Seven Mountain West games to watch this season

McDonald’s All-American Rashad Vaughn headlines a recruiting class that gives the UNLV Rebels high hopes for a return to the NCAA Tournament this season

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, November 21: UNLV vs. Stanford, 7 p.m. EST

I hate to do it to you, but I’m going to have to ask you to look up the channel number for TruTV about four months too early. That’s because UNLV, one of the Mountain West’s traditional powers, will be taking on a talented Stanford team in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Last year, Stanford knocked Mountain West Tournament Champion New Mexico out of the NCAA Tournament on its way to a Sweet Sixteen berth. While the Cardinal lost two post players to the NBA Draft, the team still features three very formidable starters from last year’s balanced lineup and a recruiting class that is widely considered one of the top 15 in the nation.

This matchup will give the nation a chance to see if UNLV has returned to form after missing the NCAA Tournament for just the second time since 2007. UNLV lost Bryce Dejean-Jones to Iowa State, Khem Birch to the NBA, Deville Smith to Tennessee-Martin, and Roscoe Smith and Kevin Olekaibe to graduation; but the Rebels still have a chance to return to the Big Dance because of a star-studded recruiting class.

The other matchup in the Coaches vs. Cancer classic features Temple and Duke. While the Owls aren’t likely to be as good as they’ve historically been, a victory against Stanford would likely give UNLV a chance to show what it can do against a powerhouse.