it out, and both he and the Orange look to be better off as a result. Waiters scored 11 points to go along with four assists and three steals in 25 minutes off the bench to help lead Syracuse to a 69-58 win over Virginia Tech in the second semifinal of the NIT Season Tipoff. Kris Joseph led the Orange with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Brandon Triche added 17 and six assists, but the big development (or continuation of it, rather) was the play of Waiters.

He's improved his physical conditioning, is playing with more confidence and isn't worried about what he does so long as the team wins. He and C.J. Fair (12 points, 10 rebounds) look to be the two "locks" to be in the rotation should Jim Boeheim look to cut the number down from ten players, and performances like last night's make sure that remains the case in the future.

3. San Diego State ends Arizona's 22-game home win streak, but they better not suffer a "hangover".
For the second consecutive game Sean Miller's Wildcats failed to lead at any point in the game, but unlike their their loss to Mississippi State in the title game of the 2K Sports Classic Arizona was jumped early. San Diego State opened the game with a 21-4 run, and despite their attempts to rally the Wildcats were unable to fully recover as the Aztecs won 61-57. A deep two at the top of the key from Chase Tapley (17 points) sealed the game with just over a minute remaining, and removing Utah (once a fellow Mountain West member) SDSU is 4-1 against the Pac-12 since 2009.

Nick Johnson and Josiah Turner scored ten points apiece off the bench for Arizona, but guards Kyle Fogg (five points) and Jordin Mayes (two points) struggled all night. SDSU limited the Wildcats to 33.3% shooting in their best defensive performance of the season, but they better be ready to go with a trip to UCSB on Saturday. SDSU lost an awful lot from last year's Sweet 16 team, but they've shown in this 6-1 start that they're still a threat in the Mountain West.

Quick Hitters

1. On the injury front Alabama saw forward Tony Mitchell go down in their win over Alabama A&M but luckily for the Crimson Tide it was a sprained ankle and nothing worse. To not meet the same fate as Arkansas, who lost Marshawn Powell for the season with a knee injury in practice last week, is a piece of good luck for Alabama.

2. Josh Pastner's Memphis Tigers can score with just about anyone, and they're going to win their fair share of shootouts. But if the Tigers want to be a factor in March they have to get better defensively. Georgetown beat the Tigers 91-88 in overtime, and in Maui the Tigers allowed an average of 1.13 points per possession over three games. That's not going to get it done in big games.

3. Stanford was highly impressive in their 82-67 win over Oklahoma State in New York City, and it can be argued that the game wasn't as close as the final margin would indicate. Josh Owens (21 points) led the way while guards Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright proved to be a handful for the Cowboys. We'll see just how good this team is on Friday when they take on Syracuse.

4. A pair of Brian Voelkel steals late in overtime sealed Vermont's 65-63 win at Old Dominion, and while the CAA takes another early season hit this is a good win for the Catamounts. Luke Apfeld led three players in double figures with 15 points, and while Voelkel scored just six points he chipped in with 14 rebounds and five assists.

5. Keep an eye on Denver in the Sun Belt, who put together an impressive 70-58 win over Saint Mary's to move to 4-0. Seven players scored at least six points for the Pioneers, led by Rob Lewis' 17 points. Joe Scott's team has been solid defensively as well, allowing an average of just 0.92 points per possession thus far.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Scott Machado and F Mike Glover (Iona)
Machado scored 33 points and dished out ten assists while Glover led the Gaels with 34 points and 15 rebounds in their 104-99 double overtime win over Saint Joseph's.

2. G Michael Lyons (Air Force)
31 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Falcons' 76-73 overtime loss to Colorado.

3. F Quincy Acy and F Quincy Miller (Baylor)
Miller finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while Acy put up ten points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in the Bears' 75-65 win over UT-Arlington.

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Series: Air Force's Raymond Dudley

Jon Teitel — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:21:36 -0400

In the most recent installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Air Force great Raymond Dudley, who remains the school's all-time leading scorer. A two-time All-American, Dudley also leads the school in three pointers made. He currently is a coach in the Fairfax Stars AAU organization in Fairfax, Virginia.

Jon Teitel: Why did you choose to attend the Air Force Academy?

Raymond Dudley: I actually signed a letter of intent with Missouri in the fall of my senior year of high school and indicated to Coach Norm Stewart that I still wanted to look at Air Force. I visited Air Force in the spring and decided that it was the best long-term decision for me, as I knew that I would graduate with a job. I did not know if I had all the tools to make it to the next level of basketball.

JT: How were you able to balance your on-court activities with your off-court activities, and what was it like to play a sport at a service academy?

RD: Balancing the academic, military, and athletics was tough. Luckily, we had great coaches and an academic staff that kept us focused on our real goals: graduation and a commission in the Air Force.

