NCAA Basketball: TCU’s struggles, Maui breakdown among biggest takeaways
By Joey Loose
6. A great start for the Mountain West
While there are certainly some exceptions, looking squarely at teams like Air Force and Fresno State, the Mountain West has gotten off to a very solid start to this season. Before we get too far into this, we need to excuse Wyoming’s performance. The Cowboys are just 3-3 and have lost some games they could’ve won, but have also lost Graham Ike and Hunter Maldonado to injuries and it is not easy winning without your two best players.
Back to the great start, the MWC still has three teams without a loss this season. UNLV sits at 5-0, already possessing wins over #21 Dayton and a strong Southern Illinois squad. New Mexico has won their first three games of the season, including an impressive 21-point road win at SMU in their most recent outing. Additionally, Utah State has started 5-0, with double-digit wins over solid mid-majors like Bradley, Oral Roberts, and Santa Clara.
Preseason favorite San Diego State may have fallen to Arizona late Tuesday night, but they’ve looked almost as potent as their team from three seasons ago that nearly went undefeated through the regular season. Additionally, Nevada has had a hot start to the year before falling Tuesday in a tough game to Kansas State at the Cayman Islands Classic.
In the end, San Diego State looks like the best program in the conference while the jury is still out on Wyoming and a few other schools. What’s interesting is that it’s the other teams in the league carrying their weight that could create another season like last year. Few expected the MWC to get four bids to the NCAA Tournament last year, and I’m sure the conference’s 0-4 mark still stings. This could be a different year, especially if these Aztecs gel and the Cowboys get back their injured players.