Mountain West Basketball: 2020-21 breakout candidates from each team

BOISE, ID - JANUARY 18: Guard Brock Miller #22 of the Utah State Aggies is pressured towards the baseline by guard RayJ Dennis #10 of the Boise State Broncos during second half action at ExtraMile Arena on January 18, 2020 in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won the game in overtime 88-83. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images /

G Kwane Marble II, Wyoming

Is that a sense of optimism hanging around the Wyoming Cowboys? The same team that won just two Mountain West regular-season games a year ago?

Doubling their conference win total during a surprise run to the Mountain West Tournament semifinals helped matters. So did replacing coach Allen Edwards with former North Colorado coach Jeff Linder. Hunter Maldonado also declared his intention to return as he’s set to build a national name for himself.

Maldonado is going to need some help to jump the Cowboys up the standings. Kwane Marble II is the best candidate for that after averaging 8.2 points per game as a freshman, despite playing in less than 20.0 minutes per game. He shot a respectable 48.4 percent from the field, including 35.8 percent from three.

He revealed his potential during the Mountain West Tournament, stringing together the three best games of his young career under the brightest lights yet. Marble scored 20 in the first round win over Colorado State, 24 in the quarterfinal upset of Nevada (despite six turnovers), and 15 in the loss to Utah State. He proved that big scoring outputs would come with a heavier minutes load.

All eyes will be on Maldonado in Wyoming. If Marble can even come close to matching him, Wyoming could be knocking on the door of just their second NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.