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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Imagine if college basketball held a tournament featuring All-Star teams made up of the best players from each conference. Imagine what kind of success a team of Mountain West all-stars could have in that kind of tourney!

We all know the Big Ten and the Big East have gotten all the accolades following strong performances in the NCAA tourney. That's fine. They deserve it. But a team of MW all-stars wouldn't take a back seat to any conference. So, for the sake of this exercise, let's imagine each conference putting together say, a 14-man roster as chosen by the coaches and league administrators to go out and represent the league in The (insert sponsor here) Tournament.

We'd start with the coaching staff, which would have included Steve Alford, but obviously won't now. That leaves the head job to the conference veteran, Steve Fisher from San Diego State. His assistant coaches would be Larry Eustachy from Colorado State and Dave Rice from UNLV. Very solid staff indeed.

Our guards: At the point we'd have Colorado State senior Dorian Green. Equal parts distributor and clutch scorer. Top 12 in the league in scoring with an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio. Even though he played out of position much of the season, UNLV's Anthony Marshall needs to be part of the squad, especially since he can play both guard spots and is a proven winner. He averaged double figures in scoring and led the league in assists. Then you bring in the sharpshooters in Boise State's Derrick Marks (16.3 points per game) and Deonte Burton and Malik Story of Nevada (16.3 and 16.7 ppg, respectively), along with reigning MW Player of the Year Kendall Williams (13.3 ppg) from Conference champ New Mexico. The tough part with this group would be dividing up playing time.

There's no shortage of talent at the forward positions, either. Start with 2011-12 MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin of San Diego State. All he did this season was lead the Aztecs in scoring (17.0 ppg) rebounding (9.5, 2nd in the league) and assists. More scoring punch can be supplied by Air Force sharpshooter Michael Lyons, who tied for the league lead in scoring at 17.7 ppg, NBA-bound UNLV freshman Anthony Bennett, and of course, the guy Lyons was tied with, Boise State's Anthony Drmic.

Our Mountain West Dream Team also needs some low post grinders. The combo of Colorado State's relentless Pierce Hornung and Wyoming's bruising Leonard Washington will would be able to battle for rebounds with the stars of any other conference and not give any ground. The two seniors combined for more than 17 rebounds per game this past season.

In the middle, the MW can boast a couple of future pros in Colorado State's Colton Iverson and New Mexico's Alex Kirk. Iverson led the MW in rebounding at just under 10 per game and scored better than 14 points per game in 2012-13, while Kirk averaged better than 12 points and eight rebounds per game. It's a tandem that could hold up against anyone in the country.

Would a team of MW all-stars be able to win a national tournament? Maybe not on pure talent alone, but one thing this conference is long on that others don't have is experience. Iverson, Green, Hornung, Lyons, Marshall, Story and Washington are all seniors, while Franklin, Burton, Williams are juniors. Bennett has become one of the infamous "one and done" players who spent a single season in college before leaving for a shot at the NBA, but that doesn't happen very often in this conference. And teams like the MW Dream Team would be better because of it.

It's fun to dream, right?

The startling development that Alford was leaving New Mexico to take over at UCLA came just 10 days after the coach agreed to a 10-year contract extension to stay in Albuquerque, presumably until he retired. It looked like the perfect situation for everyone involved. Turned out it wasn't, at least from Alford's perspective. He got a moderate pay raise (around $600K/year) to move to Los Angeles - all or most of which could be eaten up by the significant rise in the cost of living in California - but the chance to coach at a place with a storied history and seemingly limitless potential was too much to turn down. A grateful Alford said he was surprised and flattered that UCLA called him; it was a dream job - and a compliment for New Mexico basketball - from his perspective, even if most of us don't see it as much of an upward step in the current college hoops landscape.

Whatever the case, Alford is now part of New Mexico's outstanding basketball history. Athletic director Paul Krebs and his staff must now look toward the future.

Opponents of the Lobos have been quick to jump on the "this will really weaken New Mexico" bandwagon. Make no mistake, Alford is a great coach who will be missed. Then again, a quick glance up Interstate 25 can offer a pretty good illustration of what could very well happen. All is certainly not lost in Lobo Nation.

About this time a year ago, head coach Tim Miles left Colorado State to take on the massive rebuilding job at Nebraska. CSU was coming off a terrific 20-win season and had a loaded roster returning for what promised to be an even better 2012-13. The timing of Miles' move puzzled many observers, given the shaky state of Nebraska basketball. Had the Rams and Huskers played this season for example, CSU would have likely boat-raced Miles' new team by a couple dozen points or more.

After Miles' departure, the CSU administration did not panic. They set about doing a thoughtful and complete coaching search, which finally led them to veteran Larry Eustachy at Southern Mississippi. The former National Coach of the Year accepted the CSU gig and relocated (again) to Fort Collins. You know the rest of the story: A school record for wins in a season, a second-place finish in the Mountain West, and a second-round NCAA tournament win over Missouri. Talk about your smooth transitions.

Coaching transitions are actually never easy. Even with a loaded roster, Eustachy had a difficult job in front of him, and he did it exceptionally well. The point here is, CSU found the right man to take its program to the next level without skipping a beat. Can there be any question that New Mexico is capable of doing the same thing?

The Lobos - like CSU last year - return a loaded roster for 2013-14, including Conference Player of the Year Kendall Williams (whom Alford recruited away from UCLA, ironically.)

"We return everybody," Alford said at the new conference announcing his departure, obviously still feeling connected to his former program. "We return the entire starting five of a 29-6 team. We've been one of the premier programs out west."

Of course, there could be more departures, via transfers or early exits for the pros, still to come. But the point is Alford, like Miles, does not leave a bare cupboard at UNM. Quite the opposite. He took over a decent program and elevated it to greater heights. He made serious upgrades on the academic side of things, and he won 155 games in six seasons, at least 22 per year every season. He won four Conference titles. UNM was in the postseason every single year. Whoever his replacement is comes into a situation even better than Eustachy inherited. There's no real reason for any sort of dropoff.

Alford has already endorsed his long-time assistant, Craig Neal, who was officially named the 20th head basketball coach at UNM. The Lobo players reportedly wanted Neal very much, and he should keep the Lobos moving upward.

With less than 24 hours to go until the official 2013 NCAA Tournament bracket is announced, the Broncos are projected by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, SI.com's Andy Glockner and CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm to be in the field of 68.

If you take a look at the numbers, it's clear to see that the Broncos belong in the tournament.

Boise State currently holds a top 40 Ratings Percentage Index ranking (37), has won 21 games and finished MW play at 9-7 in the nation's top-rated RPI conference.

Before embarking on the Conference portion of this year's schedule, Boise State showed that it can play - and beat - some of the best teams in the nation. The Broncos lost by four points on the road to Michigan State (No. 8 RPI and Associated Press, No. 7 USA Today/Coaches) in late November. A week later, they took down Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament champion Creighton - also on the road - by 13 points, 83-70. The Blue Jays are currently ranked No. 23 by AP, No. 24 Coaches and No. 25 in the RPI.

With Conference victories over Colorado State (No. 15 RPI) - a win that ended the Rams' 27-game home win streak,- UNLV (No. 22), San Diego State (No. 32) and two close losses to MW regular-season and tournament champion New Mexico (No. 2 RPI, No. 15 AP, No. 14 Coaches), the Broncos have defeated four top-40 RPI teams.

Here's a look at other NCAA Tournament bubble teams and how they compare to Boise State:

Middle Tennessee State (28-5, No. 29 RPI)
The Blue Raiders do own a higher RPI than the Broncos (ranked No. 29), but do not own any wins against top 50 RPI opponents and played just four games against top 100 RPI opposition, compared to Boise State's 16 games and 8-8 record against comparable competition.

LaSalle (21-9, No. 41 RPI)
The Explorers are ranked No. 41 in RPI, but when compared with the Broncos, they have two fewer wins against RPI top 50 teams, and have played only seven games versus top 50 opponents - compared to 11 for Boise State. LaSalle has a .571 winning percentage against teams ranked No. 51-100 in RPI, while Boise State is 4-1 against similar opponents, good for an .800 winning percentage.

Kentucky (21-11, No. 50 RPI)
The 2012 national champion Wildcats are just 2-4 against RPI top 50 teams - two fewer than the Broncos - with both wins coming at home. They are 5-5 against RPI teams in the 51-100 range, contrasted to Boise State's 4-1 record.

Ole Miss (24-8, No. 56 RPI)
Like most teams on this list, Ole Miss has neither won as many games against top 50 opponents (two) or played in the number of contests (five) as Boise State. The Rebels are just 8-6 against teams in the RPI top 100.

Alabama (21-12, No. 62 RPI)
The Crimson Tide did not win a single game against a top 50 RPI opponent (0-4), while the Broncos defeated as many teams as the Crimson Tide played. Boise State played 11 games against top 50 RPI opponents. Alabama is 8-3 against RPI teams in the 51-100 range, but none of those wins came on the road; Boise State has two road wins against the RPI top 100.

Virginia (21-11, No. 66 RPI)
The Cavaliers defeated Duke (27-5), but have also lost to the likes of Boston College (16-17), Florida State (18-15), Delaware (19-14) and Old Dominion (5-25). Their No. 66 RPI ranks 29 spots lower than Boise State.

Maryland (22-11, No. 86 RPI)
The Terrapins did beat Duke twice, but 18 of its 22 wins came against teams with an RPI over 100. Conversely, Boise State won eight of its 21 games against teams ranked in the RPI top 100. Maryland owns a 3-9 record against teams in the RPI top 100, where the Broncos are 8-8 against similar opponents.

Funny how visions have a way of becoming reality.

Unless something way off the charts happens during several conference tournaments this week, the Mountain West - the top-rated RPI college basketball conference in the country - will be sending five of its nine teams to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. Two others (Air Force and Wyoming) may also play in the postseason.

It's been another stellar season for Mountain West basketball. Remember, we're just two seasons removed from the year that saw San Diego State and Kawhi Leonard (who finished the season 34-3) battling for conference supremacy against Jimmer Fredette's BYU Cougars (32-5) with America glued to the TV. The two powerhouse programs squared off three times that season, with neither really being clearly established as the better team. While fans around the country were entertained, most were also certain that Leonard and Fredette's departures to the NBA would mean the MW might take a step back.

Didn't really happen like that.

Instead, the MW landed four teams in the Big Dance the following season- twice as many as the Pac 12- with Colorado State rising up to establish itself as a national player, alongside the Aztecs, UNLV and New Mexico. Media pundits would never have thought the Mountain West would have more than four teams in the NCAA tournament.

Don't look now, but that line of thinking is also about to go the way of the set shot. Remember the MW school best known for its blue football turf and nationally-relevant football program? That school is suddenly becoming a basketball power as well. With key wins over CSU and San Diego State in the final week of the season, to go with an early-season win at nationally-ranked Creighton, Boise State has now established itself as the fifth MW school worthy of hearing its name called on Selection Sunday.

So go ahead and mark it down: Five MW teams in the Big Dance.

If you spend any time looking at the RPI rankings and listening to the national pundits, you already know that New Mexico (RPI # 2), CSU (# 15), UNLV (# 22) and SDSU (# 32) are all virtual locks for at-large bids to the NCAA tournament (one MW team will gain an automatic bid after they win the conference tourney this weekend.). Now you can add the Broncos (# 37) to that list.

At-large bids are tricky. There are only 37 of those bids available nationally. If a conference regular season champ gets knocked off in the conference tournament and ends up with an at-large spot, it can end up bumping a team that was otherwise projected to get in. So anything can happen. Still, as things stand, the MW is poised to take four of those 37 at-large bids.

No matter how you stack it up, that's impressive.

Is the MW the best conference in the country? Just look at the numbers. You can obviously make a great case for the powerful Big Ten, with four teams ranked in the top 10.

For that reason alone, most would give them the nod as the best conference overall.

But the Big Ten (with 12 teams) is top-heavy. The teams at the bottom, Penn State, Nebraska and Northwestern are not as good as say, Wyoming or Nevada or Fresno State. Nevada vs. Northwestern on a neutral court? I'm picking the Wolf Pack.

Top to bottom, the MW doesn't take a back seat to anyone.

With that in mind (along with Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference rising to the top of the polls) it's about time someone in a high-up place put a stop to the ridiculous use of the term "Power Conference" to describe the six conferences that have a Bowl Championship Series affiliation in football. (By the way, this would be a good time to remind everyone that the term "BCS" has nothing to do with college hoops - it only pertains to college football.)

Sorry, but the Almighty Southeastern Conference may rule the gridiron, but in hoops, the SEC is far from being a "power" conference. The Big 12 and Pac-12 are also not close to as good, top-to-bottom, as the MW. It's been a down season overall for the Atlantic Coast Conference (outside of Duke) so only what's left of the current/temporary Big East and the truly powerful Big Ten rank with the MW in terms of overall conference strength. It's the Mountain West that has proven over the last several years that it is a "power" conference.

When Kawhi and Jimmer were at the top of their games, most of us thought MW basketball was as good as it would ever get. How cool is it to be able to look back and be so wrong? The really exciting part is what lies ahead for the future. With another historically powerful program in Utah State joining the conference starting next season, could we be talking about, dare I say it, six bids in future seasons? Another reason to stay tuned.

When Williams finally made his way to where Alford was waiting, the coach ushered him to a spot under the Moby bleachers where the two shared a private moment, an embrace and ear to ear smiles that the public doesn't often see from the veteran coach. It was one of those moments that make coaching special, a time when a guy like Alford, who has been there, done that, gets to see the true fruits of his labor.

Williams' Jimmer-like performance had just propelled the Lobos well into the front of the pack in terms of the MW regular season title and top seed in the conference tourney. It could also have earned Alford the league's Coach of the Year award, assuming UNM is able to hold its lead over CSU (a full two games plus the tiebreaker with four games left to play) and capture the regular season title they were not favored to win. Make no mistake: Winning coach of the year in the powerful Mountain West is no small feat. Not with the stellar group of coaches that occupy the first chair in this league.

Former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy watched the game from courtside while doing color for the NBC Sports Network. When I mentioned to him afterwards what good coaches there are in this league, the coaching veteran quickly shot back.

"No, no, no," Van Gundy corrected me. "Not good coaches...this league has GREAT coaches. Not good. GREAT. Good players, lots of talent. But GREAT coaches."

He wasn't just referring to Alford, of course. In the same conversation, he mentioned San Diego State's Steve Fisher, with more than 460 career wins and the only MW coach with a National title on his coaching resume, and CSU's Larry Eustachy, who has won more than 420 games as a head coach and taken a team to the Final Four. You can add Wyoming's Larry Shyatt to the list of veteran head men who make the MW a true power conference.

Van Gundy smiled as he lamented what Eustachy was going through in his locker room in the aftermath of the Rams second straight loss. "It's tough for Larry right now," Van Gundy said. "But he will watch the tape, and see that a guy (Williams) just had the greatest game of his life and see that his team didn't play that bad. He probably won't yell at them tomorrow as much as he might want to right now."

It was an epic game, only the second between ranked teams ever played at Moby (a Feb. 13, 2013 matchup between then-No. 22 San Diego State and the then 24th-ranked Rams was the first). A good measure of credit for that also has to go to Eustachy, who took a well-stocked cupboard from his predecessor, Tim Miles, and took things up a notch, making CSU a legit contender in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Eustachy will lose all five starters off his first team after this season, but there is no doubt that CSU's basketball program is in great hands moving forward.

Alford's program is now among the best in the country - New Mexico has won six games in a row against ranked teams - and Fisher's Aztecs, who will now remain in the MW to help keep the conference among the elite - will remain a force to reckon with for many years to come. Shyatt's Cowboy's started the season 13-0 and have the look of a title contender in the very near future.

On the horizon, the future appears to be just as bright for the young up-and-comers among the league coaches, headlined by UNLV's Dave Rice, now in just his second season as a head coach. Rice has already become the winningest coach over his first two seasons in UNLV history and with a very young team, that trend figures to continue over the next few seasons.

There was a point during the season when Air Force was smack dab in the middle of the league race, placing second-year head coach Dave Pilipovich right in the middle of Coach of the Year talk. Add in Boise State's third-year head man Leon Rice - whose team is still on the NCAA bubble and will make a postseason appearance this season, Fresno State's Rodney Terry (second year) and Nevada's David Carter (fourth year) and you have a group of head coaches that don't take a back seat to any group in any conference in America.

It's enough to make MW fans smile from ear to ear.

A coach of some repute who had spent time in both the Big Ten and Big 12, his defense that season ranked 100th or worse in virtually every statistical category in college football. Curious as to how one group could so thoroughly coat itself in such ignominy, I asked if things could get any worse over the final third of the season.

Arching an eyebrow and looking less than enamored about the prospect of broaching the topic, he offered this:

"If you're going to judge us on statistics alone, then, no, we're not a very good defense."

It was one of the most remarkable responses I'd ever received from any coach in any sport I'd ever covered, and that covers more than a few. If not statistics, what was I to judge his defense on? The color of their eyes? The height of the sky? Unrefined oil prices in Qatar?

Now, numbers may not tell the whole story, but neither do they mask ineptitude. Ultimately, they define a team for what it is or is not, paring back the layers to unveil its core strengths or its abundance of blemishes.

So if you'd care to utilize statistics in sizing up the defense being played in Mountain West men's basketball this season, the data is not only a good place start, it's one of the foremost factors in how a league once erroneously referred to as a "mid-major" has ascended the ranks of the royals.

Consider: As of this writing, five of the MW's nine teams rank among the top 50 nationally in either field-goal percentage defense or scoring defense. Finding an open shooter is like discovering a sapphire at the bottom of a soup bowl. Lanes are clogged like midtown Manhattan. And for those who do get to the rim, the resultant pile-up often makes it difficult to distinguish whether teams should be awarded first downs or free throws.

Heading into this week's games, eight of the league's nine teams are allowing 67.5 points or fewer on the season, meaning 143 (41 percent) of the nation's 345 Division I teams are allowing more. Of the 61 teams in the country currently limiting opponents to a shooting percentage to 40 percent or less, four of those teams --- UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico and Colorado State --- reside in the MW.

UNLV boasts the league's top field-goal shooting defense (38.5) after limiting Wyoming to just 28.8 percent last Saturday, the lowest shooting performance by a Runnin' Rebel opponent in Conference play this season. Overall, the Rebels have held teams to 34.5 percent or less from the field nine times this year and to 23.8 percent or less from 3-point range nine times as well.

San Diego State, which ranks second in the league in both field-goal percentage defense (38.7) and scoring defense (60.1 ppg), is threatening to erase school records in both categories. The record for field-goal percentage defense (39.6) and scoring defense (59.2) were both established during the team's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run in 2010-11.

New Mexico is limiting opponents to a shooting percentage of just 39.3 (39th nationally), a figure that would rank as the best in 46 years were it not for last season's effort of 38.4 percent. Providing the Lobos are able to hold opponents to under 40.0 percent the rest of the way, it would mark their first time accomplishing the feat in consecutive seasons since 1956-57 (38.6) and 1957-58 (37.2).

Colorado State, which entered last Saturday's meeting with the Lobos ranked ahead of them in field-goal percentage defense, saw that number dip slightly after UNM's Kendall Williams torched the nets for 46 points en route to a 52.9 team shooting percentage. The Rams are limiting opponents to 39.4 percent, a figure exceeded in the MW by only UNLV, New Mexico and San Diego State.

Despite allowing a season-high 79 points at San Diego State last Tuesday, Wyoming leads the MW and is 11th in the NCAA in scoring defense, yielding just 56.5 points per game. And while better days are ahead for Coach Rodney Terry's young Fresno State squad, which currently occupies last place in the league, no one has questioned the Bulldogs' defensive tenacity. Fresno State is ranked 59th nationally, allowing 61.3 points per contest.

Impressive numbers all. Assuming, of course, that statistics have anything to do with performance.

With less than a month remaining in the Mountain West men's basketball regular season, two teams --- New Mexico and Colorado State --- are separated by a half game atop the league standings.

The No. 19/18 Lobos and No. 24/24 Rams won't meet for a second time until Feb. 23, but given the myriad trapdoors existing in a league that has now had a record five of its nine teams ranked in the Top 25 this season, one false step can prove perilous.

Consider: Of the five teams currently sporting winning records in league play, four --- Air Force, CSU, San Diego State and UNLV --- will square off against each other this week. And while New Mexico may still hold at serve at week's end after facing Fresno State on the road and Boise State at home, no one need remind the Lobos that both the Bulldogs and Broncos have already beaten UNLV, a team that on Saturday led by as many as 16 points and never trailed in its 64-55 win over New Mexico.

Game of the week: No. 22 San Diego State at No. 24/24 Colorado State, Wednesday. These are heady times in Fort Collins, where the Rams this week cracked the Top 25 for the first time since the 1953-54 season. While the Rams have become virtually bulletproof at Moby Arena, boasting the nation's third-longest active home win streak at 26 games, they have also endured their share of struggles at home against the Aztecs. San Diego State, which needed overtime to beat CSU after building an 18-point lead in the teams' initial meeting of the season, has won six times in its last seven visits to Fort Collins. Though both teams possess ample firepower on the perimeter, the difference is in the paint, where Colorado State ranks No. 1 in the nation in rebounding with an average of 42.4 rebounds per game. Led by senior Pierce Hornung's game-high 14 boards, the Rams outrebounded SDSU, 54-38, in the teams' first meeting of the season.

Individual matchup to watch: Two of the league's elite guards take center stage Wednesday at Clune Arena when UNLV visits Air Force. Rebel senior Anthony Marshall, who has effectively silenced critics questioning his ability to transition to point guard this season, is averaging a league-high 6.0 assists per game. No other player in the MW is averaging more than five. Meanwhile, Falcon senior Michael Lyons, whose 37-point performance against Boise State on Jan. 19 ranks as the highest-scoring game by a MW player this season, is second in the league in points per game (17.6). Both rank among the top 10 in the MW in minutes played, with Marshall averaging 33.54 (third) and Lyons averaging 32.55 (eighth). Marshall had a career-high 12 assists in UNLV's 76-71 overtime victory over Air Force on Jan. 13, while Lyons recorded team-highs of 19 points and seven rebounds.

Must win: Air Force heads into its matchup with UNLV two games back in the league race and tied for fourth place with the Rebels. While all three teams ahead of Air Force in the league standings (along with UNLV) must take to the road this week, the Falcons will be at home both Wednesday and Saturday, when they face Colorado State. Not only would a win over the Rebels snap Air Force's current two-game skid, it would also provide a large measure of momentum heading into its meeting with a CSU team that is 3-3 in its last six visits to Colorado Springs. The Falcons have lost only once at home this season, that coming in a 72-69 decision against previously Top 25-ranked Wichita State.

Big week: San Diego State, the preseason favorite in the league's media poll, will either validate that vote or find itself in scramble mode following this week's road games at No. 24/24 Colorado State and UNLV. In addition to winning six of their last seven at Moby Arena, the No. 22 Aztecs have won five of their last eight at UNLV. SDSU desperately needs the presence of senior point guard Xavier Thames, who has missed four of the team's nine league games with a lower back strain. After missing two consecutive contests, Thames returned to action in Saturday's win over Fresno State, playing 13 minutes while finishing with five points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and no turnovers.

Stat of note: Colorado State is the only team in the nation with two players averaging more than nine rebounds this season. Colton Iverson leads the Rams with an average of 9.7 rebounds per contest, while Pierce Hornung is averaging 9.3.

We've just begun the "second half" of the conference season, and the standings aren't exactly what they were forecasted to be, but it's very close. New Mexico remains on top, a half game ahead of Colorado State, with San Diego State third and UNLV tied for fourth with an Air Force squad that has defied the preseason prognosticators who picked the Falcons to finish dead last. Four of those five teams most likely will be in the NCAA tourney, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot at stake the rest of the way. There are conference titles - regular and postseason - to be won.

The Lobos have done the best job of holding serve to this point, capturing wins in all their home games (including victories over CSU and UNLV) while not losing any games they were favored to win. Their only losses are at SDSU and at UNLV Saturday night. No shame in those of course. Otherwise, the Lobos have done most everything right, with their Top 25 national ranking proof of that. For the Lobos to win it: UNM must win its three remaining home games, including the re-match with San Diego State, which whipped the Lobos in Cali. They need to win three of the four remaining road contests to finish a sparkling 13-3. The road games - at Fresno State, Nevada and Air Force - are all winnable, albeit not easily, as all three of those teams already boast a win at home against the top half of the league. A win in Fort Collins would probably seal the deal.

Colorado State also went through the first half of the regular season unbeaten at home while winning the road games they were favored to win. They also lost both road games they were picked to lose, at San Diego State and at New Mexico. So the Rams are exactly where most people thought they'd be at this moment, having held serve. Having beaten the Rebels in Fort Collins, what's left for CSU is a visit to UNLV and home games with the Aztecs and Lobos. If form holds true, and CSU wins its remaining home games and falls at UNLV, then the Rams' chances of winning the conference title come down to being able to win road games at Wyoming, Air Force and Boise State, which, again, won't be easy. It will take all of that to overtake the Lobos. For Colorado State to force the issue into at least a tiebreaker scenario, the Rams would have to break from the pattern and find a way to win at UNLV, and the Rebels looked outstanding at home in beating UNM. For the Rams to win it: CSU will have to beat SDSU and New Mexico (as well as Fresno State and Nevada) at home, and win three of the four remaining conference road games to also finish 13-3 in league play...and hope the tiebreaker tilts the Rams' way.

The Aztecs are in a decent place, but may look back at a home loss to UNLV and road losses at Air Force and Wyoming - three games they were favored to win - as key missteps in terms of the conference race. They get a shot at ending CSU's home winning streak on Wednesday, and have to also hope to get some help in the form of an unexpected loss or two from the teams ahead of them. For the Aztecs to win it: SDSU will have to win its three remaining home games of course, but to gain the top spot, the Aztecs would probably have to beat all three of the other contenders on the road...and win at Boise State. Winning all four of those road games would be miraculous.

At 5-4 in conference play, respectively, Air Force and UNLV have the most work to do. After last weekend's win over New Mexico, the Rebels might have the most preferred schedule down the stretch, with home games against Colorado State AND San Diego State...AND they already own a big road win at San Diego State. However, the Rebels have uncharacteristically already lost at Boise State AND Fresno State. The Falcons host both UNLV (who they took to overtime in Las Vegas) and Colorado State this week...AND they have a home win over San Diego State. BUT Air Force has to travel to Boise State and SDSU. It will take a clean run through the second half of the conference season for either team to claim the top seed in the conference tourney. For the Falcons or Rebels to win it: Air Force or UNLV will have to go 7-0 from here on out and hope that 12-4 is good enough.

The regular season title means a lot, but the conference tourney title means a little bit more, bringing that automatic NCAA bid and a higher seeding with it. Any of the four teams is capable of winning the tournament, but the team with that top seed does go in with a bit of an advantage.

Statistics are based on the first half of league play only.

Jamaal Franklin, Jr., G, San Diego State: Franklin, the reigning MW Player of the Year, ranks among the league's top 10 in 10 statistical categories, including scoring (1st, 18.3 ppg), rebounding (t-2nd, 8.5 rpg), steals (t-3rd,1.633) and assists (6th, 3.38). He is the only player in the nation leading his team in scoring average, rebounding average, steals average and assists average.

Anthony Marshall, Sr., G, UNLV: The league leader in minutes played (37.62) and assists per game (7.1), Marshall also leads the Runnin' Rebels in steals (1.0 per game) and three-point shooting percentage (.433). He is second on the team in shooting percentage (.527) and ranks fifth in rebounding with an average of 4.6 per contest. Despite averaging more minutes than any player in the league, Marshall's assist/turnover ratio of 2.28 ranks third in the MW.

Derrick Marks, So., G, Boise State: Marks, identified by Michigan State coach Tom Izzo as a player the Spartans had no answer for, ranks second in the league in scoring (17.3) and shooting percentage (.482). He is also fifth in free-throw percentage (.821), is tied for fifth in steals (1.57) and ranks seventh in assists (3.14).

Pierce Hornung, Sr., F, Colorado State: Hornung, who has gained national acclaim for his rebounding, is now becoming a factor at the offensive end, as well. Prior to missing the majority of Wednesday's win at Nevada due to illness, Hornung posted consecutive double-doubles for the second-place Rams by averaging 17.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in wins over Boise State and Wyoming. He ranks second in league play in offensive rebounds (3.63) and is tied for fifth overall with an average of 8.0 rebounds per contest.

Alex Kirk, So., C, New Mexico: In helping stake the first-place Lobos to a one-game lead through the league's first half, Kirk, who missed all of last season after undergoing back surgery in 2011, ranks first in the league in rebounds (7.1) and ninth in blocks (1.63). He also is second on the team in field-goal percentage (.478), third in scoring (10.9) and minutes played (29.0) and fourth in free-throw percentage (.690).

Lobos Look to Lengthen Lead

While some took exception to my observation last month that New Mexico had the muscle to ultimately reign supreme in this year's Mountain West race, I'm not backing away from that argument.

The Lobos, who play five of their final eight on the road, begin the second half on Saturday at UNLV against a team suddenly struggling to find its feet. New Mexico, which beat the Rebels in its last appearance at the Thomas & Mack Center, has posted a league road record of .500 or better in every season save one since coach Steve Alford's arrival in 2007. That, folks, is no small feat in a league where only two teams --- New Mexico and San Diego State --- had winning road records in league play a year ago and only nine have done so in the last five seasons.

Should the Lobos get past UNLV, they would likely be viewed as the favorite in each of their remaining contests, with the exception of a date with Colorado State in Fort Collins on Feb. 23. Both teams are undefeated at home in league play.

In the event New Mexico and Colorado State split their regular-season series and finish tied for the league title, their records will be compared against the team occupying the next highest spot in the standings, continuing down until one team gains the advantage and thus the higher seed in the MW Championships. If two teams remain tied after all tie breakers have been exhausted, the last tie breaker when determining seeds for the MW Championships is RPI, as determined by the most recent NCAA RPI available on March 9.

Disclaimer: The aforementioned scenario is based on my impression of the first half of the league season, which, this being the MW, will undoubtedly have no bearing whatsoever on what occurs over the course of the next month.

Stat of Note
Of the 36 games played during the first half of the MW season, exactly half were decided by single digits.

When Bzdelik left for Colorado (and later Wake Forest) the Falcons' hoops fortunes sagged. In recent years it's been more of a struggle on the hard court, and this year's Falcons were not expected to change much of that. Head Coach Jeff Reynolds was let go late last season and AFA finished 13-16 overall, just 3-11 in MW play and tied for last place. Air Force was picked ninth out of nine teams in this year's preseason poll. Yet someone forgot to tell the players and new head Coach Dave Pilipovich they were supposed to be a non-factor in the conference race...because as we near the end of January, here they are.

