One of the more competitive conferences in all of college basketball, Mountain West basketball has plenty of t..."/> One of the more competitive conferences in all of college basketball, Mountain West basketball has plenty of t..."/>
Busting Brackets
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Mountain West Basketball: 2017-18 stars on each team in the conference

By Tristan Freeman

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 11: A general view of the seats with Mountain West Conference seat covers are seen before the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Colorado State Rams at the Thomas
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 11: A general view of the seats with Mountain West Conference seat covers are seen before the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Colorado State Rams at the Thomas /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – MARCH 16: Nevada’s Caroline
MILWAUKEE, WI – MARCH 16: Nevada’s Caroline /

Nevada Wolf Pack – Jordan Caroline

The defending regular season and conference tournament champions will be losing a ton, yet bringing back just as much.

The Wolf Pack was led last season by the three-headed monster of Cameron Oliver, Marcus Marshall, and Jordan Caroline. All three averaged over 15 a game for the #1 offensive team in the league.

Related Story: Wolf Pack gets big man Hymes

Even though Nevada had defensive lapses during the season, the offense was more than capable of making up for it. The New Mexico epic comeback game for Nevada showed that no deficit was too big to overcome, with Caroline leading the way with 45 points.

Caroline will be surrounded by a completely new cast this season. Most likely he’ll be the only returning starter while the other guys will be transfers who sat out last year.

Where Caroline shines the best is at the four spot, where he utilizes his athleticism to create mismatches. He was top-5 in the conference with over nine rebounds a game as well, contributing from all sides.

One concern will be how he handles being the top option without scoring guards to take the pressure off of him. Oliver and Marshall can score in bunches while the new guards Stephens and Hallice Cooke from Iowa State are more pass-oriented.

With the amount of talent surrounding him, Caroline is one of the preseason favorites for conference Player of the Year. While he’ll have to do his part on shoring up the defense, his offense should be good to go.