You would think that a team that has already won 36 games (36-18), gone 18-12 in conference play, taken three of four non-conference games from Tennessee and swept a three-game set at perennial-power Stanford would already be a lock to get an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA baseball tournament. You'd be wrong.

The UNLV Rebels of head coach Tim Chambers had an outstanding season, but to a man, they know that going into this week's Mountain West Baseball Championship, they're going to have to fight for everything they get and try to win their way into the NCAA Tournament. With an RPI of just 75, despite all the good things they've accomplished this season, the prognosticators believe UNLV will have to win the MW tourney and get in via the automatic bid. Welcome to college baseball's version of The Bubble.

"I think the Conference as a whole is a lot better than people think," Chambers reflected prior to the regular season finale at Air Force. "We've played some good teams, and so has New Mexico."

While the MW has gotten a lot of national respect this season in the national polls and with recognition of key individuals, it does not get reflected in the low RPI ratings. RPI can be a goofy deal. The conference regular season champion Lobos have had another wonderful season, and climbed to a No. 13 national ranking by Baseball America. Yet UNM, which set a MW record for conference victories with 25, has an RPI of just 47. Go figure.

What this means is that this week's conference tournament will have the same kind of intrigue it's had for the past several seasons. Can the MW get more than just its tournament champ into the NCAAs? It's the same question that has hung over the event for the past half dozen seasons. Rarely has it turned out that way. More often or not, the conference has sent multiple entries to the post season.

Crazy stuff seems to happen in the postseason tournament - like a pair of No. 6 seeds, Utah (2009) and New Mexico (2011), actually winning recent tourneys. So anything can and has happened. This season, the Lobos have settled into the "favorite" role, while UNLV gets into the "us against the world" role the Lobos played so well. It remains to be seen if Lobo Head Coach Ray Birmingham can work the same "us against the world" magic this year that has served his teams so well in the recent past, but you know he's going to try.

Make no mistake. New Mexico is very good, the No. 1 hitting team in the nation. A 1-5 record against New Mexico is the only blemish on UNLV's resume this season. Two of the Lobos wins were by one run, and a third was by decided by two. In the final game of the series, UNLV blew a six-run lead in the ninth inning. If they'd somehow managed to win two of those three games, things would look much different for the Rebels.

"They're a really good team," Chambers said of the Lobos. "Offensively, they're really hard to stop. We had chances to bang with them and couldn't get it done. That part of it is what hurts us. Win a couple of those games and we're at 37-38 wins and I don't think we're on the bubble anymore."

Still, the Rebels are confident going into this tourney. They may have the most balance of any of the six teams. New Mexico has that powerful line-up, and third-seeded San Diego State has a strong pitching staff. But UNLV believes they have an edge on the mound vs. New Mexico and an edge at the plate against the Aztecs. They believe the tournament setting will allow them to exploit their advantages. In short, they expect to win the event and play in the NCAAs.

"Generally speaking, from a pitching standpoint, we are usually in all the games," Chambers noted. "A hit here, a hit there, and heck, we could have 40 wins right now.

"You know how it goes in the tournament. Whoever is hot at that time usually wins the thing. Whoever catches a break. Not just us, there are other teams in our conference that can win that thing, too. Fresno State is playing good. San Diego State can pitch with anybody and hold you down. If you've beaten everybody once, you can beat them again."

While New Mexico has certainly earned the favorites' role going into the tournament, it would not be a huge upset if UNLV did win the thing. It would be a shocker if New Mexico, with that No. 13 national ranking wasn't already a lock for at least an at-large bid, while the Rebels would have to at least play in the title game(s) and hope thing broke right elsewhere in the country in order to possibly get an at-large. Chambers and his staff know that the potent Lobo line-up presents a major challenge, but they also know the only way to be certain that they get to the post-season is to dethrone the defending champs.

The TV networks are taking notice of the big things happening in Mountain West football. The upcoming season will once again feature a bunch of high profile game, including a tilt against the defending national champs. All in all, there's a TV Watch Party waiting to happen every single week of the season. Here are some suggestions for just the first month of what promises to be another thrilling MW season. Remember, it's good to plan ahead! (all times listed are MOUNTAIN time).

