Busting Brackets
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Mountain West Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Joey Loose

Feb 28, 2022; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Chad Baker-Mazara (20) celebrates a win against the Wyoming Cowboys at Arena-Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2022; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; San Diego State Aztecs forward Chad Baker-Mazara (20) celebrates a win against the Wyoming Cowboys at Arena-Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mountain West Basketball Colorado State Rams guard Isaiah Stevens Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mountain West Basketball Colorado State Rams guard Isaiah Stevens Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Colorado State

Ever since his arrival in 2018, head coach Niko Medved has had a fantastic impact on this Colorado State program. The Rams got better each year, culminating in last year’s 25-6 mark and a return to the NCAA Tournament. This Colorado State team has been consistently good the last few seasons, but is it time for the Rams to take a step back?

Losing the MWC Player of the Year never helps, with David Roddy (19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg last year) off to the NBA Draft. Fortunately, guards Isaiah Stevens (14.7 ppg, 4.7 apg) and John Tonje (9.1 ppg) return to help offset that loss. The Rams were active this offseason, adding former Illinois State guard Josiah Strong and junior college forward Patrick Cartier into the rotation.

Replacing Roddy isn’t easy, but talent-wise, this is still a very competitive team. It’s not a particularly tall team, with forward Isaiah Rivera the tallest at 6’10, but it’s a relatively deep roster with some solid pieces in place. If Medved can continue working his magic, maybe this team can offset Roddy’s loss and make another run at the postseason this year.