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MOUNTAIN WEST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- Boise State
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- San Diego State
- UNLV
- Utah State
- Colorado State
- San Jose State
- Wyoming
- Fresno State
- Air Force
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MWC TEAM:
-Alvaro Cardenas – G – Boise State
-Tyson Degenhart – F – Boise State
-O’Mar Stanley – F – Boise State
-Nique Clifford – G – Colorado State
-Nick Davidson – F – Nevada
-Donovan Dent – G – New Mexico
-Nelly Junior Joseph – C – New Mexico
-Reese Waters – G – San Diego State
-Dedan Thomas Jr. – G – UNLV
-Ian Martinez – G – Utah State
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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-Leon Rice has taken Boise State to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons, which is a great run, but he has yet to get past the Round of 64. This year they are the consensus favorites to win the league again, and when you see that Tyson Degenhart and O’Mar Stanley are back, it is easy to understand why. Both were standout players a year ago who could score and rebound. Emmanuel Ugbo is another double-digit scorer and strong rebounder, so the Broncos have an extremely capable frontcourt. Alvaro Cardenas transfers in from San Jose State and offers a lot of experience at the PG position, so the Broncos appear to have all the pieces they need to have another strong year, make it back to the NCAAs, and perhaps make it beyond the Round of 64.
-New Mexico won 26 total games a year ago, but were not inside the bubble going into the MWC Tournament after finishing a modest 6th place in the conference. However, the Lobos won the conference tournament and the automatic bid so their season ended on a high note. Donovan Dent returns to the lineup as the starting PG, but three starters are gone and they will need some guys to step up, play more minutes, and be bigger contributors this year.
-Nevada also made the NCAA Tournament last year, and with three starters back expectations are again high for Coach Steve Alford and Co. Nick Davidson is a solid scorer/rebounder, Trey Coleman is a solid defender, and they also have some key transfers with respectable D-1 experience coming in. I think this Nevada team can challenge Boise State for the league title.
-San Diego State made the Sweet Sixteen last year after a solid 20-win season, but much of that team is gone and the Aztecs are tasked with restocking the cupboard. While they have a few solid transfers coming in, and some guys that saw limited minutes last season, they do not look quite like they’re built for a return to the Sweet Sixteen. If Coach Brian Dutcher can get this team back to the NCAA Tournament, that would be a solid accomplishment.
-UNLV is one of those programs that seems to be slowly getting better, but at the same time it feels like they should be getting better a lot faster and be more accomplished than what they are. They were a very respectable 12-6 in conference play a year ago, but were nowhere near the NCAA Tournament. Dedan Thomas Jr. is a solid PG, and with solid transfers like Jailen Bedford and Jaden Henley coming in, and Jalen Hill returning after missing much of last season due to an injury, UNLV looks like they could possibly make a lot of noise and have a bit of a breakout year this year. Having said that, we have said that about them before…and it has not happened.
-Jerrod Calhoun takes over as head coach at Utah State, but while this is a transitional period for the Aggies, the cupboard is not completely bare. Three starters are back, including Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev, both of whom were double-digit scorers a year ago. Dexter Akanno joins the roster from Oregon State and should be a huge contributor as well. I actually like this Utah State team quite a bit and would pick them to finish quite a bit higher than where they are in the preseason poll.
-Colorado State has had a hell of a run in recent years. They have won 20 or more games in four of the last five season, and made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. This year, however, they may be in a rebuilding mode. Four starters are gone, and while Nique Clifford is a double-digit scorer that returns, and Keshawn Williams returns after missing last year due to an injury, they do not appear to have all the personnel they need to return to the NCAA Tournament this year. Having said that, we have seen this team overachieve before.
-After a 21-win season in 2022-2023, San Jose State won just nine games last year and seems to be reverting back to winning fewer than ten games. Just one starter is back, but the roster overhaul may not be the worst thing in the world for Coach Tim Miles. Miles has a proven history of being able to develop talent and build up programs, but in the transfer portal/NIL era can that be done at a place like San Jose State?? They are rather transfer-heavy, and brought in a slew of guys who appeared to be role players at D-1 schools a year ago, but no standout or go-to players jump out at me right now.
-No one gets higher than the Wyoming Cowboys!! Unfortunately, almost no one is back this year. Nick Whitmore takes over as head coach, and he will have to replace the entire starting lineup. Dontaie Allen was a contributor at Western Kentucky last year, but other than him they seem to be lacking in guys with critical D-1 experience.
-Fresno State also struggled last year, and is also tasked with replacing their entire starting lineup. They do have a few guys that were standout players at the JUCO level. We shall see if they can have success at the D-1 level.
-It is so hard to compete at Air Force. They do have a unique style of play, and they can be competitive against some top teams because what they do is so different than what most are used to seeing, but more often than not they finish closer to the bottom than the top. And, it looks like that’s how it is going to be this year.