Thursday August 29th: UNLV at Minnesota, TBD on Big Ten Network. Likely to be the earliest kick-off of the four MW games on opening night. The Rebels hope to get off to a good start in front of a big audience on BTN. Keep the remote handy so you can also keep an eye on Utah State at Utah, TBD. The Pac 12 Network is sure to be all over this rematch of last season's Aggie upset. Can Chuckie Keeton pull a repeat? Then there's Rutgers at Fresno State, TBD. The Bulldogs were conference tri-champs a season ago, and Derek Carr is back under center to continue his assault on the record books. No TV decided yet, but it's a virtual certainty that this will be the second of four kicks on a great opening night quadruple-header. The final kick off will feature USC at Hawai‘i, 9 p.m., CBS Sports Network. The game on the island will feature the improving Warriors of Norm Chow against his former protégé, Lane Kiffin and the Trojans. Expect fireworks.

Saturday August 31st: Boise State at Washington, TBD. Not to worry. The Pac 12 just has to figure out which of its network options will fit best with this dandy re-match from last season's MAACO Bowl Las Vegas. Boise State won, 28-26. Broncos D will have its hands full with an explosive Husky attack...but Bronco offense could have a BIG day. Another game that has yet to get a kick-off time, but will also be featured on the Pac 12 Networks is Nevada at UCLA. Life after Chris Ault begins for the Wolf Pack against a strong Bruins squad.

In the evening, it's Wyoming at Nebraska, 6 p.m. Big Ten Network. After hosting the Cornhuskers in 2011, the Cowboys make the first of two trips to Lincoln to face the Big Red. Head Coach Dave Christensen was a big winner in Lincoln in 2007 as the Offensive Coordinator for Missouri. Sunday, September 1st: Colorado vs. Colorado State in Denver, 4 p.m., CBS Sports Network. Former San Jose State Head Coach Mike MacIntrye makes his Colorado debut against a Rams team his Spartans handled easily last season. But the Rams will be looking to make it two in a row over CU, so there's that.

Saturday September 7th: San Diego State at Ohio State. TBD. Big Ten will figure this out shortly and decide which network will showcase the MW against the cream of the Big Ten in what will likely be an early kick-off, setting the stage for another exciting day. Utah State at Air Force, 1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network will showcase some early season conference play, and San Jose State at Stanford, TBD but surely ticketed for the Pac 12 Networks, will give us a good indication on where the Spartans stand with their new coaching staff.

Friday September 13th, Air Force at Boise State, 6 p.m. ESPN. Conference action takes center stage. Who will be unlucky on this night?

Saturday September 14th Nevada at Florida State, TBD. The Wolf Pack venture across the country to face a perennial powerhouse on their home turf. Count on an early start on TV someplace. New Mexico at Pitt, TBD. The MW takes a shot at the ACC newbie.

Friday September 20th: Boise State at Fresno State, 7 p.m. ESPN. Last season, this game played a part in deciding the tri-championship. Bulldogs will be looking for revenge at home and a shot at an outright conference title.

Saturday September 21st: Colorado State at Alabama, TBD. Networks can't resist the defending national champs, so Ram fans can plan on eyeballing Coach Jim McElwain's return to Tuscaloosa. Later in the day it's Oregon State at San Diego State, 5:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network. Mike Riley takes his team back to play in the stadium he once coached in as the HC of the Chargers.

It's sure to be a September to remember...and watch closely...for the MW. It will be just the start of a season that promises great excitement and a climatic finish.

Those of us who followed Stephen Strasburg's college career, beginning with his freshman season at San Diego State, just chuckled at the reaction of the MLB media when they got their first look at the young phenom. They acted like he'd just dropped out of the sky and landed in Washington D.C. as the best young pitcher they'd ever seen. Very few had actually seen him pitch prior to his arrival in the big leagues, which is too bad. They missed a lot. Strasburg was lighting up the radar gun and punching out hitters for three brilliant collegiate seasons, which we got to see, and guys like Curt Schilling missed, because unless it happens in Omaha, the college game is pretty much ignored. It's disappointing because college baseball has a lot to offer both players and fans.

