Mountain West Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2023-24 season

After an awful 2021-22 season, San Jose State turned things around last year and gave fans their best performance in ages. This year will determine how much of that improvement proves sustainable.

Last season, the Spartans went 24-14 overall and 10-8 in conference play, earning a spot in the College Basketball Invitational, SJSU’s first postseason appearance in a dozen years. It won a postseason game for the first time ever before falling to Radford in the quarterfinals.

It was the team’s best season since 1980-81.

Tim Miles – remember him? – comes into his third season with renewed expectations for a long dormant basketball program. But they’ll have to meet those expectations without reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Omari Moore, who caught on to the Milwaukee Bucks with a two-way deal.

Losing Moore is difficult, but the Spartans return much of the rest of last year’s core. The leadership duties will likely fall to a pair of juniors in forward Robert Vaihola and guard Alvaro Cardenas.

Cardenas is probably the better of the two, at least in terms of all-around game. Last year, the Spain native and team captain averaged 10 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. He should be one of the steadier floor generals in the conference.

Vaihola, meanwhile, is a legitimate double-double threat. The former Fresno State transfer was one of the best offensive rebounders in the league, as well as one of the Mountain West’s top sixth men, averaging 7.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He should thrive in a starting role.

One player worth watching is 7-foot Washington State transfer Adrame Diongue. The big man didn’t get much run for his former team, but is a large, former top-100 recruit. He could be a gem for the Spartans.

If San Jose State has another good season, Miles could depart for a major job, like he had at Nebraska. The Spartans would probably be grateful for the good times.