The Falcons won AT Wyoming last Saturday (57-48) and defeated Fresno State last night (62-50). Air Force is now on a four-game win streak and tied for second with a 4-2 mark in Conference play. A break or two, and they might be tied at 5-1, considering AFA lost in overtime AT nationally-ranked UNLV on January 12th. The win in Laramie was their second straight road win over the Cowboys. True to form, they did it with a scrambling, hustling effort on defense.

"Sometimes we don't even know what we're playing," Pilipovich told the media afterwards. "How's the other team know?"

Air Force has already beaten Boise State as well as the Cowboys this season, meaning that the two teams most observers have pegged as having the best shot at giving the Mountain West a fifth team in this year's NCAA tournament have each already fallen to the Falcons.

Maybe the most impressive thing about AFA's current four-game win streak is that it began right after a 39-point beat-down at the hands of Colorado State in Fort Collins. It was after a similar loss at Moby Arena last season that Reynolds was let go, and the team did not respond immediately. This year, it's been a different story. As bounce-backs go, you'd be hard pressed to do better.

The best news for Air Force fans? They won at Wyoming while not playing their best game. Coming in as the 11th-best three-point shooting team in the nation, the Falcons hit only 5-of-15 from long range against the Pokes, but scored an uncharacteristic 24 points in the paint. They also held the Cowboys to just 33 percent shooting and a meager 18 percent from behind the arc. That's what contenders do.

Can Air Force stay in the race? We'll find out as the calendar turns to February. After Wednesday's visit from Fresno State to end this month, Air Force hosts preseason favorite San Diego State and then visits Conference leader New Mexico, both of whom are currently ranked, in a four-day span. Win one of those two, and Air Force could stay in the race right up until the finish line.

As we head into the final week of the first round of league play in the Mountain West, one loss separates first-place New Mexico from four others (San Diego State, Colorado State, UNLV and Air Force). Had the Lobos won at SDSU on Saturday, I was relatively convinced they had the muscle to go the distance, despite facing a daunting second half in which they play five of their final eight on the road.

Of course, that was before New Mexico was limited to 34 points, the second-lowest total in league history, and went 11-of-44 from the floor (25.0 percent) against the Aztecs, thus reducing to rubble my faulty, if not foolish forecast, forgetting that this is, after all, the Mountain West. The Lobos (17-3, 4-1) still hold a spot in both polls (No. 20 AP, No. 22 USA Today/Coaches), though there are likely easier ways to sharpen your shooting skills than facing Wyoming's dogged defense, which the Lobos must do Wednesday night in Laramie.

Game of the week: No. 22/20 San Diego State at Air Force, Saturday. Lest one forget (and rest assured the Aztecs have not), the Falcons, who sported a league record of 2-7 at the time, won 58-56 against a then-No. 13/15 SDSU squad that was without the services of its leading scorer/rebounder in Jamaal Franklin, who was nursing a sprained ankle. Air Force, which is 8-1 at home this season, has discovered that daring to be different can pay dividends. Contrary to customary form, the Falcons have turned up the tempo, pushing rather than patiently probing. Air Force has scored 90 or more points in two of its last three games and pulled off a rare double-double when it beat Wyoming in Laramie on Saturday for the second straight year. The Aztecs (16-4, 4-2) have had more than their share of struggles at Clune Arena in recent seasons, going 3-6 since 2004.

Individual matchup to watch: While Wyoming has battled shooting woes of late, 6-7 senior forward Leonard Washington is averaging team highs of 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks to rank among the top nine in the MW in each category. Washington, who is tied for second in the league this season with eight double-doubles, will square off against the current leader in that category on Saturday when the Cowboys face Colorado State in Fort Collins. Rams center Colton Iverson, who ranks 10th in the league in scoring (14.3 ppg) and second in rebounding (9.5 rpg), has posted nine double-doubles thus far. Washington ranks ninth in the MW in scoring and fourth in rebounding.

Must win: With three consecutive road games looming (Colorado State, Cal State Bakersfield, Boise State), Wyoming can ill afford a third straight loss when it hosts New Mexico on Wednesday. The Cowboys, who rank eighth in the MW in scoring offense (63.3 ppg), shot just 33 percent (17-of-51) from the field and 17 percent (5-of-28) beyond the arc in Saturday's loss to Air Force. This after shooting 41 percent (20-of-48) from the field and 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from three-point range in a 62-50 loss at UNLV last Thursday. Wyoming has scored 50 or fewer points in three league games.

Big week: After suffering its second-worst loss of the season (75-59) at Nevada on Saturday, Boise State has the opportunity to show why it's one of just three teams in the nation (Kansas, Oregon) with multiple road wins over ranked opponents or face a serious uphill climb in the second half of the league schedule. It will be far from easy for the Broncos (14-5, 2-3), who must first deal with a Colorado State team on Wednesday that has won 24 straight home games before returning Taco Bell Arena on Saturday to face UNLV. Boise State split its season series with the Rams and Rebels last year, with both victories coming at home.

Stat of note: Six MW teams are undefeated this season when holding a halftime lead (San Diego State 16-0; UNLV 15-0; Colorado State 13-0; New Mexico 12-0; Wyoming 10-0; Air Force 8-0).

After two weeks, we have the expected threesome plus some party crashers bunched near the top of the standings. There's one unbeaten team in conference play (New Mexico at 3-0), one team with a single loss (Colorado State at 2-1) and SIX teams with a pair of losses. Only Fresno State at 1-3 appears in trouble.

The 15th-ranked Lobos have already picked up home wins over UNLV and Fresno State, plus a an overtime road win over upstart Boise State (no small accomplishment - just ask Creighton.) So Steve Alford's bunch is off to a great start, but has plenty of work left to do. Colorado State has a pair of home wins over Air Force and #25 UNLV, and a road loss at #15 San Diego State, so the Rams have basically held serve thus far.

Who has done BETTER than holding serve so far - that is, picked up a key road win AND protected their home court? New Mexico can stake that claim, as can UNLV, with an overtime home win over Air Force and road win at #15 SDSU. The Rebels have only played one conference home game so far.

That's about it for the moment. The Broncos have a key road win over Wyoming, but dropped one they needed to win against AFA...Wyoming has a big home win over the #15 Aztecs, but dropped a home game to Boise State. So who sits in the best position...and what will be the formula that teams need to follow to stay at the top?

The formula will be pretty cut and dry from here on out: Win all or most of your home games, and do better than .500 on the road. The conference regular season champ will have to go at least 6-2 at home and at least 5-3 on the road. Something like an 11-5 conference record in the third-ranked (RPI) league in the nation will be a major accomplishment - and could earn a team that regular season title and top MW tournament seed.

While a .500 overall conference record could conceivably still get a team like Colorado State or Wyoming an NCAA bid (coming on the heels of an impressive non-conference records) it might not be enough to get that team into the upper half of the final league standings. That's how good this conference is.

There are plenty of critical league games coming up before the end of January: CSU at New Mexico, Wyoming at UNLV, New Mexico at San Diego State and the Lobos' trip to Wyoming. If New Mexico wins two of those three, the Lobos will be sitting pretty at 5-1. There's a pretty good chance UNLV and CSU will both be 4-2 at that point. The UNM-SDSU game is the biggest contest of the rest of this month, but every single league game carries great significance the rest of the season.

In a league where successes are short-lived and shortcomings come with the territory, there is another slate of high-impact games ahead this week, where No. 15/17 New Mexico, unbeaten in league play, could ever so steadily begin to distance itself from its pursuers. While the Lobos are the only team in the league holding down a spot in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls this week (San Diego State remains ranked in the Coaches' poll), sitting upon one's laurels in the MW this season is akin to seeking shelter in a straw hut in a firestorm. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Game of the week: Colorado State at New Mexico, Wednesday. The Lobos (16-2, 3-0), who are 9-1 at home this season, own a mark of 41-5 against CSU in games played at The Pit. The teams split the series last year, with UNM winning, 85-52, in Albuquerque and CSU prevailing, 71-63, in Fort Collins. The senior-laden Rams, who were a study in true grit in Saturday's home win over UNLV and are receiving votes in both polls, must now prove their mettle on the road. CSU (15-3, 2-1), which was 1-6 in league games away from Moby Arena last season, has never posted a winning road record in MW play.

Individual matchup to watch: The return of center Alex Kirk has bolstered the Lobos immensely. The 7-foot Kirk, who missed last season after undergoing back surgery in the summer of 2011, has already more than tripled the number of double-figure scoring games in his career. After posting four such games as a freshman, he has scored in double figures 14 times in 18 games this season. Considering the teams are relatively evenly matched on the perimeter --- the Lobos are shooting 32.7 percent beyond the arc in league play, while CSU is at 31.5 --- the matchup of Kirk and Ram 6-10, 260-pound center Colton Iverson should prove interesting. In MW games, Kirk is averaging 17.3 points and 10.0 rebounds, while Iverson enters the game with averages of 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per MW contest.

Must win: With New Mexico coming to town on Saturday, San Diego State, which is coming off consecutive losses to UNLV and Wyoming, can ill afford a third straight setback at Nevada on Wednesday. Yet this will be no small challenge for the Aztecs, who have sorely missed the presence of point guard Xavier Thames (back strain). Despite its 1-2 start in league play, Nevada offers one of the most potent backcourts in the MW in Deonte Burton, who ranks No. 1 in scoring in league games (22.0), and Malik Story. SDSU also must find a way to address its rebounding woes. In league play, the Aztecs rank seventh in rebounding margin at minus -5.0. Nevada, meanwhile, enters the contest with a margin of +4.0 on the glass. SDSU has lost three straight only once since 2008.

Big week: Wyoming, which has proven to be an absolute thorn defensively (see San Diego State's nine first-half points on Saturday), will be tested when it faces UNLV in Las Vegas on Thursday before playing again just two days later at home against Air Force. The Falcons, who scored 91 points in Saturday's win against Boise State, were one of just three teams to beat Wyoming in Laramie last season. The Cowboys, who rank No. 5 in the nation in scoring defense (53.8 ppg), are yielding a league-low 51.2 points in MW games.

Stat of note: Colorado State's average of 42.6 rebounds per game ranks No. 3 in the nation. The Rams enter the week leading the NCAA in rebounding margin with an average of +13.8 boards per game. CSU has not been outrebounded in a game this season.

The obvious winners in the decisions by Boise State and San Diego State to remain in the (1) Mountain West are the schools themselves. Yet the conference benefits as well from having the Broncos powerhouse football program remain in the league. The Aztecs football program is not yet where Boise State's is, but as defending conference tri-champs, they're certainly an important component to the quest for "elite" conference status. With these "non-subtractions" the league can now potentially hold a conference championship game.

This is a win for conference newcomer (3) Nevada - which can now continue its heated rivalry with the Broncos AND grow its annual battle with UNLV. Part of the reason (4) Fresno State, (5) Utah State and (6) Hawai‘i agreed to move to the MW was a chance to test themselves against the powerhouse program Boise State has become. Now they get to do just that.

There are big winners away from the football field as well. Start with (7) Steve Fisher and his SDSU basketball program - one of the best in the nation. It would have been a major step backward for Fisher's program to be left to compete in the not-all-that-Big West Conference. The path to March Madness is much smoother when you compete in a power conference like the MW. Add in (8) Dave Rice and UNLV and (9) Steve Alford and New Mexico. That threesome represents one of the very best groupings in college basketball. Thankfully, it won't be broken up.

Non-revenue sports also reap a benefit. For instance, SDSU with (10) Tony Gwynn at the helm is working to become one of the Conference's best baseball programs. It already plays a stout California-based non-conference schedule, so staying in a better league is a benefit to its postseason goals as well. And after having lost his nemesis in TCU to the Big 12, New Mexico baseball coach (11) Ray Birmingham certainly didn't want to see Gwynn's Aztecs leave the league too. Ray wants to play the best and SDSU represents that. Plus, no Lobo baseball season would be the same without that loooooong bus ride to The Mesa every spring.

Finally, (12) fans in the region will get to continue to see a geographically-based, super competitive conference that has nothing but upside moving forward. Better bowl game partnerships, the potential for a conference football title game, more and more teams in March Madness - and it won't be long until an MW school is back in the College World Series. It's all good.

Like I said a "win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win" situation for everyone.

In more ways than one.

Though the majority of MW teams are bolstered by waves of wings and girded by guard play, one offers an additional dimension. And the New Mexico Lobos won't be reluctant to use it to their advantage.

Heading into Wednesday night's contest at Boise State, the No. 19/21 Lobos not only possess accomplished perimeter players in the likes of Kendall Williams, Tony Snell, Hugh Greenwood, Chad Adams and Demetrius Walker, they also offer something others don't --- a pair of big men who pose a threat both inside and out.

Off to a 2-0 start in league play for just the second time in program history, New Mexico (15-2) has shown signs of profiting handsomely from the pairing of 7-foot, 250-pound sophomore center Alex Kirk and 6-9, 250-pound junior forward Cameron Bairstow. In Saturday's 72-45 win over Fresno State, Kirk and Bairstow combined for 35 points and 19 rebounds, with Kirk posting his fourth double-double of the season (19 points, career-high 14 rebounds) and Bairstow tying a career high with 16 points.

Kirk, who earned co-MW Player of the Week honors after also scoring a season-high 23 points in the Lobos' 65-60 win over UNLV in last week's league opener, has amassed 70 points and 38 rebounds (17.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) over the course of his last four games.

Meanwhile, Bairstow, who started in place of Adams after the latter hyperextended his right knee against UNLV, scored 15 of his 16 points against Fresno State in just 16 minutes of the first half, connecting on 6-of-6 attempts from the field while making all three of his free-throw attempts.

"They're one of the (few) teams in this league that can go big and use it to their advantage," said UNLV coach Dave Rice. "The thing that makes them even more dangerous is that they can go big and yet Alex Kirk can step out and make three-point shots. He can play off of Bairstow in the post. So they become a tremendous mismatch for certain schemes just because of the versatility of Kirk. He can score in the post, but he can also score from the perimeter. What makes that so difficult is that it's hard to spend as much of your defensive effort as you need to because Williams and Snell are so dangerous from the perimeter."

What has made Kirk's performance all the more impressive is that he missed the entire 2011-12 season after undergoing back surgery for a herniated disc two years ago. Averaging 12.5 points and 7.9 rebounds, Kirk has already more than tripled the number of career games in which he's scored in double figures. After recording four such games as a freshman, he has scored in double figures in 13 of 17 games this season.

"(Alex) has obviously been tremendous," said Lobos coach Steve Alford. "You see him on tape and then you see him in person and he just continues to get better and better. Both he and Cam give us legitimate threats in that 4-5 position. Their development has been essential and it's a big part of the reason why we're 15-2."

And an even bigger part of the reason why New Mexico has the wherewithal to force MW opponents to pick their poison. Only one other team in the league --- Colorado State --- arguably offers a starting player (6-10, 260-pound center Colton Iverson) with the size to square off against Kirk, the league's lone 7-footer.

Yet Kirk and Bairstow provide far more than simply serving as pillars in the paint. Both also provide a threat on the perimeter, with Kirk having connected on four three-pointers in the Lobos' last three games. Bairstow's field-goal percentage of 44.9 ranks second-best on the squad.

"There are differences between them, but there are also a lot of similarities," Alford said. "They're both big and strong and they're both more athletic than what you might think. Cam has really good strength, Alex has really good length. Defensively, they complement each other very well. Cam can definitely go out on the floor and guard against teams that want to run four-guard lineups. Both of them have a very good post game and both of them can step out to the three-point line. They play well together and they play well when they're rotating as our centers."

Pick your poison. In a league almost exclusively populated by perimeter players, it's plainly double trouble.

"It can be an advantage, but it can also be an advantage for the team that's smaller and quicker and plays four guards," said Alford, whose team also has the ability to match up against any opponent in the league opting to play four guards. "That's the chess match; that's what makes this game so fun. You play your game, whether you go big-big up front or you play four guards. It's always fun to see which one of those styles is going to win out."

With league play set to tip-off Wednesday night, six of nine MW teams are ranked in the top 40 of the Jan. 7 NCAA RPI report, the highest percentage of teams among any of the nation's 32 conferences. New Mexico heads the list at No. 11 while Colorado State (20) is second, followed by UNLV (23), Wyoming (24), Boise State (33) and San Diego State (40).

In addition, the MW is one of three conferences (Big East, Big Ten) to have at least three teams ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches' polls, marking the first time in the league's 14-year history that four teams have been ranked in at least one of the national Top 25 polls.

But now comes the hard part, where winning on the road in some of the country's most daunting venues will rudely separate fact from fiction, exposing vulnerabilities while steeling the strong for the postseason.

Here, then, is a quick look at the league season ahead, a season that could ultimately prove the best in MW history.

1. San Diego State Aztecs (12-2)

Coach: Steve Fisher (14th season)
2011-12 record: 26-8 overall, 10-4 MW (tied first)
Current ranking: No. 16 AP, No. 15 Coaches
Outlook: Defense has become a hallmark for the Aztecs, who have not allowed a team to shoot better than 48 percent from the field this season. In a league where the road is rife with ruin, SDSU has not had a losing record away from home in MW play since 2007-08. The Aztecs also go 11 deep, an enormous asset in a conference where nights off have become non-existent. Junior guard Jamaal Franklin, last season's MW Player of the Year, enters league play averaging 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds. Senior guard Chase Tapley (15.7 ppg) and junior guard Xavier Thames (10.2 ppg) are also averaging double figures.

2. UNLV Runnin' Rebels (13-2)

Coach: Dave Rice (2nd season)
2011-12 record: 26-9, 9-5 (third)
Current ranking: No. 24 AP, No. 19 Coaches
Outlook: If there's a better freshman in the country than forward Anthony Bennett, the proof has yet to surface. Bennett heads into Wednesday night's showdown at New Mexico averaging 19.2 points (tops in MW overall and among all freshmen nationally) and 9.1 rebounds. Unlike the rest of the guard-heavy MW, the Runnin' Rebels have the option of loading up across the front line with the likes of Bennett (6-8), Pitt transfer Khem Birch (6-9) and the multi-talented Mike Moser (6-8), who despite suffering a dislocated elbow last month, is expected to play in the league opener. How UNLV performs away from the Thomas & Mack Center is a question not without merit. The Rebels were 2-5 in league road games last season, with both wins coming in overtime.

3. New Mexico Lobos (13-2)

Coach: Steve Alford (6th season)
2011-12 record: 28-7, 10-4 (tied first)
Current ranking: No. 25 AP
Outlook: Unlike last season when the Lobos boasted a rugged front court featuring Drew Gordon and A.J. Hardeman, New Mexico is largely guard-oriented, not a bad position to find oneself in when those guards include the likes of standout juniors Kendall Williams (14.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Tony Snell (11.1 ppg). Yet the Lobos have also greatly benefitted from the return of center Alex Kirk, who missed the 2011-12 season after undergoing back surgery. One of the league's few true big men, Kirk is averaging 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. New Mexico was the only team in the league other than San Diego State to post a winning record on the road in league games last season (8-3).

4. Colorado State Rams (13-2)

Coach: Larry Eustachy (1st season)
2011-12 record: 20-12, 8-6 (fourth)
Outlook: There's no more experience in the league than in Fort Collins, where the Rams boast five senior starters following last year's NCAA tournament appearance. The key addition is center Colton Iverson (14.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg), a 6-10 transfer from Minnesota who gives CSU a sorely-needed presence inside. As for the importance of protecting one's home court in the MW? The Rams, who open Saturday at San Diego State, have won 22 straight at Moby Arena.

5. Boise State Broncos (12-2)

Coach: Leon Rice (3rd season)
2011-12 record: 13-17, 3-11 (tied seventh)
Outlook: The kids are coming of age in Boise, where a team that lists a combined 10 sophomores and freshmen has, thus far, played well beyond its years. Paced by the tandem of sophomore guard Derrick Marks (16.3 ppg), who finished with 35 in a win at then-No. 11 Creighton earlier this season, and sophomore wing Anthony Drmic (15.4 ppg), the Broncos are off to their best start in 25 years. The 12 nonconference wins are a school record for a team that came within an eyelash of ousting San Diego State in the first round of last season's MW tournament.

6. Wyoming Cowboys (13-0)

Coach: Larry Shyatt (2nd season)
2011-12 record: 21-12, 6-8 (sixth)
Current ranking: No. 25 Coaches
Outlook: The looming question concerning the Cowboys at the moment is how they'll fare without senior guard Luke Martinez, who is out indefinitely after suffering a broken finger on his shooting hand. Martinez, one of the league's top shooters, was averaging 14.5 points before being sidelined. Wyoming, which offers one of the strongest players in the league in senior forward Leonard Washington (15.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg), must also prove that its accomplishments in nonconference play were no fluke. The Cowboys went 13-2 during the nonconference portion of the schedule a year ago, only to drop seven of their first 11 MW games.

7. Nevada Wolf Pack (9-5)

Coach: David Carter (4th season)
2011-12 record: 28-7, 13-1 (first in WAC)
Outlook: After dropping four of its first seven, Nevada, as with many other MW teams, has opted to employ a four-guard offense. The results have proven beneficial for the Wolf Pack, who has won five of six. Nevada offers one of the top backcourt tandems in the league in senior Malik Story (16.8 ppg) and junior Deonte Burton (15.7 ppg), but has struggled on the boards. No player on the roster is currently averaging more than five rebounds per game.

8. Air Force Falcons (8-4)

Coach: Dave Pilipovich (1st season)
2011-12 record: 13-16, 3-11 (tied seventh)
Outlook: As is the case at Colorado State, Air Force has a wealth of senior experience in standout guard Michael Lyons (19.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg), center Taylor Broekhuis (10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and guard Todd Fletcher (9.3 ppg, 4.1 apg). The key for the Falcons figures to be on the defensive end. In a league boasting some of the top offensive talent in the country, Air Force enters its MW opener against Nevada allowing an average of 66.4 points per outing, the second-highest total in the conference.

9. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-7)

Coach: Rodney Terry (2nd season)
2011-12 record: 13-20, 3-11 (7th in WAC)
Outlook: The Bulldogs are largely in a rebuilding phase, which may not be the optimal time to be climbing into the hornets' nest that has become the MW. Nonetheless, Terry, a former assistant at Texas, has his team defending, with Fresno State allowing just 59.2 points per game and losing four games by seven or fewer points. He has also successfully recruited building blocks for the future in 7-foot, 260-pound freshman center Robert Upshaw and freshman point guard Aaron Anderson. The question is whether the Bulldogs can score enough, with junior guard Tyler Johnson currently leading the team at 10.8 points per game.

While the veteran CSU roster had plenty of returning talent on hand for 2012-13, Eustachy had slightly different plans for how he would best use that talent during his first season in Fort Collins.

So far, so good.

After recording their 13th non-conference win (a new school record) with a blowout victory over 2012 NCAA tourney participant St. Bonaventure, Eustachy's Rams appear to be hitting their stride, just in time for the rugged conference schedule that awaits them...starting next Saturday when they travel to Mountain West preseason favorite San Diego State. Down the line of course, there are multiple encounters with not just the Aztecs, but nationally-ranked New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming as well.

It's very rare these days to see a college basketball team in a power conference - and yes, with four teams in the Top 25 and six in the top 41 of the RPI rankings, the Mountain West is most certainly a "power" conference -- send out a starting lineup that consists of five seniors. Eustachy was asked about the advantage after his troops routed the Bonnies.

"Well, I think that freshman over at UNLV is pretty good," Eustachy replied, referring to Anthony Bennett of the Runnin' Rebels. "But yes, without a doubt. Having this much experience is a huge advantage. Huge."

But that doesn't mean there haven't been growing pains of sorts. Eustachy's style is very different from Miles, and he has asked his players to buy into a system that is unlike anything they've played before. Colorado State has been among the nation's best defensive teams this season, and has spent much of the non-conference season leading the country in rebounding margin. The defense-first mentality was the major "culture" change Eustachy brought with him to CSU.

"It's difficult," said senior guard Dorian Green. "It's a hard way to play but when we play it right, it's been proven to work."

"They totally believe in it now...it's just hard to do," Eustachy continued. "To move the ball around and cut hard and get the ball reversed and take good shots and then sprint back and defend every inch of the court is very difficult. But it's the way to play. It gives us the best chance to win."

CSU - along with upstarts Wyoming and Boise State - is trying to break through the three-team stranglehold that the Aztecs, Rebels and Lobos have had on the MW for the past few seasons. Sitting at 13-2 heading into conference play, the veteran Rams have now won a school-record-tying 22 straight games at Moby Arena. The last visiting coach to taste victory in Fort Collins? None other than Larry Eustachy, coaching Southern Miss last season.

It was the road that was the Rams' major pitfall during their run to the NCAA tournament last year. Now, with the addition of senior transfer Colton Iverson (who's already been the MW player of the week twice this season) in the middle, and the returning talents of four other seasoned seniors, these Rams have the look of a contender. Can they do better than two conference road wins this season, while continuing to protect their home floor?

Green believes they're ready for the test.

"We've been itching to get to conference play," he smiled. "Now is where we make our move."

Eustachy is eager to find out as well.

"Boys can win at home. Men win on the road."

First, I want an automatic bowl tie in for the champion of the Mountain West Conference with the Fiesta Bowl, starting with the 2014 season. This just makes sense. The game is being left out of the tie-ins with the soon-to-be-former BCS conferences. The Fiesta will get two "at-large" teams. So I ask: Will a Northern Illinois be a better draw than the MW champ? Of course not. Let the MW champ face an at-large team and watch the conference profile grow.

Before that could happen, I want more "BCS" level schools to come play MW teams on OUR turf. More games like Nebraska at Wyoming (the 2011 game was a great event), Texas at New Mexico (Lobos played both UT and Texas Tech on the road this season), Kansas State at Colorado State, Notre Dame at Air Force (coming fall of 2013!), USC at UNLV (LA vs. Vegas...awesome) and maybe Oregon AT Fresno State. We get games like this way too seldom. The MW teams have to travel 80% of the time, often times for long distances. Make it a 50-50 sort of arrangement and the MW schools would come out on top a lot more often. And the profile will grow.

I want a shiny new on-campus football stadium for Colorado State and a bowl game for Denver's Sports Authority Field. They play lots of bowl games in places with weather worse than Denver, and there's plenty to do in the football crazed Mile High City.

Staying with that theme, I want a holiday college basketball tournament to return to Pepsi Center in Denver. The return of "The Mile High Classic" circa 1989, could feature Colorado, Colorado State (for a possible second meeting each season, the first being their annual on-campus game in early December), Nebraska (now coached by former CSU head man Tim Miles) and say, Oklahoma State. If the atmosphere at the CSU - CU game in Boulder is an indicator, there is an appetite for more quality college hoops along the front range. Add in the fan fervor from Nebraska and the basketball history of Okie State, you'd have a smash hit.

I want pre-season college baseball tournaments in places like Fresno, Las Vegas and Albuquerque that bring some of the nation's best programs west. Entice some of the powerful teams from Florida and the east coast to come to MW territory for some early season tests. If the SEC and ACC schools won't venture out to play MW teams, the conference RPI will never get to where it should be.

I want a trip to Omaha for the College World Series - via bus ride of course - for Ray Birmingham and the New Mexico Lobos baseball team. Come to think of it, I want to see Tony Gwynn take the San Diego State Aztecs to Omaha, too. (My guess is they would fly...) I also want to see Mike Kazlausky and the Air Force Falcons play in the MW tournament. They deserve it.

I want baseball programs brought back at Colorado State and Wyoming. I know, it's about money and weather....but hey, we made it work when I was in school. It could work now, too. It's working at Air Force, by the way.

Finally, I want a period of quiet calm on the realignment front for Commissioner Thompson and everyone in the MW offices. They deserve it, too.

Is this asking for too much????

Football had dictated every single move in this ongoing saga - until last week. Finally, a group of schools who don't play football and had grown tired of having their athletic futures decided by what was best for other school's football programs, decided to stand up for hoops.

Because DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Villanova carve out much of their athletic identity from their basketball programs, the recent football-fueled expansion moves by their conference, the Big East, left them feeling left out. As a result, a conference that was originally formed to be a basketball power and grew into the best hoops conference in the country - which had over the course of the last couple of years over-extended itself in order to try to keep up with the madness created by football - appears to be mortally wounded. At the very least, the Big East Conference has completely lost its identity, if not much much more.

Considering how popular NCAA basketball and "March Madness" have become, it's always been puzzling why what was best for basketball programs has never really been considered during all the crazy conference shuffling. It's not like the basketball programs are irrelevant and won't be affected, right? There are numerous schools that have changed or will be changing conferences whose basketball teams are better than their football teams. Often times, those powerful basketball teams aren't getting to take a step up in conference, but a good-sized step back. How does this make any sense?

It was their unhappiness with having their conference watered down in hoops that led those seven prominent Big East schools to announce they were breaking away. Who knows if they will be the last to do so.

Meanwhile, the Mountain West is one of those handful of conferences that has had great balance between football and basketball. Over the past eight seasons, MW football teams have posted the best win percentage in bowl games of any conference - better than the Almighty SEC. Yet collectively, hoops might be even better, with the MW's conference RPI ranking in the top five each of the last three seasons. Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada - the schools that have joined the MW in the past three years (with the exception of Hawaii, a football-only member) have all enjoyed a step up in conference affiliation in ALL their sports, not just football. The same will be true for San Jose State and Utah State starting next season.

Realignment isn't finished - not by a long shot. But you have to wonder, now that the soon-to-be former Big East members have seemingly struck the first blow for what's best for basketball, how many other schools might be thinking and rethinking decisions that have been made, to this point, without much thought about the well being of their other sports programs.

Sure, in basketball, it's more semantics that economics, because in the end, it doesn't matter to teams like Butler, Creighton or Wichita State if they're in a conference labeled a "mid-major." So it doesn't REALLY matter if the national media still wants to refer to the Mountain West as a "mid-major" conference. Those who know the game know better. There's nothing "mid" about Mountain West hoops.

Just for the sake of argument, wouldn't it be nice to know what constitutes a "power" conference in college basketball, and how that designation is earned? I mean, the MW put half of its conference teams in the NCAA tournament a year ago, and could do even better this season. Two years after the "once in a lifetime" season of Jimmer and Kwahi, and one year after having a conference RPI that was better than the ACC, the Mountain West is back again, and possibly better than ever. Three teams are nationally ranked, two more are inside the Top 40 of the RPI, and another, Boise State, which was projected in the lower half of the conference, has already gone on the road and knocked off 11th-ranked Creighton 83-70. It's the Blue Jays only loss of the season so far.

From top to bottom, could the MW be the best it's ever been?

Right now, the MW is the No. 5 rated conference in terms of RPI, ahead of two "power" conferences in the Big 12 AND the SEC. This isn't the first time the MW has been ranked among the top five, either. It concluded both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons as the fifth-ranked RPI conference. So, the MW is ranked among the top five leagues for the third straight year and yet still "some" pundits continue to dwell on the "mid-major" label.

Through the end of November, the MW had the nation's best collective winning percentage, and in addition to New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV being nationally ranked, Wyoming, Boise State and Colorado State all had received votes. All nine teams in the conference had a winning record.

