Adams, Rebels picked to win

With his senior season on the horizon, UNLV's Wink Adams is enjoying the view from the top.

Almost every coach and player is trained to say the same thing: Predictions made in October are meaningless, and what happens in March is all that matters. But Adams is not reading from a book of college basketball clichés.

In a preseason media poll announced Tuesday, the Rebels were picked as the favorites to win the Mountain West Conference regular-season title in 2008-09, and Adams and Brigham Young's Lee Cummard were selected as Co-Players of the Year.

"It's exactly how I want it," Adams said on media day at the Renaissance Las Vegas. "It's my senior year, so I'm going all out and putting everything on the table. It's an honor to be named No. 1 and Co-Player of the Year.

"But it's going to be hard, and nothing is going to be handed to us."

UNLV returns three starters -- Adams and senior forwards Joe Darger and Rene Rougeau -- from a team that finished 27-8, won the MWC Tournament and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

BYU, the two-time defending regular-season champion, was picked second in the poll of 24 media members. The Rebels collected 16 first-place votes to the Cougars' five.

San Diego State was picked third and got three first-place votes. Utah and New Mexico rounded out the top five in the nine-team league.

Adams, who averaged 16.9 points per game last season, started all 72 games the past two seasons as UNLV compiled a 57-15 record.

"I'm really happy for him," Rebels coach Lon Kruger said. "I could stand here and talk about Wink and not overstate his value to our program."

UNLV sophomore point guard Tre'Von Willis, a transfer from Memphis, was named the conference's top newcomer.

San Diego State senior Lorrenzo Wade, a Cheyenne High School product, joined Adams, Cummard, Wyoming senior guard Brandon Ewing and Utah senior center Luke Nevill on the all-conference first team.

The Rebels are not expecting to run away with the title.

"It's definitely nice to be in that position, but at the same time, it can backfire on you," Darger said. "You've got a bull's-eye on your back, and every team is trying to prove they're the No. 1 team."

San Diego State coach Steve Fisher, who returns five starters, said he sees little separating the league's top teams.

"If any one of the first four or five teams won the league, I don't think you would say, 'Man, how could that possibly happen?' It's that close," Fisher said.

BYU lost center Trent Plaisted, a second-round NBA Draft pick, after his junior year. Plaisted is playing in Italy, leaving Cummard and sophomore guard Jimmer Fredette as the team's leaders.

"When we get to January, it's going to be as difficult a league schedule as we've had since I've been around," Cougars coach Dave Rose said. "I'm convinced it's going to be really, really competitive."

Adams said he anticipates another UNLV-BYU power struggle atop the Mountain West.

"It's definitely a grudge match when we play those guys," he said.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.