Busting Brackets
Fansided

Mountain West Basketball: 2019-20 power rankings heading into conference play

By Connor Hope

RENO, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs drives to the basket during the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Lawlor Events Center on March 09, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA - MARCH 09: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs drives to the basket during the game against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Lawlor Events Center on March 09, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /
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Mountain West Basketball
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 16: The Mountain West Conference (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

10) San Jose State Spartans

Record: 5-10 (1-2)

Is this the year that San Jose State finally climbs out of the Mountain West gutter?

After wins over Pepperdine and New Mexico and tightly fought losses to Santa Clara and San Diego State, it appears the Spartans may not be the worst team in the conference. They still have an ugly eight-game losing streak on their resume, but games against Stanford, Utah State, and San Diego State make that an easier pill to swallow.

With a top 100 strength of schedule, the San Jose State’s paltry record is a bit more forgivable than Wyoming’s. They have fewer bad losses and better wins, making it impossible to rank them 11th until proven otherwise.

What has caused San Jose State to suddenly become somewhat competitive at the bottom of the conference? The easy answer is the emergence of sophomore guard Seneca Knight who has more than doubled his per-game points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, despite playing just 33% more minutes.

The other answer is the depth of the Spartan’s rotation behind Knight. After Knight’s 12.8 points per game, San Jose State has seven players averaging between five and eight points per game. There are five players averaging between 3.9 and 5.9 points per game and four players with 1.8 to 2.8 assists per game.

This unselfishness and willingness to move the ball have helped the Spartans overcome their lack of talent and star power. Are they a tournament team? No. However, Jean Prioleau has this team playing like they belong in Division I.