Mountain West Conference 2007-08 Preview
by Brad Best
The Mountain West will look a lot like the Wild West as competition for the conference crown is wide open. With many of the proven scorers in the conference gone and with more than half of the teams adjusting to new coaches, the Mountain West is up for grabs. For now it’s too early to tell which team will gel together come conference play and become the team to beat.
Last season, two Mountain West teams found surprising success in postseason play. Coach Lon Kruger and son Kevin led the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament, knocking off Wisconsin and Georgia Tech along the way. Air Force stumbled down the stretch at the end of the regular season but found new life in the NIT. They were just a basket away from making it into the finals at Madison Square Garden. This year neither team figures to have that kind of magic.
BYU appears to be the early favorite. Coach Dave Rose has excelled in his first two seasons, winning 20 games his first year and 25 games and the conference title last year. So look for the Cougars to be in the hunt for the title again this season.
Coach Steve Fisher enters his ninth season at San Diego State and is now the most tenured of all MWC coaches. Air Force’s Jeff Bzdelik left the cupboard nearly bare when he moved on to coach the Colorado Buffalos. New Mexico, TCU, Colorado State and Wyoming all gave their coaches the boot as they hope new leadership will lead to greener pastures.
Once again, look for this to be a conference in which size matters. Big men Luke Nevill at Utah and Trent Plaisted at BYU look to tower over their opponents, while the much smaller Richie Williams at San Diego State and Wink Adams at UNLV seek to speed past the competition. The table is set for another exciting season in the Mountain West Conference.
All MWC First Team
Brandon Ewing, G, Wyoming
J.R. Giddens, G, New Mexico
Lorenzo Wade, F, San Diego State
Trent Plaisted, F/C, BYU
Luke Nevill, C, Utah
Honorable Mentions: Wink Adams, UNLV; Johnnie Bryant, Utah; Stuart Creason, Colorado State; Brad Jones, Wyoming; Richie Williams, San Diego State
Conference MVP
Brandon Ewing, Wyoming
Newcomer of the Year
Ryan Amoroso, San Diego State
1. BYU Cougars
2006-07 record: 25-9, 13-3 MWC (1st place)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Lee Cummard
Jr. G Lamont Morgan
So. F Jonathan Tavernari
Sr. F Vuk Ivanovic
Jr. C Trent Plaisted
Even with the exodus of five seniors, three of them starters, Dave Rose feels confident his team is positioned well for this year and beyond. Certainly Keena Young along with Jimmy Balderson and Austin Ainge will be missed, but there should be enough role players ready to step up and newcomers who can play for BYU to continue its successful run of the past two years.
Trent Plaisted is the returning leader in scoring and rebounding for the Cougars. Joining him in the frontcourt are 6’10” senior Vuk Ivanovic and 6’11” Chris Miles, who is returning from a Mormon mission. They will compete for playing time at the power forward and center positions.
In the backcourt, starter Lee Cummard returns and looks to improve upon his nine points and five rebounds per game last season. He is the team’s best three-point shooter, a solid rebounder and excellent defender. Jonathan Travernari had a solid freshman season and should end up starting alongside Cummard.
BYU has a large crop of newcomers who could make an immediate impact. Most notably, freshman Jimmer Fredette is a sharpshooter from New York who averaged 28 points per game and led his team to the state championship game last year. Chris Collingsworth was a standout at Provo High School and can play inside and outside. Junior college transfer Lamont Morgan is quick with the ball and accurate with the pass, so look for him to fill Ainge’s shoes at the point guard position.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 23 vs. Louisville
Nov. 24 vs. North Carolina
Dec. 8 vs. Michigan State
Jan. 8 at Wake Forest
With the departure of MWC Player of the Year Keena Young, Trent Plaisted and company will need to come through when it counts to repeat as conference champion and move on to the Big Dance.
2. Wyoming Cowboys
2006-07 record: 17-15, 7-9 MWC (5th place)
Projected starting five:
So. G Brandon Ewing
Jr. G Brad Jones
Jr. F Joseph Taylor
Jr. F Bienvenu Songondo
Sr. C Travis Nelson
The good news for the Cowboys is that they have the best backcourt tandem in the conference. The bad news is that this is a conference dominated by big men, and they don’t have any proven players with size.
