5 things to watch in Mountain West basketball season

There’s never been a stranger preseason in the Mountain West.

Some teams aren’t practicing, some have restrictions and others are stopping and starting because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schedules are in flux because the conference decided to add two extra games weeks before college basketball’s Nov. 25 start date.

Add in all the new faces, and there’s perhaps never been as much uncertainty to start a season. But there’s optimism that could lead to some compelling basketball if the Mountain West is able to tip off.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Colorado State coach Niko Medved said. “I would anticipate a pretty close race this year. I think you’re going to see a lot more parity. I think you’re going to see great competition throughout the league.”

Players and coaches previewed the season during the conference’s virtual media days Wednesday and Thursday. Based on their comments, here are five things to watch:

1. Can anyone stop San Diego State?

One of the shames of last season was San Diego State didn’t get a chance to prove it was one of the nation’s best teams in the NCAA Tournament.

The Aztecs had a special season with a 30-2 record. They might not be quite as good this season, especially without point guard Malachi Flynn, the Mountain West player of the year last season, but they’re still the conference favorite.

Few teams can match San Diego State in experience and depth. While many programs are trying to fit new faces on their roster, the Aztecs could have an all-upperclassmen starting lineup and several experienced reserves. Senior forward Matt Mitchell, who averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in about 26 minutes per game last season, should lead the way.

“I love our experience,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “I want to stay old. … We’ve got talent, we’ve got depth. Now we have to see if we can play like a team at both ends of the floor.”

2. How will the top challengers fare?

San Diego State is strong but not unbeatable. Other teams will be coming for their crown.

One of them is Boise State, picked to finish second. The Broncos return three veterans from a 20-win team, including preseason player of the year Derrick Alston Jr., a former walk-on who has guard skills in a 6-foot-9-inch body.

Alston said he thinks Boise State can match up with anybody.

“Just looking through our lineup and guys that we have, one through 10, the length and athleticism that we have is going to cause a lot of problems for teams,” Alston said.

Another team that should contend is Utah State, picked to finish third. Boise State coach Leon Rice said he thinks the Aggies have “one of the best front lines on the West Coast” with forward Alphonso Anderson, forward Justin Bean and center Neemias Queta. The team needs to figure out its backcourt with 2019 Mountain West player of the year Sam Merrill gone.

“We have a lot to work on to fill in that role with the new guys that are coming in,” Bean said. “We’re excited to see where that takes us.”

3. How will the schedule change affect things?

The Mountain West on Monday announced a 20-game conference season with a unique format.

Teams will play 10 two-game series (five at home, five on the road) to reduce travel. The two games will be played over three days.

The change has led to all sorts of questions. How even will teams’ schedules be in this format? How will spending more time at altitude in places such as Colorado and New Mexico affect players? And how will playing the same team twice in a row influence how the games play out?

Air Force coach Joe Scott said he thinks each two-game set could resemble a short NBA playoff series.

“We’re going to have all these mini two-game series where both teams know each other really well,” Scott said. “And being able to compete in that environment, I think it’s really going to come down to that. Who’s tougher? Who competes more, because both teams are going to know what the other team is doing. Especially the second night.”

4. How will COVID-19 impact the season?

There’s no doubt the pandemic will affect games because it’s already impacted offseason preparation.

New Mexico isn’t allowed to practice on campus because of local restrictions. Fresno State needed to pause activities for 14 days twice. Wyoming took a break after a positive test two weeks ago. Air Force is dealing with additional restrictions after an upward trend of cases.

It has forced coaches and players to be adaptable. They know it’s possible games could get canceled, or players could have to sit out because of contract tracing.

“You get to this part of your career and you think you’ve seen it all,” said UNR coach Steve Alford, a college coach since 1991. “(Then) there’s another curveball in life. … This has been as much of a challenging time for student athletes than any time I can remember.”

Wyoming coach Jeff Linder said he thinks the stop-and-start nature of several teams’ offseason will make it hard to get players in top shape before the season starts. That could lead to injuries if coaches aren’t careful with their rotations.

“We’re going to be at a greater risk because these guys aren’t in as good of shape,” Linder said.

5. Where will UNLV fit in?

UNLV had a promising first season under coach T.J. Otzelberger, finishing tied for second in the Mountain West at 12-6. But that doesn’t mean the team is satisfied with its progress.

Point guard Marvin Coleman hasn’t forgotten how last season ended — a quarterfinal loss on his home floor to Boise State in the conference tournament.

“It’s been a long offseason for me, because I’m still pretty bitter about what happened in March,” Coleman said. “It’s been long. It’s been tough because we haven’t had the same amount of practice time and everything like that, but I think we’ve been doing a good job of just getting better.”

The Rebels’ hopes largely hinge on their backcourt, with Coleman and Bryce Hamilton back and preseason newcomer of the year David Jenkins Jr. joining them. Senior big man Mbacke Diong should be a defensive fulcrum and strong rebounder again.

If UNLV can get production from some of its newcomers — including six freshmen and a junior college transfer — it should be able to compete with anyone in the conference. The Rebels were picked to finish fourth.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.