What about all this says "mid-major?"

It was a power conference atmosphere in Boulder last week when Colorado State visited Colorado and the two played before the biggest crowd to ever watch a game at CU. The Buffaloes held off a spirited second-half charge by the Rams to win at home, just days after Wyoming had whipped the defending Pac-12 tournament champion Buffs in Laramie. Meanwhile, the Rams had already traveled to Washington and pasted the Huskies. These games illustrated the small difference between the best of the "power conference" Pac-12 and a couple of teams that finished in the middle of the Mountain West last season. (As for the top of the MW, San Diego State has already beaten UCLA, and New Mexico has whipped USC, just for good measure...)

So we ask again, what makes a college basketball league a "power conference" and what makes it a mid-major? Is it just the random opinions of the biased media? Do facts and results have anything to do with it? Do these labels even matter?

No...and yes. They matter only come tournament selection time. They matter if the NCAA selection committee can't look past conference affiliation when awarding bids to deserving teams outside of the "power" conferences. This HAS happened in the recent past. There were some in the media advocating for five MW teams to get NCAA bids a year ago. "Only" four did, which tied a conference record for the second time in three years. You could have made a strong case for more.

That record could be short-lived. Along with New Mexico, Wyoming has started the season 10-0 and the Cowboys appear ready to join the upper echelon. There really is no reason why the veteran group from Colorado State doesn't earn a repeat trip...and the threesome of the Lobos, Aztecs and Rebels appear to be locks. So if five out of the nine MW teams get to go dancing this coming March, I say we get some sort of official proclamation from the state governors that puts an official end to this "mid-major" nonsense, once and for all.

Or we could just enjoy the postseason and remember then that labels don't matter. Much.

And if Wednesday night's results were a harbinger of things to come, those nights don't figure to include a great deal of sleep, either, particularly in 2012-13.

Know this: Teams simply do not wander onto Creighton's home floor and win by 13, as Boise State did. Teams simply do not stroll into UC Santa Barbara's Thunderdome and win by 28, as Wyoming did.

At the outset of the season, many were of the belief that the league was capable of potentially earning five bids to this year's NCAA Tournament. Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV, along with newcomer Nevada, were viewed as having the means to muscle their way through the MW maelstrom.

So what happens four weeks into the season? Boise State, which finished tied for last in the MW a year ago, merely knocks off the No. 11 team in the nation. Creighton, which was coming off a 14-point win over Arizona State after posting a 10-point win over Wisconsin, had won 93 straight home games when scoring 70 or more points. The Bluejays entered the contest having won 42 consecutive home games in November and 41 straight against unranked opponents.

Boise State had recorded one road win in program history against a ranked opponent, that coming when the Broncos prevailed at No. 24 Nevada in 2005.

Meanwhile, Wyoming, which is 7-0 for the first time since 1987-88, breezed to a 68-40 win against a UC Santa Barbara squad that in the last five-plus years had gone 54-16 at home. Keep in mind, this is the same Gauchos' team that has advanced to three straight Big West Conference Tournament title games, made three NCAA Tournament appearances in the past decade and whose three home losses last season came against San Diego State (overtime), UNLV (double overtime) and Long Beach State. All three earned bids to the NCAA Tournament.

Said Boise State coach Leon Rice, whose team nearly won at No. 15 Michigan State before falling 74-70 on Nov. 20: "We don't want to be defined by the win in November. Hey, it was a great win against the 11th-ranked team in the country and a tough place to play, and they played their tails off and I'm so proud of them. But we have to get a lot better to compete in our league."

Seven games remain on the Broncos' non-conference schedule, including a December 14 meeting at home against LSU, before opening a grueling Mountain West schedule January 9 at Wyoming.

Hawai'i, Fresno State and Nevada officially become the newest members of the Mountain West on Sunday, but introductions are largely inessential. The Warriors (football only), Bulldogs and Wolf Pack are not only familiar with the MW landscape, they are, in many instances, tethered by well-rooted rivalries and long-standing coaching connections.

To wit:

First-year Fresno State football coach Tim DeRuyter, an Air Force graduate, not only played for the Falcons but spent a total of seven years at the Academy during two separate stints as a position coach and defensive coordinator.

New Hawai'i football coach Norm Chow spent 27 seasons as an assistant at BYU before the former MW member opted to join the independent ranks last season.

Nevada's Chris Ault, the only active FBS coach in the College Football Hall of Fame, has faced every team represented in the 2011-12 configuration of the MW at least three times since joining the Wolf Pack staff in 1976.

"Today we officially welcome Fresno State, Hawai'i and Nevada as members, ushering in a new era for the Mountain West," said Commissioner Craig Thompson. "The addition of these fine institutions helps position the Conference for a bright future, and we look forward to the contributions that Bulldog, Warrior and Wolf Pack student-athletes, coaches, fans and administrators will make to the success of the Mountain West."

Here's a look at each of the three institutions and a sampling of their athletic successes:

Fresno State

Football: The Bulldogs have failed to garner a bowl bid only twice since 2000. Fresno State went to four straight bowl games from 2007-10, with two of the contests coming against MW members Colorado State and Wyoming. Prior to DeRuyter's hire, the Bulldogs' two previous coaches --- Jim Sweeney and Pat Hill --- posted a combined winning percentage of .607 and won three conference titles.

"We're really excited about our first year in the Mountain West," said DeRuyter, a linebacker at Air Force from 1982-84. "Having some personal history in this conference, I know about the excellent programs and the excellent coaches in this league. We know this is going to be a tremendous challenge, but we're excited about it and we're looking forward to it."

Men's Basketball: The Bulldogs have won two conference titles, participated in one NCAA Tournament and two National Invitational Tournaments since 2000. Many believe second-year coach Rodney Terry has put together one of the program's top recruiting classes in years, a group led by 7-foot, 265-pound incoming freshman center Robert Upshaw, ranked No. 55 nationally in the 2012 ESPNU Top 100.

Women's Basketball: Fresno State is coming off a 2011-12 season in which it won a conference title, earned its fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid and won 28 games for the first time in program history. The Bulldogs started four underclassmen last season, including guard Ki-Ki Moore, the WAC Player of the Year.

Baseball: Fresno State, the 2008 national champion, won its seventh straight WAC title this past year while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.

Softball: The Bulldogs have participated in 30 of the last 31 NCAA Tournaments and won the 1998 national title. The Bulldogs have played in more NCAA Championships than any other Division I program and rank third all-time in tournament victories with 89.

Men's Tennis: The Bulldogs enter the Mountain West having won two consecutive league titles while earning three straight NCAA Tournament bids.

Hawai'i

Football: Hawai'i became just the third non-automatic-qualifying conference team to play in a BCS bowl in 2008 when it faced Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Warriors were the only FBS team in the nation that year to finish the regular season undefeated. Hawai'i has appeared in a bowl game seven times since 2002, posting six winning seasons and four campaigns with double-digit victories.

"I think (the transition to the MW) is going to be extremely tough and that is what I am trying to impress upon our players, that this is a step up," Chow told the Maui News. "The schedule is extremely challenging, the non-conference games are as tough as the conference games, but if you are in this profession, you get in this profession, you enjoy challenges, and you enjoy the week-by-week work that goes with those challenges, so we are all very excited about it."

Nevada

Football: The Wolf Pack, who finished the 2010 season ranked No. 11 in the nation, have appeared in seven consecutive bowl games. The program's history includes 14 conference titles and since 2005, Nevada has had one losing season and six campaigns of seven or more wins.

"We're excited to be jumping into the Mountain West and to be part of such an elite group," said football head coach Chris Ault. Ault enters his 28th season with a win percentage of 68.5 percent (226-103-1).

Men's Basketball: The Wolf Pack won the WAC regular-season championship with a mark of 13-1 last season en route to making their fifth appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. Nevada has posted eight 20-win seasons since 2003-04, while earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament four times.

Women's Basketball: Nevada has won at least 17 games five of the last seven seasons, twice advancing to the National Invitation Tournament.

Baseball: The Wolf Pack, who won a share of the regular-season conference title in 2012, have won 30 or more games six times since 2000, while winning two league titles and making two NCAA postseason appearances.

TRACK & FIELD HEADLINES

• SDSU's Whitney Ashley enjoys memorable homecoming after winning NCAA title.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• Phase 1 of facelift for Lobo Field gets go-ahead.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico getting wealth of experience in new assistant coach Edwina Brown.

• JC All-American guard transferring to Colorado State.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming's Shyatt will make teaching a priority this summer under NCAA rules change.

GENERAL HEADLINES

• Utah State anxiously awaiting official inclusion in Mountain West.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• TCU senior outfielder vows to go down swinging as team preps for Super Regional.

TRACK & FIELD HEADLINES

• Olympic-bound Boise State decathlete Kurt Felix set for NCAA Championships.

• Pair of Horned Frogs anxious to get a jump on the competition.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Former CSU quarterback Caleb Hanie is one play away from replacing Peyton Manning.

• Legend of former Wyoming standout "Freight Train" Lawrence Gaines lives on, but his whereabouts remains mystery.

• Ex-Colorado State tight end Joel Dreesen confident he can take game to another level with Broncos.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV's Augmon says Hall of Fame induction 'stands right alongside winning the national championship.'

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

GENERAL HEADLINES

• CSU tabs Washington's John Morris to serve as deputy athletic director.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Hawai‘i brings five-star cornerback into the fold.

• Former Air Force standout and current Broncos' DL Ben Garland adds to resume.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Former New Mexico hoopster Brian Smith has taken his game to another level.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

NOTE: Due to the Academy appointment process, Air Force does not sign student-athletes to letters of intent.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE

Early signing period: The Broncos added 6-foot-7 forward Joey Nebeker, who was named Idaho's 2A State Player of the Year, and 6-foot-9 forward Edmunds Dukulis, a member of the Latvian U19 National Team that finished 10th at the U19 World Championships last summer. Nebeker, who averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocks as a senior at Melba High School (Melba, Idaho), has the potential to add needed offensive firepower to a team that ranked sixth in scoring among the MW's eight teams this past season. Dukulis averaged 15.9 points and 9.5 rebounds at the U19s, including a 20-point, seven-rebound performance against future Bronco teammates Anthony Drmic and Igor Hadziomerovic's Australian U19 team.

COLORADO STATE

Spring signings: Gerson Santo, a 6-10 transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, should help offset the loss of Will Bell, who averaged 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as a senior last season. Santo, a native of Valencia, Brazil, averaged 7.4 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game at CSI and drew strong interest from California and Utah while spurning scholarship offers from Washington State and Illinois.

Early signing period: Before leaving for Nebraska, former Rams coach Tim Miles signed Jordan Mason, a 6-foot-2 guard from Ennis, Texas, and Jermaine Morgan, a 6-8 forward from Whitney M. Young High in Chicago. With CSU returning virtually its entire starting lineup under new coach Larry Eustachy, playing time could be hard to come by in 2012-13. Nonetheless, Mason and Morgan are not without talent. Viewed as one of the top prospects in Texas, Mason, who averaged 20.7 points as a senior at Ennis High, is considered a play-making guard who can score in a variety of ways. Morgan, who averaged a double-double as a junior, was rated as the No. 15 player in Illinois by Rivals.com. In addition to Mason and Morgan, the 2012-13 campaign will see a return to the court for transfers Daniel Bejarano, a 6-4 guard, and 6-10 forward/center Colton Iverson, both of whom sat out the 2011-12 campaign after coming to CSU from the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota, respectively.

FRESNO STATE

Spring signings: Robert Upshaw, a 7-foot, 265-pound center from Fresno, was ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in California and the 55th best player in the nation in the 2012 ESPNU 100. He also received high marks from Scout.com, who rated him as a four-star recruit. As a senior at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.), Upshaw averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks per game. Fresno State also added 6-3 guard Marvelle Harris, who averaged more than 24 points in leading Rialto (Calif.) Eisenhower High to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 1A quarterfinals, and Broderick Newbill, a versatile 6-5 wing from Hogan Prep Academy in Kansas City.

Early signing period: The Bulldogs addressed a need to bulk up inside by signing a pair of 6-9 forwards in Braeden Anderson and Tanner Giddings. Fresno State also added Aaron Anderson, a 6-3 point guard from Santa Fe High in Edmond, Okla. The trio joins junior guard Allen Huddleston, a former All-Big West Conference honoree and freshman All-American who redshirted last season after transferring from the University of Pacific.

NEVADA

Early signing period: Shooting guard Marqueze Coleman is considered the nugget of a group that also includes 6-8 forward Cole Huff, 6-8 forward Raphael Carter and 6-9 center Cheikh (Ali) Fall. As a senior, Coleman averaged 21.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists for Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, Ca. Huff and Carter, a transfer from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif., should help offset the losses of forwards Olek Czyz and Dario Hunt. Fall, a transfer from Barstow (Calif.) Community College, is a native of Senegal who attended Meitoku Gijuku School in Kochi, Japan.

NEW MEXICO

Early signing period: With the graduation of MW Tournament MVP Drew Gordon and forward A.J. Hardeman, the Lobos addressed needs in the frontcourt by signing Obij Aget, a 7-foot, 220-pound center from LaPorte, Indiana. Aget, who was also pursued by the likes of Florida State, Missouri, Texas Tech and Florida, averaged nearly a double-double at LaLumiere School in LaPorte (8.6 points, 9.0 rebounds). New Mexico also added Nick Banyard, a 6-8 forward from Marcus High in Flower Mound, Texas, who was being pursued by Minnesota and Pepperdine, and 6-7 wing Devon Williams from Woodrow Wilson High in Dallas.

SAN DIEGO STATE

Spring signings: Winston Shepard, a 6-8 forward from national power Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, is the highest-rated prep prospect to choose San Diego State in school history. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Shepard, who is viewed as being capable of playing any position on the floor, joins a team that returns four starters, including 2012-13 MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin.

Early signing period: Shepard will join early signees Matt Shrigley, a 6-6 forward from La Costa Canyon High, in Carlsbad, Calif., and Skylar Spencer, a 6-9 forward from Price High School in Los Angeles. The class also includes 6-9 forward James Johnson, a transfer from Virginia; 6-7 forward Dwayne Polee, a transfer from St. John's; and 6-7 forward JJ O'Brien, a transfer from Utah.

UNLV

Spring signings: The big news came late for the Runnin' Rebels, who on Tuesday, May 15, signed 6-8, 240-pound power forward Anthony Bennett, the first McDonald's All-American to come to UNLV straight out of high school since Freddie Banks in 1983. Bennett is a five-star recruit ranked as the No. 6 player overall in the 2012 class by CBS Sports, No. 7 by both ESPN and Rivals, and No. 8 by Scout. Ranked as the nation's No. 1 player at his position, he was the highest-rated high school player in the country that hadn't yet signed with a school before Tuesday. He averaged 16.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for Findlay Prep in Las Vegas this past season.

Early signing period: Katin Reinhardt, a 6-5 guard from perennial power Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., is expected to impact the Rebels immediately. A prolific scorer ranked No. 7 at his position by Rivals.com, Reinhardt averaged 18.6 points last season. The Rebels also added Daquan Cook, a 6-1 guard from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, and Demetrius Morant, a 6-9 forward from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas. The trio will be joined by another McDonald's All-American, Khem Birch, a 6-9, 220-pound transfer from Pittsburgh, and 6-5 guard Bryce Dejean-Jones, a transfer from USC. Dejean-Jones will be able to play immediately in 2012-13, while NCAA transfer rules dictate that Birch sit out the first semester of the coming season.

WYOMING

Spring signings: With the losses of guards JayDee Luster and Francisco Cruz, the Cowboys signed Nathan Sobey, a native Australian who comes to Wyoming via Cochise College in Douglas, Ariz. As a sophomore, the 6-3, 190-pound guard averaged 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. Sobey was also recruited by Fresno State, Saint Mary's and the University of San Diego. Wyoming also added Derek Cooke, a 6-9 forward from Cloud County Community College in Kansas, who posted team highs of 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 55 percent shooting from the floor to go with 6.0 points and nearly one steal per game last season. Charles Hankerson Jr., a 6-5, 210-pound guard from Alabama, has also joined the Pokes, but will have to sit out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules, and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Early signing period: Wyoming added a pair of guards in Josh Adams and Jason McManamen, while addressing its frontcourt needs with the signing of forward Austin Haldorson and center Matt Sellers. Adams, a product of Chaparral High in Parker, Colo., is considered one of the top guard prospects in Colorado, while McManamen, a 6-6 shooting guard who attended Torrington (Wyo.) High School, has been touted as the top 2012-13 basketball prospect in Wyoming. The 6-foot-10 Sellers, meanwhile, provides the Cowboys with much-needed size after averaging 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

BOISE STATE

Spring signings: Kayla Reinhart, a 5-10 wing and all-state performer from Carroll High (Texas) is expected to add perimeter scoring for the Broncos. Reinardt comes to BSU having averaged 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 steals per game as a senior. The Broncos also added several transfers in Erica Martinez, a 5-8 guard from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, who averaged 16.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals last season, and 6-3 post player Laura Pelse, a native of Latvia who averaged 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds 6-3 for Sheridan (Wyo.) College in 2011-12. Newcomer Brandi Henton, a 5-9 guard, spent last season at Yakima Valley Community College where she played in nine games before suffering a season ending injury in December. During those nine games, Henton averaged 24.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.1 steals in 24.8 minutes per game. She shot 50 percent (87-174) from the court and 41 percent (29-70) from beyond the 3-point arc. Rosalie Cutri, a 5-7 guard, comes to BSU after spending the past two seasons Casper College (Wyoming), where she was a NJCAA 2012 second-team All-American. Cutri started all 29 games last season, averaging a team-high 13.3 points 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals.

Early signing period: The Broncos signed Miquelle Askew, a 6-3 center and all-state performer from Skyline High in South Jordan, Utah.

COLORADO STATE

Spring signings: The Rams' lone spring signee was Taylor Varsho, a 5-6 guard from Marshfield High in Marshfield, Wisc. Varsho concluded her prep career as Marshfield's career scoring leader with 1,367 points. She averaged 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a senior and was tabbed an all-state selection each of her final three seasons.

Early signing period: Varsho is the fifth signee for the 2012-13 season. The early signees are Courtney Lisowski, a 6-foot wing/guard from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif.; Emily Johnson, a 5-11 guard from Georgetown (Texas) HS; Caitlin Duffy, a 5-11 guard from St. Thomas More HS in Rapid City, S.D.; and Hali Ford, a guard/forward from Affton HS in St. Louis.

FRESNO STATE

Spring signings: New head coach Raegan Pebley's first recruit was Jacinta Vandenberg, a 6-6 center from Australia who in 2009 and 2010 won gold medals while playing for Victoria Metro in the U-18 nationals. She also earned a spot on the U-17 Australian national team.

Early signing period: Fresno State added Toni Smith, a 6-foot center from Del City (Okla.) High, and Destini Price, a 6-foot forward/guard from Antelope Valley High in Lancaster, Calif., who was ranked 46th in the nation among guards by Hoopgurlz.com.

NEW MEXICO

Early signing period: The Lobos inked four players during the early signing period including Khadijah Shumpert, a 6-foot forward and all-state performer from Bedilde-St. Margaret's High in Minneapolis; Jordyn Peacock, a forward/center from Beaverton, Ore., who chose New Mexico over offers from UNLV, Cal Poly and St. Mary's; Bryce Owens, a standout point guard from DeSoto, Texas; and 5-10 guard Antiesha Brown, a transfer from Texas Tech who holds the all-time scoring record at Clovis (N.M.) High with 1,673 points.

SAN DIEGO STATE

Spring signings: With the loss of senior center Katrina Tutt to graduation, the Aztecs added Louisville transfer Cierra Warren, a 6-foot-4 center who must sit out the 2012-13 season per NCAA transfer rules. Warren, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., who originally signed with North Carolina, was rated the 31st-best player in the nation and the No. 10 post player by Hoopgurlz.com as a prep. SDSU also added 5-9 guard Danesha Long, who spent the last two seasons at Midland College in Midland, Texas. Long, who earned NJCAA honorable mention All-American accolades as a freshman, averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.

Early signing period: The Aztecs started the signing class with Aleiah Brandon of Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., and Tia Levi-Dixon from local San Diego High School. Brandon, a 6-1 forward, was one of the top-85 ranked forwards and a three-star recruit, while Levi- Dixon, a 5-6 point guard, was ranked in the top-40 among point guards nationally by Hoopgurlz.com.

UNLV

Spring signings: Aley Rohde, a 6-5 center who played at Arizona as a freshman last season, will sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years left in her career. Rohde ranked fifth in scoring for the Wildcats last season at 7.6 points per game and third in rebounding with 6.0 per contest. She also led the team in blocks with 38 (1.2 bpg). Her 31 starts were second-highest on the team.

Early signing period: Four California natives --- Amie Callaway, Jehiah Cook, Rejane Verin and Jazzmeen Williams --- signed national letters of intent in November. Callaway is a 6-2 forward/center from San Diego High who was ranked No. 54 in the nation at her position by Hoopgurlz.com in this year's recruiting class. Cook is a 5-5 point guard from Sacramento High, while Verin is a 6-2 guard/forward who comes to UNLV from Serra High in Los Angeles and is considered the most athletic recruit in the class. Williams is a 6-4 center from San Bernardino.

WYOMING

Spring signings: Aubry Boehme, a 6-foot forward who arrives from Otero Junior College in Smithfield, Utah, averaged 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest last season. She finished her career at Otero with 1,041 career points while recording a school high 94 career blocks and 100 steals in a season.

Early signing period: Boehme is the fourth student-athlete to join the Cowgirls as they inked three during the early signing period. The other signees include Marquelle Dent (5-7, guard, Denver, Colo.), Whitney Gordon (6-2, forward, Marion, Kan.) and Fallon Lewis (6-0, guard, Dayton, Wyo.). Dent was an all-state performer at Regis Jesuit High in Denver whose father, Terry, was a member of the Wyoming men's team from 1984-88. Dent is ranked as a three-star recruit and a top-40 guard nationally by Hoopgurlz.com

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

•  Southern Mississippi's Larry Eustachy set to become new basketball coach at CSU.

• Winston Shepard becomes highest-rated prep prospect to choose SDSU in school history.

• Cowboys sign versatile guard; still have two scholarships left.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• CSU's McElwain placing strong emphasis on "all for one, one for all" approach.

• UNLV excited about prospects of team's young tight ends.

• Wyoming's "other" Smith is proving to be more than backup QB.

• Boise State's defensive linemen have some sizable shoes to fill.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Air Force Falcons

2011-12 record: 3-11 MW, 13-16 overall
Key losses: F Taylor Stewart

Synopsis: The season was not without positives for the Falcons, who posted just their second win against a ranked team in program history when they knocked off then-No. 13 San Diego State, 58-56, on Feb. 18. Air Force's rally from a 14-point deficit at Wyoming on Feb. 15 was its largest against a Mountain West opponent since Jan. 9, 2009, when it came back from a 21-point first-half deficit to beat New Mexico. The Falcons will not be short on experience next season, returning four senior starters in second-team All-MW guard Michael Lyons, center Taylor Broekhuis (led MW with 19 blocks during league play) and guards Mike Fitzgerald and Todd Fletcher. The Falcons will also benefit from the experience gained this season by a deep freshman class paced by forward Justin Hammonds. The 2012-13 campaign will also mark the first full season for Dave Pilipovich, who was officially named head coach prior to this year's MW tournament.

Boise State Broncos

2011-12 record: 3-11, 13-17
Key losses: G Tre Nichols; G Westly Perryman

Synopsis: With a roster that featured seven freshmen and three sophomores, Broncos coach Leon Rice wasn't naïve to the fact that his team's first season in the MW would involve a fair measure of turbulence. Nonetheless, BSU twice took league co-champion San Diego to the wire, including a 65-62 loss to the Aztecs in the first round of the MW tournament on a last-second shot. Freshmen Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks, who both earned honorable mention All-MW accolades, came of age in a hurry. Drmic set a single-season school record for 3-pointers by a freshman (54) and was the only freshman to rank in the league's top-20 in scoring. He also led all MW freshmen in rebounding (5.0). Marks led the Broncos in scoring in league games (9.6) and his 63 assists were third-most in program history by a freshman. While the growing pains were frequently rough for BSU (1-11 on road), they could pay big dividends next season.

Colorado State Rams

2011-12 record: 8-6, 20-12
Key losses: F Will Bell; G Kaipo Sabas

Synopsis: After earning their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2003, the Rams figure to be a legitimate contender for the league title in 2012-13. Head coach Tim Miles returns five of his top six scorers, including four starters, led by All-MW first-team selection Wes Eikmeier (15.5 ppg). In addition to Eikmeier, CSU also returns Dorian Green (13.1 ppg), Greg Smith (9.4 ppg) and Pierce Hornung (8.8 ppg), who led the team in rebounding with an average of 8.4 per game. Also back is guard Jesse Carr, the team's assist leader (2.6) and sixth-leading scorer (7.1 ppg). Add to the mix Colton Iverson, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Minnesota, and Arizona transfer guard Daniel Bejarano, and the Rams appear to have all of the pieces in place for a title run.

Fresno State Bulldogs

2011-12 record: 3-11 WAC, 13-20
Key losses: G Steven Shepp, G Jonathan Wills

Synopsis: The Bulldogs, who will be making their MW debut next season, are looking to add depth to the only team in the WAC this season that had five players average more than 28 minutes per game. To that end, head coach Rodney Terry added three players -- 6-3 guard Aaron Anderson and 6-9 forwards Braeden Anderson and Tanner Giddings -- during the early signing period in November to pair with sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe, a second-team All-WAC selection who averaged 17.8 points and finished the season ranked sixth in scoring among all Division I sophomore guards. A native of Las Vegas, Olekaibe scored in double figures in all but eight games for FSU, reaching at least 20 points 12 times and topping the 25-point mark eight times. The Bulldogs also add guard Allen Huddleston, who sat out this season after transferring from the University of the Pacific.

Nevada Wolf Pack

2011-12 record: 13-1 WAC, 28-6 (still playing in National Invitation Tournament)
Key losses: F Olek Czyz, F Dario Hunt

Synopsis: The Wolf Pack, who meet Stanford in the quarterfinals of the NIT on Wednesday, captured the WAC regular-season title. While MW newcomer Nevada will be losing nearly 25.0 points per game with the graduation of Czyz, a first-team All-WAC selection, and Hunt, a second-team pick, the team returns WAC Player of the Year Deonte Burton and junior shooting guard Malik Story. Burton and Story enter Wednesday's game as the Wolf Pack's leading scorers at 14.8 and 14.1 points per game, respectively. Burton leads the team in assists (4.3 apg), while Story is shooting a team-best 41.9 percent beyond the arc.

New Mexico Lobos

2011-12 record: 10-4, 28-7
Key losses: F A.J. Hardeman, G Phillip McDonald, F Drew Gordon

Synopsis: While the reigning MW tournament champion and regular-season co-champion Lobos will return three starters in guards Kendall Williams, Tony Snell and Hugh Greenwood, and feature a budding star in guard Demetrius Walker, the loss of Gordon is enormous. Over the course of 61 career games at New Mexico (52 starts), Gordon averaged 13.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, taking his final bow with a 21-point, 14-rebound effort in a 59-56 loss to Louisville in the third round of the NCAA tournament. Gordon exits having posted 32 career double-doubles (19 this season) at New Mexico, a figure that ties him for third-most in MW history with Luke Neville (Utah, 2005-09). The Lobos added three players during the early signing period in November, including Obij Aget, is a 7-foot, 220-pound center from La Porte, Indiana, who was also being courted by the likes of Florida State, Missouri, Texas Tech and Florida.

San Diego State Aztecs

2011-12 record: 10-4, 26-8
Key losses: F Garrett Green, F Tim Shelton

Synopsis: Having lost four starters from the previous season's team that won a school-record 34 games in advancing to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16, the Aztecs bucked the odds in 2011-12, sharing the regular-season MW title with New Mexico and earning their third consecutive NCAA tournament bid. With four starters returning, led by MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin, SDSU could field one of its best teams in school history in 2012-13. In addition to the four returning starters, which includes the league's second-leading scorer in guard Chase Tapley (Franklin was No. 1), the Aztecs also add much-needed size in 6-7 forward Dwayne Polee, a transfer from St. John's; 6-7 forward J.J. O'Brien, who transferred from Utah after starting 21 games as a freshman in 2010-11; 6-10 center James Johnson, a transfer from Virginia; and multi-talented 6-9 Winston Shepard, a four-star recruit from Findlay Prep in Las Vegas.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels

2011-12 record: 9-5, 26-9
Key losses: G Oscar Bellfield; C Brice Massamba; F Chace Stanback; G Kendall Wallace

Synopsis: Bellfield (1,226 career points) and Stanback (1,219) both depart ranked among the top-25 scorers in school history. Nonetheless, the Runnin' Rebels, who earned their fifth NCAA tournament bid in six years, have plenty in reserve. First-team All-MW selection and MW Newcomer of the Year Mike Moser, who averaged 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds, posted 15 double-doubles this season. Guard Anthony Marshall, the team's third-leading scorer, returns after averaging 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds, a mark that ranked second on the team. Also back is guard Justin Hawkins, who returns with Marshall as the team's senior leaders. But the big news at UNLV figures to be the debut of 6-9 Khem Birch, a former McDonald's All-American who announced he was transferring from Pittsburgh after starting six games this season with the Panthers. Birch, who chose UNLV over Florida, was just the third freshman to start during Jamie Dixon's nine years as Pittsburgh's coach. Known as a dominant defender, Birch must sit out the first semester per NCAA transfer rules next season before becoming eligible as a sophomore. Another player expected to make an immediate impact is 6-5 wing Bryce Jones, a highly-regarded transfer from USC.

Wyoming Cowboys

2011-12 record: 6-8, 21-11
Key losses: G JayDee Luster, G Arthur Bouedo, C Adam Waddell, G Francisco Cruz

Synopsis: Under coach Larry Shyatt, who began his second stint in Laramie this year after previously guiding the Cowboys to a mark of 19-9 in 1997-98, Wyoming recorded its first 20-win season since posting a record of 21-11 in 2002-03. Now comes the challenge of replacing a trio of players who have played significant roles for the Pokes in recent seasons, chief among them Luster, who was named the MW Defensive Player of the Year and ranked 29th in the nation in in assist-to-turnover ratio. Cruz finished as the team's second-leading scorer this season, while Waddell, who has been part of the program since 2007-08, averaged 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. Yet two key components return in forward Leonard Washington and guard Luke Martinez. Washington, a second-team All-MW selection, led the team in both scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) while posting four double-doubles in his final six games. Martinez, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.0 rebounds, connected on more three-point field goals (2.45 per game) than any player in the league this season. Freshman Larry Nance Jr. filled the role as the team's sixth man in 2011-12, finishing as the second-leading freshman rebounder in the MW at 4.0 per game. The key early signee figures to be 6-10 center Matt Sellers, a JC transfer from Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs. Sellers, who averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 2010-11, will have three years of eligibility beginning this fall.

