Mountain West Conference 2005-06 Preview
by John Eisel
Here’s the bad news for Mountain West Conference fans: Most likely, your team is down this year.
The good news? So is everybody else.
The conference lost two of its best players ever as Utah’s Andrew Bogut and New Mexico’s Danny Granger were both picked in the first round of the NBA Draft. Wyoming (Jay Straight), Colorado State (Matt Williams, Matt Nelson), BYU (Mike Hall), and even newcomer TCU (Corey Santee and Marcus Shropshire) all lost key people with inexperienced or unproven players having to take their places.
New Air Force head coach Jeff Bzdelik thought he may have avoided the other schools’ plights, but word came in the fall that Nick Welch would be lost for the season after complications from knee surgery.
That leaves San Diego State primed to make a huge jump in the standings, if they can pull together and play offense and defense.
The big change, which has led to a bunch of smaller changes, is the inclusion of TCU into the Mountain West Conference.
This has forced the abandonment of the ‘partner’ system of scheduling, in which geographically close schools would switch off Thursday-Saturday games at other geographically close schools. In its place is a Wednesday-Saturday slate that looks completely random and will be the bane of the existence of MWC fans as soon as they realize what’s happened. Wyoming at Colorado State and BYU at Utah are both on Wednesdays. I don’t think CSU or Utah really appreciates this.
Having nine teams has also forced a play-in game between the No. 8 and No. 9 teams during the conference championships – on Tuesday. The winner doesn’t play again until Thursday. So, if a 8/9 team should even upset a No. 1 team, that could mean an entire week of school lost.
Speaking of championships, this will be the last year for the Mountain West Tournament in Denver, at least for a few years, as it heads back to Las Vegas. The tourney has been hurt by lackluster local support, with Colorado State, Air Force and Wyoming generally doing lousy in the tournament and people not wanting to come to Denver just to watch basketball.
Besides a new team, the conference also has a few new coaches. The aforementioned Bzdelik probably had culture shock going from the Denver Nuggets to the Air Force Academy as he replaces Chris Mooney, who bolted after one year to Richmond. Another change was at BYU, where assistant Dave Rose stepped up to the take the reigns of the young but very talented Cougars.
Predicted order of finish:
1. San Diego State – NCAA
2. New Mexico – NIT
3. TCU – NIT
4. Utah – NIT
5. UNLV – NIT
6. Air Force
7. BYU
8. Wyoming
9. Colorado State
Preseason All-MWC
First team
C/F Justin Williams, Wyoming
F Marcus Slaughter, SDSU
G Brandon Heath, SDSU
G Antoine Hood, Air Force
G Nile Murry, TCU
Second team
F Jason Smith, CSU
G Tim Drisdom, Utah
F Bryant Markson, Utah
F David Chiotti, UNM
F Mohamed Abukar, SDSU
Conference MVP
Marcus Slaughter, SDSU
Defensive MVP
Justin Williams, Wyoming
Most improved
Austin Ainge, BYU
Newcomer of the year
Mohamed Abukar, SDSU
Freshman of the year
Lee Cummard, BYU
1. San Diego State
2004-05 record: 11-18, 4-10 MWC (6th place)
Projected starting five:
Brandon Heath, Jr. G (18.3 ppg, 3.7 apg)
Marcus Slaughter, Jr. F (17.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg)
John Sharper, Sr. G (6.0 ppg, 1.3 apg)
Mohamed Camara, Sr. C (2.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Mohamed Abukar, Jr. F (Transfer from Florida)
If this was any other team but San Diego State, the Aztecs would be landslide preseason favorites with two All-MWC caliber players in Brandon Heath and Marcus Slaughter. But Heath and Slaughter were All-MWC caliber players last year, and they still finished 6-10. The December gift of Mohamed Akubar could put the Aztecs over the hump.
Top Five Questions:
1. Can this team play defense?
The Aztecs allowed 74.5 points per conference game last season, by far the most in the MWC. They don’t need to be the Pistons, but they can’t be the Mavericks, either.
2. How will Mohamed Akubar contribute to the team?
A junior who will be eligible in December, Akubar showed flashes of greatness in a short period of time with the Gators and could be an overwhelming third scorer for the Aztecs. At 6-10, he could also help Slaughter on the boards. Slaughter was typically the Aztecs’ only presence on the boards, especially in conference play when SDSU was outrebounded by an average of five per game.