JT: In 1987 you were named WAC Rookie of the Year. How were you able to come in and contribute as a freshman?

RD: We had a young team with no seniors, so there were opportunities to play and contribute immediately.

JT: In 1988 you scored a career-high 38 points in a win over Portland. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

RD: I do not remember that game specifically, but when I did score a few points it was usually the result of PG Jeff Bowling doing a great job dishing the ball and taking the pressure off of me on the defensive end so that I could exert myself a little more on the offensive end. I would like to think that I was "in the zone", but he made a lot of my success happen, as well as guys like Chad Kimble, Mike Lockwood, Mark Slimko, Rob Marr, and Mike Hammond.

JT: In 1990 you were named an Honorable Mention All-American. What did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

RD: The All-American honor was obviously great. Being recognized like that and coming from a school that is not a basketball powerhouse, it was great that people took notice. However, it was tough to end my career without making it to the Big Dance: I think that would have meant more.

JT: You are still the all-time leading scorer in school history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

RD: I do not know about that, but I have always been confident in my ability to play the game. I may not have always been the best player on the court, but I was definitely going to compete when I stepped out there.

JT: In 1990 you played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. What did you think of the competition, and how close did you come to getting drafted?

RD: The PIT was fun; it was a great environment to test your skills and see how you stacked up. I had nothing to lose, so I just played my game. I do remember Jud Buechler setting a three-point record in a game during the first day...and then I broke his record later that day! I also remember attempting to dunk on Greg Foster from UTEP...and he promptly threw my attempt out of bounds. I did talk with Danny Manning's father Ed, who was with the Spurs at the time. He asked me to let the organization know if I would be able to get out of my military commitment by draft day. I also chatted with the Clippers, who mentioned signing me as a free agent.

JT: After graduation you served as a graduate assistant and assistant coach for both the JV and varsity teams at the Academy. What was it like to coach some of your old teammates, and what did you learn about the game while sitting on the sidelines?

RD: Coaching is tough, especially after just leaving the court as a player. As a coach, you see things a bit differently than a player does. You have to manage your own expectations for a player while truly setting realistic ones for players based on their talent levels.

JT: You currently coach an AAU team in Fairfax, VA. What are your thoughts on the AAU circuit, and what do you hope to do in the future?

RD: The AAU circuit is crazy. You see teams that recruit as hard as colleges (if not harder). You also have the push for athletic brand sponsorships for AAU clubs, which plays into recruiting at the AAU level and then the college level. You have parents reclassifying their kids in order to give them another year to develop, instead of just going out and playing the game at their current age/grade. However, it does provide a competitive environment for kids of all ages/skill levels to compete in a sport that they love. It also provides student-athletes with additional exposure to colleges through national tournaments, exposure events, and various scouting services that attend those events. For boys' basketball, the scouting services are key! As far as my future, I would love to coach at the college level. March Madness validates the concept that college basketball is great, exciting, and full of talented players across the country. I would like to be a part of that again and help some young players get better and realize their full potential and reach their goals.

JT: When people look back on your career, what do you want them to remember the most?

RD: I hope they remember that I was a tough competitor, gave it my all, and left it all on the court every single night. The guys I mentioned above (Bowling, Kimble, Lockwood, Slimko, Marr, and Hammond) were like that.

Dudley is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in MWC history.

Air Force: Raymond Dudley (1990) 2178 PTS (#1), 148 STL (#3), 285 3PM (#1), 39.6 3PM (#5), 2-time All-American
BYU: Danny Ainge (1981) 2467 PTS (#2), 539 AST (#2), 195 STL (#2), 2-time All-American, conference POY, national POY
Colorado State: Pat Durham (1989) 1980 PTS (#1), 851 REB (#1), 109 STL (#5), 171 BLK (#3)
New Mexico: Kenny Thomas (1999) 1931 PTS (#2), 1032 REB (#1), 239 BLK (#2), All-American
San Diego State: Michael Cage (1984) 1846 PTS (#2), 1317 REB (#1), 54.8 FG% (#5), 118 BLK (#2), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY
TCU: Corey Santee (2005) 1832 PTS (#2), 575 AST (#1), 155 STL (#2), 243 3PM (#1)
UNLV: Stacey Augmon (1991) 2011 PTS (#3), 1005 REB (#3), 275 STL (#1), 41.9 3P% (#3), All-American, conference POY, 3-time defensive POY
Utah: Keith Van Horn (1997) 2542 PTS (#1), 1074 REB (#2), 206 3PM (#2), 126 BLK (#2), 85.1 FT% (#1), 2-time All-American, 3-time conference POY, national POY
Wyoming: Fennis Dembo (1988) 2311 PTS (#1), 954 REB (#3), 410 AST (#4), 176 STL (#2), 143 3PM (#5), All-American, conference POY

Poll: Who Will Win the MWC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:31:46 -0500

MWC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:19:48 -0500

BYU is the MWC favorite, but the rest of the league is wide-open, as 6 other teams have legitimate hopes of making a deep run in the league tournament.

