Mountain West Basketball: 2020-21 power rankings heading into new year

San José State is not off to a great start, even by San José State standards (Sorry, Spartans fans). When I had started this piece, I was going to put emphasis on the performance of guards Seneca Knight and Richard Washington – The formidable duo was going to have to carry this team, to begin with. The bad news is, San José State recently announced that Seneca Knight will not be returning to the court this season, choosing to opt-out due to Covid-19 concerns.

The loss of Seneca Knight is a gigantic one, and for a young team already facing an early uphill climb, it simply could be too much to overcome. Eventually, some kind of help will have to materialize for the Spartans. Sophomore guard Omari Moore is averaging nine points per game through the Spartans’ first five games, which is a sign of hope; But the Spartans desperately need more than just hope at the moment.

The upcoming schedule does the Spartans no favors, as San José has a conference-series date with the Boise State Broncos on the 31st and 2nd of January. The pair of games will be played on a neutral court in Phoenix, as SJSU is unable to host the game due to Covid-19 restrictions within the state of California.

Throughout the opening weeks of this season, the Runnin’ Rebels have been one of the biggest disappointments in not just the league, but across the college basketball landscape. In the preseason, UNLV was pegged as a top-tier Mountain West team, and certainly has the talent to become one – Thus far, however, the Runnin’ Rebs have not looked the part in the slightest.

Yes, UNLV faced a tall task in competing in the Maui Invitational, and at times, the team did show flashes of promise: Caleb Grill is an absolute monster from behind the arc, David Jenkins, Jr. can score, and UNLV can hang tough with solid competition for decent chunks of each game; But chunks is the keyword here, as the Rebels have yet to play (and finish) a complete game. A lone win against a rebuilding Kansas State team is not as impressive as it would be in other years.

UNLV’s depth has been a weakness in close games, but again, there is undoubtedly talent on this roster. If head coach T.J. Otzelberger can replicate what he did in 2020, and get his team to click down the stretch, UNLV will be okay. As for now, they hover around the conference cellar.

The Air Force Academy is a tough school to win games at in any sport. This is especially true for the Falcons’ basketball program when replacing a head coach who has been with the program for several years. Hiring Joe Scott was a great move, considering he’d spent time leading the Falcons back in the early 2000’s, but Air Force still has a very young and inexperienced roster.

AJ Walker and Christoper Joyce are a dangerous duo, and Air Force certainly gets brownie points for splitting their opening conference series with Nevada, but I’m not completely sold on the Falcons quite yet. A few more upsets in conference play will certainly help this team’s case. If Walker and Joyce continue to perform to the height of their potential, Air Force will be a difficult team to put away, especially in the current two-game conference-play format.

We will learn a more about the Falcons in the coming days as they play host to the streaky Utah State Aggies.