The Mountain West basketball tournament promises to deliver one of the most unpredictable and exciting men's conference tournaments this upcoming week among the mid-major conferences in college hoops this March Madness.
Five out of 11 Mountain West teams finished with at least 14 wins in conference play. And over half of the MWC's 11 teams had over 10 wins in conference play this past regular season.
Not only will the winner of the Mountain West Tournament be on its way to the Big Dance this March, but it is also projected in Bracketology that multiple other teams from the conference will make the NCAA Tournament.
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β Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 9, 2025
Players to Watch
Donovan Dent - New Mexico
Junior point guard Donovan Dent has dominated the Mountain West Conference this past regular season, averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game and over six assists. Dent, the MWC's leading scorer during the regular season, registered over 20 points, six assists, and one steal while shooting at least 40 percent from the field and 70 percent from the line in New Mexico's last three wins.
The star duo of Dent and senior forward Nelly Junior Joseph to New Mexico's first MWC regular season championship in over a decade (since 2013-14).
Nique Clifford - Colorado State
Senior shooting guard Nique Clifford continued his ascent to prominence among the top stars in the MWC with the Colorado State Rams this past regular season. Clifford averaged a career-high in points per game (over 18), rebounds (9.7), assists (4.4), and steals (1.2).
Clifford nearly averaged a double-double as Colorado State's premier scorer inside the arc on the offensive end and their top playmaker and creator.
He had a career game in Colorado State's win in the regular season finale over the weekend over the Boise State Broncos, with a career-high 36 points for the Rams.
Tyson Degenhart - Boise State
Star forward Tyson Degenhart and Boise State are no strangers to consistent winning success in the MWC over the past few years for the 2020s. Degenhart and the Broncos have won over a dozen MWC conference games for the past four seasons in a row.
The back-to-back All-MWC First-Team guard for the Broncos is well on pace to earn more conference weekly and seasonal honors this postseason for Boise State.
Degenhart has scored in double figures for a team-high 16 straight games for the Broncos. He leads the team with five double doubles, including a 20-point and 11-rebound sparkling gem in Boise State's best Quad 1 win this past regular season against the Clemson Tigers from the ACC.
Ian Martinez - Utah State
After a solid run last postseason in 2024, including a first-round NCAA Tournament convincing double-digit victory over the nine-seed TCU Horned Frogs, senior shooting guard Ian Martinez and the Utah State Aggies are hungry entering the MWC Tournament for this postseason.
Martinez, alongside sophomore sharpshooter Mason Falslev, form a top guard duo in the mid-major conferences this season in the MWC. Martinez has scored at least two dozen points and three assists in three victories where Utah State won by multiple possessions in the regular season.
Bracketology
With so many teams having realistic paths to winning what is building up to be a very highly-anticipated and exciting Mountain West Tournament this upcoming week, it looks like the conference could have at least three or four teams in the 68-team tournament field this postseason.
According toΒ ESPN's Joe Lunardi, the MWC is projected to have two teams "on the bubble" for this Selection Sunday on March 16. The regular season MWC conference champion New Mexico is projected to be the highest single-digit seed from this conference, being projected as a nine-seed in the West Region against the eight-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs for the Round of 64.
Predictions
First round
#8 San Jose State vs. #9 Wyoming (March 12, 2:00pm)
San Jose State and head coach Tim Miles are looking for their second Mountain West Tournament win in the past three postseasons. The Spartans swept the regular season series in two contests by an average margin of over eight points.
Former Utah State transfer and senior guard Josh Uduje is one of the top scorers in the MWC for the Spartans, averaging over 16 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from deep.
San Jose State wins
#7 Nevada vs. #10 Fresno State (March 12, 4:30pm)
The Nevada Wolfpack and Fresno State Bulldogs both struggled to close out the 2024-25 regular season in the Mountain West Conference. Fresno State struggled throughout this past regular season, going 2-18 in conference play and dropping 19 of its last 20 games before the MWC Tournament this postseason.
Nevada and head coach Steve Alford should reel in their first MWC Tournament triumph since 2022 against New Mexico.
Nevada wins
#6 UNLV vs. #11 Air Force (March 12, 7:00pm)
Outside of an overtime win over Fresno State in Colorado in late February, the Air Force Falcons haven't won any games in the 2025 calendar year.
The UNLV Rebels are heavily favored over a one-win Air Force squad in conference play to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive in the second round of the MWC Tournament.
UNLV wins
Quarterfinals
#1 New Mexico vs. #8 San Jose State (March 13, 3:00pm)
New Mexico is the prohibitive favorite to win the MWC Tournament after finishing the regular season with a program-record 17 wins in conference play this year. Head coach Richard Pitino and the Lobos are rolling entering the MWC Tournament, having won three straight, including two games by double digits in conference play.
San Jose State was one of the three teams in MWC play to upset New Mexico this past regular season, in a surprising 71-70 win in California in mid-January early in conference play.
New Mexico wins
#2 Colorado State vs. #7 Nevada (March 13, 9:00pm)
Colorado State is on the brink of making its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in as many years. A couple of more wins in the MWC Tournament should secure the Rams bit as a 10 or 11-seed in the Big Dance for March Madness this postseason.
Clifford has been the most improved player in the MWC this season, scoring the basketball at a career-best clip of 18.4 points per game. Nique scored 22 points in Colorado State's comfortable eight-point win over Nevada in late February.
Colorado State wins
#3 Utah State vs. #6 UNLV (March 13, 11:30pm)
Utah State's high-flying offense is a must-watch in the MWC Tournament this postseason. The Aggies lead the conference, scoring as a team at a clip of over 81 points per game. But the Aggies have struggled to close out the regular season, dropping two of its final three games.
UNLV was one of only a handful of teams to hand Utah State a loss in the MWC this past regular season.
UNLV wins
#4 San Diego State vs. #5 Boise State (March 13, 5:30pm)
The San Diego State Aztecs ground down their opposition on the defensive end. The Aztecs led the Mountain West in turnovers generated and defensive rating this season.
But I have faith in Boise State, a team with two Quad 1 and 2 victories at neutral sites during the regular season, to upset this defensive-minded San Diego State squad in the MWC Tournament this week.
Boise State wins
Semifinals
#1 New Mexico vs. #5 Boise State (March 14, 9:30pm)
New Mexico is 10-1 in home and neutral site Quad 1 and 2 games during the regular season in 2024-25. The Lobos are one of the teams that dominated the MWC this past regular season, but went 1-1 against Boise State in two contests between these two squads out west.
Boise State can push New Mexico at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas this week, but the Lobos have the edge thanks to Dent and its offensive firepower scoring the basketball.
New Mexico wins
#2 Colorado State vs. #6 UNLV (March 14, 12:00am)
Colorado State and UNLV have squared off four times in the MWC Tournament in the past 25 years, with the first matchup between these two teams being a slim one-point edge victory for the Rams in the Mountain West Tournament final in 2003.
UNLV has won the past three semifinal matchups in the MWC Tournament against Colorado State. But this Colorado State team swept UNLV in two contests during the regular season in the MWC.
Colorado State wins
Finals
#1 New Mexico vs. #2 Colorado State (March 15, 11:00am)
New Mexico had two decisive wins over Colorado State in the regular season, both coming by margins of at least eight points, including a dominant 22-point victory for the Lobos in early February.
With the strength at the top of the MWC standings this past regular season, it's not surprising if two teams at the top of the conference, like Colorado State and New Mexico meet in the final this upcoming weekend in Vegas.
Colorado State avenges the two regular season losses to New Mexico and claims its first MWC Tournament crown in over two decades (since 2003).
Colorado State wins the Mountain West Tournament