3. Can they be mentally tough?
The Aztecs crumbled down the stretch following its nausea-inducing loss to UNLV when it was up by ten with a minute to go. That was one of eight games it had leads with less than ten minutes to go and failed to seal the deal. They also lost four overtime games, tied for most in the nation. Champions win those games. Their mental toughness will decide whether they can live up to the potential. Slaughter and Heath were on the team last year, and they were still 11-18 overall. The Mountain West Conference is down a lot this year and team with two of its best players should be able to win it. That also means not losing to teams like Loyola-Marymount and UC Santa Barbara.
4. Will Brandon Heath start shooting better?
He led the team with 18 points a game. Then again, he only made 39 percent of his shots, including 28 percent of his 3-pointers. Brandon, start making your shots, shoot closer or pass the ball to Slaughter. The team as a whole made only 43 percent of its shots.
5. Will Steve Fisher back up his reputation?
Fisher came in as the savior of San Diego State basketball, with his national championship ring from Michigan. He came through in 2002 with an MWC tourney championship and 2003 NIT bid, then came two losing seasons. If he’s going to bring the Aztecs a conference championship, this is the year.
Schedule:
The Aztecs have a healthy mixture of big games and beatable opponents. The Top of the World tournament is lined up to have the Aztecs play either Sun Belt favorite Denver or C-USA’s Southern Mississippi. Also on the slate are California, Washington State and Providence. Those are name games the Aztecs can win, if they show up.
Postseason Hopes:
If this team plays up to its potential it should go to the NCAA Tournament by way of winning the regular season title. Then again, this looks to be a weak year for the MWC and a regular season title may not do it. Not making the NIT would be inexcusable.
2. New Mexico
2004-05 record: 26-7, 10-4 MWC (2nd place)
Projected starting five:
Mark Walters, Sr. G (10.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg)
David Chiotti, Sr. F (10.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Kris Collins, Sr. G (8.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.9 apg)
Tony Danridge, So. G/F (3.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
Blake Harden, So. F (0.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg)
The Lobos need to prove last year’s team wasn’t Danny Granger and five other guys. The talent and experience is there to keep the Lobos in the conference race down the stretch.
Top Five Questions:
1. Will the Lobos win without Danny Granger?
They didn’t last year, when they lost at last-place BYU. The Lobos face much of the same situation as Utah does with Andrew Bogut: how to replace a player who made the difference between a mediocre team and an NCAA-caliber squad. Then again, the Lobos bring a ton of players back from last year’s squad – the Utes don’t.
2. Can Mark Walters, David Chiotti and Kris Collins carry this team back to the NCAA Tournament?
They are a talented, veteran trio. They probably gained a lot of confidence from last year’s streak through the conference tournament and how they came back to make it a game against Villanova in the first round. But they won’t have Granger as an automatic basket or foul like last year. If they make the NCAA Tourney for the second straight year, it will be as a team effort, not on the back of Granger.
3. How will Joel Box make the transition to Division I?
Hype is high for this 6-8, 250-pound junior forward, but he came from a lower-tier junior college. It’s a big enough adjustment going from a regular junior college.
4. Is New Mexico on the verge of returning to prominence?
Things are going in the right direction for this program. They have new facilities, crowd enthusiasm that is second-to-none when the team is at its peak, and nationally regarded players are starting to pay attention. Aaron Johnson of Penn State and J.R. Giddens of Kansas both decided to transfer to New Mexico.
5. But what kind of people are they bringing in?
Johnson, Giddens and another transfer, Josh Jenkins from New Mexico State, all got in trouble with the police. Johnson is actually facing battery charges on an officer and was kicked off the team. Giddens got into a bar fight in Kansas, although he’s been cooperative with police and will remain on the team. Jenkins remains suspended, as he’s had sexual assault allegations made against him. The program has tried to take the high road with all three cases, but the odds of having this kind of trouble with three recruits in the same offseason is inconceivable.
Schedule:
I was about to pan the Lobos’ schedule as being as weak as last year, when they probably needed a Mountain West Conference tournament championship to make it to the NCAA Tournament, then noticed a game I had overlooked: Dec. 10 vs. Washington in Anaheim. Sure, they still have their abundant home schedule filled with patsies and mediocre squads, but a win against Washington should carry merit.
