Toyminator's 2002-2003 Mountain West Conference Preview

Last season, the Mountain West conference finally started coming into its own and was well represented in postseason play! This year, things could get even better! Most of the top underclassmen shunned the NBA Draft and returned to school, boosting the prospects for several teams, especially Wyoming and UNLV. Wyoming will be the favorite among many, thanks to 4 starters returning, along with PG Chris McMillan who started for 3 years prior to last season's injury. However, the Pokes also lost a lot of big men including Josh Davis, and there's nobody left to fill their shoes. Because of this, I think UNLV could surpass them this season. They've got two of the best players in the league in Marcus Banks and Dalron Johnson. Add in two solid guards in Demetrius Hunter and Jermaine Lewis, and you've got a dangerous team. The race between those 2 teams should be fun to watch!

Of course, the rest of the league will have a say in the title race as well! Two teams that could see postseason play are BYU and San Diego St. BYU has a great set of wings in Mark Bigelow and Travis Hansen, along with a number of highly regarded JUCO players coming in. If they can contribute, the Cougars may surprise everyone and win this conference. San Diego St. continues to improve under Steve Fisher and has one of the league's top scorers in Tony Bland. Lastly, we can't forget about Utah. Despite a horrible offseason, where player after player took a hike, the Utes still have one of the most versatile big men in the country in Britton Johnson, who should shine this season! Of course, they also have one of the savviest coaches in the game in Rick Majerus. Coach Round has brought in a talented group of freshmen who will be the key to this year's success. If they are as good as advertised, Utah should be in the title race also! Either way, this is one conference to watch!

ON THE RISE: UNLV
Charlie Spoonhour is reviving this program with the help of transfers. Last season, Marcus Banks came from the JUCO ranks and quickly became a star, while J.K Edwards hopes to do the same this season. In addition, Demetrius Hunter left Georgetown to bolster an already explosive backcourt, while Odartney Blankson of Marquette will suit up next season. Not sure if this is the way to maintain success, but for now it's working, and should help bring excitement back to Rebel basketball!

IN DECLINE: New Mexico
It wasn't long ago that things were looking good for the Lobos, but with only 5 players back from last season, it could be difficult to maintain their past success. To make matters worse, they brought in a questionable coach to replace the volatile Fran Franshilla. Let's face it, Ritchie McKay did nothing at Oregon St! In fact, it could be argued that he left the program in worse shape than when he started. So I don't think he will be able to keep up with expectations and probably won't last more than a few years in New Mexico!

1. UNLV

Strengths: Excellent backcourt. Good shooting team from everywhere. Solid team offense. Force many turnovers.
Weakness: Poor rebounding team. Poor team defense.
Outlook: The Rebels have loads of talent and a willy ol' coach that should produce their best teams in years! Wyoming & Utah will get the hype, but it's obvious to me that UNLV will be the team to beat this season in the MWC!

2. WYOMING

Strengths: Good rebounding team. Solid team defense. Quality backcourt. Tough at home.
Weakness: Poor outside shooting team. Big hole at PF. Too many turnovers.
Outlook: The Pokes will be the favorite of many based on their Tournament success from last season, but the loss of 3 key big men will mean their guards will have to start making some outside shots now, which could be a challenge. Still good enough to reach the Big Dance though!

3. UTAH

Strengths: Excellent outside shooting team. Good team defense. Limit their turnovers.
Weakness: Shaky offense, without a true leader. Poor rebounding team. Little inside scoring. Poor FT shooting team (What?).
Outlook: The Utes lost a ton of players during the offseason, so will rely heavily on freshman to help out their lone 2 stars, Johnson & Jacobson. Coach Majerus is too good to let this team slide, but they're not as good as the Ute teams of old!

4. BYU

Strengths: Excellent shooting team, especially from the FT line. Good team defense. Limit their turnovers. Bigelow & Hansen on wings.
Weakness: Poor rebounding team. Questionable PG.
Outlook: The Cougars played better than expected last season, thanks to their Big 3 - Hansen, Bigelow & Jensen. They're all back, plus a couple of highly regarded JUCO stars. If they play well, this team could move up in the standings and make some noise come March!

5. SAN DIEGO ST.

Strengths: Solid backcourt. Good shooting team. Good rebounding team.
Weakness: Too many tunrovers. Poor FT shooting team. Loss of Faux & Holcomb.
Outlook: As predicted, the Aztecs had a breakout year culminating in a MWC Tournament championship. This year won't be as good, but they've got enough talent to be competitive. More importantly, this program has turned the corner!

6. COLORADO ST.

Strengths: Excellent frontcourt who can score and rebound. Good shooting team. Very deep & experienced.
Weakness: Horrible team defense. Way too many turnovers. Poor FT shooting team.
Outlook: The Rams frontcourt is one of the league's best and should make them competitive! They have a shot at the NIT if they can hold up well in conference play.

7. NEW MEXICO

Strengths: Excellent backcourt. Good rebounding team.
Weakness: Inept frontcourt that struggles to score inside. Weak team defense. Poor FT shooting team. Little depth.
Outlook: The Lobos have a few good players left, especially Ruben Douglas. He's a phenominal scorer, who will carry this team at times, but does little else. In this league, that's not enough to compete!

8. AIR FORCE

Strengths: Good shooting team. Solid perimeter defense.
Weakness: Rebound..what's that? Totally inept on offense. Poor ball handling & distribution.
Outlook: The Falcons will be preoccupied with kickin' Saddam's ass, so don't expect too much from this scrappy bunch!

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Last updated on 10/29/02 by toyminator@prodigy.net