With Major League Baseball setting new attendance records every year, complaints about the game having a supposed dip in popularity ring hollow. Major League Baseball remains immensely popular. Imagine what it could be like if college baseball got the same kind of coverage and following as college football gets?

Alas, we know that's not the case. The only time any sizeable chunk of America pays attention to college baseball is mid June when the College World Series begins in Omaha. What fans (and network TV) miss prior to that is something that can be pretty darn entertaining. And if more guys like Stephen Strasburg were playing, it would be even better.

That's not the case of course, due to the fact that more than half of the best young talent never plays an inning of college ball. More prospects than not go directly from high school into the low levels of the professional ranks - many to be swallowed up and never to be seen nor heard from again. The ones that do successfully climb the ladder normally take five or six years to resurface.

Unlike football and basketball, baseball remains a sport beholden to its "farm" system, developed by Branch Rickey back in the 1940's. Unlike football and basketball, young, promising baseball players are actually discouraged from going to college, where they can grow as people AND athletes. Instead, professional baseball continues to draft high school kids and lure them from home (and often times from previously signed letters of intent) with hefty signing bonuses - figuring that money can more than make up for a lifetime without a college education. You know the argument: I can get the money now, or I can earn it over the course of my lifetime, later. Hmmm.

Too few have the foresight to look past the dollars and into the immediate AND distant future. In the immediate future, it's been well documented that going to college is actually the FASTER path to the Major Leagues. Players like Strasburg spend far LESS time in the minors, and reach the big league (where the real "life changing money" exists) before the high schoolers that are still struggling up that ladder, one arduous rung at a time. Ex-college players have a tendency to catch on sooner and establish themselves in the show longer as well. Last summer, I studied the box scores for all the games played over the first weekend in July. Of all the middle infielders who started games that weekend, only TWO American born players did NOT go to college. (One was named Jeter. The exception that proves the rule.) College players are more used to big crowds, pressure atmosphere, and everything that goes with being in the show, including the business side. In short, they are far more ready for all they are getting into.

As for the distant future, learning and growing in a college atmosphere, whether a player stays long enough to earn his degree or not, as immeasurable benefit to a young man. Where do you think Strasburg would learn more - spending three years of being tutored by Tony Gwynn, or six years with six different minor league managers, who if they put their heads together couldn't match Gwynn's expertise on the game?

If a family is facing financial hardship, then it's understandable why they would opt to take the immediate money that professional baseball offers. If not, then it's hard to fathom why any player would choose six years of beating the bushes over three or four years on campus.

On the other side of it, it remains baffling why professional baseball continues to thumb its collective nose at what could be a ready-made farm system. The pros spend millions every year on bloated farm systems that may or may not actually produce big league ready players - while they complain about the huge salaries they have to play players. It's sort of astounding that someone has not stood up, pointed at pro football, and said 'Hey, look at them. They're the most popular sport in the country and they do it by having the colleges operate as their farm system. And they don't spend a dime doing it!...Umm, why don't we do that?'

In order to become the owner of a team, you very likely had to be a great businessman first. Yet continuing to operate a large and often ineffective farm system like baseball does doesn't make good business sense.

We can only hope that someday that changes. In the meantime, we can continue to enjoy watching players like DJ Peterson at New Mexico and not be surprised when he bursts onto the national stage in a year or two. The Mountain West has produced a lot of high quality major league talent, from "Mr. Padre" himself, Tony Gwynn, to Bud Black, Matt Williams, Mark Grace, Ryan Ludwick and newcomers like Addison Reed and Jordan Pacheco. The list goes on, and it will continue to grow, despite the obstacles the college game faces.

The changing face of the Mountain West conference has certainly had an impact on baseball. With the additions of Fresno State and Nevada, the MW tournament, May 22-26 at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif., will return to a six-team format, meaning there will be postseason baseball this year for every MW club.

Over the past few seasons, defending conference champion New Mexico has assumed the role of league favorite. Early in the season, it didn't appear to agree with them. The Lobos have righted the ship however - as has been the custom under head coach Ray Birmingham - and after the sluggish start that cost them their spot in the national rankings, preseason No. 21 by Baseball America, Birmingham's team has found its stride, both at the plate AND on the mound. After winning their sixth straight weekend series with a sweep of newcomer Nevada, New Mexico is back in the Top 25 at No. 24 with a record of 24-16, 14-4 in conference play. They now have a three-game lead in the league standings heading for the home stretch.