Conference Rank: 9th

10 year average: 7th

MWC Conference Page

All-MWC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jimmer Fredette	BYU	Jr
G	Afam Muojeke	Wyoming	So
G/f	Roman Martinez	New Mexico	Sr
F	Jonathan Tavernari	BYU	Sr
F	Billy White	San Diego St	Jr

Player of the Year - Greivis Vasquez Freshman of the Year - Kawhi Leonard (SDSU)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jimmer Fredette High-Major All-Americans Jimmer Fredette (1st Team) Jonathan Tavernari (2nd) Roman Martinez Afam Muojeke Billy White All-Freshman Team Kawhi Leonard		Points: Jimmer Fredette 16.2 Rebounds: Zvonko Buljan 7.8 Assists: Dairese Gray 4.1

MWC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

42	BYU	MWC	1	NCAA
62	Utah	MWC	2	NIT
85	UNLV	MWC	3	CBI/CIT
90	New Mexico	MWC	4	CBI/CIT
103	TCU	MWC	5	CBI/CIT
129	Wyoming	MWC	6
145	San Diego State	MWC	7
198	Colorado State	MWC	8
269	Air Force	MWC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MWC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

The Ultimate Schedule: Mountain West

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:55:15 -0400

Mountain West Scheduling “Rules”:

- Four non-conference games

- Eight conference games

Week 1: BYU vs. Oklahoma (September 5^th in Arlington, TX)

Very few people, if any, will expect the Cougars to beat the Sooners in the season opener. However, they’ve got the tools necessary to stick around for all four quarters. The last meeting came all the way back in 1994, when BYU beat Oklahoma in the Copper Bowl. The quarterback matchup alone should be worth the price of admission, with Max Hall facing off against reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford. The question: how much pressure can the Cougars put on Bradford? If he’s allowed to stand in the pocket and find open guys without pressure it’ll be a long day for the Cougars. But if Jan Jorgensen and company can make life difficult for Bradford then BYU will have a shot.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ Colorado (9/6), San Diego State @ UCLA (9/5)

Week 2: Texas @ Wyoming (September 12^th)

Very rarely does a team in the position of the Cowboys get to host a traditional power like the Longhorns, and they’ll be fighting an uphill battle when Colt McCoy and company arrive in Laramie. New head coach Dave Christiansen has experience against Texas given his prior position as offensive coordinator at Missouri, but he also doesn’t have the same caliber of playmaker. Texas will have an advantage at every position on the field, but War Memorial Stadium can be a tough place to play if you fall behind early. The Cowboys have won their last two home games against BCS opponents, beating Virginia in 2007 and Ole Miss in 2004. But neither team had the ability that Mack Brown’s team does.

Other Games Considered: Air Force @ Minnesota (9/12), Oregon State @ UNLV (9/12)

Week 3: Utah @ Oregon (September 19^th)

The game that’s gotten the bulk of the attention on the Ducks’ schedule is their opening night trip to Boise State. But the Utes will be a handful and then some when they walk into Autzen Stadium. Utah beat Oregon in 2003, but they’ll find the task much tougher thanks to the presence of players such as QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB LaGarrette Blount. The Ducks return just nine starters, but the amount of talent at new head coach Chip Kelly’s fingertips is enough for some to peg Oregon as a team that could possibly dethrone USC in the Pac-10. Whichever team does the better job of stopping the run will have the upper hand as both rely on the ground game to open things up in the passing game.

Other Games Considered: Florida State @ BYU (9/19), Nevada @ Colorado State (9/19), Air Force @ New Mexico (9/19)

Week 4: TCU @ Clemson (September 26^th)

The Horned Frogs make their second and final trip of the season into ACC country, this time looking to knock off a Clemson team that’s hard to peg in Death Valley. Kyle Parker hasn’t played in a college football game but he’ll be the starting quarterback for the Tigers, and Willy Korn will also see time. But if TCU can’t keep RB C.J. Spiller and WR Jacoby Ford under wraps they’ll have a hard time leaving with a victory. The Horned Frogs have a good enough offense to keep Clemson’s offense off of the field, but they’ll need some plays from Gary Patterson’s dependable defense to ensure a win.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ BYU (9/26), New Mexico State @ New Mexico (9/26)

Week 5: Bye Week (October 3^rd)

There are a couple of appealing non-conference games on this date, most notably Air Force travelling to Navy in a game that will likely decide which service academy wins the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. UNLV will play in-state rival Nevada for the Fremont Cannon and New Mexico will visit Lubbock (Texas Tech), but none of those games are as appealing as the already selected non-conference games.

