Forward Cameron Oliver’s decision to return after considering the NBA Draft was a big boost for UNR. The Wolf Pack were picked by the media to finish second in the Mountain West.
#VegasMadness
Fresno State finished second in the Mountain West last season and then won the conference tournament championship. Now the Bulldogs return three starters, but they lost their top two scorers.
The NCAA granted guard Gian Clavell an extra season of eligibility, giving Colorado State a key player heading into the basketball season. The Rams were picked by the media to finish seventh in the Mountain West.
As coach Dave Wojcik enters this season, his expectations are considerably higher than that of the media, which picked the Spartans to finish last in the Mountain West.
Consider: Since the 2012 season, Mountain West teams are a combined 304-330. But the telling part, the absolutely eye-opening and ridiculous part, comes against Power 5 schools, in which the conference is 17-81 over that time.
Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said the league would be careful about expanding, disputing a Salt Lake Tribune report last week that the conference might add teams even if it doesn’t lose any to the Big 12.
College coaches are more likely to describe the increasingly popular 7-on-7 events as football’s version of the travel basketball circuit. A competitive, yet unregulated, environment that mostly serves to quench fans’ thirst for offseason recruiting news.
The Mountain West should play a 16-game conference schedule instead of 18 so as to allow for more nonleague opportunities against top 50 and top 100 teams. Teams need more chances to schedule the sort of meaningful games league play doesn’t allow.
Now, San Diego State will be relegated to watching on TV when the NCAA Tournament brackets are announced Sunday. Steve Fisher, the venerable Aztecs coach, didn’t sound too optimistic the Selection Show would end well for his guys. The team definitely is on the bubble.
Senior guard Marvelle Harris scored 18 points to help second-seeded Fresno State beat top-seeded San Diego State 68-63 in the championship game of the Mountain West tournament on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Another No. 1 seed bites the dust, and the loss could be costly for San Diego State. But the bettors who backed Fresno State at 8-1 odds to win the Mountain West tournament are cashing tickets.
The Mountain West Conference tournament continues today with the San Diego State Aztecs and the Fresno State Bulldogs battling for the title. We’ll be live-blogging from Thomas & Mack Center.
Las Vegas’ relationship with postseason college basketball is good — for the players, fans, schools, conferences and seemingly all parties involved. But, because of legalized sports wagering, is this madness in Las Vegas still viewed as evil by the NCAA?
The Mountain West presidents, who created a stir throughout the conference with their decision to cut back on the number of teams in the league basketball tournament, changed course Friday and will allow all 11 schools to participate.
The No. 22 Colorado State women’s basketball team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Friday, defeating Fresno State 55-54 for the Mountain West tournament title.
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