MW Men's Basketball
1. No. 18/21 New Mexico at Colorado State, Tuesday (8 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): It's not a week free of challenges for the first-place Lobos, who in the span of four days play at Colorado State and at TCU, teams that already own wins over nationally-ranked San Diego State and UNLV, respectively. New Mexico is riding a seven-game win streak and (finally) entered the national polls for the first time this season after dispatching the aforementioned Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels last week. The Rams and Horned Frogs are 12-1 and 12-2, respectively, at home this season, with CSU having won 11 straight at Moby Arena. The Rams' last loss at home came against Southern Mississippi on Nov. 19.
2. No. 18/21 New Mexico at TCU, Saturday (6 p.m. CT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): TCU has won seven straight at home, the team's longest run since winning nine in a row in 2008-09. The Frogs, whose last appearance in Fort Worth culminated in a 102-97 overtime victory over then-No. 11/11 UNLV, a game in which they rallied from an 18-point deficit, have not lost at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since falling to Tulsa on Dec. 31.
3. Wyoming at No. 24/25 San Diego State, Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): While New Mexico plays both of its games away from The Pit this week, the Aztecs, who trail the Lobos by two games in the standings, are at home for meetings with Wyoming and Colorado State. SDSU is 23-1 at home against current members of the MW, but also finds itself in the midst of a three-game skid for the first time in four years. One of only four teams in the league without an overall losing record on the road, Wyoming is also trying to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak.
4. Colorado State at No. 24/25 San Diego State, Saturday (7 p.m. PT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Rams dealt the then-12th-ranked Aztecs their worst loss of the season (77-60) on Jan. 28, posting their first home win against a ranked opponent since 2003. But while CSU has been largely bullet-proof at home, it is one of only two teams in the MW (TCU) not to have won a league road game this season. Overall, the Rams have lost eight straight away from Moby Arena.
5. Boise State at No. 21/20 UNLV, Wednesday (7:15 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network - DirecTV 613): After going 0-7 through the first round of league play, Boise State has won three MW games in a row, with each of its last two wins coming down to the final second. The Broncos had the Runnin' Rebels on the ropes in Boise on Jan. 25 before falling 77-72 in overtime. UNLV, 13-0 at home this season, is looking to find its feet after consecutive losses to TCU and New Mexico (64-45), the latter marking its largest margin of defeat since dropping a 68-48 decision to Louisville on Nov. 21, 2007.
6. Air Force at No. 21/20 UNLV, Saturday (1 p.m. PT, NBC Sports Network - DirecTV 603): Hats off to Falcons' interim head coach Dave Pilipovich, who is now 2-1 following Saturday's 65-63 win over No. 13-ranked San Diego State. Air Force's only other victory against a ranked opponent came against No. 22 UTEP on Feb. 15, 1992. The Falcons put a scare into the Rebels in the teams' initial meeting of the season, falling 65-63 in overtime in a game Air Force led 34-33 at the half. Since the 2004-05 season, five of the seven meetings in Las Vegas have been decided by seven or fewer points.
7. TCU at Air Force, Wednesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Falcons, who rallied from a 12-point deficit to win at Wyoming on Wednesday, have won two in a row after dropping seven straight. TCU won the teams' initial meeting of the season, 59-56, in a game the Falcons led 28-26 at the half. The Frogs are looking for their first league road win of the season.
8. Boise State at Wyoming, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Wyoming never trailed in the teams' first meeting of the season on Jan. 28, winning 75-64 at Taco Bell Arena as it finished 25-of-38 (65.8 percent) from the field, including an 8-of-14 performance (57.1 percent) from three-point range. The Broncos took 24 shots from beyond the arc but made just seven.
MW Women's Basketball
San Diego State at Wyoming, Tuesday (6 p.m. MT; The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The first-place Aztecs (20-5, 10-1), who hold a two-game lead in the MW with three to play, nailed down their third 20-win season in four years with Saturday's victory over Air Force. SDSU, which has won 16 of its last 17, trailed only once (3-2) against Wyoming in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 24, winning 56-45. The Cowgirls, who knocked off second-place Colorado State, 66-62, in overtime on Saturday, have won four of their last five home games. The game will feature MW Player of the Year candidate Courtney Clements (SDSU), Newcomer of the Year candidate Chelsea Hopkins (SDSU) and Freshman of the Year candidate Kayla Woodward (Wyoming).
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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