Mountain West Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2020-21

Mountain West Basketball: Way-too-early 2020-21 power rankings

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 11: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs cuts a piece of the net after defeating New Mexico Lobos 82-59 in a game at Viejas Arena on February 11, 2020 in San Diego, California. San Diego State Aztecs moves to 25-0 for the season and clinched a share of the Mouintain West Championship. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 15: New Mexico Lobos mascot Lobo Louie (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images) /

8. New Mexico

Hopes were high for Lobo fans entering this season, but I don’t think New Mexico’s fans will be making that same mistake again this year. Next year’s team will look a lot more like the one that limped its way to the end of the season than the talent-loaded squad that began the year.

From the team that actually made it to the end of the season, the Lobos have lost Corey Manigault, Vante Hendrix, Jaquan Lyle and Vance Jackson. JJ Caldwell also moved on from UNM, but it was always safe to assume that was coming.

Without all of those players, I don’t really expect the Lobos to get much better. This is the squad that limped to the end of the season, but without Manigault and they’ve added 3 JUCO transfers and Bayron Matos.

Matos looks like a genius for getting to campus early because he got some early exposure to the college game that most freshmen won’t get enough of this summer. I don’t really know what to expect from the JUCOs. Deandre Pinckney put up some big numbers this year, but it’s tough to expect him to replace Jackson or Lyle. Saquan Singleton’s numbers paint a picture of more of a role player than somebody who will elevate this squad. Assane Ndiaye wasn’t really a big difference-maker at Kilgore College, so it’s tough to expect him to be one at UNM.

If the newcomers can quickly build a rapport with their teammates and acclimate the D-1 college game, then this Lobo squad might be able to climb a little bit higher, but it’s hard to picture them improving after they lost so much this offseason.