As New Year's Eve resolutions go, Drew Gordon's was to make New Mexico a winner, to take an already well-designed product and apply a final coat of sheen to the shimmer, to make whole a roster already rife with talent.

"The type of basketball New Mexico plays, on both offense and defense, is the kind of style I excel in," Gordon said on Dec. 31, 2009, "and coach (Steve) Alford is a great coach with a great reputation."

In announcing his transfer from UCLA to New Mexico, Gordon had Albuquerque abuzz. While waiting for his prerequisite year of idleness to expire per NCAA transfer rules, his practice performances often vied for headline space with the daily doings of a team that was merely en route to a 30-win season.

In his coming-out party against The Citadel on Dec. 19, 2010, Gordon finished with 11 points and three rebounds, drawing this assessment from Alford:

"He did a lot of great things today. He hasn't played in 13 months and he was just getting his feet wet."

And just getting started. Over the course of 61 career games at New Mexico (52 starts), Gordon averaged 13.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, taking his final bow with a 21-point, 14-rebound effort in Saturday's 59-56 loss to Louisville in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Gordon exits having posted 32 career double-doubles (19 this season) at New Mexico, a figure that ties him for third-most in MW history with Luke Neville (Utah, 2005-09).

Said Alford: "We're very, very proud of what he's been able to do and accomplish."

The real accomplishment, of course, will be identifying a capable replacement. Where Drew Gordon is concerned, replacing and replicating have drastically different definitions.

It was Nov. 1, ten days removed from San Diego State's 2011-12 season opener and seemingly light years removed from a campaign that had concluded nine months earlier with a school-record 34 wins and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

The Aztecs had holes to fill, gaping ones, gargantuan ones, Grand Canyon-esque ones. Gone were four starters from the previous season, one of them, Kawhi Leonard, an NBA lottery pick. On a small scale, they had been picked to finish third in the preseason Mountain West media poll. On a national scale, they had been relegated to the kiddie pool of also-rans, their story from the previous season since shelved and gathering dust.

So when coach Steve Fisher settled in for a press conference a day in advance of his team's first exhibition game, there was little chance that the opening question would entail how Fisher spent his summer.

"If you don't have pressures of expectations that are at least self-imposed, then you're probably not in a very good program and you're probably not a very good player. We have all of the above," Fisher said. "This isn't 2010-11. This is the 2011-12 season, so we have to come out and not feel like we have to live up to what happened last year. We have to see what we have to do to be as good as we possibly can. Right now, I don't think that any of us know for sure what `as good as we possibly can' really means. We will find that out."

What they found out was this: The higher the hill, the better the view.

That the Aztecs found themselves on the short end of a 79-65 decision in Friday's NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina State was hardly startling. SDSU never played a game this season where its lack of size wasn't a liability. That the Aztecs were there at all, however, after losing 66.2 percent of their scoring and 65.8 percent of their rebounding from the previous season, was an accomplishment worthy of being yodeled from a mountain top. Ditto the team's MW regular season co-championship and fourth straight appearance in the MW Tournament title game.

And know this: Of the five players who took the floor on Friday, four of them, including MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin and three-year starter Chase Tapley, will return next season. Also back are starting guards James Rahon and Xavier Thames. Waiting in the wings is 6-7 forward Dwayne Polee II, a transfer from St. John's whom insiders claim was the best player on the team this season; Utah transfer J.J. O'Brien, a 6-7 forward who started 21 games as a freshman in 2010-11; center James Johnson, a 6-10 transfer from Virginia; and 6-9 Winston Shepard, a four-star recruit from Findlay Prep in Las Vegas who owns the distinction of being the highest rated men's basketball recruit to make SDSU his first choice.

"No one ever thinks until the last game that it's going to be the last game," Fisher said of Friday's loss. "We're disappointed, yet immensely proud of the season that we've had and the program that these young men have helped build and grow. And I do think the best will be yet to come."

With Dave Rice's return to UNLV this season came images of glory days, of times when Jerry Tarkanian his band of merry marauders ran roughshod over most anyone who got in their way, of a day when the Runnin' Rebels were kings and the competition their court jester.

It was a new atmosphere that was only amplified when the former Rebel Rice, as the team's new coach, opted to add ex-UNLV teammate Stacy Augmon to his staff. The two had been part of the program's national championship team in 1990, and when Rice announced that his main priority was to once again link the terms Runnin' and Rebels, an always-fervent fan base couldn't fend off the fever. The Rebels were going retro.

And when UNLV swatted aside then-No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 26, even the casual Rebel fan became a magnet for the mania. The heyday of UNLV basketball was back, and with it that "devil-may-care" constitution that had always left opponents just a tad terrified of running up against the Rebels.

So when the end of the season arrived in Thursday's NCAA Tournament second-round game against Colorado, the disillusioned and distraught were predictably quick with the "I-told-you-so's." This would have never happened with Lon Kruger. They got lucky against North Carolina. They were overrated, overhyped and swollen with a sense of self. They didn't deserve to be in the tournament.

As a coach, Dave Rice knows the drill: One day a pedestal, the next a target for tantrums. And when the cynics surface long enough to realize that all is not lost, that this year's crop of underclassmen (see Moser, Mike and Marshall, Anthony) is on par with the best in the Mountain West, the love affair will bloom anew. Always has, always will.

Said Rice: "It's important now for us right now to bottle up exactly how we feel so that we can get back to work. Because while this was a very rewarding season, and we're proud of a lot of things that we accomplished, we didn't ever feel satisfied with how it went.

"We're going to learn from it. Everything we'll do now until the start of next season is getting us ready to get back to the NCAA Tournament again."

The catch phrase, overwrought though it may be, is "prime time."

And where New Mexico sophomore guard Kendall Williams is concerned, time is apparently a dimension defined less by physics than fantastic finishes.

While Drew Gordon may ultimately be the Lobos' ticket to ride in the NCAA Tournament, it is Williams, last season's Mountain West Freshman of the Year, who has become the team's unquestioned leader. If Gordon is the standard bearer, Williams, in big games, has routinely become the bearer of bad tidings for opponents.

Flash back to last season's MW Tournament quarterfinal win against Colorado State. While Gordon was punching out his usual double-double (13/13), it was Williams who led the Lobos with a team-high 16 points, seven of them coming in the second half of a game in which New Mexico trailed by two with 5:44 to go. He shot 80 percent from the field (4-of-5) and was 6-of-6 from the foul line.

And so it was again Thursday when Williams, who seems to be as oblivious to pressure as he is horrible at tooting his own horn, sounded the call down the stretch, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the final 20 minutes to lead the No. 5 seed Lobos past ornery No. 12 Long Beach State 75-68.

Williams shot 54.5 percent from the field (6-of-11) and added six assists to pair with Gordon's 18th double-double of the season (18/13)

The Lobos (28-6) will face No. 4 seed Louisville (27-9) in Saturday's third round.

"He's got something that you just can't teach," Lobos coach Steve Alford said of Williams. "He's got that extra gear. He's the fastest player I've ever coached. He's very, very elusive. He can go right and left. He can go north and south. He's just got speeds to him that are hard to catch up to.

"And then he's got that ability that just very few players have --- he can make big shots ... He's always had that ability to make really big plays, if not by pass, by shot or by the free throw line."

It's always preferable to tip your cap to the opposition when you've been outhustled, outmuscled and generally outplayed.

And though Colorado State can spend the off-season knowing it was guilty of none of the above, the healing from self-inflicted wounds could take a while.

The Rams' 58-41 loss to Murray State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was less an exercise in futility than one of the most maddening 20 minutes of basketball since folks were forced to pluck the ball from a peach crate.

Turnovers are costly, but silly, unforced turnovers resulting from bad decisions are an ideal conduit to leaving repeated impressions of one's forehead against a locker room wall.

Only three teams in the Mountain West this season turned the ball over fewer times than the Rams. Against Murray State, CSU had more turnovers (14) in the second half than it had been averaging per game (12.5). Following a layin by Pierce Hornung (a player who could rebound an echo in a cave) with 16:54 to go, the Rams scored two points while committing eight turnovers over the ensuing 7:23.

The talking heads credited Murray State with playing phenomenal defense. I would suggest such assessments are relatively easy to make when your opponent has seemingly concluded that the ball is radioactive.

The Rams will be back. Nearly all of them. Only two players --- Will Bell and Kaipo Sabas --- graduate. And with the addition of 6-foot-10 Minnesota transfer Colton Iverson, a MW title is hardly out of the question.

It was a memorable run. It's forgetting the final act that will prove the tough part.

"It's been a lot of fun," said Hornung, who finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds. "It certainly didn't end how we'd all like it to, but I'd say as a team we just played our hearts out all year long. And I just want to commend the seniors, Kaipo and Will, they did just a great job for us all year. They were just the heart and soul of our team. It didn't turn out like we wanted, but we still feel like we accomplished a lot. We definitely have goals next year that exceed where this year ended."

Today we take a look at the Mountain West men's basketball teams that have earned postseason tournament berths. Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV will participate in the NCAA tournament, while TCU and Wyoming have accepted bids to the College Basketball Invitational.

Who: No. 11 Colorado State (20-11) vs. No. 6 Murray State (30-1)
When: Thursday, March 15 (Tip-off 12:15 p.m. ET)
Where: Louisville, Ky. --- KFC Yum! Center
TV: CBS

Colorado State
What you need to know: The Rams' selection into the NCAA field marks CSU's ninth appearance in the tournament and the program's first since winning the 2003 Mountain West tournament. CSU's quarterfinal win over fifth-seeded TCU in last week's MW tournament gave the Rams 20 wins on the season, the seventh 20-win campaign in program history. The Rams' No. 4-ranked strength of schedule is the best among the four MW teams in the NCAA tournament, and they lead the Conference in field-goal percentage (.476), three-point percentage (.405) and free-throw percentage (.769).

Players to watch: First-team all-MW junior guard Wes Eikmeier (15.6 ppg) is the third-leading scorer in the league. Junior forward Pierce Hornung's 14-rebound performance vs. TCU last week set a new MW tourney record for the Rams, eclipsing the 13 rebounds pulled down by former NBA first-round selection Jason Smith against San Diego State in the 2007 first round. Junior guard Dorian Green, who had 20 points in the team's semifinal loss to the top-seeded Aztecs, currently has 1,022 career points.

Just the facts: Tim Miles is just the third coach in school history to lead the Rams to three consecutive postseason berths, having guided the team to the 2010 College Basketball Invitational and the 2011 NIT. CSU also made three straight postseason appearances under head coaches Jim Williams (1961-63) and Boyd Grant (1988-90).

Murray State
What you need to know: The Racers won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament crowns, avenging their only loss of the season with a 78-58 win over Tennessee State in the championship game. Murray State achieved a ranking of No. 9 in the Associated Press poll during the regular season, its best in school history.

Players to watch: Junior guard Isaiah Canaan (19.2 ppg), tabbed a first-team All-American by the Sporting News, is one of the top three-point shooters in the country, having connected on 47.3 percent of his attempts. Senior guard Donte Poole (14.2 ppg) and senior forward Ivan Aska (10.9) also average double-figure scoring for a team that thrives from the perimeter.

Just the facts: The Racers' No. 6 seed is their highest in 15 NCAA tournament appearances. Murray State is 2-14 in NCAA tournament play overall, with both of its wins coming against higher-seeded teams --- North Carolina State in 1988 and Vanderbilt in 2010.

Who: No. 5 New Mexico (27-6) vs. No. 12 Long Beach State (25-8)
When: Thursday, March 15, 1:10 p.m. PT
Where: Portland, Ore --- The Rose Garden
TV: TBS

New Mexico
What you need to know: The MW regular-season co-champion Lobos were all business in winning last week's MW tournament. After getting past Air Force in the quarterfinals, New Mexico rallied from a 12-0 deficit at the outset to knock off 20th-ranked UNLV, a team that had dealt the Lobos their worst MW loss in four years during the regular season. The Lobos never trailed in the championship game, racing out to a 15-4 lead en route to a 68-59 victory over San Diego State.

Players to watch: New Mexico senior forward Drew Gordon was the MW tournament MVP, averaging a double-double with 15.3 points and 10.6 rebounds. Gordon has a MW-best 17 double-doubles this season. Sophomore guard Tony Snell averaged 13.0 points per game in the MW tournament, connecting on 9-of-22 three-point attempts.

Just the facts: New Mexico has won 64 straight games (58-0 under coach Steve Alford) when allowing less than 60 points. The last loss came on Feb. 22, 2006, in a 51-46 setback to Air Force.

Long Beach State
What you need to know: The 49ers are the Big West Conference regular-season and tournament champions, having defeated UC Santa Barbara in the tournament's title game. While Long Beach State may be a No. 12 seed, the 49ers are not to be taken lightly, boasting the nation's top-ranked strength of schedule in non-conference play. In addition to pushing San Diego State to the limit before falling, 77-73, in overtime, the 49ers dropped an eight-point decision at Kansas (88-80) and lost by just six at North Carolina (84-78).

Players to watch: Senior guard Casper Ware, the Big West Player of the Year, hit eight three-pointers en route to finishing with 33 points against UC Santa Barbara last week, marking his third 30-point outing this season. Senior guard Larry Anderson, who entered the season ranked seventh all-time at Long Beach State in steals, ninth in free throws made and 15th in scoring, is averaging 13.0 points and has led the team in scoring seven times in 2011-12. The 49ers start four seniors.

Just the facts: Long Beach State is 1-7 against teams in this year's NCAA tournament field, but five of those seven losses were by single digits.

Who: No. 6 San Diego State vs. (26-7) vs. No. 11 North Carolina State (22-11)
When: Friday, March 16, 12:40 p.m. ET
Where: Columbus, Ohio --- Nationwide Arena
TV: truTV

San Diego State
What you need to know: San Diego State, MW regular-season co-champion and the MW tournament runner-up, is making its school-record third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament and eighth overall. This is the Aztecs' first-ever at-large selection into the tournament field. SDSU's 26 victories this season are tied for the program's second-most in its Division I history with the 2008-09 team that advanced to the NIT Final Four. Only last year's squad, which advanced to the Sweet 16, had more (34).

Players to watch: Sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, the MW Player of the Year, posted his 12th double-double of the season (16 points, 10 rebounds) in the MW tournament title game against New Mexico. The league's leading scorer (17.2 ppg) during the regular season, Franklin has scored in double figures in a career-high 20 consecutive games. Junior guard Chase Tapley notched his second 20-point game of the 2012 MW tournament with 25 points in the championship game. It was the 29th double-figure scoring game of the season for Tapley, who tied a career-high with 10 field goals.

Just the facts: San Diego State is 23-5 in its last 28 games played during the month of March, a total that includes NCAA, NIT and Mountain West tournament games.

North Carolina State
What you need to know: The Wolfpack, which nearly knocked off top seed North Carolina before falling, 69-67, in the semifinals of the ACC tournament, earned its 23rd trip to the NCAA tournament and first since the 2005-06 season. North Carolina State, which finished the regular season tied for fourth in the ACC, enters the NCAA tournament having won four of its last five.

Players to watch: Sophomore forward C.J. Leslie was named to the first-team ACC All-Tournament team. He posted team-best averages of 17.3 points and 10.7 rebounds and shot 69.7 percent (23-33) from the field during the tournament, finishing with double-doubles in wins over Boston College (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Virginia (19 points, 14 rebounds). He also had 22 points in the team's loss to North Carolina in the semifinals. Sophomore guard Lorenzo Brown became the first N.C. State guard since Chris Corchiani in 1991 to average better than 4.6 assists per game with 6.3 per contest.

Just the facts: NC State's 22 victories represent its most since the 2005-06 season when it concluded the year with a 22-10 mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Wolfpack has posted 22 wins in a season just three times over the last 22 years.

Who: No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado (23-11)
When: Thursday, March 15, 8 p.m. MT
Where: Albuquerque, N.M. --- The Pit
TV: truTV

UNLV
What you need to know: One of a record-tying four MW teams in this year's NCAA tournament field, the Runnin' Rebels earned their ninth at-large bid in school history. The contest marks UNLV's fifth appearance in the tournament in the last six years, more than any current MW school. The Runnin' Rebels fell to eventual champion New Mexico in the semifinals of the MW tournament after finishing third during the regular season. This marks the first time UNLV has ever been a No. 6 seed and represents the highest seeding for a UNLV team since the Runnin' Rebels were a No. 1 in 1990-91. UNLV is 9-11 all-time at The Pit.

Players to watch: Three players are averaging double-figure scoring, including sophomore Mike Moser (14.1 ppg), senior forward Chace Stanback (12.7 ppg) and junior guard Anthony Marshall (12.1 ppg). Moser also leads the team in rebounding (10.6) and is one of only two MW players (New Mexico's Drew Gordon) averaging a double-double. He has 15 double-doubles this season. Stanback leads the team and MW in 3-point field-goal percentage at .464.

Just the facts: UNLV is 3-3 against current members of the Pac-12 in NCAA tournament play, with the last meeting being a 76-72 loss to Oregon in the 2007 Sweet 16.

Colorado
What you need to know: Colorado is making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2003 after winning four games in four days for the first time in school history last week to capture the Pac-12 tournament title. The Buffaloes are making their 11th trip all-time, having compiled a record of 9-12 in the NCAA tournament. This will be the first meeting between UNLV and Colorado since a 65-59 Buffaloes win in Las Vegas on Dec. 22, 1981. CU is 1-4 all-time vs. UNLV.

Players to watch: Senior guard Carlon Brown (12.6 ppg), the Pac-12 tournament's Most Valuable Player, is one of four players averaging double-digit scoring, along with sophomore power forward Andre Roberson (11.6), senior forward Austin Dufault (10.9) and freshman guard Spencer Dinwiddie (10.2).

Just the facts: Colorado went 1-2 against MW teams this season, falling 65-54 at home to Wyoming and 65-64 at Colorado State. The Buffaloes beat Air Force in overtime, 76-73, in Colorado Springs.

Who: TCU (17-14) vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (20-13)
When: Tuesday, March 13, 7 p.m. CT
Where: Fort Worth, Texas --- Daniel-Meyer Arena
TV: None

TCU
What you need to know: TCU opens play in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) after earning its first postseason tournament berth since reaching the 2005 NIT quarterfinals. The tournament is not seeded. The Horned Frogs posted their best finish ever in Mountain West play with a fifth-place effort during the regular season. They went 13-3 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, posting their best home mark since going 14-3 in 2004-05. The matchup against Milwaukee will be the first time that TCU has played host to a postseason tournament game since a March 17, 1999, NIT quarterfinal contest against Oregon.

Players to watch: Senior guard Hank Thorns ranks No. 1 in the MW in minutes played (34.03); No. 2 in assists (4.61); No. 3 in three-pointers (2.27); No. 4 in three-point percentage (39.5%); and No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, in scoring (13.5 ) and assist/turnover ratio (1.59).Senior guard J.R. Cadot has scored in double figures a career-high nine times in the last 10 outings. He is averaging team-high figures of 15.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg over the last five games.

Just the facts: TCU has guaranteed itself a winning record for the first time since 2004-05 (21-14). The squad's 17 victories are three more than in any season since 2004-05.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee
What you need to know: Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which tied for third place in the Horizon League, reached the second round of the league's tournament before falling to Butler. UWM enters the postseason having won five of its last six and will be making its sixth-ever Division I postseason appearance. The Panthers won 20 games for the second time in three years, marking just the 11th time in 115 years of basketball that the team has recorded 20 or more victories in a season. UWM ranks No. 5 in the nation in three-point field-goal defense (28.3 percent).

Players to watch: Senior forward Tony Meier (11.0 ppg) leads a group of four Panthers averaging double-figure scoring along with senior guard Kaylon Williams (10.8), junior forward James Haarsma (10.7) and junior guard Ja'Rob McCallum (10.0). Williams ranks No. 10 nationally in assists per game (6.4).

Just the facts: Milwaukee played at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in 2009 as part of the Preseason NIT, but did not face the Horned Frogs. The two teams have never met.

Who: Wyoming (20-11) vs. North Dakota State (17-13)
When: Wednesday, March 14, 7 p.m. MT
Where: Laramie, Wyo. --- Arena-Auditorium
TV: None

Wyoming
What you need to know: The Cowboys are making their second appearance in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) since dropping a 64-62 decision to Northeastern in the first round in 2009. Wyoming's win over TCU on Feb. 28 gave the team its first 20-win season since a 21-11 mark in 2002-03 and its fifth 20-win season since 1990. The Cowboys, who finished sixth in the Mountain West, were 15-3 at home this season, the team's second-winningest season in the 30-year history of Arena-Auditorium.

Players to watch: Junior forward Leonard Washington has posted a double-double in three of his last four games. A second-team all-MW selection, Washington ranks in the top 10 of five conference statistical categories and is averaging a team-high 12.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. Senior guard Francisco Cruz and junior guard Luke Martinez, the team's perimeter threats, are averaging 12.2 points apiece. Senior guard JayDee Luster, the MW Defensive Player of the Year, ranks 35th in the nation in assist-turnover ratio at 2.3. Senior center Adam Waddell averages 9.4 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Just the facts: The Cowboys have held 30 of their 31 opponents below their season scoring average. Wyoming ranked sixth in scoring defense (55.5 ppg) in the latest NCAA rankings and 24th in three-point field goal percentage defense (30.4).

North Dakota State
What you need to know: The Bison finished 9-9 in Summit League play, tied for fourth with Western Illinois, a team that beat North Dakota State in the quarterfinals of the league championships on March 4. The Bison own one of the best offenses in the Summit League, as they lead the league and rank sixth in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 48.9. NDSU is also third in three-point field goal percentage and 44th in the nation at 37.4.

Players to watch: North Dakota State is paced by sophomore guard Taylor Braun, a first-team all-Summit League selection at 15.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Braun ranks 10th in the conference in scoring and sixth in rebounding. Freshman guard Lawrence Alexander was named the league's Newcomer of the Year after finishing fourth in the league with an average of 12.9 points and 4.6 assists. Sophomore forward Marshall Bjorklund is the team's inside presence at 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. Bjorklund leads the Summit at 66.5 percent from the field.

Just the facts: The Bison are 1-2 against Mountain West opponents since beginning Division I play in 2004-05 (all against Colorado State).

As the Mountain West men's basketball tournament drew closer, New Mexico coach Steve Alford spoke of the pressure associated with preseason prognostications, of the hype heaped upon a team teeming with talent.

Yet if the Lobos showed any signs of succumbing to heightened expectations, the evidence was certainly not evident in Las Vegas.

After dispatching Air Force in the quarterfinals and putting UNLV's Rebels on the run in the semis, No. 2 seed New Mexico went to the whip in Saturday 's championship, knocking off No. 1 seed and defending tournament champion San Diego State, 68-59.

The championship was the first since 2005 and second overall for the Lobos (27-6), who gained the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"I think the neat thing about this team, there's always been somebody to pick somebody up," Alford said. "We've talked about holding the rope all year long. These guys have done a great job of holding the rope for each other."

It was a rope they used with a high degree of effectiveness against San Diego State, reining in the league's Player of the Year, Jamaal Franklin, and otherwise hog-tying the Aztecs for the duration.

San Diego State (26-7), which missed eight of its first nine shots, was 9-of-23 from the field (1-of-6 from beyond the arc) in the first half. Meanwhile, Lobo sophomore forward Tony Snell was 4-of-5 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes and had only nine fewer points than the Aztecs, whose first-half total of 23 marked their second-lowest of the season.

"We just couldn't settle into any kind of a flow offensively," said Aztecs coach Steve Fisher. "The more we missed, the faster we played. That ain't a good combination. We tried to make a couple subs, tried to talk about it at timeouts. We weren't quite able to get it under control."

The Rams head into Selection Sunday with a mark of 20-11. The information used here is the official data compiled by the NCAA.

Colorado State vs. Washington (21-10)
While this seems to be the team most are quick to compare to Colorado State, here are a couple of facts worth noting:

1) Colorado State's strength of schedule ranks No. 4; Washington sits at No. 79.

2) Against top-50 teams in the latest RPI, the Huskies are 0-5. While CSU is 3-6, two of the six losses (Duke, Southern Miss) came with junior forward Pierce Hornung sidelined by a concussion. Hornung, the Rams' fourth-leading scorer, averages a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game and has a team-best 47 steals. He has also contributed 45 assists and 12 blocks.

3) Both teams are relatively even vs. opponents with RPI rankings of 51-100 and 101-200 and both are unbeaten against opponents with an RPI of 201 or worse. However, against teams with RPI number of 201+, Washington has played 10 such opponents while the Rams have played only four.

4) The Huskies concluded their airtight case for an NCAA bid by losing to No. 9 seed Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament. Colorado State, on the other hand, entered the MW tournament with a 4 seed and handed No. 5 TCU an 81-60 loss in the quarterfinals before dropping a 79-69 decision to top-seeded and 18th-ranked San Diego State in Friday's semis.

Colorado State vs. Arizona (23-10)
1) The Wildcats, who have a date with Colorado in the Pac-12 championship game (an event that will necessitate the utilization of at least one usher at the Staples Center in Los Angeles), boast a strength of schedule ranking of 124.

2) In the latest RPI, Arizona is 1-3 vs. top-50 teams and 4-5 against opponents ranked 51-100.

3) How far have the Wildcats come since the departure of Lute Olson? Not only did they lose to Arizona State, a team with an RPI of 251, they were also tripped up --- get this --- 69-68 by Seattle Pacific in a preseason exhibition game.

Colorado State vs. Colorado (20-11)
1) Other than finally grasping CU's reasoning behind transferring to the Pac-12, where basketball is now only slightly more compelling than intramural welding, the Buffaloes lost to CSU, 65-64, on Nov. 30.

2) Sporting a strength of schedule of 86, only 82 spots below CSU, Colorado is 2-3 vs. top-50 teams in the latest RPI and 5-5 against opponents ranked 51-100.

3) CU played 10 games against teams with RPIs of 201+.

Colorado State vs. BYU (25-8)
1) Now members of the West Coast Conference, the Cougars got out of town while the gettin' was good. Their record against teams in the top 50 RPI? Try 1-6. Strength of schedule: 99.

2) Colorado State has three wins over ranked opponents; BYU has one (No. 24 Gonzaga).

3) BYU is 4-0 vs. RPI 51-100; 8-2 against RPI 101-200; and 10-0 vs. RPI 201+.

4) While the Cougars get the nod over CSU in terms of road record (8-3), they also play in a league with a worse RPI (11) than the Pac-12.

In the end, New Mexico sophomore guard Kendall Williams sprinted to the northeast corner of the Thomas & Mack Center, holding his right index finger aloft.

Williams was not proclaiming the Lobos the best team in the land, nor even the Mountain West. Rather, he was reminding half the population of Albuquerque in attendance that one more hurdle remained between the finish line and a MW season fulfilled.

Projected as the league's preseason favorite, the No. 2 seed Lobos wiped out a 12-0 deficit at the outset of the contest to knock off No. 3 UNLV, 72-67, Friday night in the semifinals of the MW men's basketball tournament.

The victory not only put an end to UNLV's 18-game home win streak, but it simultaneously set up a title showdown matching regular-season co-champions New Mexico and No. 1 seed San Diego State. The teams split during the regular season, with the Aztecs winning 75-70 at The Pit and the Lobos posting a 77-67 victory in San Diego.

The Lobos, who won the tournament in 2005, are making their third appearance in the championship game.

"It's going to be a great, great matchup," said New Mexico coach Steve Alford. "They beat us at our place, we beat them at their place. Now we get a neutral floor setting for the rubber match."

They are certain sights synonymous with Las Vegas. The Strip. Caesars. The Fountains at Bellagio. New York-New York and the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel.

And the presence of San Diego State's men's basketball team in March.

The Aztecs, who were deemed defective after losing four starters --- one of them a lottery pick --- from last year's Sweet 16 team, continued negating the naysayers Friday night, knocking off No. 4 seed Colorado State, 79-69, to advance to the Mountain West title game for the fourth straight year.

"We talked a little bit about us and a responsibility to ourselves to come out and be as good as we can be," said coach Steve Fisher, whose team improved to 26-6 as the defending MW Tournament champion. "We want to play (Saturday). We're not worried about not having a deep bench, not having legs. We want to be playing. We want to be that last team standing here in this Mountain West Conference, and we're going to be having a chance to do that. "

Perhaps a better chance than most. San Diego State has now won a conference-record eight straight tournament games and 10 of its last 11. The Aztecs are 4-1 in MW championship games.

SDSU, which got a team-high 19 points from MW Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin, also received 17 points from Chase Tapley and 15 from James Rahon.

The Aztecs, who ranked second in the league this season in field-goal percentage defense, limited CSU to a shooting percentage of 43.1 percent (25-of-58). SDSU has gone 48 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from field. The Rams were the top shooting team in the MW entering the tournament.

"We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds," said Rams guard Jesse Carr, who finished with 17 points. "Once we got in the lane, it was tough to get up an easy shot. They did a good job of making sure we didn't get easy shots and just contested everything."

The cliché is to label it a team that totes a lunch pail, toils in a hard hat and is accustomed to dislodging dirt from under its fingernails.

The truth? Colorado State is blue collar in a three-piece button-down.

Tough as a roadhouse rib-eye, and with a lineup that looks more rec league than ready-to-rumble, CSU almost certainly locked down a spot in the NCAA Tournament on Friday with an 81-60 win over TCU in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West men's basketball tournament.

In a game many believed held promise as perhaps the tournament's most grueling, the No. 4 seed Rams instead turned it into a Porsche against a plow, a Lamborghini versus a lawn tractor.

And this was without starter Greg Smith, the team's third-leading scorer. Without, as usual, a starter standing taller than 6-6. Without anyone to seemingly capable of matching might with one of the most athletic teams in the league.

But not without a whole lot of chutzpah.

Paced by junior forward Pierce Hornung (18 points, 14 rebounds), who would routinely be mistaken for Shaquille O'Neal were he seven inches taller and 120 pounds heavier, the Rams had six players score in double figures. They outrebounded TCU 38-27 and held a 50-38 advantage on points in the paint. They led by 22 with 7:48 left.

"We came to win the Conference tournament," said coach Tim Miles. "We thought that we could do what we could do until the end of the regular season, to have a high finish in the conference and put ourselves in (the NCAA Tournament) conversation.

"But, you know, about the time you say, 'Oh, we might need one (win) to get in, Boise State could go out and upset San Diego State, so now you can't lose to Boise. It never ends. Try to win the Conference tournament and see if they can keep us out that way. They can't."

If San Diego State's men's basketball team rides Jamaal Franklin any farther, the standout sophomore guard should be afforded license to charge cab fare.

In what many anticipate being the most competitive Mountain West men's basketball tournament since the league's inception in 1999, Franklin provided enough drama in Thursday's opening act to bring down the house.