Week 6: BYU @ UNLV (October 10^th)

The trip to Las Vegas can be a tricky one, despite the recent struggles of the home team. If you allow yourself to get caught up in the bright lights that are “Sin City” a loss is a distinct possibility, despite the face that BYU has won the last four games in the series. The Cougars needed a touchdown in the final two minutes of the game to win last season, a game that came in the middle of a five-game skid for the Rebels. The Cougars have done well in navigating their trips to Vegas, having never lost to UNLV on the road. So long as Max Hall and company come out with a business-like approach BYU should be in decent shape, but the chance is always there for the Rebels.

Other Games Considered: Utah @ Colorado State (10/10), TCU @ Air Force (10/10)

Week 7: Colorado State @ TCU (October 17^th)

The Horned Frogs have won five straight in the series since Colorado State beat them in Fort Collins in 1998. They hadn’t played often in the past due to different conference affiliations, and the Rams have averaged just 8.4 points per game in those five losses. TCU’s defense can give many teams trouble, and they did just that in holding the Rams to just eleven yards rushing in last year’s 13-7 victory. And with Gartrell Johnson gone things could possibly get worse for CSU, but it isn’t like they weren’t in that game. If Colorado State can make a few plays offensively they can hang around. But if Jerry Hughes and company shut them down, look out.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Air Force (10/17), Utah @ UNLV (10/17)

Week 8: TCU @ BYU (October 24^th)

The Mountain West title, and possibly even more, could be on the line when the Horned Frogs visit Provo. Last year’s meeting was the first tell-tale sign that everything wasn’t right with BYU, with TCU putting forth a dominant showing in the 32-7 blowout. BYU could establish nothing on the ground (23 yards rushing), and the one-dimensional version of the Cougar offense didn’t stand a chance. In fact, TCU held eight straight opponents to fewer than 100 yards on the ground to start 2008. Can things be different with a change of scenery? That’s what the Cougars will hope, having won three of the four meetings between the two teams in Provo.

Other Games Considered: Air Force @ Utah (10/24), San Diego State @ Colorado State (10/24)

Week 9: Air Force @ Colorado State (October 31^st)

The two Mountain West teams in Colorado square off on Halloween, with both looking to be teams caught in the midsection of the league. The Falcons have won the last three meetings in the series, with the neither of the last two being close. Air Force accounted for more than four hundred yards in last season’s 38-17 victory, even throwing for 171 yards. The Falcons are going to get their yards on the ground; when they’re able to hit the big play through the air as well Troy Calhoun’s team is virtually impossible to stop. If CSU can accomplish the task of limiting Air Force on the ground, they could win the Ram/Falcon Trophy for the first time in three years.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Utah (10/31), UNLV @ TCU (10/31)

Week 10: BYU @ Wyoming (November 7^th)

We should have a good idea as to how much Coach Christiansen has changed the culture in Laramie by the time the first week of November rolls around; whether or not they can be competitive with the Cougars will show how far they have to go. BYU has won eight of the last nine meetings, and six of those eight meetings were decided by double digits. Six turnovers cost the Cowboys in last year’s 44-0 shutout, but even without those miscues Wyoming would have been in serious trouble. If Karsten Sween and company don’t take better care of the football they’ll be in for a long day.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ UNLV (11/7), TCU @ San Diego State (11/7)

Week 11: Utah @ TCU (November 14^th)

The second of three games that will most likely decide who wins the conference will be in Fort Worth, with TCU likely remembering the fact that they were one loss away from a trip to the BCS. Utah won 13-10 thanks to a touchdown pass from Brian Johnson to Freddie Brown with forty-eight seconds remaining in the game, sealing the fate of both teams. With the home-field advantage TCU will hope to turn the tables on Utah, this time finishing off a superior effort. The preseason signs point to a TCU win, but the Utes have won five of the six prior meetings. The winner will go a long way towards cementing a possible conference title, and maybe even a BCS bid.

Other Games Considered: UNLV @ Air Force (11/14), Wyoming @ San Diego State (11/14)

Week 12: Air Force @ BYU (November 21^st)

The Cougars have won the last five meetings in the series, including a 38-24 win in Colorado Springs last season. BYU won the time of possession battle by just over two minutes, but the key in their win was the fact that they took better advantage of their opportunities than the Falcons. The problem for Air Force is that they haven’t even been close in the series, with none of the last five games being decided by single digits. If Air Force can control the game on the ground and keep Max Hall from matching last year’s output (354 yards passing and two touchdowns) they’ll have a punchers chance. But make no mistake about it: Air Force will be fighting an uphill battle.

