Toyminator's 2003-2004 Mountain West Conference Preview

With the Mountain West Conference once again receiving three NCAA Tournament bids last season, it's becoming clear that this is the second best conference out west and one of the most improved in the country. This season look for the MWC to become even stronger on a national level as both Utah and BYU will have very strong teams that should penetrate the Top 25 sometime during the year. The Utes will be especially tough with a good balance of youth and senior leadership. Freshmen Andrew Bogut could be one of the top players in the league, and maybe the country, by season's end. BYU's strength is inside where big man Rafael Araujo will be tough to stop, especially if BYU's shooter's can maintain their marksmenship from outside. It would be quite a shock if these two teams didn't make a return trip to the Big Dance this season.

The question is: Will there be a third team to join them? On paper, both UNLV and Colorado State seem to have the best shots at it. UNLV lost some NBA talent, but brought in a number of quality players to fill in the holes. However, team chemistry will need to improve, along with their ability to get on the boards. Colorado State is coming off a nice run last March and return quite a bit from that team. Matt Nelson is one of the best big men in the country, but the backcourt needs to stay under control and play with more consistency. As for the rest of the league, Wyoming & San Diego State have always been solid clubs, but will struggle to replace the talent that has since moved on. Honestly, it will probably take another run through the conference tournament by someone other than Utah or BYU to capture a third NCAA bid this season!

ON THE RISE: Colorado State
The Rams late season run is not the reason I feel this team is rising. In fact, the run came as quite a surprise considering they lost seven in a row prior to it. No, the reason is due to the young talent Coach Layer has been able to lure to Fort Collins the past two seasons. We all know that Matt Nelson is the anchor of this team, but the success of this team will revolve around two sophomore guards (Michael Morris & Shelton Johnson) and their incoming freshmen frontcourt (Thomasson, Verwers & Creason). Look for this group to win many games over the next few years!

IN DECLINE: Wyoming
Coach McClain is a great coach and deserves a fair amount of credit for getting this program to where it is today. However, he missed out on recruiting quality replacements for departing stars like Josh Davis, Marcus Bailey & Uche Nsonwu-Amadi these past two years. Last season's recruiting class was a wash, and this season's would have been if not for the late signing of Dion Sherrill. With players like Alex Dunn, David Rottinghaus & Mory Correa getting significant playing time this season, it won't be one Cowboy fans will remember fondly.

1. UTAH

Strengths: Good shooting team, especially from 3-pt & FT line. Solid team defense. Decent rebounding team.
Weakness: Need to improve ball handling. Struggle at times offensively.
Outlook: The Utes will return to the national stage this season with one of their more athletic teams. A bevy of talented youngsters will start to blossom this season, but it's the two savvy seniors (Frost/Jacobson) that will lead this team to another Mountain West title!

2. BYU

Strengths: Excellent shooting team, especially from the FT line. Good team defense. Big frontcourt - good rebounding team.
Weakness: Poor PG play. Team is slower than molasses.
Outlook: The Cougars will once again battle the Utes for the top of the conference thanks to their size & experience. However, their lack of athleticism (especially with Hansen in the NBA) will prevent them from making it to the top. No worries though, as they should easily make it back to the Big Show!

3. UNLV

Strengths: Quick, athletic team. High scoring offense. Force many turnovers.
Weakness: Small frontcourt, with little off the bench. Poor rebounding team. Lots of newcomers.
Outlook: The Rebels always have talent, but never seem to put it together as a team. This season may be different with more solid team players (ie Hunter, Blankson & Edwards) than stars. Look for plenty of wins, but their small frontcourt will prevent them from reaching the NCAA Tournament once again!

4. COLORADO ST.

Strengths: Great shooting team (> 50%). Good rebounding team. Decent team defense.
Weakness: Erratic PG play - poor ball handling & distribution. Loss of Greene inside. Road woes.
Outlook: The Rams surprised everyone with their late run through the conference tournament. They may have to repeat that in order to make another NCAA Tournament appearance, but this team should have a pretty good season overall!

5. WYOMING

Strengths: Good rebounding team. Decent backcourt. Very experienced team.
Weakness: Limited offensively. Poor perimeter defense. Little inside scoring. Loss of leadership.
Outlook: The loss of Bailey, Richardson & Amadi is too much to overcome, so expectations will be low this season. However, the Pokes will still bring plenty of grit & determination, especially at the Arena!

6. SAN DIEGO ST.

Strengths:. Decent shooting team. Good rebounding team. Quick, athletic team.
Weakness: Poor team defense. Big hole at center. Need better ball handling & distribution.
Outlook: The unfortunate loss of rising star Evan Burns stripped this team of its best scoring option. That really hurts, considering their defense won't win many games for them. Look for the Aztecs to struggle this season.

7. NEW MEXICO

Strengths: Good 3-pt shooting team. Limit their turnovers. Decent young talent.
Weakness: Horrible team defense. Poor rebounding team. Poor coaching. Terrible away from home.
Outlook: Baylor wasn't the only program dealing with troubles this summer. The suicide of Billy Feeney will hurt this team in more ways than on the scoreboard. There is some talent here, especially in Walters & Granger, but can this team really get it together this season?

8. AIR FORCE

Strengths: Good shooting team, especially from 3-pt. Tough team defense - force many turnovers. Very disciplined team.
Weakness: Worst. Frontcourt. Ever! No scoring or rebounding capability at all. Poor FT shooting team. Inexperienced bench.
Outlook: You know what to expect when you play the Falcons: tough defense & lots of three pointers! If their shooters are hot, this team can be dangerous. If not, game's over because they simply get creamed underneath. Sometimes it works...most times it fails!

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Last updated on 10/20/03 by toyminator@prodigy.net