Postseason Hopes:
Their NCAA at-large hopes could depend on the Washington game, and at home against UTEP and Oregon. The other schools they play likely won’t show if they’re NCAA-quality or not. It would be a shock if they didn’t make the NIT.
3. TCU
2004-05 record: 21-14, 8-8 CUSA (T-8th place)
Projected starting five:
Nile Murry, Sr. G (12.5 rpg, 4.3 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Femi Ibikunle, Jr. C (4.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
Chudi Chinweze, Sr. F (11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
Judson Stubbs, Sr. F (6.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Brent Reese-Hackett, So. G (2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.1 apg)
TCU is the great X-Factor. No one knows what to expect from the Frogs and the Frogs don’t know what to expect from their opponents. Instead of looking up at teams like Louisville, Charlotte and Cincinnati, they should face equals in the MWC – or at least that’s the guess right now.
Top Five Questions:
1. How do the Frogs go from a superior Conference USA to the Mountain West Conference?
There’s no Louisville or Memphis in this league this year. Everyone can be beaten. Then again, everyone can beat the Frogs, too.
2. How do they deal with the altitude?
For those pointing out the football’s team success, basketball’s a different beast. The gridiron game has five-second plays. Stretch that out to at least five minutes in basketball.
3. Will the Frogs’ recent renewed success under Dougherty continue?
The team made the second round of the NIT last year after not having made the postseason since 1999. This is a program on the rise that’s poised to compete for MWC titles year after year.
4. What is the condition of Chinweze’s knee?
Chinweze went down eight games into the season last year after hurting his left knee. The surgery was successful, but many good players never come back after those kinds of injuries. His return could make the difference between the Frogs finishing in the middle of the pack or competing for a conference title.
5. How will Hackett do taking over the point guard spot?
The Frogs relied on Santee for the past three years to run their offense. With Neil Dougherty, Jr. sidelined for the first six to eight weeks of the season, they’ll find out if Hackett can hack it.
Schedule:
The non-conference schedule will more than prepare the Frogs for conference play. The Frogs will play Syracuse, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, possibly Boston College, as well as Saint Mary’s College and Colorado.
Postseason Hopes:
It all depends on how they handle the non-conference schedule. They should come in to league play with a winning record and finish in the top half of the conference. If they can pull some upsets against some big name teams and at least stay in contention for a conference title, they could be crossing their fingers in March. A second straight NIT bid is likely.
4. Utah
2004-05 record: 29-6, 13-1 MWC (1st place)
Projected starting five:
Bryant Markson, Sr. F (10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
Tim Drisdom, Sr. G (4.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.2 apg)
Chris Jackson, Sr. C (2.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
Johnnie Bryant, 6-0 So. G
Shaun Green, 6-8 Fr. F
Losing Andrew Bogut is bad enough. Bogut, the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and winner of just about every national award they give out, will likely go down as the best player in the conference’s short history. But besides the 7-foot Australian center, the Utes also lost senior Marc Jackson, as well as Richard Chaney and Justin Hawkins, who both left the program. That’s a lot of space to fill. However, although last year’s team had a star in Bogut, its success was based on rebounding and defense, two things that come from hard work and ethic and not necessarily athleticism. And they still have Tim Drisdom.
Top Five Questions:
1. How do the Utes make up for the loss of Bogut?
No one person is going to do this. Everyone knew the ball was going to Bogut, and nobody short of Kentucky could really contain him. It’s not just the scoring, rebounding, passing or athleticism – it’s knowing that when the things weren’t going well, the ball could go down to Bogut and something good would happen.
2. Can Bryant Markson be the man?
The senior forward showed glimpses of greatness last year as he was a steady third option behind Marc Jackson and Bogut. Now the 6-6 forward will be looked to be the primary scorer for the team.
3. Will this team mesh well enough?
A lot of new or inexperienced faces will need to play right away for Utah. Markson and Drisdom can’t carry the team by themselves. True freshman Green and transfer Bryant will likely start, with another true freshman, Luke Nevill, getting plenty of minutes on the court. Luckily, they have the premier floor general in Drisdom. He’s started since he set foot in Salt Lake City and knows how to run an offense.