Other Games Considered: TCU @ Wyoming (11/21), Colorado State @ New Mexico (11/21)

Week 13: Utah @ BYU (November 28^th)

To say these two schools don’t like each other would be like saying that 1+1=2. There’s a reason why the game has the nickname of the “Holy War”, and Utah fans took great joy in watching their team embarrass the Cougars in Salt Lake City last year. Six BYU turnovers led to a 48-24 beating that sealed the Utes’ trip to New Orleans, ending a two-game losing streak in the series. Anything from a possible BCS berth to the conference bowl pecking order could be on the line, but those perks won’t replace the allure of bragging rights for a year.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Colorado State (11/27), San Diego State @ UNLV (11/28)

Mountain West Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:39:44 -0400

Can someone else crash the BCS party?

Utah was able to qualify for the BCS thanks to an undefeated season and the necessary ranking in the final BCS poll. But what they did once the Allstate Sugar Bowl kicked off sent shockwaves throughout the college football world, harassing the Alabama offense from start to finish. The Utes’ 31-17 win over the Crimson Tide left no doubt as to which team was the better of the two, and it gave the Mountain West a solid platform on which to stand in discussing their merits for an automatic BCS bid. The arguments got all the way to Capitol Hill, but nothing’s been changed to the current format (ESPN’s deal runs from 2010 to 2013, so it’s doubtful anything happens before that contract ends).

What can the Mountain West do for an encore? They can grab another at-large berth, and the three teams who finished atop the conference standings in 2008 have more than enough ammunition to make a run. The defending champion Utes will have a new quarterback among seven new starters on offense. Three of those starters are on the offensive line with senior left tackle Zane Beadles leading the way. Quarterbacks Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn will compete for snaps and both could very well see action this season. Matt Asiata is back at running back, but expect many players to get quality touches both in the backfield and at receiver.

Defensively Utah was slated to return seven starters with rover Stevenson Sylvester leading the way. But the defensive end who had the best ability to make up for the loss of Paul Kruger, Koa Misi, went down in fall camp with a back injury. While it’s doubtful that Misi will play in the opener against Utah State he should be back the following week against San Jose State. But there’s still more than enough talent on defense to get Utah through the first two games of the season. The hope is that by the time they visit Oregon (September 19^th) Cain and/or Wynn will be comfortable in leading the offense.

TCU was the other Mountain West team ranked in the Top 10 at season’s end, and they could find themselves back in that realm due to a team that returns seven offensive starters. Senior QB Andy Dalton is a dependable option who can make plays with his arm or with his legs. Running back Joseph Turner also returns, and he was the team’s leading rusher in 2008. Gary Patterson’s team tends to look to a variety of options on offense instead of leaning upon a few choice stars.

And while the defense returns just four starters they do welcome back DE Jerry Hughes. Hughes was a headache for opposing offensive coordinators, racking up fifteen sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in 2008. TCU lost their top three tacklers from a season ago, but they do return four starters in the secondary. Add to this a schedule that lends itself to an undefeated run (Virginia and Clemson are both beatable) and it isn’t difficult to picture the Horned Frogs making a run at the BCS.

BYU has the toughest schedule of the three, opening with Oklahoma in the new Cowboys Stadium before hosting Florida State two weeks later. QB Max Hall, RB Harvey Unga and TE Dennis Pitta all return to Provo, but the Cougars have just four starters back on offense. And unfortunately for head coach Bronco Mendenhall guys have gotten hurt in fall camp. Left tackle Matt Reynolds broke his hand, and younger brother Houston will be out for the year due to a torn ACL. For a group that returned just two starters (Matt was one of those two) the missed time due to injury could have an effect on its chemistry.

Defensively the Cougars will be very good with eight starters back. Senior DE Jan Jorgensen leads the way up front and middle linebacker Matt Bauman also returns after leading the team with 108 tackles. The talent is there for BYU to make a run at the Mountain West title, and they host both TCU and Utah. They’ll also deal with slightly lowered expectations due to the tough early schedule, and the hype was an issue once things didn’t go as planned in 2008 (the loss to TCU).

There’s a clear separation between the top three teams and the rest of the Mountain West, which should make for entertaining matchups between teams in the middle of the league. Mike Sanford enters an important year at UNLV, and with fourteen returning starters the Rebels could surpass five wins for the first time since 2003. QB Omar Clayton had eighteen touchdown passes and just four interceptions last season, and backup Mike Clausen also saw time under center. More production will be needed from the passing game, especially with RB Frank Summers off to the NFL. Defensively, first team All-MWC LB Jason Beauchamp leads a unit that returns seven starters.

Air Force has had a solid two-year run under Troy Calhoun, winning seventeen games over that span. Tim Jefferson takes over full-time under center in their option attack, and the backfield has more than a few options with tailbacks Asher Clark and Kyle Lumpkin being among the returnees. Seven starters return to a Falcon defense that will look to improve upon its standing of fifth in the conference in total defense. Optimism abounds in Fort Collins as well, with Colorado State looking to build upon a season that included a bowl victory in Steve Fairchild’s first campaign.