Franklin, the MW Player of the Year, hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer while falling backward as the top-seeded Aztecs survived a monumental scare from No. 8 Boise State, 65-62.

"Jamaal has turned into an extremely talented, confident basketball player who has steadily pulled the reins in on himself to play within the confines of what we want to do," said Aztecs coach Steve Fisher. "You have to have wiggle room, so I give him a little wiggle room. But Jamaal is unafraid."

Just ask UNLV. In a game against the then-No. 11-ranked Runnin' Rebels on Jan. 14, Franklin made an off-balance layup with three-tenths of a second left to give the Aztecs a 69-67 victory.

"I believed in myself," Franklin said of Thursday's heroics. "I always practice the last shot. When it left my hand, I felt it was going to go in."

Said Boise State coach Leon Rice: "We knew it was going to Franklin. Like (Broncos guard Derrick Marks) said, everybody in the gym knew it was going to Franklin. That's where it should go, obviously. He showed why it should go there."

Quarterfinal action on the men's side begins Thursday, March 8, with No. 1 seed San Diego State tipping off against No. 8 seed Boise State at noon PT. The Aztecs-Broncos match-up will be followed by No. 4 seed Colorado State vs. No. 5 seed TCU at 2:30 p.m. PT; No. 2 seed New Mexico vs. No. 7 seed Air Force at 6 p.m. PT; and No. 3 seed UNLV vs. No. 6 seed Wyoming at 8:30 p.m. PT.

Here's a look at each of the quarterfinal match-ups:

2012 MW MEN'S BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS

No. 1 seed San Diego State (24-6, 10-4 MW) vs. No. 8 Boise State (13-16, 3-11 MW)
Thur., Noon PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
Two-time defending tournament champion San Diego State swept the season series against the Broncos, winning 58-56 in San Diego on Feb. 1 and 66-53 in Boise on March 1. Aztecs sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, the league's leading scorer, averaged 17.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two contests. Freshman forward Anthony Drmic leads Boise State with an average of 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

No. 4 Colorado State (19-10, 8-6 MW) vs. No. 5 TCU (17-13, 7-7 MW)
Thur., 2:30 PT, The Mtn. HD/ CBS Sports Network (DirecTV 616/613)
If you're waiting until Friday's semifinals for the real drama to unfold, forget it. Colorado State is trying to cement a spot in the NCAA Tournament, while TCU, with wins over Top-25 teams in UNLV and New Mexico, is bucking for its first postseason appearance as a member of the Mountain West. The Rams and Horned Frogs are squaring off in a rubber match after splitting their regular-season meetings by a mere 10 points combined, with the Rams prevailing 95-89 in double overtime on Jan. 14 and the Frogs getting even with a 75-71 victory in Fort Worth on Feb. 11.

No. 2 New Mexico (24-6, 10-4 MW) vs. No. 7 Air Force (13-15, 3-11 MW)
Thur., 6 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
Though Air Force has rarely gone quietly in this event through the years, this was a nightmarish matchup for the Falcons during the regular season, with New Mexico winning both games by a combined average of 34.5 points. Senior forward Drew Gordon, who recorded his 15th double-double of the season in Saturday's win over Boise State, is averaging 13.2 points and 11.0 rebounds for the Lobos.

No. 3 UNLV (25-7, 9-5 MW) vs. No. 6 Wyoming (20-10, 6-8 MW)
Thur., 8:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD/CBS Sports Network (DirecTV 616/613)
Five days after squaring off in the regular-season finale, the Runnin' Rebels and Cowboys meet again in a rubber match. UNLV prevailed 74-63 in Saturday's game in Las Vegas, with sophomore forward Mike Moser posting his 14th double-double of the season (17 points, 12 rebounds). Wyoming's 68-66 win over UNLV in Laramie on Feb. 4 marked its first victory over a ranked opponent since 2000.

2012 MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS

No. 1 seed San Diego State (22-6, 12-2 MW) vs. No. 8 Air Force (6-23, 1-13 MW)
Wed., Noon PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
The Aztecs won their first outright MW regular-season title after sharing the distinction with Utah in 2009. SDSU swept the Falcons during the regular season, winning each of the two contests by 13 points. Air Force beat New Mexico in its regular-season finale, posting its second-ever victory over the Lobos and its first as a Division I team.

No. 4 TCU (16-13, 9-5 MW) vs. No. 5 Wyoming (11-16, 7-7 MW)
Wed., 2:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
TCU, last year's runner-up, enters the tournament having won four straight, including a 58-48 victory over Wyoming in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Cowgirls beat the Frogs 64-54 in Laramie on Feb. 2. The game matches two of the top freshmen in the MW in TCU's Natalie Ventress and Wyoming's Kayla Woodward.

No. 2 UNLV (22-8, 10-4 MW) vs. No. 7 New Mexico (9-19, 3-11 MW)
Wed., 6 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
UNLV, which won 20 games for the fifth time in the past 20 years, has never been seeded this high in the tournament. The Lady Rebels swept New Mexico during the regular season, winning 64-50 in Albuquerque on Jan. 21 and 65-60 in Las Vegas on Feb. 18. The Lobos are led by junior guard Caroline Durbin, who ranks second in the league in scoring at 15.4 points per game. UNLV counters with junior guard Kelli Thompson (13.6 ppg), the eighth-leading scorer in the MW.

No. 3 Colorado (13-16, 9-5 MW) vs. No. 6 Boise State (14-15, 5-9 MW)
Wed., 8:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn. HD (DirecTV 616)
Following its 67-58 win over Boise State on Feb. 14, a win that marked a sweep of the season series by the Rams, Colorado State was positioned to claim a share of the MW title with San Diego State. Yet despite beating the Aztecs, the Rams dropped three of their last four, including a 53-48 loss to UNLV on Feb. 29 that left them with the No. 3 seed. CSU is paced by senior guard Kim Mestdagh, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, who ranks third in the league in scoring (14.8 ppg) and assists (4.0). Broncos junior forward Lauren Lenhardt, who ranks second in the MW in field-goal percentage (.500), is also the league's seventh-leading scorer (13.8 ppg).

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• May I Assist You? UNLV senior guard Oscar Bellfield, who has recorded over 100 assists in all four years of his college career, leads the MW in assists per game with 5.2 and is fifth on the school's career assists list with 554. He is currently second all-time in the MW in career assists, 10 shy of the record held by New Mexico's Dairese Gary (2007-11). Bellfield is sixth in UNLV history with 203 career three-point baskets and is on pace to become only the second Runnin' Rebel ever to lead the team in assists in four straight seasons.

• In the Spotlight: San Diego State sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin continues to build a compelling case for MW Player of the Year honors. Franklin, the league's leading scorer, has finished in double figures in 16 straight games while recording double-doubles in 10 of his last 15 contests. In his last two games he has 49 points, 28 rebounds and four assists while connecting on 13-of-24 FGA (54.2 pct.) and 20-of-22 FTA (90.9 pct.).

• Milestone Within Reach: Air Force junior guard Michael Lyons is on track to become the 23rd player in the program's history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Lyons, who has appeared in 83 career games, has 962 career points and is 26th on the school's career scoring list. The last Falcon to join the 1,000-point club was Matt McCraw in 2007. No Air Force junior has accomplished the feat since Otis Jones in 1994.

• Shuffling the Deck: Boise State has used 13 different starting lineups this season, with each of the 12 players to see playing time having started at least one game. The Broncos are one of three teams nationally to start every player who has seen game action. The last Boise State team to do so was the 2000-01 squad. The Broncos used just eight different combinations during Leon Rice's debut season in 2010-11.

• Big on the Boards: Despite its tallest starter being 6-6, Colorado State is the only team in the Mountain West with two players --- junior forwards Pierce Hornung and Greg Smith --- ranked in the top seven in the league in rebounding. Hornung ranks third at 8.5 boards per game, while Smith is seventh (5.2) after pulling down 25 rebounds in his last four games.

• Defensive Measures: New Mexico this season has limited its opponents to 58.6 points per game and a .378 field goal percentage. The last time the Lobos held an opponent's season scoring average under 60 points was in 1983-84, the final year without a shot clock. The team's fewest average points allowed in the shot clock era is 62.4 in 2005-06.

• Going Deep: Wyoming junior guard Luke Martinez has made at least one three-point basket in 25 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league. TCU's Hank Thorns is second at 17. Martinez ranks first in the MW and 30th in the nation in threes per game at 2.7.

• A Season of Firsts: A victory against No. 21 San Diego State on Saturday would mark the first time in history that TCU defeated three Top 25 teams (SDSU, UNLV and New Mexico) in one season. A win would also give the Frogs a winning record in league play for the first time since 2000-01 (9-7 WAC). TCU's seven league wins are its most in seven seasons as a member of the Mountain West.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

•  It'll be a family affair when Colorado State visits Air Force on Saturday.

• Rams still have unfinished business in quest for NCAA Tournament bid.

• The 'magician inside the locker room:' SDSU's Tom Abdenour.

• Seniors part of remarkable turnaround at TCU.

• UNLV's Massamba intent on making most of final leg of long journey.

• Former Cowboys' star Jay Straight now plying his trade overseas.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• New career path for former CSU football player Eugene Daniels.

WOMEN'S TENNIS HEADLINES

• Recruit from Serbia proves to be significant net gain for UNLV.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

1. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - While the general consensus throughout the season has been that the MW Player of the Year vote comes down to either New Mexico's Drew Gordon or UNLV's Mike Moser, has anybody been watching this guy? In finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday's win at Boise State, Franklin posted his second consecutive double-double and his seventh in the last 10 games. This on the heels of a 31-point, 16-rebound performance against Colorado State on Saturday. He has scored in double figures in a personal-best 16 straight games.

2. Leonard Washington, F, Jr., Wyoming - Washington secured his second consecutive double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's 71-59 win over TCU, helping the Cowboys post their first 20-win season since 2002-03. His 23 points marked the second-highest scoring total of his career. Washington, who has four double-doubles this season and 19 games scoring in double figures, also had 15 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's victory over Boise State.

3. J.R. Cadot, G, Sr., TCU - The reigning MW Player of the Week posted his second consecutive double-double in Saturday's win over then-No. 18 New Mexico, finishing with a game-high 15 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. He had six offensive rebounds in the game as TCU beat a Top 25-ranked team twice in a season (UNLV on Feb. 14) for the first time in program history. Cadot finished with a team-high 11 points to lead the Frogs in scoring for the third straight game in Tuesday's loss at Wyoming.

4. Dorian Green, G, Jr., Colorado State - Green played a major role in rallying the Rams from a 16-point deficit by scoring 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half of Wednesday's win over No. 17 UNLV. He tied for team-high scoring honors with 14 points while adding seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in the Rams' loss at No. 24 San Diego State on Saturday. Green, who has now started 92 games in his career at CSU, has knocked down at least one three-pointer in 12 of his last 14 contests.

5. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - Gordon posted his 14th double-double of the season and the 27th of his career in Wednesday's win over Air Force. Gordon, who had 16 points and six rebounds in 16 minutes in the first half, finished the contest by hitting 8-of-9 shot attempts in 27 minutes. After pulling down 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss at TCU, he currently has 317 rebounds, the eighth-best single-season total in New Mexico history. The school season record is 375 by Tom King in 1960-61.

6. Anthony Marshall, G, Jr., UNLV - In a win over Air Force and a loss to Colorado State, Marshall averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He is the only player in the Mountain West averaging at least 12 points, five rebounds and four assists per contest for all games. He has scored in double figures in each of his last five games and seven of the last eight.

7. Francisco Cruz, G, Sr., Wyoming - Cruz scored 19 points to post his second consecutive double-figure scoring game and his 18th of the season in Tuesday's 71-59 win over TCU. He also dished out five assists, marking the seventh time this season he's finished with more than four in a game. He contributed a team-high 16 points in Saturday's win over Boise State.

8. Tim Shelton, F, Sr., San Diego State - Shelton, who had 11 points and four rebounds in Wednesday's win at Boise State, posted his fourth double-digit scoring game in his last five outings after going nearly three years (and 61 games played) without a double-digit effort. After connecting on 3-of-5 attempts from the field against the Broncos, he has now made 29 of his last 50 field goal attempts. He also drew his 30th charge of the season against BSU.

9. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - Eikmeier, who finished as the Rams' second-leading scorer in Wednesday's win over UNLV, tied for team-high scoring honors with 14 points in Saturday's 74-66 loss at San Diego State. The MW's second-leading scorer, Eikmeier has now hit a three-pointer in 23 of CSU's 28 contests this season and has reached double-figure scoring in 23 games.

10. Hugh Greenwood, G, Fr., New Mexico - Greenwood established career highs for points (22) and three-pointers (5) in Wednesday's win over Air Force. He scored the Lobos' first 14 points of the second half in a span of just 3:02, with 12 of his points coming from beyond the arc. Greenwood finished 7-of-9 from the floor, including a 5-for-7 performance from three-point range.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

1. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - The reigning Mountain West Player of the Week posted her third consecutive and league-leading 12th 20-point scoring outing of the year with 22 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State. Clements, the league's leading scorer, has averaged 23.7 points over her last three games.

2. Kelli Thompson, G, Jr., UNLV - Thompson tallied her third straight 20-point game in Wednesday's 53-48 win over Colorado State as the Lady Rebels secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MW Championships and claimed their first-ever top-two finish in the league. .In her last three games, Thompson has averaged 21.3 points while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor.

3. Jamie Smith, F, Sr., UNLV - Smith, who earlier this season became just the second player in MW history - men's or women's - to amass 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, became the Lady Rebels' all-time leading rebounder in Wednesday's win over Colorado State. Smith, who had 11 rebounds in the game, broke the previous record of 1,124 held by former UNLV All-American Linda Fröhlich. Smith, the team's third-leading scorer, currently has 1,131 career rebounds.

4. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, who has four of the Aztecs' six double-doubles this season, hit 5-of-6 shots from the field, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals in Wednesday's victory over Boise State. The league leader in assists with an average of 6.5 per game (she has 61 more assists than any player in MW), Hopkins was a rebound shy of recording her fifth double-double in Saturday's loss at Colorado State, finishing with 11 points, nine boards, six assists and three steals in playing all 40 minutes.

5. Natalie Ventress, G, Fr., TCU - Ventress, who had 18 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's win over New Mexico, led TCU in scoring for the 18th time this season with a team-high 10 points in a 58-48 win over Wyoming on Tuesday. She also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals while scoring in double figures for the sixth straight game and 17th time this season.

For those merely concerned with the regular-season championship picture, it's simple: The possibility still remains that one, two or three teams could walk away with at least a piece of the crown because the Mountain West recognizes multiple regular-season champions in the event of a tie. All of the eye-crossing number-crunching you see below is merely a way to determine seeding for the MW tournament.

San Diego State and New Mexico simply have to win to claim their share, while UNLV has to win and hope for a little help from TCU and Boise State. However, should the Aztecs prevail Saturday on the Horned Frogs' home court (a place where all other MW teams have failed this season, I might add), SDSU will earn the coveted No. 1 seed due to New Mexico having split its series with the Horned Frogs.

Meanwhile, TCU, which has won eight straight at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, enters Saturday's contest knotted up with Colorado State in fourth place. In any tiebreaker scenario, should the Frogs and Rams finish tied in the final standings, Colorado State would earn the higher seed, regardless of whether both finish 8-6 or 7-7. Should CSU and TCU finish in a three-way tie with Wyoming at 7-7, the Rams would be seeded fourth, while the Frogs and Cowboys would be seeded fifth and sixth, respectively.

In the interim, if you have yet to purchase tickets to next week's Conoco Mountain West Basketball Championships, visit UNLVTickets.com. Single-session tickets are now on sale - purchase yours online or by calling 702-739-3267.

Oh. And happy reading.

Two-way tie between UNM and SDSU at 10-4:
• UNM and SDSU split with each other
• Both teams split with CSU and UNLV
• SDSU is 2-0 vs. TCU, UNM is 1-1 vs. TCU
• Both teams are 2-0 vs. WYO
• SDSU gets No. 1 seed due to sweep of TCU

Three-way tie between UNM, SDSU and UNLV at 9-5:
• UNM, SDSU and UNLV split with each other
• All three teams split with CSU, TCU
• UNM and SDSU are 2-0 vs. WYO; UNLV is 1-1
• UNLV gets No. 3 seed
• UNM is 2-0 vs. AFA; SDSU is 1-1 vs. AFA
• SDSU is 2-0 vs. BSU; UNM is 1-1 vs. BSU
• If BSU is 4-10 and AFA is 3-11, tiebreaker goes to SDSU
• If AFA and BSU are tied at 4-10 (both UNM and SDSU went a combined 3-1 against AFA and BSU), tie broken based on Feb. 27 RPI ranking (28-SDSU; 34-UNM)
• SDSU is No. 1 seed due to higher RPI ranking

Two-way tie between UNM and UNLV at 9-5:
• SDSU is No. 1 seed at 10-4
• UNM and UNLV split with each other
• Both teams split with SDSU
• Both teams split with CSU, TCU
• UNM is 2-0 vs. WYO; UNLV is 1-1
• UNM gets No. 2 seed due to sweep of WYO

Two-way tie between SDSU and UNLV at 9-5:
• UNM is No. 1 seed at 10-4
• SDSU and UNLV split with each other
• Both teams split with UNM
• Both teams split with CSU, TCU
• SDSU is 2-0 vs. WYO, UNLV is 1-1 vs. WYO
• SDSU gets No. 2 seed due to sweep of WYO

Two-way tie between UNM and SDSU at 9-5:
• UNM and SDSU split with each other
• Split with UNLV, CSU, TCU
• UNM and SDSU are both 2-0 vs. WYO
• If AFA and BSU are tied at 4-10 (both UNM and SDSU went a combined 3-1 against AFA and BSU), tie broken based on Feb. 27 RPI ranking (28-SDSU; 34-UNM) - SDSU gets No. 1 seed due to higher RPI ranking
• If AFA is 3-11, SDSU still gets No. 1 seed due to 2-0 record vs. BSU because UNM is 1-1 vs. BSU

Three-way tie between UNLV, CSU and TCU at 8-6:
• UNM is No. 1 seed at 10-4 if it defeats BSU
• SDSU is No. 1 seed if it is tied with UNM at 9-5
• UNLV, CSU and TCU split with each other
• UNLV, CSU and TCU split with UNM and SDSU
• CSU and TCU are 1-1 vs. WYO; UNLV is 0-2 vs. WYO
• UNLV gets No. 5 seed
• CSU and TCU are both 3-1 vs. AFA and BSU
• Tie is broken based on Feb. 27 RPI ranking (27-CSU; 90-TCU)

Two-way tie between UNLV and CSU at 8-6:
• SDSU is No. 1 seed, UNM is No. 2 seed
• UNLV and CSU split with each other
• Both teams split with TCU
• CSU is 1-1 vs. WYO; UNLV is 0-2 vs. WYO
• CSU gets No. 3 seed due to split with WYO

Two-way tie between UNLV and TCU at 8-6:
• UNLV and TCU split with each other
• Both teams split with both SDSU and UNM
• Both teams split with CSU
• TCU is 1-1 vs. WYO; UNLV is 0-2 vs. WYO
• TCU gets No. 3 seed due to split with WYO

Two-way tie between CSU and TCU at 8-6:
• Split with each other
• Both teams split with SDSU, UNM, UNLV, WYO and BSU
• Both teams are 2-0 vs. AFA
• Tie broken based on Feb. 27 RPI ranking (27-CSU; 90-TCU)
• CSU gets No. 4 seed due to higher RPI ranking

Three-way tie between CSU, TCU and WYO at 7-7:
• CSU, TCU and WYO split with each other
• CSU split with UNM, SDSU and UNLV
• TCU split with UNM and UNLV, is 0-2 vs. SDSU
• WYO went 2-0 vs. UNLV, is 0-2 vs. UNM and SDSU
• CSU gets No. 4 seed, TCU gets No. 5 seed, WYO gets No. 6 seed

Two-way tie between CSU and TCU at 7-7:
• CSU and TCU split with each other
• CSU split with UNM, SDSU and UNLV
• TCU split with UNM and UNLV, is 0-2 vs. SDSU
• CSU gets No. 4 seed, TCU gets No. 5 seed

Two-way tie between TCU and WYO at 7-7:
• TCU and WYO split with each other
• TCU split with UNM and UNLV, went 0-2 vs. SDSU
• WYO is 2-0 vs. UNLV; is 0-2 vs. UNM and SDSU
• TCU gets No. 5 seed, WYO gets No. 6 seed

Two-way tie between CSU and WYO at 7-7:
• CSU and WYO split with each other
• CSU split with UNM, SDSU, UNLV and TCU
• WYO split with TCU and UNLV; went 0-2 vs. UNM and SDSU
• CSU gets No. 5 seed, WYO gets No. 6 seed

Two-way tie between AFA and BSU at 4-10:
• SDSU is the No. 1 seed in this scenario because UNM can't be the No. 1 seed if it loses
• AFA and BSU split with each other
• AFA split with SDSU, CSU, WYO and went 0-2 vs. UNM, TCU, UNLV
• BSU split with UNM, CSU, TCU and went 0-2 vs. SDSU, UNLV, WYO
• AFA gets No. 7 seed due to split with SDSU

Two-way tie between AFA and BSU at 3-11:
• AFA and BSU split with each other
• AFA split with SDSU, WYO and went 0-2 vs. CSU, UNM, TCU, UNLV
• BSU split with CSU, TCU and went 0-2 vs. UNM, SDSU, UNLV, WYO
• AFA gets No. 7 seed due to split with SDSU
• BSU gets No. 8 seed

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• It's a storybook ending for former Colorado State walk-on.

• There's plenty at stake for Runnin' Rebels in matchup with the Rams.

• Lobos may be in driver's seat in chase for regular-season title.

• Boise State guard Tre' Nichols has learned that success doesn't come easy.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Former CSU safety Greg Myers up for election to College Football Hall of Fame.

• Reviews are mixed, but former Bronco safety still his worst critic at NFL Combine.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Patience, perseverance have paid big dividends for UNLV's Jamie Smith.

• Math made simple: Winner of CSU-UNLV gets No. 2 seed in MW Championships.

• San Diego State senior Kalena Tutt finally enjoying her time in spotlight.

SOFTBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico cracks Top 25 poll for the first time in 13 years.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

While all three teams have concluded their regular-season series against each other, the race is also tight among the remaining five teams, with two games separating TCU (7-5), Colorado State (6-6) and Wyoming (5-7). Though Colorado State has concluded its season series with both TCU and Wyoming, the Horned Frogs and Cowboys will meet for the second time on Tuesday night in Laramie.

Meanwhile, Air Force and Boise State, which split their regular season series, also enter the final week of the regular season tied at 3-9 in league play.

At present, more than 250 possible tie-breaker scenarios exist regarding seeding for next week's men's MW Basketball Championships at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. While the picture should become clearer following Wednesday's games (Air Force at New Mexico; San Diego State at Boise State; UNLV at Colorado State), the following are the MW tie-breaking guidelines for postseason play.

We'll provide an update on Thursday.

TIE-BREAKING GUIDELINES

General procedure: All ties shall be broken in the order in which they occur, from top to bottom, in the standings. Tied teams in the higher position shall be considered as separate positions based upon their seeding (e.g., Team A and Team B are tied for first place in the standings. By using the established tie-breaking procedures, it is determined that Team B is the No. 1 seed and Team A is the No. 2 seed. Team C and Team D are tied for fifth in the standings. When using the tie-breaking formula to break the tie, Teams C and D are compared separately against Team B first, then Team A). When comparing tied teams against positions lower in the standings that are also tied, those lower-tied positions shall be considered a single position for the purposes of comparison.

Two-Way Tie: If two teams tie for a position, and one holds a win-loss advantage during regular season play, that team receives the higher seed. If the two teams split their games during the regular season, each tied team's record shall be compared against the team occupying the highest position in the standings, continuing down through the standings until one team gains the advantage, thereby gaining the higher seed. If two teams remain tied after all tie breakers have been exhausted, the last tie-breaker when determining seeds for the MWC Basketball Championships shall be team RPI, as determined by the most recent NCAA RPI available on Saturday.

Ties Between Three or More Teams: If three or more teams tie for a position, the combined record of each of the tied teams against the other teams involved in the tie shall be compared until an advantage is gained. If the multiple tie still exists, each of the tied teams' records against the team occupying the highest position in the standings shall be compared, continuing down through the standings until the tie is reduced to a two-team tie, at which time the procedure shall revert to the two-way tie-breaking procedure, until the tie is broken. If teams remain tied after all tie-breakers have been exhausted, the last tie-breaker when determining seeds for the MWC Basketball Championships shall be RPI, as determined by the most recent NCAA RPI available on Saturday.

MW Men's Basketball

1. No. 17/17 UNLV at Colorado State, Wednesday (8:15 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network - DirecTV 613): Not quite sure how one sits squarely on a bubble, but in regards to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, the Rams find themselves in that very position. Win here, however, and you have to believe CSU is back in the picture, making the MW a four-bid league (New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV). The Rams have won 12 in a row at home, while UNLV has traveled a rocky road in league play (2-4) away from the Thomas & Mack Center.

2. No. 21/23 San Diego State at Boise State, Wednesday (8 p.m MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Aztecs were fortunate to hold off the Broncos in the teams' initial meeting in San Diego on Feb. 1, rallying from a 12-point deficit and eliciting an audible sigh of relief when Thomas Bropleh's 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer. Of the three teams who enter the final week of league play tied for first place --- New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV --- the Aztecs are the only team among the three who play both of their final two regular-season games on the road (at BSU, at TCU).

3. No. 21/23 San Diego State at TCU, Saturday (6 p.m. CT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Even if SDSU maintains a share of first place following Wednesday's affair at Boise State, this is hardly the place you want to end the regular season with a potential No. 1 seed in the MW Tournament on the line. The Horned Frogs have virtually become bullet-proof at home, having won eight in a row at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, including knocking off the Aztecs' fellow league-leaders UNLV and New Mexico during that stretch. San Diego State has won nine of the last 10 meetings with TCU, including six straight.

4. TCU at Wyoming, Tuesday (7:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): TCU has been phenomenal at home, but until winning last week at Air Force, the Frogs had found the road a nightmare. The victory snapped a 15-game road losing streak in league play for TCU, which hadn't won away from Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since topping Wyoming, 76-68, on Feb. 13, 2010. If the Frogs are to reprise that effort, they'll have to do so against a Cowboy squad whose 19 victories this season include 14 at home.

5. Colorado State at Air Force, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Assuming CSU is fortunate enough to get past UNLV at home on Wednesday, and that's assuming plenty considering the Rebels have won nine times in 12 trips to Fort Collins since the MW's inaugural season, the Rams' quest for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2003 could come down to this game. It was Air Force's 74-57 victory over the Rams at Clune Arena last season that factored heavily in Colorado State being left out of the NCAA Tournament conversation.

6. Wyoming at No. 17/17 UNLV, Saturday (7 p.m. PT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): The Rebels, who are 16-0 at home, will be looking to atone for a 68-66 loss in Laramie on Feb. 4 in which they had two chances to tie the game in the final 22 seconds but missed a layup and a long jumper as time expired. The Cowboys are one of just four teams in the league with five or more road victories but haven't won a regular-season game at the Thomas & Mack Center since Feb. 1, 2003.

7. Air Force at New Mexico, Wednesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): Just a hunch, but I don't envision The Pit being the ideal venue for an opposing team this week with the Lobos having lost two straight while ceding sole possession of first place. New Mexico dealt Air Force its worst loss of the season (81-42) on Jan. 31 as the Lobos' bench matched the Falcons' point total.

8. Boise State at New Mexico, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network - DirecTV 603): The final week of the regular season could well be a boon for the Lobos, who are 12-2 at The Pit this season and have not lost a home game since falling to San Diego State on Jan. 18. New Mexico won the first meeting between the teams, 65-49, limiting the Broncos to a shooting percentage of 31.1 percent.

MW Women's Basketball

Wyoming at TCU, Tuesday (6:30 CT, The Mtn. - DirecTV 616): While San Diego State has already locked up the regular-season title, this is not a game without seeding implications for the MW Tournament. Should Wyoming win, it would move into a tie for fourth place with TCU and sweep the season series. This game features several of the top freshmen in the league - Natalie Ventress (TCU), Chelsea Prince (TCU), Kaitlyn Mileto (Wyoming) and Kayla Woodward (Wyoming).

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• It's a family affair where Rebels' coaching staff is concerned.

• Aztecs Shelton, Green will be leading the cheers on Senior Night.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• After four years of Ryan Lindley, San Diego State has 5 QBs auditioning for job.

• Former Broncos get set to be put through their paces in Indianapolis.

• New Air Force defensive coordinator ready to turn up heat on opposing offenses.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Boise State seniors provide a lift to women's program.

TRACK & FIELD HEADLINES

• CSU standout Trevor Brown keeps his focus on the next hurdle.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW Men

1. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - While limited to 13 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's loss at Colorado State, Gordon was the definitive man against boys in Saturday's 65-45 win over then-No. 11 UNLV. In finishing with a career-high 27 points and 20 rebounds, Gordon became the first Lobo to pull off a 20-20 since Jimmy Allen (21 points, 20 rebounds) in 1976. It was Gordon's 13th double-double of the season and the 26th of his career. Over his last four games he is averaging 16.0 points and 14.0 rebounds.

2. Michael Lyons, G, Jr., Air Force - Although he was held to fewer than 10 points for the first time in five games in Wednesday's loss to TCU, Lyons was spectacular in Saturday's 58-56 win over then-No. 13 San Diego State. In the second-highest-scoring game of his career (27 points), Lyons also tied career-highs with six 3-pointers made and four steals. He entered the week having averaged 25.0 points in his previous three games, the best three-game scoring stretch by a MW player in league play this season.

3. Pierce Hornung, F, Jr., Colorado State - After delivering a game-changing put-back dunk that sparked an 18-6 run to close the game in Saturday's win over Wyoming, Hornung was instrumental in the Rams' 71-63 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Tuesday. Matched against Gordon, Hornung finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds. He leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.2), despite missing six contests earlier this season with a concussion.

4. Anthony Marshall, G, Jr., UNLV - Marshall, who led the Runnin' Rebels with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the team's loss at New Mexico, posted his fourth double-double of the season (11 points, 10 rebounds) in Wednesday's win over Boise State. He also dished out five of UNLV's 19 assists.

5. J.R. Cadot, G, Sr., TCU - Cadot posted his fifth double-double of the season and the eighth of his career with 16 points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds in Wednesday's 65-62 win at Air Force, helping snap the Horned Frogs' 15-game MW road losing streak. Eight of Cadot's rebounds came on the offensive end.

6. Garrett Green, F, Sr., San Diego State - With his team facing the prospect of losing four straight games for the first time since 2005, Green, a transfer from LSU, came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor in Wednesday's overtime against Wyoming. It was the first double-digit scoring game in the MW for Green, who led the Aztecs in scoring for the first time this season.