4. Who’s going to pick up the slack on the boards?
Markson is the leading returner with four per game, and that won’t cut it. Although everyone will have to, the big increase will likely have to come from senior Chris Jackson, who came in for spot duty for Bogut last season. At 6-11 and 245 pounds, he definitely has the size.
5. Why does the program keep losing players?
Jermaine Calvin and Jake Schmidt were true freshmen who didn’t quite pan out like coaches thought. Fine. But Richard Chaney? Justin Hawkins? These were players entrenched in the program. And this was going on before coach Ray Giacoletti came on board, under Rick Majerus.
Schedule:
The only two games that stand out are at Arizona and against Utah State. Otherwise, it’s a bunch of mediocre to just awful teams, including Division II Adams State. I know where Adams State is, do you? They better have a good showing against Arizona or an at-large bid will be tough. Then again, an easier schedule to start out with should help down the road as they’re learning to play together.
Postseason Hopes:
Except for three great games in Denver, an NCAA Tournament berth is almost out of the question. They’ve lost a lot of players, but this is still Utah and no one looks to be head and shoulders above the Utes in the conference. Expect NIT.
5. UNLV
2004-05 record: 17-14, 7-7 MWC (T-4th place)
Projected starting five:
Michael Umeh, Jr. G (9.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Louis Amundson, Sr. F (7.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
Ricky Morgan, Sr. G (4.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Dustin Villepigue, Sr. F (3.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Jason Petrimoulx, 6-4 195 Jr. G
Year two of the Lon Kruger era begins, but with a great recruiting class UNLV fans are more excited about year three when the younger players have a year with Kruger and the MWC Tournament returns to Vegas. However, the league is not strong enough that the Rebels can’t compete for a conference title, especially if the newcomers can contribute early.
Top Five Questions:
1. How much of a difference will a season make?
Under now second-year head coach Lon Kruger, the Rebels didn’t play their best basketball until the last half of conference play, when they caught up with Wyoming to tie for fourth. With a year together, the players and coaches should go into the season knowing what to expect from themselves and each other, leading to better performance on the court.
2. Will this be the anti-Vegas team?
Sin City loves stars, but there don’t appear to be any on this team to start the season. In the Rebels’ two exhibition games, minutes were spread out and plenty of players each game scored 8-12 points. On one hand it builds team chemistry and camaraderie when everyone gets involved. But who’s the go-to guy when UNLV desperately needs a basket?
3. How good was this recruiting class?
The Rebels have at least one starter in Petrimoulx, and Joe Darger was one of the best players coming out of Utah last season. But the real take may be Jo’Van Adams, who was part of one of the best programs in the country at Gulf Shores Academy in Houston. He nearly averaged a triple double with 28 points, 12 assists and eight steals a game.
4. How will this team rebound?
With hustle and position. No one is over 6-9, which may leave them at a disadvantage against the taller teams in the league like Utah and Colorado State. They should still outrebound Air Force, though.
5. Are anybody else happier that the conference tournament is heading back to Vegas than the Rebels?
Maybe the Lady Rebels.
Schedule:
This is an NCAA Tournament-caliber schedule, no matter the conference slate: Hawaii twice, Nevada, Minnesota, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Those are name-games, both at home and away.
Postseason Hopes:
If they can survive their preseason schedule intact mentally, physically and in the standings, an NIT berth is likely.
6. Air Force
2004-05 record: 18-12, 9-5 MWC (3rd place)
Projected starting five:
Antoine Hood, Sr. G (13.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Jacob Burtschi, Jr. F (8.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 spg)
Matt McCraw, Jr. G (9.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Dan Nwaelele, Jr. F (7.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
John Frye, Jr. C (0.1 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
Despite losing their second coach in as many seasons, things were looking up for the Falcons as they returned a ton of experience and were poised to make their second run at a conference championship in as many seasons. Then came word that Nick Welch would be lost for the season. How will Air Force respond?
Top Five Questions:
1. Can this team survive the loss of Welch?
Air Force’s recent success began with Welch’s emergence two years ago. He’s not a forward in the traditional sense, but more like a quick shooting guard in a forward’s body, providing a unique inside-outside threat.