The Rams will have seven starters back on offense, led by All-Mountain West receivers Rashaun Greer (first team) and Dion Morton (second team). But they’ll need to replace the production of running back Gartrell Johnson and quarterback Kyle Farris if they want to entertain any thought of finishing in the top half of the conference. The defense returns just five starters but leading tacklers Mychal Sisson and Ricky Brewer will both be back. Expect CSU to once again flirt with bowl eligibility, hoping for back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2002-03.

Wyoming and San Diego State both return seventeen starters, but cynics may note that it could be a negative since both also have new head coaches. Dave Christiansen arrives in Laramie following a successful stint as the offensive coordinator at Missouri. And while there’s no Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin he will have a senior quarterback in Karsten Sween who should be looking to close out an otherwise underwhelming career on a high note. The receivers are there for Sween to do just that; it remains to be seen if the coaching change improves his production.

The Aztecs have long been described as a sleeping giant due to the recruiting resources at their disposal. Well, they’ve fallen into a virtual coma in recent seasons, and the fans hope that Brady Hoke is the answer. Hoke led Ball State to a MAC West crown in 2008 on the strength of Nate Davis’ throwing arm. QB Ryan Lindley took his fair share of lumps in 2008 yet still finished with sixteen touchdown passes to nine interceptions. Returning leaders abound on the ground and through the air, putting the onus on a defense that was dead last in the conference to make improvements. While it’s too much to expect big things from San Diego State this season do not be surprised if they surprise someone.

New Mexico also welcomes a new head coach in Mike Locksley, who replaces Rocky Long. The question is what they’ll get from the quarterback position; Donovan Porterie was largely disappointing last season, eventually losing his job to Brad Gruner. With the loss of RB Rodney Ferguson the Lobos will need more from the passing game, which also returns wide receivers Chris Hernandez, Bryant Williams and Roland Bruno. New Mexico will also have a lot of rebuilding to do on defense with just three starters returning to a unit that ranked forth in the Mountain West. Three of their top four tacklers are back, led by middle linebacker Clint McPeek (103 tackles).

As for a winner, look for the Horned Frogs to edge out BYU, despite the fact that they have to visit Provo on October 24^th. Utah could be a spoiler but the fact that they have to visit both of the other two contenders will do them no favors. Can the conference add more evidence to the idea that they deserve an automatic seat at the BCS table? They’ve got a pretty good shot to do just that.

Storyline: Can any of the top three teams make a run at the BCS? BYU has the schedule best suited to make national waves (Oklahoma and Florida State), but TCU may have the best schedule in terms of possibly going undefeated. Virginia isn’t expected to be very good, and Clemson has talent but will break in a new quarterback in Kyle Parker.

Players of the Year: QB Max Hall (BYU) and DE Jerry Hughes (TCU)

How they’ll finish

1. TCU

2. BYU

3. Utah

4. UNLV

5. Air Force

6. Colorado State

7. San Diego State

8. Wyoming

9. New Mexico

Next: Mountain West Ultimate Schedule

Mountain West Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:51:29 -0400

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Mountain West Tournament

The bottom two teams meet in the opening round of the MWC Tournament, hosted on UNLV’s home court in Las Vegas.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Brigham Young	100.00%	97.00%	66.45%	40.19%
2	Utah	100.00%	89.76%	40.59%	16.81%
3	New Mexico	100.00%	90.23%	56.55%	28.47%
4	San Diego St.	100.00%	35.87%	9.25%	3.06%
5	UNLV	100.00%	64.13%	24.10%	11.18%
6	Wyoming	100.00%	9.77%	1.77%	0.19%
7	Texas Christian	100.00%	10.24%	1.09%	0.09%
8	Colorado St.	46.01%	1.27%	0.08%	0.00%
9	Air Force	53.99%	1.73%	0.12%	0.01%

BYU is the conference favorite, but the winner of a potential New Mexico-Utah semifinal would also have a good chance of taking the title. UNLV’s home advantage should see it past SDSU and could propel it all the way to the auto-bid.

#1 –Brigham Young Cougars (24-6, 12-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.156

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

BYU has been one of the country’s more interesting teams, playing only two power conference teams, and losing both games, but staying fairly close in each one. It’s been the best team in the conference, but not by much, and will potentially face a big semifinal challenge against the hosts. The Cougars have been very good defensively, holding opponents to just 30% behind the arc, and as good on the defensive glass as any team on the country. Their offense hasn’t been as good, but is still pretty solid, they shoot very well and rarely turn the ball over. While they are strong on the defensive glass, they haven’t done the same on the offensive end, which has limited their effectiveness a little.

