MW Men's Basketball
1. Colorado State at No. 11/13 (AP/Coaches) UNLV, Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Can Colorado State back up Saturday's big win against No. 13 San Diego State? A year ago, the Rams picked up their first win (78-63) at UNLV since 2003. CSU is 2-5 on the road, where it has dropped its two league road games by an average of 26 points, and will be heading into a Thomas & Mack Center where the Rebels have won 11 straight. While many thought last year's win over the Runnin' Rebels might earn CSU a bid in the NCAA Tournament, such hopes never came to fruition after the Rams lost four of their last five regular-season MW games. Win this one, and an invitation to The Dance should be in the mail, if CSU doesn't falter down the stretch.
2. No. 11/13 UNLV at Wyoming, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Will a stingy defense beat a high-paced offense? Tune in Saturday to find out. The Cowboys continue to be the best defensive team in the Mountain West (and fourth-best in the NCAA), limiting opponents to an average of 53.6 points per game. However, slowing the Runnin' Rebels, the nation's ninth-highest scoring team (MW-best 80.6 ppg), will be no small feat. Yet UNLV has had its share of struggles on the road, with each of its last two games away from the Thomas & Mack Center (Boise State and Air Force) being decided in overtime.
3. New Mexico at Air Force, Tuesday (8 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Falcons were on the verge of posting what might arguably have been one of the biggest wins in program history before falling 65-63 to then-No. 12/15 UNLV in overtime on Saturday. Air Force has been hamstrung by a rash of injuries, but standout junior guard Michael Lyons served notice against UNLV (25 points) that he's on the mend after being hampered for more than a month by a high ankle sprain. New Mexico also has a healthy Hugh Greenwood back running the point. The Falcons reeled off seven straight wins vs. the Lobos on their home court from 2001-07, but New Mexico has won each of the last four meetings at Clune Arena.
4. Wyoming at TCU, Wednesday (7 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Cowboys are unbeaten on the road in Mountain West play thus far in 2011-12, with wins at Air Force and Boise State. TCU has yet to lose a league game at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, with wins over the same two teams. Look for a defensive battle in a game where the Pokes and Horned Frogs rank first and second, respectively, in the league in turnover margin.
5. Air Force at Colorado State, Saturday (3 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Three of the last five games in the series have been decided by four or fewer points. Colorado State's NCAA Tournament hopes largely slipped away last season due in part to its 17-point loss at the Academy in late February. As with any opponent facing the Falcons, good shots figure to be at a premium for CSU, the top-shooting team in the league. Air Force guard Michael Lyons averaged 17.5 points in the teams' two meetings a year ago.
6. TCU at No. 17/17 San Diego State, Saturday (7 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616/Ch. 4 San Diego): The Horned Frogs have historically given the Aztecs fits in San Diego, with four of the last five games being decided by an average of six points. Two of the top guards in the league will square off in SDSU's Chase Tapley (16.1 ppg) and TCU's Hank Thorns (13.2 ppg), who currently rank first and eighth, respectively, in scoring.
7. New Mexico at Boise State, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): The Broncos, who nearly played the role of giant killer at Taco Bell Arena last week before falling to then-No. 12/15 UNL`V 77-72 in overtime, get another shot at one of the top-tier teams in the MW. The next six days figure to severely test the Broncos, who must travel to San Diego State on Wednesday.
8. Boise State at No. 17/17 San Diego State, Wednesday (7:15 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): The Aztecs, who will undoubtedly be anxious to rid themselves of the hangover of Saturday's loss at Colorado State, have won 42 straight home games against unranked teams. The Broncos have yet to win a road game this season, but fell by just two (54-52) at TCU in their last outing away from Taco Bell Arena.
MW Women's Basketball
1. San Diego State at TCU, Saturday (2 p.m. CT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): The Aztecs, who remain the only unbeaten team in league play, enter the week having won 12 straight, the program's longest streak in 17 years. The Horned Frogs have won four out of the last six meetings against SDSU, including sweeping their two-game set against the Aztecs last season. TCU enters the week having won three straight and four of its last five. This game kicks off the second half of Mountain West action on the women's side. The Aztecs won the first meeting of the season in San Diego, 61-46.
2. Wyoming at UNLV, Saturday (4 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Lady Rebels, whose only league loss came in overtime against front-running San Diego State, have won four in a row and seven of the last eight coming into the week. Wyoming, which is coming off one of its most impressive performances of the season with a 20-point win over Boise State, has won three of its last five games. In the first meeting of the season, UNLV squeaked by Wyoming in Laramie, 54-51.
3. Air Force at New Mexico, Tuesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): One thing's for certain: Somebody is going to breathe a contented sigh of relief to end the first half of Conference action. Both teams come into the week at 0-6 in league play. New Mexico has won 30 straight games in the series.
Mick McGrane has covered the Mountain West since the league's inception in 1999. He spent 12 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he served as the beat writer for San Diego State football and men's basketball. He currently represents the MW as a member of the Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McGrane serves as senior writer to the Mountain West, providing readers with exclusive, in-depth information about the Conference by highlighting its eight member institutions and contributing feature stories on student-athletes that participate in the league's 18 sponsored sports.
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