2. How will Jeff Bzdelik make the transition from the NBA to the Air Force Academy?
Altitude’s about the same, but not much else. He’s sticking with the motion offense, something unheard of for the NBA. Instead of massaging egos and picking plays, he has to deal with recruiting, grades, academy life and perhaps actual teaching of the players. Bzdelik says he’s here for the long hall, and you’d have to believe him. A coach with an NBA pedigree could get a much more prestigious job than Air Force, so Bzdelick must have really wanted to stay in Colorado.
3. How does the program deal with its third coaching change in as many seasons?
This could have been a bigger problem than it is. Bzdelik’s sticking with the same system and the athletes don’t (or at least I hope they don’t) go to Colorado Springs because of the coach. As long as Bzdelik is committed to the offense, this could be a good move for Falcons in the long run. There will be some tweaks, as Bzdelik wants the guards to move faster up the court so opposing defenses can’t sit back and set up for their offense.
4. Will the defense improve?
With the system the Falcons run, rebounding can be a problem, so they get a pass on that. But allowing teams to make almost 48 percent of their shots? Considering how much defense has to do with the effort a team puts in and the work ethic AFA athletes have to have, that’s a shock.
5. Why don’t they play more games at the World Arena?
It can fit 8,000 people, and I’m sure is probably nicer than Clune Arena. If there’s any doubt about selling out, just force the freshman to attend the game. That will help when the NIT decides whether to call Colorado Springs or not.
Schedule:
Perhaps taking advantage of recent success, the Falcons have upgraded their schedule to include the BCA Classic in Washington and Georgia Tech at home. If things fall right, the Falcons could face the ACC’s Miami (Fl) and the host UW Huskies. The Zoomies’ schedule is still filled with some duds, though, as the schedule includes Western State and Adams State. No, Adams State is not the setting for the Revenge of the Nerds movies. I know where it is, do you? The slate isn’t great, but it won’t be such a liability as in past years.
Postseason Hopes:
This team would be battling the Aztecs for the conference championship if Welch was healthy. Now? Errrr. NIT. Maybe.
7. Brigham Young
2004-05 record: 9-21, 3-11 MWC (T-7th place)
Projected starting five:
Austin Ainge, Jr. G (9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.1 apg)
Keena Young, Jr. F (7.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
Derek Dawes, Jr. C (4.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Lee Cummard, Fr. G 6-6 175
Rashaun Broadus, Jr. G 6-0 195
After a down year with a young team, head coach Steve Cleveland decided to jump ship and head to Fresno State. But rather than go out of the program for a new coach, the Cougars promoted Dave Rose from assistant to head coach. Can he bring along a very young but talented team back to the top tier of the conference?
Top Five Questions:
1. Is Steve Cleveland regretting his decision to leave BYU?
The decision was a surprise, especially considering all the talent the Cougars have coming back and the problems Fresno State has historically had following NCAA rules. Then came a self-imposed NCAA ban by the Bulldogs for infractions. Before last season, the Cougars had a streak of good to great seasons, and they seemed to be really making headway with recruiting.
2. Will the Cougars turn the Marriott Center back into a place to fear?
Before last season, Provo was a loss for a few seasons. Teams knew they’d lose. Then last year, it turned into a place where visiting conference foes had to get a win. The first thing that happens when a bad team turns good is that home winning percentages skyrocket.
3. They have to shoot better, don’t they?
BYU fans better pray that they do. They made 42 percent overall, less than 40 in conference play. Last year the team’s top three scorers made less than 40 percent of their shots. This comes back to a young team not executing plays or forcing shots.
4. Who’s going to start?
That’s kind of up in the air now. What’s up in the projected starting lineup will almost certainly be wrong. The Cougars have players at all positions and a few who can play multiple positions. Coach Rose said he’ll take a few games before he makes a decision.
5. Was hiring Rose the right choice?
Probably. Administrators obviously liked the direction of the program and saw Rose as the obvious choice to keep things going. Rose was mainly involved with defense and recruiting in his eight years under Cleveland. Before that, he had a very successful stint at Dixie College. He was also a captain of the Phi Slamma Jamma teams with Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler at Houston.
Schedule:
This is a schedule for a young team to make themselves feel good about themselves. The toughest game is at Utah State and includes trips to Los Angeles to face the Trojans and Spokane to face Washington State. It likely won’t carry much weight in March, but it’s more important to gain confidence than a good RPI.