Players to watch:

6-7 SR Lee Cummard, 17.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.8 eFG% - On a team of excellent shooters, Cummard is probably the best, hitting 57% inside and 40% outside. He also brings a lot of other skills to the game, a very good rebounder who can dish out some assists without turning it over. While other players on the team do these latter things better than Cummard, none combine them the way he does.

6-2 SO Jimmer Fredette, 16.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 55.5 eFG% - Fredette has scored well of late, and boasts the team’s best assist rate, to go with some very effective shooting.

#2 – Utah Utes (21-9, 12-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.108

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2005 (Sweet Sixteen)

The Utes were set in the conference lead in mid-February, having run off an eight-game winning streak, but dropped two games on tough road trips to BYU and New Mexico to end up second. The Utes are sublime shooters, 52% from two and 41% from three, but aren’t the best offensive team in the conference, as they’ve committed a lot of turnovers. They’ve been average overall defensively, but have one of the most interesting pair of stats of any team in the country; Utah is one of the country’s elite defensive rebounders, and one of its worst at forcing turnovers, so it doesn’t manage to have a big possession advantage. It defends the inside very well, but is vulnerable to threes.

Players to watch:

7-2 SR Luke Nevill, 16.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 60.5 eFG% - Nevill may not be a player who gets a lot of national press, but he’s one of the best big men around, one of the MWC’s best scorers, and the conference’s best rebounder and shot-blocker. One thing he does especially well for a 7-2 player is earn points at the free throw line; not only does he get there a lot, he shoots nearly 80% once there.

6-8 SR Shaun Green, 10.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 62.5 eFG% - Green is a big man who can compete well on the glass, and is a very good outside shooter who does well when he does take the ball inside the arc.

#3 – New Mexico Lobos (21-10, 12-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.142

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2005 (1^st Round)

The Lobos will likely cause a headache for the committee come Selection Sunday; they’ve been the second best team in the MWC, but did very little out of conference. They have had the league’s best offense, no small achievement when you consider Utah and BYU. New Mexico shoots well, especially behind the arc, rarely coughs the ball up, and gets to the free throw line often. It’s been pretty strong defensively as well; it’s decent at stopping shots but is best at gaining a possession advantage, forcing a lot of turnovers and dominating the defensive glass.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Tony Dandridge, 15.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 50.8 eFG% - New Mexico’s leading scorer, Dandridge is an inside player who takes a large chunk of the team’s shots, and also earns a good number of points at the line. He doesn’t do much in the other parts of the box-score, but rarely turns the ball over.

6-6 JR Roman Martinez, 11.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 59.4 eFG% - Martinez leads the team in rebounding, and while he doesn’t take a lot of shots, he’s a dangerous scorer inside and out.

#4 – San Diego St. Aztecs (21-8, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.064

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

San Diego St. is somewhat behind the three leading teams in the conference, but is still a quality team that can cause the top seeds trouble. It plays a fairly slow paced style, and does its best work inside, shooting over 50% from two and doing well on the offensive boards. The Aztecs have been better when on defense, not overly strong in any one area, but not with any major weaknesses either. They were excellent at forcing turnovers in non-conference play, but have not been as effective in the MWC.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Kyle Spain, 14.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 50.7 eFG% - Spain leads the Aztecs in scoring, he’s a shooting specialist who hits 87% from the line and 41% from behind the arc, but has struggled with his percentage from two.

6-6 SR Lorenzo Wade, 13.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 50.0 eFG% - Last year’s top scorer for the Aztecs, Wade returned to the team after burglary charges against him were dismissed, and has been an excellent scoring complement to Spain in that time.

#5 – UNLV Rebels (21-9, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.039

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (2^nd Round)

UNLV will need to take advantage of its home-court advantage to make enough tournament progress to get to the NCAA tournament, as its EM standing matches its seeding, 5^th. Of the Rebels’ seven conference losses, only one came at the Thomas & Mack, but that one loss came to their first-round opponent, SDSU. The Rebs have had a very strong defensive showing, preventing opponents from making inside shots and getting them to cough up the ball, but their progression will depend on getting more from their offense, which has been clearly worse than that of the top four teams. UNLV doesn’t make many shots inside, and struggles at the free-throw line, but can score well on the perimeter.

Players to watch:

6-6 SR Rene Rougeau, 11.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 56.0 eFG% - Rougeau is an excellent player who is just 3^rd on the Rebels in scoring, but does a lot of things besides score that make him a major asset. He leads the team in rebounding, steals and blocks, and takes his offensive chances very effectively inside.

6-4 SO Tre’Von Willis, 11.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 44.9 eFG% - Willis is a very good player at the free throw line, which partially makes up for his relatively poor shooting percentage from inside the arc.