7. Tim Shelton, F, Sr., San Diego State - Shelton, who had not posted a double-digit scoring performance from March 3, 2009, through Jan. 14, 2012, hit double figures (10 points) for the third straight game in Wednesday's overtime win against Wyoming. The last time Shelton scored in double figures in three straight games was Dec. 6-13, 2008.

8. Chace Stanback, F, Sr., UNLV - Stanback finished with a game-high 19 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State, his best scoring performance since a 21-point outing against TCU in mid-January. Despite being troubled recently by a balky knee, Stanback had 11 points in the first half, including eight straight to give the Rebels an eight-point lead six minutes into the game.

9. Demetrius Walker, G, So., New Mexico - After coming off the bench to score nine points (all in the second half) in Saturday's win over UNLV, Walker again entered in a reserve role Tuesday and finished as the Lobos' second-leading scorer (14 points) in the loss to Colorado State. Walker's point total against the Rams was his best in a league game this season. He also played a career-high 25 minutes.

10. Anyone Shooting a Free Throw for Colorado State - The Rams, who earlier this season went 23-for-23 from the line in their win over then-No. 11 San Diego State, were practically pedestrian in Tuesday's victory over No. 18 New Mexico. CSU, which entered the game as the 11th-best free-throw shooting team in the nation, finished 20-for-23 against the Lobos, this coming on the heels of a 14-for-16 effort in Saturday's win over Wyoming. The Rams are shooting 76.6 percent from the line.

MW Women

1. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - After falling one rebound short of a double-double (16 points, 9 rebounds) in Saturday's win over Air Force, Clements, the league's leading scorer, finished with 25 points - 17 in the second half - as the Aztecs clinched a share of the MW regular-season title with a 68-55 victory at Wyoming. Clements' performance at Wyoming marked her tenth 20-point game of the season. In the two games, she shot a combined 14-of-29 (43.8 percent) from the field, including a 6-of-8 effort (75.0 percent) from beyond the arc.

2. Lenita Sanford, F, Sr., UNLV - Sanford, the reigning MW Player of the Week, finished one rebound shy of posting her third straight double-double (14 points, 9 rebounds) as the Lady Rebels topped Boise State 75-66 on Wednesday to move into a tie for second place while reaching the 20-win mark for just the third time in 20 years. Over her last three games, Sanford has averaged 17.0 points and 11.3 rebounds.

3. Natalie Ventress, G, Fr., TCU - Ventress, who scored a team-high 17 points while grabbing six rebounds and recording a pair of steals in Wednesday's win over Air Force, entered the week as one of only two freshmen in the nation to post two-straight halves of 20 or more points. Overall, Ventress has scored 20 or more points in six of the last 11 games.

4. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - A steadying force in helping lead the Aztecs to the MW regular-season title, Hopkins recorded her fourth double-double of the season on Saturday with 15 points and 10 of the team's 11 assists in a 59-46 win over Air Force. The MW leader in assists, Hopkins matched her season high with five steals to go along with six assists and nine points in Tuesday's title-clinching win at Wyoming.

5. Caroline Durbin, G, Jr., New Mexico - Durbin, who on Thursday became the first player in Lobos history to earn Academic All-America honors when she was named to the Capital One Academic All-American first team, averaged 17.5 points for the week, including a 16-point performance in 53-45 win over second-place Colorado State. Durbin, who leads the MW in three-point field goal percentage (53.5) and ranks second in scoring (15.6 ppg), has scored in double figures in 23 of 26 games and has led the Lobos offensively in 17 contests.

Carefully begin by folding the bracket along its width, proceed following standard paper airplane instructions and launch it from a rooftop. This is where your bracket belongs.

Failing that, repeat step one above before vigorously (and with at least a measure of unfettered aggression) wadding it up and taking aim at the kitchen waste basket from a distance of roughly 20 feet.

In the event you misfire, opt for a dunk. This is where your bracket belongs.

I've seen my share of Mountain West men's basketball through the years, but not like this, not where the so-called "bottom-half" of the league lies in wait for the heavies like some rec-league ringer sporting polka-dot Vans and a pair of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signature goggles.

If this is going to be the drill for the MW Championships, I'd wedge myself into a line at your nearest ticket office post haste, particularly those preferring their March Madness with a ladle of lunacy.

In the last week, the Goliaths have gone down faster than the Davids can fill their pockets with rocks, tumbling from their perches like bloated birds. I was convinced I'd seen it all when TCU rallied from 18 points down with less than 15 minutes left to beat then-No. 11 UNLV, but clearly I'd developed a limited sense of imagination.

This misgiving was all but confirmed four days later when Air Force, fresh off the heels of rallying from a 14-point deficit at Wyoming, promptly pocketed its second win in history against a ranked opponent with a 58-56 victory over then-No. 13 San Diego State.

Surely, sanity still existed somewhere. Ah, New Mexico. Seven straight league wins, margins of victory resembling games pairing the Lakers and Floyd's Barber College, Drew Gordon getting to the rim and rebounding anything not anchored to the floor. Certainly the Lobos would help ease my oars back into the water.

And then along comes Colorado State. Now, I would write the biography of Rams coach Tim Miles for free, but the way No. 18 New Mexico was conducting business, I feared that this particular chapter might necessitate utilizing such words as "wolves" (Lobos), "sheep" (Rams) and "slaughter" (slaughter).

Colorado State won, of course, which anyone with a basketball IQ of a ball rack could have foreseen.

Me? I've stopped trying to make sense of it all. I have trouble enough with paper airplanes.

Tickets for the 2012 Conoco Mountain West Basketball championships at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas can be purchased by calling the UNLV Ticket Office at 702-739-3267 or logging on to UNLVTickets.com. A limited number of all-session tickets remain. Single-session and single-game tickets will go on sale Thursday, March 1. Don't miss out - get yours today!

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Young Boise State squad is coming of age in second half of league play.

• Max Yon is making a splash as freshman guard with Air Force basketball team.

• Cowboys looking for a cure to recent second-half shooting woes.

• UNLV's Stanback ailing, but refuses to use sore knee as crutch.

• Beat-up Aztecs would be happy with healthy outcome versus Wyoming.

• Journey back to playing almost complete for New Mexico grad assistant Dairese Gary.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• BCS postseason plans: Call it a plus-one. Call it a playoff. Call it a concession. Call it a lollipop.

• BCS executive director preaching patience as playoff talks continue.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Sophomore center has had major impact on altering way opponents attack TCU.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• Former Lobo looking to parlay defensive versatility into spot on Colorado Rockies' roster

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

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).

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Peak Performances: Colorado State junior guard Wes Eikmeier, who scored a career-high 26 points in Saturday's game at TCU, topped that achievement when he finished with 30 on Wednesday at Boise State. Eikmeier, the league's leading scorer (16.7 ppg), has hit at least one three-pointer in 20 of the Rams' 24 contests this season and has reached double figures in 20 games.

• Rare Occurrence: No. 13-ranked San Diego State, which owned the nation's fifth-longest streak without suffering consecutive losses (trailing only Kansas, Duke, Temple and Ohio State) prior to Wednesday's setback against New Mexico, has not lost three straight games since falling Feb. 9, 13 and 16, 2008. The Aztecs, who visit Air Force on Saturday, have gone 142 straight games without experiencing a three-game losing streak. SDSU is 11-1 in its last 12 games following a loss.

• Man of Many Talents: TCU senior guard Hank Thorns, who is tied for first in the MW in minutes played (33.4 mpg) and tied for third in 3-pointers made (2.28 3pg), also ranks No. 4 in assists (4.6 apg) and 3-point percentage (40.7%), No. 5 in scoring (13.7 ppg), No. 7 in assist/turnover ratio (1.47) and tied for 10th in steals (1.44 spg). In MW play, Thorns is No. 1 in 3-point shooting (47.0%) and 3's made (3.44 3pg) and is tied for No. 3 in scoring (15.8 ppg). He has made at least one 3-pointer in 13 consecutive games, a career-long streak that ranks as the second-longest active streak for all MW players.

• Ain't No Mountain High Enough: Air Force's rally from a 14-point deficit against Wyoming on Wednesday was its largest this season and the largest since overcoming an 18-point deficit against Sam Houston State on Dec. 28, 2010. It was also the largest deficit Air Force has overcome against a Mountain West opponent since Jan. 9, 2007, when the Falcons rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit to beat New Mexico, 65-57, at Clune Arena.

• Movin' On Up: New Mexico sophomore guard Kendall Williams, who tied a career-high with 21 points in Wednesday's 77-67 win at No. 13 San Diego State, has taken over as the team's leading scorer (12.5 ppg). Williams leads the Mountain West in league games only with a .564 shooting percentage, including a .515 mark from three-point range. He is averaging 14.2 points in Conference play and ranks among the MW top 10 overall in scoring (12.5), free throw percentage (.761) and assists (4.2).

• Rebels Look for Repeat Performance: In dealing New Mexico its worst league loss in four years (80-63) on Jan, 21, UNLV had five players finish in double figures, led by Mike Moser's double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Carlos Lopez tied a career high with 14 points, while junior guard Anthony Marshall (13), senior forward Chace Stanback (13) and junior guard Justin Hawkins (10) also had double-digit scoring performances. The Runnin' Rebels held a 26-0 advantage in fast-break points, recorded 11 steals and forced 21 turnovers. The teams meet again at The Pit in Albuquerque on Saturday (11 a.m. MT, CBS).

• Cowboys Look to Get Back in Saddle: Wyoming, which visits Colorado State in Round 2 of the Border War on Saturday, suffered consecutive losses for the first time this season when it dropped a 58-53 decision at home to Air Force on Wednesday. The Cowboys, who had been 5-0 in games following losses, had outscored opponents by an average of 12 points in the five wins.

• Climbing the Charts: Boise State junior center Kenny Buckner, who had a team-high 20 points in Wednesday's win over Colorado State, has made 87 of his 144 field goal attempts in his debut season with the Broncos, a shooting percentage of .604. The mark currently ranks ninth all-time in Boise State single-season history, and is the best mark since Kurt Cunningham went 134-of-199 (.673) in 2008-09.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• No Experience Necessary: Wyoming forward Kayla Woodward continues to defy the notion that freshman need time to get a feel for the game. In Wednesday's win at Air Force, Woodward posted her third double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She has led the team in scoring nine times.

• Formula for Success: First-place San Diego State has won or been even in the rebounding battle in 22 or its 24 games this season. The Aztecs have also had more offensive boards than their opponent in all but two games, holding a composite advantage of 417-292.

• Cool in the Clutch: For the fourth time this season and the fifth time in her career, UNLV junior guard Mia Bell provided the Lady Rebels with the game-winning points when she hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left in Wednesday's 55-54 win over TCU. Bell also has game-winners this season against Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara and Kansas State.

• A Future Flush with Fortune: TCU freshman guard Natalie Ventress, who scored a career-high 25 points on Wednesday against UNLV, has led the team in scoring 14 times this season. Ventress' performance against UNLV marked the fifth time this season that she's eclipsed the 20-point mark. Ventress, who had a career-high five three-pointers against the Lady Rebels, has made at least eight field goals in five games.

• Finishing with Flurry: Colorado State senior guard Kim Mestdagh, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, is making the most of her final season. Mestdagh, who has finished in double figures in every league game, has averaged 20.1 points in her last eight outings. She has also averaged 7.0 assists in the Rams' last three contests.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

•  New Mexico looks to build on momentum from win at San Diego State.

• Pressure on Wyoming's bench should decrease with Derrious Gilmore's return.

• SDSU standout Jamaal Franklin is questionable for Saturday's game against Falcons.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Aztecs look at offensive line challenges as matter of opportunity.

• Boise State's new football complex gets go-ahead from State Board of Education.

• CSU's McElwain opts to employ co-defensive coordinators.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• With three freshmen in backcourt, young guns are coming of age for Cowgirls.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - There was little Moser didn't do in the Rebels' 65-63 win over No. 13 San Diego State last Saturday, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four blocks. He then went for 22 points with eight rebounds in an overtime loss at TCU. He has posted a double-double in seven of his last 11 games.

2. Hank Thorns, G, Sr., TCU - Thorns, the Las Vegas native who on Saturday had 15 points and six assists in a 75-71 win over Colorado State, delivered the ultimate dagger on Tuesday, scoring a career-high 32 points in TCU's 102-97 overtime win over No. 11 UNLV. Thorns' 32 points matched the third-highest output by a MW player this season. His eight three-pointers equaled the second-highest single-game total by a TCU player, one shy of Michael Strickland's school record of nine set against Arkansas on Feb. 14, 1990.

3. Kendall Williams, G, So., New Mexico - As was the case a year ago, Williams seems to have saved his best for the stretch run. After finishing with a game-high 10 points and five assists in Saturday's grueling 48-38 win over Wyoming, Williams tied a career-high with 21 points on Wednesday as the visiting Lobos took sole possession of first place with 77-67 win over No. 13 San Diego State. Williams, who hit a career-high 5-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc against the Aztecs, is shooting 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from 3-point range in MW games.

4. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - Despite the Aztecs suffering consecutive losses for the first time in 80 games, Franklin recorded his eighth double-double of the season and ninth of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's setback against New Mexico. Franklin, who finished in double-figure scoring for a career-high 13th straight time, has eight double-doubles in his last 12 games. Against the Lobos, he led the team in rebounding for the seventh straight game.

5. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - While the Rams can't seem to find their way home on the road, having lost eight straight away from Moby Arena, don't blame Eikmeier. After finishing with a game-high 26 points (5-of-6 from three-point range) in a loss at TCU on Saturday, Eikmeier posted a game-high 30 points in Wednesday's loss at Boise State. He is the league's leading scorer at 17.6 points per game.

6. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - While the Lobos were bombing away from three-point range with repeated success in Wednesday's win at No. 13 San Diego State, Gordon took care of things inside, finishing with 17 points and 17 rebounds, both season-highs against a MW opponent. It was Gordon's 12th double of the season and 25th of his career, 13 of which have come in MW play.

7. Craig Williams, F, Sr., TCU - Williams matched his entire season total for three-pointers by hitting 4-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc and finished with 20 points in Saturday's 75-71 win over Colorado State. In a game in which TCU matched its season high with 12 three-pointers, Williams went 7-of-11 from the field. He fouled out in Tuesday's overtime win against UNLV, but nonetheless contributed 10 points in 13 minutes.

8. Michael Lyons, G, Jr., Air Force - After going a combined 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in losses to New Mexico and Colorado State the previous week, Lyons regained his stroke against Boise State and Wyoming, connecting on 10-of-14 three-pointers. He shot 66.7 percent (18-of-27) from the field overall in those two contests, finishing with 24 points each time. Lyons has topped the 20-point mark in three of his last five games.

9. Oscar Bellfield, G, Sr., UNLV - Bellfield, who finished with 15 points and six assists in Saturday's win over San Diego State, came back with 16 points and five assists in Tuesday's overtime loss at TCU. Ranked No. 2 all-time on the MW assist list, Bellfield needs 28 assists to pass career leader and former New Mexico standout Dairese Gary, who had 564 from 2007-11.

10. Dave Pilipovich, Interim Head Coach, Air Force - The Falcons have endured more than their share of struggles this season, and changing head coaches in mid-season only heightens the challenge. Nontheless, with Pilipovich directing just his second game, the Falcons overcame a 14-2 deficit at the outset to defeat host Wyoming 58-53 on Wednesday. The win was Air Force's first in Laramie since the 2007-08 season. The Cowboys had won 13 of 15 home games this season prior to the loss.

Honorary performer: Derrick Marks, G, Fr., Boise State - Marks only scored seven points in Wednesday's win over Colorado State, but any guy who goes coast-to-coast to hit a game-winning shot with .8 seconds left, particularly a freshman, should at least get a mention in the weekly top 10.

MW Women

1. Kim Mestdagh, G, Sr., Colorado State - Whatever struggles the MW Preseason Player of the Year may have endured in non-conference play, Mestdagh is playing her best basketball down the stretch. After finishing with 21 points, eight assists and two steals in the Rams' first victory over TCU in 13 years, Mestdagh had 18 points, five assists and four steals in a 67-58 win over Boise State, keeping CSU in contention for its first MW title since 2001-02.

2. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins kept the Aztecs atop the league standings, posting her third double-double of the year with 12 points and 12 assists and a team-high six rebounds in a 77-64 win over UNLV. Hopkins' 12 assists matched her career high and are three more than any other MW player in a league contest this season. She also had 12 points, contributed six of the team's nine assists and had two steals in a 57-44 win over New Mexico on Wednesday.

3. Kayla Woodward, F, Fr., Wyoming - Woodward continued to make a strong case for the MW's Freshman of the Year award, averaging 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in games against New Mexico and Air Force. Woodward had 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a three-point loss to New Mexico before posting a double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals in Wednesday's win over Air Force.

4. Lenita Sanford, F, Sr., UNLV - Slowed by a knee injury during a stretch in which the Lady Rebels endured a three-game losing streak, Sanford returned to form in Wednesday's 55-54 win over TCU. Finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, she was instrumental in snapping the team's three-game skid, recording her sixth double-double and enabling the Lady Rebels to post their first season sweep of TCU.

5. Ashley Sickles, F, Jr., Wyoming - Sickles, who ranks among the top 10 players in the league in five statistical categories, posted her first career double-double in Wednesday's win over Air Force, finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Sickles went 9-of-13 from the field, including a 6-of-6 performance from three-point range.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• There's a whole lot on line for Lobos as they gear up for rematches with Aztecs, Rebels.

• Players from Down Under have wasted little time rising to top for Boise State.

• It's not just another game on schedule when NCAA Tournament seeding is at stake.

• Falcons' junior guard Kyle Green throws open the door when opportunity knocks.

• Colorado State looks to cure road woes at Boise State.

• From Flava Flav to the Rebellion, a rejuvenated fan base inspires the Runnin' Rebels.

• Aztecs' rebuilding year has turned into a bridge to somewhere.

• Investment in coach's approach to defense has paid dividends for Cowboys.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

• San Diego State coach and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn undergoes cancer surgery.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Neither New Mexico coach Yvonne Sanchez nor her brother intended to chase coaching careers.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW Men's Basketball

1. New Mexico at No. 13/15 San Diego State, Wednesday (7:15 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Assuming 11th-ranked UNLV wins at TCU on Tuesday --- and that's assuming a lot considering the Horned Frogs have won six straight at home --- the loser of this game will fall out of the current three-way tie for first place among the Runnin' Rebels, Aztecs and Lobos. San Diego State, which has won four of its last five against New Mexico, including a 75-70 win in Albuquerque on Jan. 18, is 23-0 at home against current members of the MW. The Lobos enter Wednesday's match-up riding a five-game win streak.

2. No. 11/11 UNLV at New Mexico, Saturday (11 a.m. MT, CBS): The Runnin' Rebels made short work of the Lobos in Las Vegas last month, winning 80-63 in a game in which New Mexico suffered its worst league defeat since Feb. 2, 2008 (a 19-point loss to UNLV). The Rebels, who swept New Mexico last season, have won four of their last six against the Lobos, including two straight in Albuquerque. New Mexico is 11-2 at The Pit this season and has won its six MW games by an average of 19.2 points.

3. No. 11/11 UNLV at TCU, Tuesday (6:30 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): While the Runnin' Rebels have lost just twice to the Horned Frogs in 18 meetings, TCU extended its home win streak to six with Saturday's 75-71 victory over Colorado State, the Frogs' longest run since winning nine in a row at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in 2008-09. Overall, TCU is 11-2 at home this season, as well as being 11-2 in games decided by six or fewer points.

4. Wyoming at Colorado State, Saturday (7 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): If Colorado State and Wyoming are able to get past Boise State and Air Force, respectively, on Wednesday, this season's second meeting in the Border War could have significant implications. Both enter the week at 4-4 in MW play, with the Cowboys having beaten the Rams, 70-51, on Jan. 21 in a game in which Wyoming junior forward Leonard Washington finished with a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds. While CSU is 11-1 at home this season, both teams have won three times in the last six meetings in Fort Collins.

5. TCU at Boise State, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Boise State got a much-needed shot in the arm on Saturday, winning its first MW and first road game of the season with a 72-61 victory at Air Force. One of the Broncos' toughest (and narrowest) losses of the first half of the league season came at TCU, where the Frogs staged a 20-2 run over the final 8:50 to win, 54-52.

6. Colorado State at Boise State, Wednesday (2 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Rams won the season's first meeting on Jan. 17, 66-55, behind 20 points from junior guard Dorian Green. Boise State, which was 9-0 at Taco Bell Arena in non-conference play, must somehow find a way to regain the benefit of home-court advantage. While the Broncos' average margin of defeat in MW games on the road this season has been 5.0 points, their four home losses in league play have come by an average of 11.8.

7. No. 13/15 San Diego State at Air Force, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): The Aztecs have had their share of struggles at Clune Arena, dropping five straight between 2004 and 2008. The Falcons have not been so fortunate in the series of late, however, losing eight in a row, including a 57-44 loss in San Diego on Jan. 21.

8. Air Force at Wyoming, Wednesday (6 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): With 5:46 remaining in the teams' first meeting of the season at the Academy on Jan. 18, Air Force led 46-42. Yet over the course of the final 5:07, Wyoming forced five of the Falcons' 16 turnovers and outscored the Falcons, 22-7, en route to a 64-53 win.

MW Women's Basketball

1. Boise State at Colorado State, Tuesday (7:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Colorado State, which beat Boise State 60-52 in the teams' first meeting of the season, enters the week in sole possession of second place. Yet the Rams would do well to take advantage of Moby Arena while they can. Following its rematch with the Broncos, CSU plays three of its final four regular-season games on the road, with the lone home contest coming against league leader San Diego State.

2. New Mexico at UNLV, Saturday (3:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): New Mexico pocketed its first road win of the season on Saturday, 60-57 at Wyoming to put the brakes on the Cowgirls' longest win streak of the season (three). Lobos junior guard Caroline Durbin, who scored a game-high 23 points (19 in the second half), enters Wednesday's contest at San Diego State having averaged 25.0 points in her last two games. UNLV, which beat New Mexico 64-50 on Jan. 21, is trying to stop a three-game skid after winning five of its first six MW games.

3. Boise State at TCU, Saturday (12 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): In a game that was tied 29-29 at the half at Taco Bell Arena on Jan. 21, TCU shot 57.7 percent in the second half en route to a 74-68 win. Delisa Gross and Natalie Ventress both finished with 18 points for the Frogs. TCU enters the week locked in a three-way tie for third place with UNLV and Wyoming.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV's Mike Moser provides perspective on Saturday's showdown with San Diego State.

• In world that's neither fair nor necessarily easy, SDSU's Tim Shelton is beacon of light.

• Rebels coach Dave Rice ready to do battle with new opponent: Autism

• Cut by his high school team, DeShaun Stephens is getting grip on game at SDSU.

• Wyoming will be facing a new challenge in rematch with New Mexico.

• Pierce Hornung's absence underscored his value to Colorado State.

• Wyoming's coaching staff had hand in resurrecting Lobos during 1980s.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Eleven MW players receive official invitations to the NFL Combine. Here's the list.

• New Lobos offensive coordinator will tailor system to players.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming freshman Woodward feeling a flow on the hardwood.

• Clements reaping the benefits of hard work at SDSU.

OTHER MW HEADLINES

• Steady and spirited wins the race for New Mexico softball coach.

• Lobos hosting the nation's best in indoor track & field.

• UNM learning from last season's highs and lows heading into 2012 baseball season.

• UNLV baseball looks to local prep talent.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

ALL-MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - Moser is third in the nation with a league-leading average of 11.7 rebounds per game, trailing only Siena's O.D. Anosike (12.9 rpg) and Kansas' Thomas Robinson (11.8). He is fourth in the MW in scoring (14.7 ppg) and has recorded double-doubles in six of his last seven games. He leads the MW and is 10th nationally with 12 double-doubles.

• Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - Franklin is the only player in the Mountain West to rank in the top three in both scoring and rebounding for all games (16.0 ppg,1st; 7.2 rpg, 3rd) and conference games only (18.0 ppg, 2nd; 9.3 rpg, 2nd). He has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 11 straight games and has seven double-doubles in his last 10 games. During that 10-game stretch, Franklin has averaged a team-high 17.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals.

• Leonard Washington, F, Jr., Wyoming - Washington has been in double figures in all nine games for the Cowboys since Jan. 1. He has scored more than 20 points twice during that span, including a 32-point effort against Colorado State on Jan. 21. He is currently one of three players in the MW, along with Moser and Franklin, to rank in the top 10 for all games in points (13.2), rebounds (6.5) and blocks (1.1). In Conference games only, Washington ranks first in field-goal percentage (.577) and second in scoring (17.0 ppg).

• Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley, who is second in the league in scoring (15.9) and first in steals (2.09), has already surpassed his scoring total from both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 17 straight games. In all games, Tapley ranks first in minutes played (33.3), second in 3-point field-goal percentage (.433), third in field-goal percentage (.475) and fifth in 3-point field goals made (2.3).

• Anthony Marshall, G, Jr. UNLV - Marshall, who at 6-foot-3 is UNLV's second-leading rebounder (4.6 rpg), ranks among the top 10 players in the league in assists (No. 2, 5.0), assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 3, 1.7), steals (No. 6, 1.6) and free-throw percentage (No. 9, 73.3). He ranks second on the team in scoring (14.9 ppg), has two double-doubles to his credit this season and has reached double figures in scoring in nine of his last 11 games.

• Player of the Year: Mike Moser, UNLV.

• Newcomer of the Year: Mike Moser, UNLV.

• Freshman of the Year: Anthony Drmic, F, Boise State.
Drmic is the only freshman in the league to rank among the top 20 in scoring (11th, 12.5 ppg) and rebounding (4.9 rpg). He also leads all MW freshmen in 3-point field-goal percentage (.350) and 3-point field goals made (2.33).

• Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State.
When you lose four starters from a Sweet 16 team, one of them a first-round NBA draft pick, and still manage to find yourself ranked among the top-15 teams in the nation, that's not merely remarkable, it's ridiculous. Fisher, last year's National Coach of the Year, has designated assistant head coach Brian Dutcher as the program's head-coach-in-waiting. At this rate, Dutcher could be waiting a while.

ALL-MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - Clements, the league's leading scorer (16.6 ppg), has a MW-best eight 20-point games. She has scored at least 17 points in 14 contests and has reached double-figures in all but three games. Clements also ranks third in the MW in free-throw percentage (.839), 3-point field goals made (2.2) and is fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.366).

• Chaundra Sewell, F, Jr., Wyoming - The team's lone returning starter this season, Sewell has posted a MW-leading nine double-doubles. In all games, she ranks second in rebounding (8.9 rpg), seventh in scoring (13.4 ppg) and fifth in field-goal percentage (.457). Sewell is the league leader in offensive rebounds with an average of 3.8 per game.

• Kim Mestdagh, G/F, Sr., Colorado State - Mestdagh, the MW Preseason Player of the Year, has been in double figures in 21 of CSU's 23 games. In all games, she ranks first in the MW in steals (2.7), second in 3-point field goals made (2.3), third in scoring (15.3 ppg) and assists (3.7), and is fifth in free-throw percentage (.828) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0).

• Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins is averaging 6.1 assists per game, a figure that ranks 12th nationally and is a full 2.0 more than any player in the league. She also leads the MW and ranks in the top 30 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0). A main component on a first-place team that put together its longest win streak (13) in 17 years, Hopkins has had four double-digit rebound games this season and is SDSU's third-leading scorer at 9.4 points per game.

• Sam Martin, F, So., Colorado State - In all games, Martin ranks first in the MW in field-goal percentage (.546) and second in free-throw percentage (.880). She is the league's sixth-leading scorer (13.6 pgg), having posted 13 double-digit scoring games and recording two double-doubles.

• Player of the Year: Courtney Clements, San Diego State.

• Newcomer of the Year: Chelsea Hopkins, San Diego State.

• Freshman of the Year: Kayla Woodward, Wyoming
Woodward has been stellar in league play, where she ranks second in field-goal percentage (53.3 percent), third in scoring (17.8 ppg), sixth in free-throw percentage (.810), sixth (tied) in rebounds (6.6 rpg) and seventh in steals (1.8). In all games, she ranks 12th in the league in scoring (12.0 ppg).

• Coach of the Year: Beth Burns, San Diego State.
At 7-1, the first-place Aztecs are off to their best start in league play since the 1997 squad also was 7-1 and went on to post a 15-1 mark en route to the regular-season conference title. SDSU has five more victories than it had all of last season. This is the fourth time in the last five years the Aztecs have at least 14 wins after being unable to reach that mark once in the previous 10 seasons. The Aztecs' loss to TCU last Saturday, which snapped a 13-game win streak, was the team's first setback in nearly two months. The win streak is the ninth-best in the nation this season and tied for fourth-longest in school history.

And while I'm certain that the two of us would find a common bond, perhaps going so far as to form our own mutual admiration society, I fear I would far too often find myself lecturing on the ABCs of the BCS.

Now, let me make it clear that LaMond, who writes for the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette, is far from alone in his confusion. Countless others have come before him, all utilizing the term "BCS" as though every university in America were picnicking together under the same smiley-face umbrella.

Correct: "Alabama beat LSU 21-0 to win the BCS national championship, even though you couldn't have awoken me for the second half with a gong and a bevy of blacksmiths pounding out Kenny Gee songs on anvils."

Incorrect: "College basketball's old guard has grown so weary of routinely being beaten by non-BCS schools that it has retained legal counsel for purposes of obtaining a restraining order."

In the first instance, the term "BCS" refers to football (though that application, too, may soon be rendered passé).

In the second, the term "non-BCS" has no relationship to the BCS whatsoever.

To wit: At this very moment, both of college basketball's top-25 polls --- the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches --- include Murray State, Creighton, Saint Mary's, Marquette and Harvard. Given that none of the five is a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision and only Murray State and Harvard actually field football teams, how can they possibly be classified as non-BCS schools?

Meanwhile, the Mountain West remains No. 5 in the latest RPI poll. The MW was ranked ahead of the Pac-10 last year and is once again ranked ahead of the Pac-12 in 2012. By that score, is the Pac-12 now "non-BCS" in terms of basketball? Don't get me wrong, LaMond. I know your Jan. 31 article entitled "3 Non-BCS Contenders," touting the talents of Murray State, San Diego State and UNLV, wasn't meant to rattle my chain. It's just that I get a little testy when folks misconstrue the ABCs of the BCS.

May it R.I.P.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Red-hot New Mexico generating plenty of buzz going into second half of season.

• Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt is rewriting the script in Laramie.

• Dave Rice has hit the court running in first season with Rebels.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Defensive coordinator's jump to Colorado State figures to fuel the fire of Border War.

• UNLV shuffles staff, announces new offensive and defensive coordinators.

• Former Boise State signal-caller Kellen Moore is one of 19 QBs invited to NFL Combine.