But this race is far from over. Second-place UNLV, sporting a glistening 27-12 overall record (11-7 in league play) and boasting the league's best NCAA RPI, comes to Lobo Field this weekend. The Rebels just finished off their first series victory over San Diego State since 2007, and still have a shot at catching New Mexico.

Rebels coach Tim Chambers has said he feels that a strong second-place finish in the conference should earn his team an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But he knows that the experts out there who evaluate these things for a living will only give the league a second bid if it's truly warranted. In other words, the Rebels have to finish with a flourish in order to lock that up.

Ironically, the last time the MW failed to get at least two teams into the NCAA tournament was 2008 - the same year that current MW newcomer Fresno State won the College World Series. Every year since, the MW has landed at least two teams in the NCAA tourney. San Diego State, led by No. 1 MLB draft pick Stephen Strasburg, led the MW party of three to the NCAA tournament in 2009, joining regular season champion TCU and tourney champ Utah. New Mexico crashed the NCAA party in 2010 with an at-large bid and earned the league's automatic berth in 2011 and 2012 by winning the conference tournament, joining TCU in NCAA postseason.

This weekend's series between New Mexico and UNLV in Albuquerque will set the tone for the remainder of the regular season as teams vie for seeding in the MW Championship and potential at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos (72), Rebels (67) and third-place San Diego State (74) currently hold the top three NCAA RPI ratings, one of the factors in determining an at-large berth, in the league thanks to some key non-conference wins early in the season. While those three teams may be the current favorites for the Conference's automatic spot in the NCAAs, don't count out fourth-place Fresno State, fifth-place Nevada or sixth-place Air Force. In two of the past four seasons the No. 6 seed in the MW tournament has earned the league's automatic bid (Utah - 2009; New Mexico - 2011) and don't think Bulldog fans have forgotten how quickly their 2008 squad turned into Cinderella wearing a pair of glass slippers all the way to the CWS in Omaha.

The final MW standings will not keep any team out of this year's conference tourney, but they will determine seeding and which two teams earn a first-round bye. Those final standings may also help determine if the MW can remain a two-bid league come NCAA tourney selection time.

Tony Gwynn is on a lot of short lists. Best players to come out of San Diego State. Best San Diego Padres ever. Fifteen time All-Stars. Players with eight batting titles. Best hitters of the 1980's and 1990's. Members of Baseball's Hall of Fame. Best pure hitters in Major League Baseball history.

And there's this one: Baseball Hall of Famers who've gone on to win more than 300 games as the Head Coach of their alma mater. That may be the shortest list of them all. In fact, Gwynn might be the ONLY member, after registering his 300th win as Aztecs skipper earlier this season. The late great Robin Roberts won 286 games as a Major League pitcher, and 262 games as the head coach at the University of South Florida, but you'll be hard pressed to find many - if any - other members of Baseball's most hallowed club who have even considered coaching in college.

Gwynn not only considered it, he lobbied for the opportunity before the ink was dry on his MLB retirement papers following the 2001 season. After serving his apprenticeship on Jim Dietz staff in 2002, he took the reins of the Aztecs program in 2003. Now in his 12th season on the mesa and still in recovery from a serious health scare, Gwynn says he remains committed to the program and is in this for the long haul. That fact alone makes "Mr. Padre" unusual.

"I've always thought of myself as being unusual," Gwynn said. "I did things at the big league level that were considered unusual, and then when I got this job, nobody thought I would be here this long. My passion for it has really grown. My admiration for it has really grown. I'm perfectly happy doing what I'm doing right now. You always have to weigh what opportunities are going to be out there in the future. I'm 52, and if I ever wanted to do something (in coaching) at the big league level, my clock is running out on that. As I sit here, that's perfectly fine. I'm perfectly happy doing what I'm doing."

This year's Aztecs are fueling Gwynn's desire to win even more at the college level. They finished last weekend's series at Air Force one game behind New Mexico in the Mountain West race after taking two of three in Colorado Springs. After playing a challenging non-conference schedule, they are squarely in the thick of the conference race...and will be a big factor come MW tournament time.