Brandon Ewing led the conference in scoring in his sophomore season and is the frontrunner for player of the year honors this time around. He can knock down shots on the perimeter or create his own shot and finish at the rim. His versatility will help keep the Cowboys in games, especially those played at altitude. Ewing’s backcourt partner is Brad Jones, who averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. But this dynamic duo cannot do it alone.
First-year head coach Heath Schroyer will take over the reins for Steve McClain. Schroyer was previously an assistant with the Cowboys prior to roles as head coach at Portland State and assistant coach at Fresno State. He has looked overseas to fill immediate needs.
In the frontcourt, Joseph Taylor should start at the small forward but may be pressed for playing time by Eric Platt if Schroyer employs a more up-tempo pace. Travis Nelson and Bienvenu Songondo have the size to play power forward or center but are short on experience. Newcomer Mikhail Linskens of Belgium brings his 7-foot frame to the prairie in hopes that his European game will translate into playing time and wins for the Cowboys.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 24 at Wichita State
Dec. 5 vs. DePaul
Dec. 8 vs. Colorado
Dec. 29 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Schroyer needs to improve the league’s worst defensive squad from a year ago and put fans back in the seats in Laramie. If Ewing and Jones can get some help on the inside, they could compete for the top of the conference.
3. Utah Utes
2006-07 record: 11-19, 6-10 MWC (Tie/6th place)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Tyler Kepkay
Jr. G Lawrence Borha
Jr. F Shaun Green
Jr. F Stephen Weigh
Jr. C Luke Nevill
After more than 20 years in the business, Jim Boylen gets his first shot at a head coaching position. The former Tom Izzo assistant should add focus and defensive intensity to a talented core of players who could surprise many opponents this year.
Luke Nevill is one of the most talented big men in the country. The 7’1″ center shoots over 60 percent from the field and averaged 16 points and 7 boards per game as a sophomore. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he will be even more effective.
Shaun Green is a scoring threat from the outside and a tough perimeter matchup from the power forward position. With 64 three-pointers last season, Green cannot be left open. Johnnie Bryant is another outside complement to Nevill from the guard position, but his style of play may not fit in as well in Boylen’s scheme. Instead, junior college transfer Tyler Kepkay brings toughness and true point guard capabilities to the position. Look for Lawrence Borha to maintain his role as shooting guard with Bryant playing a valuable sixth man role.
Talented sophomore Kim Tillie should figure into the mix as well. Boylen likes his ability to play either forward position and score with his back to the basket. He suffered a broken leg last season but has played well in the team’s preseason trip to Australia.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Dec. 8 at Oregon
Dec. 15 vs. Missouri State
Dec. 22 at California
Dec. 31 at Gonzaga
The Utes underachieved under Ray Giacoletti but look for better results under Boylen. With skilled players down low and on the perimeter, the Utes will be a tough out at home and on the road this season and have a good shot at post-season play.
4. San Diego State Aztecs
2006-07 record: 22-11, 10-6 MWC (Tie/3rd place)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Richie Williams
Jr. G Kelvin Davis
Jr. F Kyle Spain
Jr. F Lorenzo Wade
Jr. F Ryan Amoroso
The Aztecs will be missing three players who accounted for 46 points per game a season ago, but still have enough talent to be dangerous. First Team All-MWC Player Brandon Heath, who is also the all-time leading scorer in the conference, was the go-to guy in pressure situations during his entire career and will be sorely missed. Mohamed Abukar and Jerome Habel provided both scoring and rebounding in the frontcourt and will be hard to replace as well.
This should be Lorenzo Wade’s year to shine. The athletic wing who transferred from Louisville needs to come into his own in his second year in the Mountain West. He is the team’s best defender and an exciting scorer. But his awkward and inconsistent outside shot needs to improve. Kyle Spain had a promising freshman year but slumped during his sophomore season. Both his scoring and shooting percentage need to return to or surpass his first-year performance for him to stay in the starting lineup.
At the point guard position, two-year starter Richie Williams will feature prominently in the Aztecs future. Williams shot a high percentage (.458) of three-pointers last year and will need to look for his shot more often. With the addition of freshman D.J Gay and a healthy Matt Thomas available once again, there should be sufficient depth at the point guard position for this to be one of the team’s strengths. Gay averaged 29 points per game in high school and could help spark the Aztecs offense.