#6 – Wyoming Cowboys (18-12, 7-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.058

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2002 (2^nd Round)

The Cowboys have been stuck in the middle of the conference standings, unable to get wins against most of the top teams, but taking care of business against the teams below them. Offensively, they’ve been just a little behind the leading schools, thanks to their national-best ability to get to the free throw line, where they’ve managed to hit 72% of their many attempts. Wyoming’s problems have been defensive, as they have had a lot of trouble controlling opponents inside, and have one of the country’s worst turnover rates.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Brandon Ewing, 18.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 51.3 eFG% - Ewing leads the conference in minutes played, and makes good use of those minutes, also leading the league in both scoring and assists. He’s not a great shooter from the field, but gets to the free throw line extremely often, and makes 83% of attempts once there. He’s also a very good ball control guard, as in addition to his assists, he commits very few turnovers.

6-3 SR Sean Ogirri, 14.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 60.6 eFG% - A Wichita St. transfer, Ogirri is one of the conference’s best shooters, over 40% from behind the arc, where most of his shots originate.

#7 – Texas Christian Horned Frogs (14-16, 5-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.087

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1998 (1^st Round)

A good start for TCU, 4-1 to open the MWC season, just fell apart down the stretch, and it has won just once since mid-January. It’s played some close games, though, so it’s likely to have a better chance of winning at least a game than you might expect from a 5-11 team. The Horned Frogs have shot poorly, hitting threes at just a 31% clip, and haven’t been able to get back many of their own misses. They’ve also struggled to defend shots, especially inside, where opponents shoot nearly 55%, but have managed to compete on the defensive glass.

Players to watch:

6-9 JR Zvonko Buljan, 12.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 54.7 eFG% - The Croatian big man has been one of the MWC’s top rebounders, and a monster on the defensive glass in particular. He also has a very good offensive game, a high-percentage inside shooter who can also hit threes at a good clip.

6-8 SR Kevin Langford, 13.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 51.8 eFG% - The Frogs’ leading scorer tends to score in bunches, rather than consistently, but when he’s on he can really put up a big number. He’s one of the best players in the country at getting to the stripe, where he fares well at 78%.

#8 – Colorado St. Rams (9-21, 4-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.160

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2003 (1^st Round)

A perennial below-.500 team, Colorado St. has had a tough season, getting just one win against the top six teams and, despite a similar record to TCU, significantly worse than the seven seed by EM standards. The Ram offense has been decent, making up for some poor shooting from the field with good ball control and free-throw shooting. However, its defense has easily been the worst in the conference, providing little resistance to opponents. This has been especially bad inside, where they’ve allowed nearly 58% of attempts to go in.

Players to watch:

6-0 SR Marcus Walker, 17.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 47.5 eFG% - Walker is one of the conference’s best scorers, but isn’t a particularly efficient player. He’s a decent shooter, but scores so much because of his large role in the offense. His shooting inside the arc is an area that has really fallen off in his senior year, dropping nearly 10%.

6-6 SO Andre McFarland, 8.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 53.2 eFG% - McFarland isn’t a big scorer, but is Colorado St.’s most efficient offensive player, and the best three-point threat the Rams have.

#9 –Air Force Falcons (9-20, 0-16) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.235

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

Air Force came close to the biggest MWC upset of the season twice, playing close games at UNLV and BYU, but ultimately couldn’t get that elusive conference win. Its problem has been the worst offense in the league, which, when combined with one of the country’s slowest paces, leads to an average of barely 50 points in conference games. The Falcons actually make a decent percentage from three, where most of their shots come from, but just can’t get enough possessions, turning the ball over a lot and getting back very few misses. They do better on the defensive glass, but don’t force a lot of misses themselves, and are especially weak behind the arc, where opponents have shot 39%.

Players to watch:

6-6 SR Andrew Henke, 12.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 56.6 eFG% - Henke has led the Falcons in scoring, and averaged more than 20 points over his last four games. He’s a good three-point shooter who distributes the ball well, but commits a few too many turnovers.

6-6 SR Matt Holland, 10.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 62.3 eFG% - Holland is one of Air Force’s offensive bright spots, taking most of his shots from behind the arc, and hitting well over 40% of them, while also shooting 62% inside. He’s not the best long-distance shooter on the team, but he’s the only guy who combines inside and outside play this well.

My statistical all-Mountain West team:

Brigham Young SR G Lee Cummard, 17.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.8 eFG%

Wyoming SR G Brandon Ewing, 18.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 51.3 eFG%

UNLV SR G Rene Rougeau, 11.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 56.0 eFG%

Brigham Young JR G/F Jonathan Tavernari, 16.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 53.1 eFG%

Utah SR C Luke Nevill, 16.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 60.5 eFG%

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