"We're still a young team," Gwynn said. "And sometimes we still have those young team moments that drive coaches crazy, but for the most part it's been good. This year more so than any other since I've been here, the juniors and seniors are really taking ownership of this club - and the other guys have followed. We really haven't had to remind them of things like, hey, we're going out on the road, this is a business trip.

"But the guys who play every day are mostly sophomores and freshman," he continued. "I keep harping on us being a young team because the guys who play the majority of the time are relatively young guys, and they follow the juniors and seniors lead. It's really been a good mix this year." The progress within the program is what keeps Gwynn motivated.

"I hate not getting to where I think we should be yet," he added. "You want to finish the job. I haven't finished the job yet, so as far as I'm concerned, this is where I want to be."

His health remains a concern. He missed a lot of time in the Aztecs dugout last season while he recovered from off-season surgery. He was diagnosed with cancer of a salivary gland and had both lymph nodes removed prior to the start of the 2012 season. He missed several road trips last season, but was strong enough to make the Mountain West championships in Las Vegas. That's changed this year.

"I'm feeling good," Gwynn smiled as we watched batting practice prior to game two of the series with the Falcons. "I've been able to make almost every trip. I didn't go to Arkansas...that's the only one I didn't go on because I was getting treatment, but so far so good. I've been here for every game. The team's progressing pretty good, they're maturing right in front of my eyes, and I'm happy. I kind of think we are where I thought we'd be."

One week earlier on the same field, New Mexico's Ray Birmingham picked up his 1,000th win as a collegiate head coach. Gwynn was asked if that could be a milestone that he'd someday shoot for.

"I hope so," he laughed. "I love doing what I'm doing. My love for the game hasn't changed. I like the college environment because we do a lot of teaching and that's what I really like." He paused. "Yeah, if I could stay around long enough, I'd love to win 1,000 games. The track record of the guys who have coached here before me, they all coached 30 years, so I got 18 more years to go. If I can last that long, then maybe I could win 1,000 games."

With the 2013 NFL Draft a week away, here's my projected order of the first 10 Mountain West selections. The league had 12 players selected in last year's draft, led by first-round picks Shea McClellin and Doug Martin of Boise State.

Overall, the MW has seven first round draft picks since the league's inception in 1999. Last year marked the second time in NFL Draft history in which multiple MW players were selected in the first round (2000). The MW has had at least 12 players selected in three of the last four NFL drafts and seven times since the league's inaugural season in 1999.

1. Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
An All-MW first team selection, Taylor last season finished with a team-high three interceptions, a mark that tied for fourth in the MW, and led the Broncos with nine pass break-ups. His 47 tackles (29 solo), which included 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks, ranked second among Bronco defensive backs and fourth on the squad. Early assessments by some draft analysts suggest Taylor could become the fifth Boise State player to be taken in the first round during coach Chris Petersen's tenure.

2. Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
Escobar, who opted to enter the draft following his junior season last year, led the Aztecs in receptions (42), receiving yards (543) and touchdown catches (6) while recording 10 receptions of 20 or more yards. Considered one of the most sure-handed tight ends in the nation and boasting superior speed, Escobar was a three-time All-MW selection.

3. Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State
Thomas, the MW Defensive Player of the Year last season, was selected to the 2012 Associated Press All-America first team after finishing the regular season as the national leader in interceptions with eight (a MW record). He returned three interceptions for touchdowns and led the Bulldogs with 82 tackles. His 12.0 tackles for a loss were the second-most in the MW.

4. Duke Williams, CB, Nevada
A second-team All-MW selection last season, Williams finished as the team's second-leading tackler (106) while tying for team-high honors with 68 solo stops. Highly valued for his leadership qualities, Williams also had 5.5 tackles for loss to go along with eight pass break-ups and an interception.

5. Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State
McFadden last year became the fifth SDSU player in school history to earn first-team All-MW honors in three consecutive seasons. Having played in every game since arriving on campus as a true freshman in 2009, he set career highs last season for tackles (61), solo stops (46), interceptions (3), forced fumbles (1) and returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

6. John Lotulelei, LB, UNLV
Lotulelei turned heads at the NFL Combine in February, ranking second among 16 linebackers in the 3-cone drill with a time of 6.91 seconds and fourth out of 20 in the vertical jump at 35.5 inches. He also was sixth out of 26 in the bench press with 25 reps of 225 pounds. A first team All-MW selection last season, his 120 tackles ranked 10th-highest in UNLV single-season history.

7. Mike Edwards, CB, Hawai‘i
Edwards, who bypassed his senior season to enter the draft, was named the MW Special Teams Player of the Year last season after ranking sixth nationally with a 30.4 kickoff return average and tying for the national lead with three returns for touchdowns. He also ranked 11th nationally in passes defended (17) and recorded two interceptions.

8. Khalid Wooten, S, Nevada
Wooten finished second in the MW last season with 15 pass break-ups and 17 passes defended while collecting a team-high two interceptions, one of which was returned for a 78-yard touchdown. He led the league with an average of 15.1 yards per punt return and averaged 21.7 yards on three kickoff returns.

9. Stefphon Jefferson, RB, Nevada
A first-team All-MW selection, Jefferson chose to forgo his senior season after finishing as the second-leading rusher in the nation last year with a league record 1,883 yards and 24 touchdowns. Jefferson, who averaged 5.0 yards per carry, also eclipsed the MW single-season mark for rushing touchdowns in a season, previously held by Air Force's Chance Harridge (22 in 2002).

10. Lucas Reed, TE, New Mexico
Reed, whose size and speed consistently created match-up problems, concluded his career with the most receptions by a tight end in Lobo history (77). Reed, a first-team All-MW pick in 2010, started 34 of 48 career games in Albuquerque. Reed's older brother, Brooks, was a second-round pick of the Houston Texans two years ago.

For the second consecutive day, former Nevada guard Malik Story turned heads at the Portsmouth Invitational on Saturday, finishing with 14 points, two rebounds, four assists and a block for Sales System Limited during the final day of competition at the oldest amateur basketball tournament in the nation.

Story, who shot nearly 48 percent (47.6) over the final two days of the event, hit 5-of-9 attempts from the floor on Saturday, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, in a 105-94 loss to Mike Duman Auto Sales. His performance came on the heels of a game on Friday in which he had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal.

The Portsmouth Invitational, staged at Churchland High in Portsmouth, Va., is designed for college seniors to showcase their talents for NBA and European scouts. This year's event marked the tournament's 60th anniversary.

Story, one of four MW players invited to this year's event, finished the tournament averaging 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists while playing an average of 24 minutes in three games.

In Saturday's other games featuring MW players, former UNLV guard Anthony Marshall, playing for team Cherry Bekaert, had nine points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal in 18 minutes of action before fouling out of a 94-89 win over Portsmouth Partnership. Marshall, the only MW player last season to average more than five assists per game, averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals while playing an average of 24 minutes in three tournament games in Portsmouth.

Former San Diego State guard Chase Tapley had his highest-scoring game of the tournament on Saturday. Playing for Roger Brown's Restaurant, he finished with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in just 17 minutes of an 87-78 loss to K&D Rounds Landscaping in the championship game. Tapley averaged 6.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals during the tournament while averaging 19 minutes in three games.

Colorado State forward/center Colton Iverson, an Associated Press honorable mention All-American who averaged a team-high 14.2 points and a league-best 9.8 rebounds for the Rams this past season, was invited to the event but elected not to take part.

The Portsmouth Invitational, whose alums include such players as Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and John Stockton, is the first of two NBA pre-draft camps, with the other being staged in Orlando, Fla., next month.

Former Nevada guard Malik Story turned in one of the top performances of the day at the Portsmouth Invitational on Friday, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in leading his team (Sales Systems, Ltd.) to an 89-85 win over Portsmouth Sports Club.

The Portsmouth Invitational, staged at Churchland High in Portsmouth, Va., is a four-day event consisting of eight teams and 12 games and is designed for college seniors to showcase their talents for NBA and European scouts. Now in its 60th year, it is the oldest amateur basketball tournament in the nation.

