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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- San Diego State
- Wyoming
- Boise State
- Colorado State
- New Mexico
- UNLV
- Fresno State
- Utah State
- Nevada
- San Jose State
- Air Force
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MWC TEAM:
-Isaiah Stevens – SR, G – Colorado State
-Jamal Mashburn – JR, G – New Mexico
-Matt Bradley – SR, G – San Diego State
-Graham Ike – JR, F – Wyoming
-Hunter Maldonado – SR, G – Wyoming
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-San Diego State has been at or near the top of the league for the last several years, and they are the clear frontrunners this year. They won 23 games last year and made the NCAA Tournament, and with four starters coming back they should be a top-25 caliber team this year, as well as in the top half of the bracket of the NCAA Tournament. They have always been a really strong defensive team and should be again this year, and they have got quite a bit of depth on their bench. They also have Matt Bradley, who is one of the best players in the conference, and he gives them a very strong perimeter game as well It would not surprise me to see this team high in the rankings at the end of the year, and perhaps even in the hunt for a protected seed.
-Wyoming is another team that we may see in the rankings before the year is over. They made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and with four starters coming back could be on the brink of a really special season this year. They have a tremendous home court advantage, and I am almost expecting them to go undefeated at home. They have one of the best centers in the conference in Graham Ike, who nearly averaged a double-double last year, and a really good guard in Hunter Maldonado as well. Both of these players are capable of scoring a lot of points.
-Boise State was the first place team a year ago and lost in the Round of 64. Unfortunately they lost several key players from that team, but they should have enough coming back and some decent looking transfers to where they should be in the hunt to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
-Colorado State was another team that went dancing last year, and as good as they were I think we were expecting them to be even better (at least I was), but 25 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance is nothing to be down about. Just one starter is back so the Rams look to be in rebuilding mode this year. Isaiah Stevens is back, and they do have some guys who were key players off the bench, but they still appear to be in a bit of a rebuilding mode and it will not be easy for them to make it back to the NCAAs this year. (***EDIT*** Since writing this I have learned that Isaiah Stevens has sustained a foot injury, which will make things even more difficult for the Rams this year.)
-New Mexico is a program that I always feel should be better than what they are. They have a rabid fanbase, and while they have had some decent teams, they seem to spend far more time outside the bubble rather than inside of it. Four starters are back but they were just 5-12 in league play a year ago and finished near the bottom, so even with all of that experience it is hard to be overly excited about them. Still, Richard Pitino is a good coach and he did make some improvements in his first year so they may be heading in the right direction.
-UNLV has not been anywhere near the bubble for the past several years and does not appear to be heading there this year. They won 18 games last year, which is okay but not great, and most of the key players from that team are gone. They do add seven new transfers so the roster has overturned quite a bit. We will see if they can get it going.
-Fresno State was a modest 8-9 in league play last year but they ended up winning the College Basketball Classic Tournament, and with four starters back this year they could be a bit of a dark horse. To be honest I thought they would be picked a little higher than this. In addition to four starters returning, they have added some transfers who look like they can be impact players as well.
-Utah State is another team that was picked surprising low. They were a modest 18-16 last year and made it to the NIT, but with three of their top-five scorers back they should be able to at least finish in about the middle of the league…at least I would think.
-Nevada has struggled ever since Coach Steve Alford arrived, and I have to admit that I am a little surprised because I really thought he would be able to get things going in Reno. They have just two starters back and lost a lot of key players who need to be replaced. It could be a long rebuilding year for the Wolfpack.
-San Jose State had their highest KenPom ranking in over five years last year!! They nearly DOUBLED their win total from the year before!! They also had their highest win total in over five years!! Coach Tim Miles’s first season was a ROARING success and I cannot believe they have not been picked to win the conference. Okay, so they only won 8 total games, were just 1-17 in MWC play, and barely cracked the KenPom top-300: this is still a program that is on its way to the top of all of college basketball!!
-It is so hard to win at Air Force. They have a unique style that will sometimes allow them to pull off a big upset, but more often than not they are closer to the bottom of the league than to the top, and that looks to be where they will end up this year.