NCAA Basketball: 10 bold predictions for 2022-23 season

The Mountain West will be a one-bid league this season

In an era where mid-major conferences are struggling to get at-large bids, the Mountain West had a banner past season, getting four programs to the NCAA Tournament. None of them won a game but hey, at least the league got some positive momentum.

Unfortunately, that momentum has come to a screeching halt in the past month, with two key players currently out with injuries. One is Graham Ike, the Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year that averaged 19.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg for Wyoming. The big man is one of the best scoring frontcourt players in NCAA Basketball and he’s out for a while, including potentially the matchup with Dayton on December 17th.

The other absence is Isaiah Stevens, who produced 14.7 ppg and 4.7 apg and started each of the last three years at Colorado State. With last year’s Conference Player of the Year (David Roddy) gone, Stevens was going to be the guy to run the offense. But with a serious foot injury, the Rams hope that he’s available in January. If not, their chances of being a postseason contender are at zero. And if the Cowboys lose a couple of key games without Ike, they’ll have an uphill climb themselves.

San Diego State, which is ranked in the top 25, has a great chance of making the NCAA Tournament without needing a bid. But if they also win the Mountain West Tournament, that could be the only team that makes it out of the league. Colorado State and Wyoming were the two biggest threats to the Aztecs but their non-conference performances could keep them out. And if Boise State, who won the league last year but is replacing a ton of key pieces, struggles as well, the MWC may need a bid thief to remain a multi-bid league.