Postseason Hopes:
The Cougars have enough gimme games in the preseason that if they can turn things around enough, they may be able to make an NIT appearance, especially with the Cougars’ outstanding yearly attendance. Outside of three great days in Denver, an NCAA bid is not going to happen. Next year, Cougar fans.
8. Wyoming
2004-05 record: 15-13, 7-7 MWC (T-4th place)
Projected starting five:
Justin Williams, Sr. F (8.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
Steve Leven, Jr. F (8.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Derek Wabbington, Sr. C (6.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Brandon Ewing, Fr. G 6-2 190 (Incoming freshman)
Brad Jones, So. G 6-0 170
Players leaving the program, recruits not developing and recent graduation have left the Cowboys with a bunch of players the fans just don’t know. Their entire starting five will likely go into the season with a year or less experience being out on the floor with the team. Someone needs to lead this horse or they’ll just be wandering aimlessly.
Top Five Questions:
1. How will the Cowboys fare off the Straight path?
For four years PG Jay Straight led the Cowboys, for better or for worse. Now the team needs to find someone else to do just about everything.
2. Will the real Steve Leven please stand up?
Leven started the season on fire, providing the Cowboys with desperately needed scoring punch. However, he never really recovered after injuring his knee early in the season. The Pokes need Leven at 100 percent – the entire year.
3. Who’s going to dribble the ball up the court?
Stepping in for a former Chicago prep star is… another former Chicago prep star. True freshman Brandon Ewing appears to be the starting point guard, giving him a great opportunity to be MWC newcomer of the year.
4. Who’s going to score?
Leven, hopefully. Williams just by default. Any other volunteers?
5. How much longer will Wyoming fans put up with losing?
The Poke fans are more tolerant than, say, UNLV fans, some of whom are already calling for Kruger’s job, but the Cowboy faithful are grumbling about Steve McClain. Another sub-par season and those grumbles will turn to shouts.
Schedule:
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Southern Illinois and likely matchups against Charlotte in the BCA Tournament highlight the schedule. However, the team doesn’t have a real marquee game and playing CU-Colorado Springs doesn’t look good on the schedule.
Postseason Hopes:
Unless they have three great days in March in Denver, they’re not going to the NCAA Tournament. The conference is so mediocre, however, an NIT bid is possible, but not likely.
9. Colorado State
2004-05 record: 11-17, 3-11 MWC (T-7th place)
Projected starting five:
Jason Smith, So. F (10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
Ryan Brown, Fr. G (Redshirted)
Freddy Robinson, Jr. G/F (DNP in 2004-05 due to injury)
Michael Harrison, Jr. F 6-10 215
Corey Lewis, Jr. G 6-0 175
Matt Nelson is gone. The giant who nearly single-handedly carried the Rams to a conference championship as a sophomore struggled through two injury-marred seasons and Colorado State finished last in the conference both seasons. But Dale Layer says this team is deep and the Rams believe they’ll escape the cellar – as long as they avoid the injuries that have crippled the team the past two seasons.
Top Five Questions:
1. What will Layer have to do to keep his job?
Layer enters the season as the Mountain West Conference coach with the hottest seat. Going to the NCAA Tournament loses its luster quickly when you finish last two years in a row. The program has suffered from attrition. The fans are apathetic, which is worse than being angry.
2. How will all the new players mesh?
With graduation and players leaving the team, the Rams brought in nine new players to the team. Some teams are in the conference are in the same situation as Colorado State, but they’ve also had more success than the Rams, too.
3. Will the Rams stop turning the ball over?
Colorado State had over 100 more turnovers than their opponents last season, a difference of four a game. In conference play, the difference was just over 4.75 more turnovers a game. They lost their conference games by an average of six points. It makes a difference.
4. Will the Rams win a road game?
I hope so. Their first regular season game is at Northern Colorado, about a half hour to the east. If they can’t win there, I don’t know.
5. How much will Michael Harrison help?
A JUCO All-American, Harrison should team up with Smith to make a potent 1-2 scoring punch in the frontcourt. But Colorado State’s problems the past few years haven’t been in the front court.
Schedule:
A trip to the Rainbow Classic highlights non-conference play. The Rams also welcome Auburn and travel to Kansas State, while welcoming a Pepperdine team that is down.
Postseason Hopes:
Let’s see a few road wins before we talk postseason, Ok? Baby steps. Baby steps.