• McElwain's staff hirings at CSU translate to homecoming for former local prep standout.

• Boise State football center granted sixth year of eligibility.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Air Force freshman rekindles a career she thought was over.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW Men's Basketball

1. No. 13/14 San Diego State at No. 14/16 UNLV, Saturday (1 p.m. PT; NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): Fans on both sides have been eagerly awaiting this top-25 re-match since Jamaal Franklin's last-second bucket lifted San Diego State to a 69-67 win in the teams' MW season opener in San Diego. The Aztecs, who enter the game in sole possession of first place, have an opportunity to grab the inside track to the league title, particularly in that they get New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado State at home over the course of the next three weeks. SDSU has won six straight against UNLV, but will be entering a Thomas and Mack Center where the Runnin' Rebels are undefeated in 12 outings this season.

2. Wyoming at New Mexico, Saturday (1:30 p.m. MT; The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Cowboys, who made things even more interesting in this season's regular-season race with Saturday's win over UNLV, can wreak additional havoc this weekend in Albuquerque. Doing so, however, will require an effort of some proportion. While Wyoming has found success away from Arena-Auditorium by winning four of its last five road games, the Lobos have won four straight games by an average of 26.3 points and are 12-2 at The Pit this season. New Mexico, who is receiving votes in both top-25 polls this week, won the season's first meeting in Laramie, 72-62.

3. Colorado State at TCU, Saturday (7:30 p.m. CT; The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The teams' first meeting of the season in Fort Collins was a dandy, with Colorado State winning 95-89 in double overtime after the Horned Frogs had forced the first extra session by erasing an 11-point deficit. TCU, which has won five straight at home, is 10-1 this season in games decided by six or fewer points.

4. Boise State at Air Force, Saturday (7 p.m. MT; CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): The Falcons recorded their largest margin of victory in a MW road game under coach Jeff Reynolds in the teams' first meeting of the season, winning 74-59. The Broncos, hit hard by offseason attrition and the loss to injury of key players Igor Hadziomerovich and Jeff Elorriaga, have been forced to use 11 different lineups this year, more than they did in the entire 2010-11 campaign (eight). BSU is still in search of first road win of the 2011-12 campaign.

MW Women's Basketball

1. TCU at Colorado State, Saturday (4:30 p.m. MT; CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Colorado State, which claimed sole possession of second place with Saturday's win over Air Force and UNLV's loss to Wyoming, will be looking to avenge a 79-71 loss to the Frogs on Jan. 14. TCU hit 12 three-point shots in a game it led 15-0 before the Rams got on the scoreboard. This game features two of the top freshmen in the Conference in CSU's LaDeyah Forte and TCU's Natalie Ventress.

2. Air Force at Boise State, Saturday (4 p.m. MT; The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Boise State put the brakes on a five-game losing streak and moved a game over .500 (12-11) with Saturday's win at New Mexico. Air Force's 81-75 setback against the Broncos on Jan. 14 was its narrowest margin in a loss this season against a MW opponent.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Lobos Lighting it Up: Heading into Saturday's contest at Boise State, New Mexico has outscored its last three opponents by an eye-popping average of 29.7 points per game. The Lobos' 81-42 win at Air Force on Tuesday marked their third-largest margin of victory in a road game and the second-largest in a league road game. New Mexico beat BYU by 42 (90-48) in Provo on Feb. 27, 1997.

• Plenty in Reserve: New Mexico's bench tied a season high for the second time in three games in the team's win at Air Force by scoring 42 points. It's the sixth time this season the Lobo reserves have combined to score at least 40 points.

• May I Help You?: UNLV ranks third in the nation with a league-best 18.7 assist average. The Rebels have dished out at least 18 assists in 14 of their 24 games this season.

• Man of Many Talents: Wyoming junior forward Leonard Washington has been a handful in MW play. Washington, who sat out last season after transferring from USC, is averaging a league-best 17.2 points against MW opponents and is averaging a team-high 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds for the season. He ranks in the top eight in six different league categories, including a MW-best field goal percentage of 62.4.

• Getting Defensive: TCU is forcing an average of 17.1 turnovers per game, 1.2 more than any other Mountain West team. The Frogs are No. 2 in the MW and No. 38 nationally in average turnover margin (+2.67). More than 25% of the Frogs' points this season have come off turnovers (385 of 1,483).

• Tough to Double Up: Though it was nearly ambushed by Boise State on Wednesday after falling to Colorado State, San Diego State has gone 77 consecutive games without suffering consecutive losses, the fifth-longest streak in the nation.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• Flirting with Perfection: San Diego State's 13-game win streak is the program's longest since the 1994-95 team set a school record with 18 consecutive victories. It is also the fifth-longest current streak in the nation, trailing only four top-10 ranked teams in No. 1 Baylor (22), No.10 Green Bay (19), No. 2 Notre Dame (19) and No. 4 Stanford (16). A win on Saturday at TCU would give SDSU (7-0 in MW play) its best league start since going 14-0 in 1995.

• Deep Threat: Since the beginning of Mountain West play this season, Colorado State's Kim Mestdagh has hit three three-pointers in seven consecutive games. The Rams are 7-4 when Mestdagh makes at least three from beyond the arc. Mestdagh's season high for three-pointers came vs. Tulsa on Nov. 17 when she hit seven en route to a career-high 35 points.

• Doubling Down: After posting her second consecutive double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) in Wednesday's win over TCU, Wyoming junior forward Chaundra Sewell now has nine double-doubles this season.

• Shouldering the Load: Boise junior forward Lauren Lenhardt and senior guard Kati Isham have accounted for nearly 45 percent of the Broncos' scoring this season. Lenhardt, who had a game-high 24 points on Wednesday against San Diego State, has scored 20 or more points in four of the team's seven league games.

• Pulling Away: San Diego State has never trailed in the second half in 15 of its 17 victories this season.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• The Aztecs' future man in the middle is growing by leaps and bounds.

• Charlie Spoonhour should never be forgotten for what he did for UNLV basketball.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• New Mexico coach Bob Davie is happy camper being back on the sideline.

• SDSU's Rocky Long didn't just want a kicker; he wanted an athlete.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Wyoming coach Joe Legerski doesn't want his young team to get ahead of itself.

• Lady Rebels forward is hoping for a fitting end to a long journey.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - Moser was almost pedestrian in Wednesday's win over Colorado State, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds. Of course, after averaging 22.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists in consecutive overtime road wins prior to Wednesday's game, even Superman has occasional problems pulling his cape on.

2. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - Finished with 16 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State, reaching double figures for a career-high 10th straight game. After a 9-for-10 outing at the free-throw line against the Broncos, he is now 27 for his last 29 from the free-throw line.

3. Oscar Bellfield, G, Sr., UNLV - Bellfield kept the nation's No. 11-ranked team rolling by averaging 14.0 points and 6.5 assists in wins over Air Force and Colorado State. Bellfield's average of 5.3 assists per game leads the MW.

4. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - After leading Colorado State with 19 points in Saturday's upset of then-No. 13 San Diego State, Eikmeier finished with a game-high 18 in Wednesday's loss at No. 11 UNLV. Eikmeier, the second-leading scorer in the Mountain West, has now hit a three-pointer in 18 of CSU's 21 contests this season and has scored in double figures 17 times.

5. Kendall Williams, G, So., New Mexico - Averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 assists as the Lobos posted consecutive wins over Air Force and TCU. His seven rebounds against Air Force marked a career-high.

6.Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley, who had 14 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State, has scored in double figures a career-high 16 straight games and 20 times this season. He has recorded multiple steals in 13 of the Aztecs' 22 games.

7. Leonard Washington, F, Jr. Wyoming - Washington, who had a game-high 21 points against TCU on Wednesday, is one of four players to rank among the top 10 in the Mountain West in both points and rebounds. He is also just one of two players, along with UNLV's Mike Moser, to rank in the top 10 of the MW in points, rebounds and blocks. Washington is currently in the top 10 of six different MW categories.

8. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - Even though his scoring numbers dipped in games against TCU and Air Force, Gordon continued to be a force on the glass as he averaged 9.0 rebounds in the two contests. The league's No. 2 rebounder with an average of 10.5 per game, he now has 505 career rebounds in 48 games with the Lobos.

9. Anthony Drmic, F, Fr., Boise State - Drmic, who tied for game-high honors with 17 points in Wednesday's two-point loss at San Diego State, continues to be the only freshman in the league to rank among the top 20 in scoring (11th; 12.8 points per game). He also leads all MW freshmen in rebounding (5.0 per game), 3-point field goal percentage (.364) and 3-point field goals per game (2.4).

10. Tony Snell, G, So., New Mexico - After scoring just 10 points in his first two league games this season, Snell has scored a combined 51 in his last four.

MW Women

1. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - The league's leading scorer is making a serious case for Player of the Year honors. Clements, who has played a major role in San Diego State's 13-game win streak and 7-0 start in league play, finished as the team's leading scorer and rebounder in wins against Colorado State and Boise State, averaging 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds.

2. Chaundra Sewell, F, Jr., Wyoming - Sewell helped move the Cowgirls over the .500 mark in league play by posting a pair of double-doubles. After finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's win over Boise State, Sewell had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Wyoming past a TCU team that had won three straight.

3. Kim Mestdagh, G/F, Sr., Colorado State - Mestdagh finished as the leading scorer in Wednesday's key matchup with UNLV, putting up 22 points to enable the Rams to hold onto a tie for second place in the MW. Mestdagh, the league's Preseason Player of the Year, also had a game-high 21 points in Saturday's loss to league leader San Diego State.

4. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, the league's assist leader by a wide margin, has dished out 100 assists in the Aztecs' 13-game win streak after finishing with seven on Wednesday at Boise State. Hopkins also scored 13 points against the Broncos after finishing with 15 in Saturday's win over Colorado State.

5. Kayla Woodward, F, Fr., Wyoming - Woodward, who along with TCU's Natalie Ventress is making a push for Freshman of the Year honors, averaged 17.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in wins over Boise State and TCU.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• In grueling MW, Pokes have found success away from Arena-Auditorium.

• UNLV's Moser has been a monster, even when he's ailing.

• Former SDSU standout Marcus Slaughter has become professional globetrotter.

• Rebel Nation loses former coach Charlie Spoonhour.

• Extended losing streaks have seldom been part of program for Aztecs.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Falcons' defensive coordinator leaving Academy to coach linebackers at Texas A&M.

• San Diego State recruit gives new meaning to term 'veteran leadership.'

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Colorado State's regular-season fate could hang in balance against UNLV.

• Cowgirls not out of woods yet, but young team showing signs of progress.

• New Mexico's women's basketball team continues to draw impressive crowds to The Pit.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

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.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Young Guns: The Broncos have gotten five 20-point games by freshmen this season, including three from Anthony Drmic and two from Derrick Marks. The five performances are more than the combined total of 20-point games by Bronco freshmen the last 17 seasons. The single-season total is also the highest in at least the last 24 years.

• Taking Their Best Shot: No. 12-ranked UNLV is outscoring its opponents by an average of 15.4 points per game and is shooting 47.4 percent from the field. The Runnin' Rebels are shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range. Last year, UNLV shot 45.9 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from 3-point range.

• Climbing the Charts: TCU senior guard Hank Thorns needs only four more assists to reach the 500 mark for his career. Despite having played only 51 games as a Horned Frog, Thorns is just 10 assists away from entering the program's career top-10 list (321). Thorns is No. 4 this season in the MW in assists (4.53); No. 5 in minutes (32.37); No. 6 in 3-pointers made (1.95) and assist/turnover ratio (1.54); No. 7 in scoring (13.4); and tied for No. 10 in steals (1.42).

• Time Well Spent: In Wednesday's win over Colorado State, New Mexico senior guard Phillip McDonald came off the bench to score 12 points in 12 minutes. McDonald is shooting 52 percent (21-of-40) from three-point range in the past nine games. He has connected on 30-of-61 attempts (49.0 percent) beyond the arc this season.

• Clamping Down: No. 13-ranked San Diego State, winner of 11 straight, has gone 37 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, a streak that dates back to last season. In four MW games this season, SDSU opponents are shooting 35.3 percent from the field.

• In Good Hands: After leading the nation for three-straight weeks earlier this season, Wyoming senior guard JayDee Luster entered Saturday's action ranked sixth in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio. Luster currently has 73 assists and 23 turnovers on the season for a 3.17 ratio.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• Off and Running: San Diego State's 11-game win streak is the program's longest in 15 years when the 1996-97 team also claimed 11 in a row before falling in the NCAA Tournament. A victory on Saturday against Colorado State would give the Aztecs their longest win streak since the 1994-95 team set a school record with 18 consecutive wins. The Aztecs are in the midst of their best league start (5-0) in the Mountain West's 13-year history. The team's previous best start was 3-0 during the 2009-10 campaign. SDSU is also one win away from matching its MW win total from last season.

• Breaking From the Gate: Colorado State's 4-1 start in league play is its best since opening 5-0 in 2001-02, a season in which the Rams went wire-to-wire in first place to win the MW regular season championship and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

• Reserves to the Rescue: In nine of TCU's 10 victories this season, the Horned Frogs have outscored their opponent off the bench by a combined 267-114. Overall, TCU has outscored its opponent off the bench in all but six games.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• A year after the most successful season in program history, San Diego State continues to roll, even with a change of the ingredients in its recipe for success.

• The college basketball world is no longer overlooking Mountain West.

• New Mexico players rise to the challenge when coaching staff throws down the gauntlet.

• It's the little things that can mean a lot, and Wyoming is paying attention to smallest detail.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• As UNLV men climb ever higher, there's another team on campus making noise of its own.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Kellen Moore's future as an NFL quarterback will largely depend on how he measures up.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

If the competition in Mountain West men's basketball hasn't been stiff enough in recent seasons, suddenly the student sections have become the show within the show.

Which is not to be confused, of course, with "The Show," the so-dubbed maniacal, madcap mob of students at San Diego State that leaves few stones unturned when attempting to unsettle the opposition.

Having covered San Diego State men's basketball from the outset of coach Steve Fisher's arrival in 1999, I can attest to witnessing nights at Viejas Arena (formerly Cox Arena) where you could actually hear players exhale at the line before taking a foul shot. The building was frequently as empty as a con artist's promise, the result of 13 losing seasons in the 14 years prior to Fisher's debut.

Today, obtaining a ticket to a San Diego State men's basketball game is a challenge of major proportion.

ESPN's Andy Katz nailed it in his Jan. 16 "3-Point Shot" blog when he described the vast difference at Viejas Arena between then and now.

"The Show" is just one of many distractions endured by opposing teams when traversing through Mountain West venues. There are the "Howl Raisers" at The Pit at New Mexico, already one of the most daunting venues in the nation. There's the "The Stampede" at Wyoming's "Dome of Doom (elevation 7,220 feet)," the deafening, incessant chant of "Reh-bels," Reh-bels" at the Thomas & Mack Center, home to UNLV, and the raucous "white-outs" staged by students at Colorado State. Even at Air Force's Clune Arena, the smallest venue in the league, the decibels generated by a full house rattle the most poised of teams.

Yet for those who missed it, the Mountain West newcomers from Boise State put their own spin on things in Wednesday night's contest against No. 12/15 UNLV, executing a pair of flash mobs that nearly helped lift the Broncos over the hurdle before Boise State fell, 77-72, in overtime.

Welcome to the madness BSU. Only wish you were staying. With football ruling the day, the Broncos are off to the Big East in 2013, while basketball gets shipped back to the WAC. Equaling the mayhem generated by what is fast becoming one of the top leagues in the nation will be no small feat.

Katz, in another blog post on Jan. 26, suggested that the aura experienced on Wednesday night could be hard to find down the road.

In the interim, Bronco fans, you'll be able to match wits this March with some of the best at the Conoco Mountain West Basketball Championships at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, though I wouldn't be tardy in purchasing tickets.

Already, ticket sales for the Championships are directly on pace with last year's record-breaking all-session sales, despite the fact that the MW only has eight institutions this year instead of last year's nine. The lower bowl is likely to sell out within the next week to 10 days, so I'd buy an all-session ticket now to guarantee a seat close to the action. The men's semifinals have sold out each of the last two years, as did last year's championship game.

To purchase tickets, contact your favorite Mountain West institution's ticket office. For more information on the 2012 Conoco MW Basketball Championships, visit TheMWC.com/2012.

While I've grown increasingly numb to overzealous parents who envision their sons or daughters as superstars, I've hit the end of my tether with agents who convince unwitting and ill-informed college athletes to abandon their books in favor of blind faith.

Is former San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman making the right decision to enter the NFL Draft? Who am I to say? This much I do know: Hillman's limitations are, well, not exactly limited.

A player who struggled to stay healthy at the college level, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Hillman is not cut out to run between the tackles in the NFL just yet. His ability to get to the corner will be checked by NFL linebackers and cornerbacks who are equally fast. He was a minimal factor in the passing game and did not return kicks his first two years, an assignment he should have asked to take on next season with the Aztecs had he wanted to find a legitimate spot in the NFL.

Instead, a player that was garnering attention as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate next season has likely become another victim of questionable advice from someone who has placed Hillman's net worth ahead of his best interest.

And then there's the case of Wyoming running back Alvester Alexander, who has convinced himself that he, too, is ready for the next level...

The four new football coaches in the Mountain West --- Norm Chow (Hawai'i), Bob Davie (New Mexico), Tim DeRuyter (Fresno State) and Jim McElwain (Colorado State) ---- have a combined 108 years in the business. All four coaches have great pedigrees and are certain to bring the excitement back to their respective campuses. I have a hunch that McElwain has the makings of a monster in Fort Collins, where the Rams have more --- and better --- young talent than any team in the league.

More than once in the past week, UNLV men's basketball coach Dave Rice has said that he'd have a hard time believing that any guard in the country is playing better than Rebels junior Anthony Marshall. Having witnessed Marshall's performance at San Diego State, where he finished with a game-high 26 points before scoring a career-high 27 four nights later against TCU, who's to argue? Marshall, who averaged 7.5 points his first two seasons, is currently averaging 12.0 points. Topping it off, he's averaging 4.7 rebounds. From a guard?

Nineteen Division I players are currently averaging double-doubles. The Mountain West is one of only two leagues (Colonial League) in the nation to feature more than one --- UNLV's Mike Moser and New Mexico's Drew Gordon.

So, the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee can't find an agreeable time for its members to meet and provide the MW with an answer to its request for a two-year exemption from the BCS? I can never reach my wife on her cell phone, either.

And speaking of the advancement of civilization (no, not the BCS), how does one charter a jet in San Diego for purposes of flying to Laramie, Wyoming, and find it necessary to refuel in Cedar City, Utah and Grand Junction, Colo.? The next time San Diego State's men's basketball team opts to charter, which it will later this season when it visits Boise State, it may first want to taxi over to the Shell station at the corner of Laurel Street and Pacific Highway.

Does the MW deserve to be rated above the hallowed ACC in the latest RPI rankings? Other than holding a 3-1 advantage in head-to-head meetings, a better winning percentage against non-conference opponents and having two teams ranked in the top 15, no. ☺

Former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore will take part in the 14th annual All-Star Football Challenge, an event staged in Indianapolis on Feb. 5 as part of Super Bowl week. No word on whether competition in something called the FRS Healthy Performance QB Scramble dictates that invitees be at least 6-foot-4 and weigh a minimum of 235. The word prototypical should be stricken from the English language, particularly when it comes to defining athletes.

The San Diego State men's and women's basketball teams, both undefeated in MW play, have won a combined 22 straight, with each having won 11 in a row. I realize that current men's assistant Brian Dutcher has been designated the "head-coach-in-waiting" by current head coach Steve Fisher, but Dutcher may want to consider filling his own spot with women's coach Beth Burns. Trust me, Burns is not someone with whom you'd care to go one-on-one, be it in a basketball game or an interview session. When a former colleague of mine asked for a sit-down with Burns some years ago, she replied, "Bring a change of clothes."

I don't know if hoops guru Jerry Palm uses bats' wings and eye of newt in his bracketology formula, but his latest NCAA Tournament pairings have UNLV as a No. 3 seed in Albuquerque and San Diego State as a No. 4 seed in Portland, Ore. Palm also has New Mexico as being one of the first four teams out. Don't count on it, Jerry. I've seen the Lobos in this position before.

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - Moser continued to hold the inside track to Player of the Year honors this week, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in an 80-63 win over New Mexico on Saturday before scoring 18 points and collecting 21 rebounds (most in the MW this season) in Wednesday's 77-72 overtime win at Boise State. Moser has posted a double-double in five of his last six games and three straight.

2. Jamaal Franklin, G, So., San Diego State - After posting his fourth double-double of the season (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the Aztecs' win over Air Force on Saturday, Franklin picked up his fifth double-double in his last seven games with a 12-point, 11-rebound performance in a 52-42 victory Tuesday at Wyoming.

3. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - Helped the Lobos snap a two-game skid by finishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in Wednesday's 85-52 win over Colorado State. Gordon, who also drew three charges in the game, posted his 11th double-double of the season. He had 11 rebounds in 16 minutes in the second half.

4. Hank Thorns, G, Sr., TCU - After scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in a 15-point comeback win over Boise State, Thorns scored a career-high 22 points in Wednesday's victory over Air Force. Thorns, who led TCU in scoring for a team-leading ninth time this season, shot 75.0 percent from the field (9-of-12) against the Falcons, the second-best performance by a Mountain West player this season with at least 10 field-goal attempts in a game. He also matched a career-high with four 3-pointers on only five attempts.

5. Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley, who had a game-high tying 12 points in SDSU's win at Wyoming on Tuesday, has scored in double figures a career-high 14 straight games. He has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in a career-long 19 consecutive games and has multiple 3s in 12 of his last 14 contests.

6. Leonard Washington, F, Jr., Wyoming - After almost single-handedly leading the Cowboys to a win over Colorado State with 32 points and 14 rebounds, Washington had a team-high 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against San Diego State. He has scored in double figures in six straight games.

7. Taylor Broekhuis, C, Jr., Air Force - A mainstay for the Falcons this season, Broekhuis, who had a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds on Wednesday against TCU, is averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 62.2 percent over his last six games. During that stretch, the 6-foot-10 Broekhuis has hit 6-of-13 attempts from three-point range.

8. Derrick Marks, G, Fr., Boise State - Marks, who earlier this season scored the most points (20) by a Boise State freshman in 22 years, tallied a career- and game-high 21 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot in Wednesday's overtime loss to UNLV. Marks made his second straight start in a Bronco lineup that has seen 10 variations this season.

9. Chace Stanback, Sr., G/F, UNLV - Stanback, who continues to lead the Runnin' Rebels in both field-goal percentage (.498) and three-point field-goal percentage (.479), scored in double figures for the seventh time in nine games by finishing with 15 points in Wednesday's overtime win against Boise State. Stanback had 13 points in the Rebels' win over New Mexico on Saturday.

10. Thomas Bropleh, So., F, Boise State - Bropleh, who had not played more than 16 minutes in a league game this season, logged 38 minutes off the bench against UNLV, posting his first career double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Broleph entered the contest averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 19.4 minutes per game.

MW Women

1. Courtney Clements, Jr., G, San Diego State - Clements, who recorded her first career double-double with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds against Air Force, notched her seventh 20-point game of the season and her third in the last four games with 21 points on Tuesday against Wyoming. Clements, who has played a key role in the Aztecs' 11-game win streak, had 16 of the team's 30 first-half points on Tuesday.

2. Kelli Thompson, G, Jr., UNLV - Thompson, the team's leading scorer, finished with 24 points in Wednesday's win over Boise State as the Lady Rebels (16-5, 4-1) clinched their first winning season in six years. It was the third time this season that Thompson has exceeded the 20-point mark.

3. Kim Mestdagh, G/F, Sr., Colorado State - Mestdagh scored 19 points to go along with three steals and three assists in Wednesday's win over New Mexico as the Rams moved to 4-1 in league play for the first time since the 2001-02 season. Mestdagh, who has cracked the 20-point mark in two of her last three games, scored 21 points in Saturday's win over Wyoming when she finished 8-for-14 from the field and 3-for-6 beyond the arc. She also collected five rebounds.

4. Natalie Ventress, G, Fr., TCU - Ventress, who tied for team honors with 18 points in Saturday's win over Boise State, finished with a game-high 21 in Wednesday's victory over Air Force. It marked the third time in four games that Ventress has scored 20-plus points. She has led TCU in scoring nine out of the last 11 games.

5. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, who had 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals in a win over Air Force, helped the Aztecs remain unbeaten in league play when she produced another all-around effort with nine assists, nine rebounds and seven points in Tuesday's victory over Wyoming.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• It's been nearly six weeks since the Mountain West requested a two-year exemption from the BCS, and Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman says it's time for the BCS to respond. Now. An exemption would give the league an automatic spot in one of the five BCS bowls.

• Former Boise State standout Kellen Moore, the NCAA's winningest quarterback, figures to be under the microscope at Saturday's Senior Bowl. Former San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley will also put his talents on display.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Taylor Stewart's older sister may be competing in a riding ring these days instead of on a basketball court, but she keeps his competitive fires burning at Air Force.

• ESPN's basketball rankings were altered a bit this week when a new league moved into the top five. Which league was it? Here's a hint: It wasn't the ACC.

• Patience may be a virtue, but for UNLV sophomore point guard Reggie Smith, it's not a virtue that's easy to practice.

• With ex-UNLV players Dave Rice and Stacey Augmon now leading from the sideline, the Rebels are runnin' once again.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Colorado State's 'X factors' playing significant role in formula for the team's fast start in league play.

• San Diego State's Chelsea Hopkins healthy and happy after transferring from Duke.

• Colorado State eliminating giveaways in MW play and thriving.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Here's how I rank the games to watch this week:

MW Men

1. Colorado State at New Mexico, Wednesday (8 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): This game pits the league's top field goal shooting percentage offense (CSU-49.3%) vs. the MW's best shooting defense (UNM-38.3%). After opening Conference play with a win at Wyoming, preseason favorite New Mexico will be looking to get back on the winning track following a week in which the Lobos suffered back-to-back losses to nationally-ranked San Diego State and UNLV. Colorado State, meanwhile, is coming off an emotional road loss at Border War rival Wyoming, and will be looking to steal a win in one of the nation's toughest environments.

2. No. 13/12 San Diego State at Wyoming, Tuesday (6:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): With sole possession of first place in hand, the Aztecs head to Laramie having dropped five of their last eight at Arena-Auditorium. SDSU has not beaten Wyoming in Laramie in consecutive seasons since 2002-03. Cowboys' junior forward Leonard Washington (6-7, 235) was unstoppable against Colorado State on Saturday, finishing with 32 points and 14 rebounds.

3. No. 13/12 San Diego State at Colorado State, Saturday (2 p.m. MT, NBC Sports Network, DirecTV 603): A grueling week for the Aztecs, who after playing at Wyoming on Tuesday must return to the Front Range to face the Rams on Saturday. SDSU has won five straight at Moby Arena by an average of 14.6 points.

4. No. 12/15 UNLV at Air Force, Saturday (7 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Falcons give plenty of teams fits at Clune Arena, but last year's 49-42 win by UNLV was typical of a series in which the Runnin' Rebels have won just nine times in 16 games at the Academy.

5. Air Force at TCU, Wednesday (6:30 p.m. CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Horned Frogs sidestepped a 0-3 start in league play by rallying from a 15-point second-half deficit against Boise State. That won't work against Air Force, as the Falcons will limit your possessions and make you earn every basket. Since its inaugural season in the MW in 2005-06, TCU has been swept in its regular-season series against the Falcons three times.

6. Wyoming at Boise State, Saturday (1:30 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): After two straight years of going winless on the road, the Cowboys have turned things around, winning three straight road games for a 4-2 mark away from Arena-Auditorium this season. However, Boise State has been nearly unbeatable in Taco Bell Arena, stretching its home win streak to 15 games before having it snapped against Air Force in the Jan. 14 Conference opener.

7. TCU at New Mexico, Saturday (4 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Not many teams survive facing New Mexico at The Pit, including TCU. The Horned Frogs are 0-9 against the Lobos in Albuquerque.

8. No. 12/15 UNLV at Boise State, Wednesday (8 p.m. MT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): The Runnin' Rebels appear to have regained their stride since dropping their league opener to San Diego State, posting a 13-point win against New Mexico on Saturday after drubbing TCU by 23. Boise State, which has used nine different starting lineups in 18 games this season, has failed to score more than 60 points in four straight games.

MW Women

1. Wyoming at San Diego State, Tuesday (7:30 p.m. PT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): San Diego State has won 10 straight and is off to a 4-0 start in MW play, the team's best in the league's 13-year history. Senior Courtney Clements is leading the Aztecs' charge, and the league, with a 16.7 scoring average. The Cowgirls have won two of their last three but are 2-6 on the road. Wyoming is a young team and has a freshman in Kayla Woodward who averaged 25.5 points per game last week

2. Colorado State at San Diego State, Saturday (Noon PT, CBS Sports Network, DirecTV 613): Should the Aztecs beat Wyoming on Tuesday, they have a chance to distance themselves from the pack, particularly having already won this season at UNLV. Colorado State and UNLV are currently tied for second place. The Rams are coming around in Conference play after a tough non-conference schedule, and feature Preseason Player of the Year Kim Mestdagh.

3. New Mexico at TCU, Saturday (Noon CT, The Mtn., DirecTV 616): Both teams have played short-handed due to key injuries this season, but in a game pairing two teams that haven't exactly covered themselves with glory in terms of shooting percentages from the field or the foul line this season, TCU is the better rebounding team. Last year each team won on the other's home court.

• San Diego State: If Aztec fans thought last season was magical, the current campaign is threatening to stretch the limits of the imagination. Four days after knocking off then-No. 12-ranked UNLV, San Diego State (16-2, 2-0) won its ninth straight with a 75-70 victory at preseason league favorite New Mexico, a team that had won 13 in a row. This from a team that lost four starters, including a first-round NBA draft pick, from a year ago. That question about whether the Aztecs for real? Uh-huh.

• Anthony Marshall: Following UNLV's 101-78 rout of TCU on Wednesday, coach Dave Rice said he believed the Runnin' Rebels' junior is playing as well as any guard in the country. Tough to argue. After finishing with a game-high 26 against San Diego State, Marshall took it a step further by scoring a career-high 27 against the Horned Frogs. Marshall has averaged 19.3 points over the last six games.

• Colorado State: The Rams (13-4, 2-0), who began the week at No. 22 in the latest RPI rankings, have won eight straight for the first time since Nov. 18-Dec. 30, 2006. CSU has three players averaging double figures, paced by junior guard Wes Eikmeier (16.7). Junior guard Dorian Green and junior forward Greg Smith are averaging 14.2 and 10.5 points, respectively.