Story, one of three MW players participating in this year's event, was the fourth-leading scorer in the league last season, averaging 16.7 points per game. The MW's second-leading three-point shooter in 2012-13, Story connected on 5-of-12 attempts from the floor on Friday in 26 minutes of action.

In Friday's only other game featuring MW players, former UNLV guard Anthony Marshall, playing for team Cherry Bekaert, had seven points, four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes in his team's 68-67 loss to Roger Brown's Restaurant.

Former San Diego State guard Chase Tapley, a member of the squad opposing Marshall's team, finished with two points, one rebound, three assists and a steal in 18 minutes. Tapley's team will play for the tournament championship on Saturday night.

The Portsmouth Invitational, whose alums include such players as Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and John Stockton, is the first of two NBA pre-draft camps, with the other being staged in Orlando, Fla., next month.

Former UNLV guard Anthony Marshall, who led the Mountain West in assists during the 2012-13 season, dished out a team-high five on Thursday to lead his team (Cherry Bekaert) to an 81-74 win over Sales Sytems, Ltd. during the second day of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Portsmouth, Va.

The Portsmouth Invitational is a four-day event consisting of eight teams and 12 games and is designed for college seniors to showcase their talents for NBA and European scouts. Now in its 60th year, it is the oldest amateur basketball tournament in the nation.

Marshall, the only MW player to average more than five assists this season (5.8), also contributed eight points and three rebounds while tying for game-high honors with three steals in 26 minutes.

Marshall was one of four former MW players invited to compete in the tournament, along with Colorado State forward/center Colton Iverson, Nevada guard Malik Story and San Diego State guard Chase Tapley.

Story, a member of the team that opposed Marshall's squad on Thursday night, finished with five points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.

Tapley, who averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in his final season at San Diego State, had seven points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 26 minutes while playing for the team of Roger Brown's Restaurant in a 91-64 win over Portsmouth Sports Club.

Meanwhile, a Colorado State spokesman confirmed Friday that Iverson, an Associated Press honorable mention All-American who averaged a team-high 14.2 points and a league-best 9.8 rebounds in 2012-13, opted not to take part in the event.

The Portsmouth Invitational is the first of two NBA pre-draft camps, with the other being staged in Orlando, Fla., next month.

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CSU Assistant Named Head Coach at Furman
Colorado State men's basketball assistant coach Niko Medved was officially named the new head coach at Furman University on Friday.

Medved, who spent six seasons with the Rams, formerly served as an assistant at Furman. He spent the 2006 season as the Paladins' interim head coach.

While at CSU, Medved helped guide the Rams to four consecutive postseason appearances, including back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament in 2012 and 2013. CSU set a school record for wins (26) last season while earning its first top 25 ranking in the Associated Press poll since 1954.

The 60th edition of the Portsmouth Invitational, the oldest amateur basketball tournament in the nation, moved into its second day on Thursday, with four former Mountain West players competing before approximately 200 NBA scouts.

The four-day event, which consists of eight teams and 12 games and is staged at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Va., is designed for college seniors to showcase their talents for NBA and European scouts.

The four former MW players invited to compete in the tournament include Colorado State forward/center Colton Iverson, UNLV guard Anthony Marshall, Nevada guard Malik Story and San Diego State guard Chase Tapley.

None of the four seniors, all of whom took the court for the first time today, is playing for the same team, though the squads represented by Marshall (Cherry Bekaert) and Story (Sales Systems, Ltd.) are scheduled to square off in the day's final contest.

The Portsmouth Invitational, whose alums include such players as Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and John Stockton, is the first of two NBA pre-draft camps, with the other being staged in Orlando, Fla., next month.

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SDSU Looks to Fill Vacancy
San Diego State assistant coach Tony Bland has announced that he is leaving the program to become the associate head coach at USC under newly-appointed head coach Andy Enfield.

Bland, who played for the Aztecs in 2002 and 2003, was the first SDSU graduate to serve as a full-time assistant for the team since the 1977-78 season.

The Aztecs have had significant success filling the position in the past, with Bland, considered the team's lead recruiter, following in the footsteps of current New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies, Cal assistant Gregg Gottlieb and UNLV assistant Justin Hutson.