With three Mountain West Conference teams cruising into the NCAA Tournament and a fourth hoping to come along for the ride, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas.
The most compelling storyline of the Mountain West tournament will be the performance of San Diego State. Ranked No. 36 in the RPI, the Aztecs are in desperate need of another quality win or two. Two quality wins would probably deliver San Diego State a conference championship and automatic bid. If the Aztecs get past Colorado State in the quarterfinals, they will likely face New Mexico, which they have beaten once this season. A second win against the Lobos would give them two wins against the RPI top 25, albeit against the same team.
If the Lobos can handle their business against Wyoming or Air Force and get past San Diego State or Colorado State, they will have a chance to play for the championship and the possibility of moving up in NCAA Tournament seeding. At 28-3, New Mexico has the opportunity to reach 31 wins if the Lobos win the conference championship. Of those 31 wins, eight of them would probably be against RPI top 50 teams, including at least four wins against the top 25. That’s the kind of profile that a No. 2 seed needs to have. Several Big East teams are in contention for No. 2 seeds, too, but they can’t all win in the Big East tournament. That helps the Lobos.
The other favorite to contend for the Mountain West title is BYU, which is probably itching to avenge two regular-season losses by a combined six points to New Mexico. The first two games were so good that a third match up would be a fitting end to one of the best Mountain West seasons of all-time. A New Mexico/BYU championship game would come two weeks after their most recent battle in Utah, after which Lobos coach Steve Alford was reprimanded for calling BYU forward Jonathan Tavernari an expletive that rhymes with “crass mole” following a late-game confrontation between several Lobo and Cougar players. These teams just don’t like each other. And they are both poised to create problems in the NCAA Tournament, and they want to build as much momentum as possible entering the Big Dance.
However, UNLV could spoil that dream championship match up. The Rebels are hosting the tournament and have lost only three home games this season. Granted, one of those losses was to Utah, which UNLV will face in the quarterfinals. But UNLV already beat BYU once in Vegas and would love to solidify its NCAA Tournament status with another big win against the Cougars in the semifinals. The Rebels could move up to as high as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they protect their home court and win the conference championship.
The Mountain West tournament promises to deliver a couple of thrillers, and the home team figures to be a part of one or two of those.
Sportsnation on ESPN2 just hooked you guys up. And me to. Great stuff