• Wyoming: The Cowboys' overall mark of 15-3 is their best start to a season since the 2002-03 squad opened with a 16-3 record. In addition, in a league where home court advantage is enormous, Wyoming opened the road portion of its MW schedule with a 64-53 win at Air Force on Wednesday, and will take an overall three-game road win streak into a Jan. 28 outing at Boise State. The Cowboys ended a 23-game road losing streak earlier this season with a 65-54 win at Colorado.

• The Mountain West: UNLV (17-3) and San Diego State (16-2) are two of 18 teams in the nation with at least 16 victories. The others: Syracuse 20-0; Murray State 19-0; Kentucky 18-1; Saint Mary's 18-2; Middle Tennessee 18-2; Baylor 17-1; Missouri 17-1; Creighton 17-2; Oral Roberts 17-4; Duke 16-2; North Carolina 16-3; Ohio State 16-3; Southern Miss 16-3; Wichita State 16-3; Cal 16-4 and BYU 16-5. The MW enters the weekend as the only league in the nation where every team boasts a winning record.

• Drew Gordon and Mike Moser: New Mexico senior forward Gordon, and Moser, UNLV's sensational sophomore, are both averaging double-doubles this season. In 18 games, Gordon, who has recorded double-doubles in six of his last 10 games, is averaging 12.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. Moser, meanwhile, named to the midseason Wooden Award watch list, has averaged 14 points and 11.4 rebounds through 20 games. Both players rank among national leaders with nine double-doubles apiece this season.

Who's Not

• TCU: The Horned Frogs, who reached the 10-win mark in non-conference play for the first time since 2004-05, have dropped their first two league games, the most recent coming in a 101-78 loss at UNLV in which the Rebels scored 100 points for the first time in a regular-season MW game since March 3, 2001 (106 vs. Wyoming). It marks the third time since joining the MW in 2005 that TCU has opened league play with consecutive losses.

• Boise State: The Broncos, who went 10-6 in non-conference play, have found the going a bit tougher in their inaugural season in the MW, dropping their first two league games. With coach Leon Rice facing the task of replacing seven lettermen from last year's squad, Boise State has struggled mightily on the road, where it is 0-6. The Broncos have scored fewer than 60 points in each of their past three games.

• USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll: So, let's see. North Carolina loses by 33 to unranked Florida State and drops from No. 3 to No. 8. UNLV loses to San Diego State by two at the buzzer in a meeting between Top-25 teams in one of the toughest environments in the nation and falls from No. 12 to No. 20? For those voting, eyes toward the front of the class: UNLV beat North Carolina, 90-80, on Nov. 26. Accomplishment may start with "acc," but last I checked, exclusive rights to the word did not belong to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

• UCLA: And to think Bruins coach Ben Howland once had the triumvirate of Gordon, Moser, and Moser's UNLV running mate, Chace Stanback, before all transferred to MW schools. No wonder UCLA wants nothing to do with the cream of the crop in the Mountain West.

MW Men

1. Mike Moser, F, So., UNLV - I'm assuming there won't be an overabundance of backlash here. A midseason Wooden Award nominee, Moser has it all, having posted a double-double in three of his last four games to put his season total at nine overall. He has flirted with triple-doubles on three occasions this season, including a 16-point, 18-rebound, six-assist performance in the Runnin' Rebels' upset of No. 1 North Carolina in November. Moser is averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, ranking sixth nationally in the latter category, and has also dished out 50 assists from the post.

2. Chase Tapley, G, Jr., San Diego State - Tapley has been one of the league's most consistent performers to date, scoring in double figures in 16 of 18 games, while shooting a shade over 50 percent (110-of-217) from the field and ranking ninth nationally with a .474 (45-of-95) conversion rate from behind the arc. He was all over the floor in Wednesday's win at New Mexico, tallying 12 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Tapley has topped the 20-point mark six times this season and is tied with Colorado State's Wes Eikmeier for the league lead in scoring (16.7 ppg).

3. Chace Stanback, Sr., G/F, UNLV - Along with Tapley, Stanback is one of the league's top perimeter threats, converting .476 (50-of-105) of his 3-point attempts to rank seventh nationally. He is shooting just over 50 percent (97-of-193) from the field, leading UNLV's high-powered offense with 14.7 points per game. One of his top performances of the season came in the aforementioned take-down of the Tar Heels, when he poured in 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds.

4. Anthony Marshall, G, Jr., UNLV - After a slow start, Marshall (12.3 ppg) has caught fire of late, scoring in double digits in six straight games while shooting 55.4 percent from the field during that span. Without his 26 points at San Diego State, the Rebels would have been run out of the building in Saturday's loss to the Aztecs. In Wednesday's win against TCU, Marshall topped that effort with a career-high 27 points.

5. Drew Gordon, F, Sr., New Mexico - The Naismith Trophy candidate recorded his ninth double-figure scoring effort in 10 games with 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists in Wednesday's loss to San Diego State. He is averaging a double-double for the second straight year (12.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg), while converting 50 percent (84-of-166) of his field goal attempts.

6. Wes Eikmeier, G, Jr., Colorado State - Three of his six 20-point scoring performances this season have come in the last five games, as he has helped lead the Rams to eight straight wins. As mentioned earlier, his 16.7 scoring average is tied for the MW lead, while his 88.3 (68-of-77) shooting percentage at the free throw line is tops in the Conference.

7. Jamaal Franklin, G, So, San Diego State - When Aztecs coach Steve Fisher speaks of Franklin, he uses the analogy of the little girl with the curl. When he's good, he's very, very good. When he's not, he'll drive you crazy. Franklin has been good more often than not this season, averaging 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in six straight games, including knocking down the winning shot against UNLV on Saturday with three-tenths of a second left.

8. Luke Martinez, G, Jr., Wyoming - The junior college transfer has quickly established himself as the Cowboys' top offensive threat, averaging 13.4 points per game. He has scored at least 15 points in 14 of 17 games as the Pokes are enjoying their best start (15-3) since the 2002-03 season. Martinez is riding a five-game double-figure scoring streak heading into Saturday's Border War with Colorado State.

9. Xavier Thames, So., G, San Diego State - The graduation of four-year starter D.J. Gay left the Aztecs looking for a new floor general. In stepped Thames, a sophomore transfer from Washington State, who leads the league with a 5.3 assist average despite missing three games with a knee injury. Thames, the first Aztec point guard of Steve Fisher's 13-year tenure to record a 20-point, 10-rebound game, also boasts an 11.7 scoring average.

10. Anthony Drmic, F, Fr., Boise State - One of four Australian imports playing in the Mountain West this season, Drmic entered the week ranked 17th nationally in scoring among freshmen (14.1), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.404) and fourth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.80). He leads all MW freshmen in each of the aforementioned categories, as well as rebounding (4.3).

MW Women

1. Jamie Smith, F, Sr., UNLV - Smith became only the second player in Mountain West basketball history, men's or women's, to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career in Wednesday's win at TCU. Smith currently has 1,035 career rebounds and 1,011 career points.

2. Courtney Clements, G, Jr., San Diego State - Clements, the league's leading scorer, notched her fifth 20-point game of the season in Saturday's overtime win at UNLV. She returned with 19 points in Wednesday's victory over New Mexico as SDSU remained the only unbeaten team in the MW.

3. Chelsea Hopkins, G, Jr., San Diego State - Hopkins, a transfer from Duke who had seven assists and three steals in 21 minutes in Wednesday's win over New Mexico, was coming off a pair of games in which she averaged 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.0 steals.

4. Kati Isham, G, Sr., Boise State - Isham is the MW's second-leading scorer at 15.7 points per game and leads the league in 3-pointers made per game at 2.6 (36th nationally). She is also 34th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (38.8 percent), third-best in the league.

5. Sam Martin, F, So., Colorado State - Martin ranks second in league play with an average of 21.3 points per game and is first in field-goal percentage at 72.2 percent as the Rams have opened Conference action with a 2-1 mark. She is tied for fourth in the MW with an average of 2.0 blocks per game.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Former grade school chess champion Chase Tapley is making all the right moves on the court for San Diego State. Formerly dubbed by his father as a "studious couch potato," Tapley has emerged to become one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the nation.

• Steve Fisher sidestepped an invitation from senior forward Tim Shelton to make a cameo appearance in an SDSU hoops video that's getting a fair share of hits on YouTube.

• Jeff Reynolds is happy with the ownership his players have taken in Falcon hoops. Added responsibility has come as a result of advice Reynolds received from a fellow Air Force coach.

• Transfers proving their mettle as members of the Colorado State scout team in practice. While Colton Iverson and Daniel Bejarano may not be able to suit up for games, they are making contributions in other ways.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

SDSU has traveled to Arizona, made the trek to Cal, visited Washington and Washington State. They've made a bus trip up Interstate 5 to face USC and taken the court at Arizona State.

Conspicuously absent from the list, however, is a school that once epitomized West Coast college basketball, that once made Final Fours its private party, that won an NCAA-record 88 consecutive games from 1971-74.

One that is located less than 2½ hours from San Diego State's campus.

"I'd love to play UCLA," Fisher said recently when asked why the schools have not met in 21 years. "They won't play us."

And not without good reason.

In 2011-12, the Mountain West is 11-3 against the Pac-12, with the MW's top three teams (New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV) combining for an 8-0 mark, including Aztec and Runnin' Rebel wins over current Pac-12 co-leader California. Indeed, in the last three seasons, the MW owns a mark of 20-12 against the Pac-12.

Over that three-year span, the MW has not only left the Pac-12 in its wake, it has also gone 28-8 against the Western Athletic Conference; 19-7 vs. the West Coast Conference; 20-4 against the Big West Conference; and 25-7 vs. teams from the Big Sky Conference.

In that there are no other Division I basketball conferences in what is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the western United States, the Mountain West, simply put, has become the Best in the West.

"I've said many times that people across the country are beginning to realize just how good the basketball is in the Mountain West," said UNLV first-year coach Dave Rice, who was part of a national championship team at the school in 1990. "You take a look at two years ago when we had four teams in the NCAA Tournament, last year when we had three teams in the NCAA Tournament and multiple teams in the postseason."

Over the last three seasons, including the current campaign, the MW is 112-38 against conferences in the western half of the country. It is the only league in the West to boast multiple teams in the top 22 (UNLV, 10th; Colorado State, 22nd) in the latest NCAA RPI rankings. It is the only league in the country where all of its teams currently have winning records.

This, despite the rigors of travel in a conference where altitude (Wyoming, 7,220 feet), weather and flat-out fanaticism (New Mexico, The Pit; San Diego State, "The Show;" UNLV, "Rehhbels, Rehhbels") can unnerve even the best of teams.

Nationally, the MW is one of six conferences with multiple teams (UNLV and San Diego State) ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' polls. A third, New Mexico, is receiving votes in both polls and has an opportunity to vault into the Top-25 this week with games against the aforementioned Aztecs and Runnin' Rebels.

Comparatively, only one other conference in the western U.S. --- the WCC --- currently has a team ranked in the Top 25, with Saint Mary's at No. 24 and 23 in the AP and Coaches' polls, respectively.

The Pac-12 and the WAC? Nary a soul.

The MW, which is on pace to be the top-ranked conference in the West for the third straight year, has garnered multiple NCAA Tournament bids in 11 of the last 12 seasons. Over the past three seasons among conferences in the West, only the Pac-12 (12) has received more bids than the MW (9), though the latter has earned seven bids to the Pac-12's six in the last two years.

And with success comes notoriety. All 56 MW regular-season games will be nationally televised this year, as will all seven games of the 2012 Conoco MW Men's Basketball Championship.

Ticket sales for the tournament are already on pace to match last year's record-setting pre-championship sales, despite the fact that there is one fewer team due to changes in the MW membership.

Staged at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas (capacity 18,500), where the arena's lower bowl seats approximately 8,500 fans (more than the entire Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, home to the WCC and WAC tournaments), the semifinal rounds of each of the last two MW tournaments have been sell-outs, as was last year's title game.

Said UNLV's Rice: "I think it's just become a situation in our league where teams have become accustomed to winning."

And accustomed to being the Best in the West.

Let the number crunching commence.

The Scorer's Table: Jan. 17 Edition

A good while.

The same team that lost four starters from last NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 squad, the same one that goes nine-deep at best, the same one with a starting forward whose knees are so gimpy he seldom practices, was the same one that on Saturday beat an opponent that earlier this season topped the No. 1 team in the nation.

If there was ever an opportunity for UNLV to exorcise a demon that has played hardball with its psyche, infecting the inner regions of its id, this was it. The Runnin' Rebels returned nine letterwinners from a year ago, four of whom were on the floor for yesterday's opening tip. The fifth starter, Mike Moser, was forced to sit out last season after transferring, but through 18 games had clearly gained the inside track for Mountain West Player of the Year honors.

The Aztecs countered with fifth-year player Tim Shelton, he of the balky knees, a first-year transfer guard (Xavier Thames) who had recently been sidelined by a knee injury, and started a guard (Jamaal Franklin) at forward who also drew the assignment of jumping center.

San Diego State played seven players; UNLV 10.

No. 22 SDSU 69, No. 12 UNLV 67.

The victory marked the Aztecs' sixth straight over the Rebels.

"Well, it is a game that only takes five (players)," said Aztecs coach Steve Fisher, who after earning National Coach of the Year honors last season will next make Viejas Arena disappear into thin air. "The thing that we tried to say is that if you are tired and still in and you are not asking to go out, it is mandatory that you don't. Slow your pace down on offense but you have to get back and guard. You have to maintain the same thought process that you started the game with. We lost it a little bit, but over a whole 40 minutes we did well."

What they did best was defend. While Franklin (24 points), who won it on a lay-in that came with 0.3 seconds left, was making shots with a degree of difficulty bordering on the absurd, his teammates limited UNLV to its lowest shooting percentage of the season. The Rebels, who shot 28.6 percent in the first half, finished the game at 35.3.

Moser and running mate Chase Stanback, who both entered the contest averaging better than 14 points per game, combined for 16. Junior guard Anthony Marshall was the only UNLV player to score in double figures, finishing with a season- and game-high 26 points.

Junior guard James Rahon had a season-high 22 points for SDSU.

"First of all, a lot of credit goes to Steve Fisher and his staff," said Runnin' Rebels coach Dave Rice, whose team owns the league's signature win to date after upending then No. 1-ranked North Carolina in November. "They had their team very well prepared. San Diego State is a very good basketball team. It was a great college basketball game. Certainly mistakes on both sides, but our guys battled. There were numerous times during the course of the game that the game could have gotten away, but we showed a lot of character. In the end, San Diego State made one more play than we did and, to their credit, they found a way to win a very hard-fought game."

An assessment that figures to become commonplace this season in the Mountain West.

If Shyatt wasn't given to surprise, what he saw clearly gave him ample cause for pause.

"As I watched five, six, seven of (BYU's) games, I had a chance to find out not just about the talent of the players (in the Mountain West), but the talent of the coaches," said Shyatt, who is in the midst of his second stint as head coach at Wyoming after guiding the Cowboys in 1997-98. "When you have the national Coach of the Year (San Diego State's Steve Fisher) returning, and he has his team in the Top-25, I think that speaks volumes.

"I'm delighted to see that a lot of the opponents who have criticized this league are now waking up and finding out that this is great basketball."

And in 2011-12, perhaps greater than ever.

As the Mountain West gets set to tip-off league play on Saturday, it does so with a chance of posting its best composite non-conference record in the league's 13-year history. MW teams are currently a combined 99-26 (.792) against non-conference opponents, which ranks ahead of the previous high of .722 (96-37) the league finished with during the 2006-07 campaign (including postseason opponents). The 2008-09 season is the only other year in which MW teams surpassed the 70 percent win mark in non-conference play, going 101-40 (.716).

As of Friday, the MW is the only league in the country where every team has a winning record. Not only that, but all eight have also won 10 or more games, with four --- New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and Wyoming --- having 14 or more wins. Two of those squads, No. 12-ranked UNLV and No. 22 San Diego State, will square off on Saturday in a nationally-televised meeting on the NBC Sports Network (1 p.m. PT), marking the second straight year in which the MW will tip off Conference play with a Top-25 match-up.

The Mountain West also has the sixth-best conference RPI, ranking ahead of the Pac-12, against whom MW teams have an 11-4 record this season.

But if the usual suspects have assumed their places at the head of the pack, they would do well to avoid looking over their shoulder.

Wyoming (14-2), which finished 3-13 in league play and 10-21 overall last season, is off to its best start since 1950-51 and has put together an 11-game home win streak. In addition, the Cowboys ended a 23-game road losing streak with a Dec. 9 victory at Colorado and are already halfway to matching their high for most road wins (6) since joining the Mountain West.

TCU, which won only one MW game a year ago and finished with an overall mark of 11-22, is one victory removed from equaling last year's win total. The Horned Frogs' 10 non-conference wins are their most since 2004-05. A triumph over SMU on Feb. 8 would allow TCU to match the school's 2000-01 team for most regular-season non-conference wins since prior to the 1999-2000 campaign (11).

At 10-4, Air Force, which posted a 6-10 mark in league action last season, has continued to win despite the temporary absence of standout junior guard Michael Lyons (ankle). The Falcons have been stellar defensively thus far in 2011-12, joining New Mexico and Wyoming as the only three MW teams to allow two or fewer opponents to shoot better than 45 percent.

Colorado State (11-4) tips off the conference slate having won six straight and matching its best start from a year ago. CSU's 11 non-conference wins are tied for the most during head coach Tim Miles' tenure.

"I've said many times that people across the country are beginning to realize just how good the basketball is in the Mountain West," said UNLV first-year coach Dave Rice, whose team owns the league's signature win to date with a 90-80 victory over then No. 1-ranked North Carolina on Nov. 26. "You take a look at two years ago when we had four teams in the NCAA Tournament, last year when we had three teams in the NCAA Tournament and multiple teams in the postseason.

"I think it's become a situation in our league where teams have become accustomed to winning. The coaching is so good, and even when seniors leave or players leave early for the NBA like (San Diego State's) Kawhi Leonard did last year, other guys step up because there is a culture of winning in our league."

To wit: MW preseason favorite New Mexico, which is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' polls, enters league play at Wyoming on Saturday having won 12 straight, its longest win streak since the Lobos ran off 15 in a row from Jan. 13 - March 11, 2010. It is the seventh time in program history and the third time under coach Steve Alford that New Mexico has won at least 12 consecutive games.

At San Diego State, where the forecast called for a significant turn of events after the team lost four starters from its NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run, the Aztecs have managed to again muscle their way into the Top-25. At 14-2, San Diego State is off to the second-best start in its Division I history. The Aztecs have won a season-high seven straight and 11 of their last 12.

But ahead looms UNLV, who is tied for the third-most wins in the country heading into Saturday's tilt against the Aztecs. After finishing the non-conference portion of the schedule with a mark of 16-2, its best start to a season since 1992-93, the Rebels have ascended to a ranking of No. 12 in the nation for the first time in 19 years (Feb. 8, 1993). UNLV has won seven straight and eight of its last nine.

"If you have any flaws, now is when you're going to be exposed," said Aztecs associate head coach Brian Dutcher. "This is a great conference, maybe the best it's ever been, with a lot of great coaches. It's going to be a long Conference race."

In a conference already recognized as one of the most challenging in the nation due to travel, altitude and home-court advantages, 2011-12 promises to be quite a ride!

Below is a brief snapshot of each MW team heading into Saturday's Conference-opening action:

Air Force Falcons
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 10-4
Current leading scorer: Mike Fitzgerald (14.2 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Taylor Broekhuis (4.9 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: The Falcons have held on despite the absence of standout junior guard Michael Lyons, who has recently been sidelined by a high ankle sprain. Though Air Force has struggled to hold its own on the boards and ranks last in the league in scoring offense, few teams in the country are playing better defense. Only two opponents --- Colorado and Gonzaga --- have shot better than 45 percent against the Falcons.

Boise State Broncos
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 10-5
Current leading scorer: Anthony Drmic (14.4 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Ryan Watkins (4.8 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: Faced with the unenviable task of replacing seven seniors from last year's 22-win team, coach Leon Rice has gotten a sensational effort thus far from Drmic, a native of Australia who already has three 20-point games. Drmic ranks 17th nationally in scoring among freshmen (14.4), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.406) and fourth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.79).

Colorado State Rams
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 11-4
Current leading scorer: Wes Eikmeier (17.2 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Greg Smith (4.7 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: The Rams enter league play having won six straight, and their 11 non-conference wins tie for the most during head coach Tim Miles' tenure. Eikmeier, currently the league's second-leading scorer, has been the spark, but the Rams also found out just how important Pierce Hornung is to their success after the junior forward and MW Sixth Man of the Year last season was sidelined with a concussion in the early going. With Hornung in the lineup, CSU is 7-1. During his six-game absence, the Rams went 3-3.

New Mexico Lobos
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 14-2
Current leading scorer: Tony Snell (13.8 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Drew Gordon (10.9 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: The Lobos are off to their best start since opening 14-2 in 2009-10 when they finished 30-5. New Mexico is 8-1 at The Pit this season, posting an average winning margin of 24.7 points. The Lobos, who are 56-0 under coach Steve Alford when allowing fewer than 60 points, have not allowed more than 62 at home this season. UNM has a wealth of talent, currently boasting three of the top 15 scorers in the league in Snell, Gordon (12.7) and sophomore guard Kendall Williams (11.5).

San Diego State Aztecs
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 14-2
Current leading scorer: Chase Tapley (17.3 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Garrett Green (6.4 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: The No. 22-ranked Aztecs' two losses came against a pair of ranked teams in Baylor (77-67) and Creighton (85-83). San Diego State also beat two teams that were ranked at the time in Arizona (61-57) and Cal (64-63). Tapley enters MW play as the leading scorer in the league. With their 14-2 record, the Aztecs have matched the 1939-40 and 1966-67 teams for the second-best start in school history. San Diego State has won 21 consecutive games against the current configuration of the Mountain West, dating back to an 88-86 overtime loss at No. 15/23 New Mexico on Feb. 6, 2010.

TCU Horned Frogs
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 10-5
Current leading scorer: Hank Thorns (12.6 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: J.R. Cadot (7.1 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: TCU has is off to its best start since the 2000-01 season, when the team won 12 of its first 15 games. The Horned Frogs, who were the only team to beat Virginia (currently ranked No. 17) before the Cavaliers began ACC play, have won 10 non-conference games for the first time since 2004-05. A victory Feb. 6 at SMU would give the Frogs 11 non-conference victories in a season for the first time since 2000-01. TCU has forced 20 or more turnovers in a game six times this season.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 16-2
Current leading scorer: Chace Stanback (14.8 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Mike Moser (11.1 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: In knocking off then No. 1-ranked North Carolina, 90-80, in November, the No. 12-ranked Runnin' Rebels not only proved they are capable of winning the MW title, but also served notice that they could be a tough out at the national level. UNLV cruised in routing Illinois on the road (64-48) and drubbing Cal (85-68) at the Thomas & Mack Center. Moser has been a monster, grabbing the early inside track to MW Player of the Year honors by averaging 14.2 points and a league-best 11.1 rebounds per contest. The Rebels' two losses came at Wichita State, a team currently receiving Top-25 votes, and at Wisconsin, which was then ranked No. 14 in the nation.

Wyoming Cowboys
2011-12 Record (heading into MW play): 14-2
Current leading scorer: Luke Martinez (13.5 ppg)
Current leading rebounder: Leonard Washington (6.2 rpg)
Non-conference synopsis: The Cowboys, who host New Mexico on Saturday, are 11-0 at Arena-Auditorium this season, their most wins at home since 2008-09. Wyoming is currently on a three-game win streak after reeling off nine straight earlier in the season. In the latest NCAA rankings, Wyoming was third in scoring defense at 52.3 points per game, 10th in field goal percentage defense (36.8) and 21st in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.5). Four Cowboys --- Martinez, Washington (11.6), Francisco Cruz (12.1) and Adam Waddell (10.0) -- are averaging in double figures.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

Regardless of who wins Saturday's men's basketball showdown between No. 12 UNLV and No. 22 San Diego State, the outcome will not affect the bond forged between Rebels' assistant Justin Hutson and Aztecs' assistant Tony Bland.

Two former San Diego State men's basketball players are reunited in San Antonio as Malcolm Thomas signs with the NBA's Spurs. Former Aztec Kawhi Leonard was acquired by San Antonio after being selected by Indiana in the first round of this year's NBA draft.

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Colorado State football coach Jim McElwain continues to build his staff by adding former Alabama and Clemson assistant Billy Napier.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen promotes assistant Robert Prince to serve as the team's offensive coordinator following the departure of Brent Pease.

University of Hawai'i football coach Norm Chow has tabbed former San Diego State assistant Thom Kaumeyer to serve as the team's defensive coordinator. Kaumeyer orchestrated the biggest defensive improvement in the country as San Diego State leaped from 95th in total defense in 2002 to eighth in 2003.

Hawai'i punt returner Scott Harding, a 25-year-old true freshman, is named to the Football Writers Association of America's Freshman All-America team. Harding hails from Brisbane, Australia. Hawai'i will join the Mountain West next season as a football-only member.

UNLV's football team will play seven home games next season after adding Northern Arizona to its 2012 schedule.

BASEBALL HEADLINES

Rebel baseball team shows eagerness to get the 2012 season started.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Former Broncos' Walk-On Will Walk Off With Myriad Memories
Boise State wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker dared to dream --- and came away with a school-record 15 touchdown catches this season. The former walk-on needs 41 yards in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl to reach the 1,000-yard mark.

Boise State All-American Continues to Master His Craft
Nate Potter's pursuit of perfection will serve him well in the NFL. The Broncos' senior All-American tackle will make his 35th straight start in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl.

It's Not About the Bottom Line for Air Force WR Warzeka The numbers may not add up, but Air Force senior wide receiver Jonathan Warzeka remains focused on the final goal as the Falcons continue preparations for the Northrop-Grumman Military Bowl.

With Attrition Taking its Toll, Cowboys are Looking for Leaders
Wyoming's football team is hardly bereft of young talent, but coach Dave Christensen is more concerned with identifying players who can fill leadership roles.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

After Ho-Hum Start, Rams Hope to Make Hay During Holidays
A year ago, the Colorado State men's basketball team made the most of the holiday break, winning six of seven games to take a 10-3 record into MW play. After starting 5-4 this season, the Rams are going to need to replicate that effort.

Opponents Find Boise State's Taco Bell Arena too Hot to Handle
Picked to finish last by MW media members this year in its inaugural season in the league, Boise State is 8-0 at home, its best mark since 1997-98. Now all the Broncos need do is get word to their fans, who aren't exactly making a mad dash for the ticket office.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Allure of McElwain already creating buzz among potential CSU recruits.

• Parker's picks were crucial to Aztecs' success in 2011.

• SDSU defensive lineman has caught eye of NFL talent scouts.

• Cowboys' Gabe Knapton has been force at multiple positions.

• Wyoming QB Smith's passion for game is rare commodity.

• Wyoming walk-ons will also share in rewards of job well done.

MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lopez has labored to become low-post presence for Rebels.

• Rebels learn that taking it on the run isn't as easy as it sounds.

• Multiple options making Wyoming tough to defend.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lobos' Rhoades adjusts to making spin move without the spike.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Aztecs' Stahovich could soon be getting his kicks in NFL.

• Boise State's recruiting efforts could pay off handsomely with 2012 class.

• Falcons' Calhoun content with decision to remain in Mountain West.

• TCU assistant has different outlook on life following health scare.

• Part I of Q and A with Wyoming standout freshman quarterback Brett Smith

• Cowboys' receiving corps appears to be on fast track to success.

• UNLV's Hauck won't take easy way out when it comes to recruiting.

• Wyoming's Brandon Self now making grade both on and off field.

• Falcons making most of busy schedule in advance of Military Bowl.

• Cowboys' safety will fill void just about anywhere.

• Aztecs' Long sees similarities between Wyoming, Ragin' Cajuns.

BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Despite the pain, Cowboys' Wadell has gotten off on right foot this season.

• Lobos' volleyball player fills void on injury-depleted hoops roster.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Friday, December 9, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• CSU coaching vacancy not without potential myriad of candidates.

• New Lobos coach Davie shows up on IR during first week on job.

• Broncos receive go-ahead on stadium expansion.

• TCU's Patterson well aware of prowess of Louisiana Tech punter.

• Temple's running game has attention of Wyoming's Christensen.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Cowboys sold on Shyatt's desire to turn up heat on defense.

• Rebels will have to be on guard in matchup against No. 14 Wisconsin.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• A slice of sanity: Air Force turns down Big East offer.

• Falcons vow to do their share to help improve MW.

• Despite interested suitors, Air Force coach Calhoun staying put.

• CSU AD convinced there are plenty of capable candidates available for football job.

• TCU assistant tabbed to become head coach at Memphis.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Lobos' Alford critical of conference realignment.

• Rebels lose legendary great Elburt Miller.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Friday, December 2, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• Last few years have resulted in perfect storm for TCU's football program.

• Hometown boy has returned to make matters tough on Colorado State.

• CSU tabs former quarterback Jack Graham as new AD.

• Fewer flags, more discipline has put Wyoming in position to succeed.

• Cowboys' linebacker puts family ties to the test in CSU rivalry.

• Poinsettia Bowl could be postseason destination for Horned Frogs.

• With new-found success comes rise in expectations for SDSU football.

• Boise State hires Kentucky administrator as school's new AD.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Last season's MW Freshman of Year confident better days are ahead.

• Patience has paid off for Cowboys in early going.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• San Diego State-Fresno State marks renewal of deep-rooted rivalry.

• Hauck: Season finale is at hand, but Rebels are raring to go.

• Christensen mum on whether Wyoming will employ "WildSam" vs. CSU

• Cowboys have chance to pocket rare hat trick against Rams.

• Linebacking corps is once again mainstay of TCU defense.

• CSU seniors have hopes of finishing on high note.

• Idaho Statesman: Media, coaches have no place in BCS business.

• Broncos' safety has become team leader both on and off the field.

• Before Lobos bid adieu to 2011, a sizable hurdle remains.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• UNLV big man Mike Moser has the key to his rebounding success.

MW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Injuries have left Lobos with little in reserve.

• Wyoming searching for ways to jump-start offense.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

MW FOOTBALL HEADLINES

• ESPN's Craig James ranks Boise State 24th in Associated Press poll.

• Broncos' senior defensive end has sights set on more sacks.

• Chris Nwoke is running wild at Colorado State.

• Rams' QB Thomas back at practice, but doesn't expect to play against Wyoming.

• You better have good excuse for not playing through pain under Rocky Long.

• Blast from the past: Aztecs, future MW member Fresno State renew old rivalry.

• Lobos' Barlow has made most of opportunity serving as interim head coach.

MW MEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES

• Sophomore guard Franklin has his quirks, but Aztecs aren't complaining.

• Ranked Rebels have score to settle with UC Santa Barbara.

• Wyoming, Waddell have gotten off on the right foot.

• Luster has been bright spot in Cowboys' fast start.

Have you seen a news article on the Mountain West, its teams and its players to share with fellow fans? E-mail them to Webmaster@TheMWC.com!