Mountain West Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2020-21 season

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 16: The Mountain West Conference logo is seen before the championship game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament between the Utah State Aggies and the San Diego State Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 01: Richard Washington #22 of the San Jose State Spartans (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

Spartans . 10. team. 544. . .

Projected Starters:

Guards – Omari Moore-SO, Seneca Knight– JR, Richard Washington-SR

Forwards – Michael Ofoegbu Jr.-FR and Eduardo Lane-SR

Bench – Ralph Agee-SR, Kaison Hammonds-JR, Caleb Simmons-JR, Harminder Dhaliwal-SO, Trey Smith-JR

Heading into last season San Jose State lost its two best players off of a 4-win year to the transfer portal. This season the Spartan’s fortunes have changed as they return their two top scorers for the first time in head coach Jean Prioleau’s tenure off of an improved 7-win season. You’ve got to think that means there will be a jump in Priolau’s fourth season.

In order for that to happen there will need to be a vast improvement on the defensive end of the floor as San Jose State gave up the seventh-most points in college basketball a season ago.

Nonetheless, Seneca Knight (17.1 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 2.4 Ast) and Richard Washington return (10.3 Pts, 4.3 Reb, 1.5 Ast) to what will be one of the top-scoring backcourts in the Mountain West.

From a defensive perspective, the Spartans will look to a freshman as the first step in what they need to be a massive improvement. Michael Ofoegbu Jr. is Priolau’s best recruiting get to date and his 7-foot wingspan and freakish athletic ability allow him to guard multiple positions and wreak havoc on the defensive end. He spent a year in prep school scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 boards a game prior to enrolling at San Jose State and is expected to start immediately.

Eduardo Lane (3.3 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.6 Ast) returns as the center and will need to be a true rim protector, something he hasn’t been capable of to date in his three seasons in San Jose.

The uncharted territory of returning your top two scorers and adding one of the conferences top newcomers has the Spartans positioned to take a major leap in 20-21. Without a commitment to the defensive end, though, it will not matter, so it’s probably best to wait and see before predicting a top half of the Mountain West finish.