Mountain West basketball: Mid-season recap, awards, and observations

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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 /

The goal for Mountain West basketball was to get multiple bids. Are they on their way to that objective or will they sink to only the conference champion?

After the last couple of seasons being relegated to just a one-bid league, the Mountain West Conference as a whole was determined to change that. Just before the turn of this decade, this conference was right below the power conferences, sending multiple teams, with some of them making deep runs.

But a combination of a new league forming in the American and the overall changing landscape concerning transfers and going pro caused the Mountain West took a hit. Now, they’re on the same level as the WCC, Atlantic 10, and distant from the Pac-12.

The first half of this season has been fun, with several overtime games and close finishes into the late night. One team has separated themselves as expected, while another is still looking for a win. In between is a battle for positioning for what should be an awesome tournament.

For this piece, I’ll be taking a look at the current conference standings, the top players in the league, and the best coaching job so far. I’ll also answer some questions from before, including the big one – will multiple teams play in the NCAA tournament?

*Stats and rankings updated through Jan. 28.