Newcomer Kelvin Davis has been tabbed as Brandon Heath’s replacement. Davis played a season at UTEP before moving on to Southern Idaho, where he averaged 15 points and 4 assists per game. Rivals.com ranked him as the 11th-best junior college player, so the Aztecs have high hopes for him.
Ryan Amoroso sat out last year after transferring from Marquette. With the unexpected loss of Habel, Amoroso will be the centerpiece of the Aztecs frontcourt. At 6’8″, 270 pounds, he has the girth but maybe not the height to be a defensive stopper down low. Junior Chris Lamb (6’10”, 245 lbs) will likely see more minutes this year to help slow down opposing teams 7-footers.
Sophomore reserves Jer’Vaughn Johnson and Jon Pastorek are both small forwards that may be asked to play the four spot. Johnson is tough down low and a solid rebounder, but at 6’6″ it will be a challenge for him to defend some of the larger power forwards in the league. Pastorek is a taller, thinner player who is well-disciplined and has a good outside shot but lacks the strength to out-muscle players in the paint.
Freshman forwards Billy White and Tim Shelton will both compete for playing time right away. White is a very athletic lefty who averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds per game his senior year at Green Valley High. Shelton, son of former NBA player, Lonnie Shelton, can play inside and out and is coming off an ACL injury his senior year.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 11 at Fresno State
Nov. 24 at California
Dec. 8 vs. St. Mary’s (Wooden Classic)
Dec. 22 at Arizona
An undersized, yet athletic Aztec team may struggle against the tall trees in the MWC. Overall, look for them to play an exciting brand of basketball and outscore the competition with a fast-paced attack that puts them outside the top of the conference but in the NIT.
5. New Mexico Lobos
2006-07 record: 15-17, 4-12 MWC (Tie/8th place)
Projected starting five:
Sr. G J.R. Giddens
Sr. G Jamaal Smith
Jr. G Chad Toppert
Jr. F Daniel Faris
Jr. F Monquel Pegues
New Mexico lured Steve Alford away from Iowa to replace Coach Ritchie McKay. Alford appears to be the type of big name coach that Lobos fans were hungry for, and he promises to make them a contender again.
How well the Lobos perform this season may depend on how well Alford and J.R. Giddens get along. Giddens is as talented as they come but has had on and off-court issues that have prevented him from realizing his potential.
Tony Danridge was all set to return for his senior season before suffering a broken leg in a pickup basketball game, which will delay his ability to play until January. In his absence, Roman Martinez figures to pick up the slack. He played well in the team’s games in the Bahamas in May.
While there is depth and talent in the backcourt, the frontcourt is a bit of a mystery. The Lobos will miss Aaron Johnson’s rebounding ability and toughness in the middle. Daniel Faris started 10 games last season and is more experienced than the rest of the pack. 6’10” junior college All-American Monquel Pegues should see significant minutes as well.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 9 at Colorado
Nov. 21 vs. Hawaii
Dec. 4 at New Mexico State
Dec. 15 vs.Texas Tech
The loss of Danridge for the first half of the season may mean a rough start for Alford and the Lobos. But returning most of the talent from a year ago and adding some key newcomers to the mix should enable the Lobos to return to respectability.
6. UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
2006-07 record: 30-7, 12-4 MWC (2nd place)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Wink Adams
So. G Marcus Lawrence
Sr. F Curtis Terry
So. F Lamar Robertson
Jr. C Emmanuel Adeife
While it is still too early to know for sure, the Rebels’ Sweet Sixteen finish last season may set them up for a bigger-than-expected fall this year. Lofty expectations will be hard to reach this season with the loss of four starters. Except for Wink Adams, all the principal players, including Kevin Kruger, Wendell White, Michael Umeh and more, from their return to glory will not be on campus this season.
Prized recruit Beas Hamga was pegged as the starting center en route to the NBA, but the NCAA Clearinghouse has delayed his eligibility for another year. In the meantime, role players, redshirts and newcomers will be called upon to deliver results.
Wink Adams will continue to be a tough matchup on both sides of the ball for most guards in the conference. Marcus Lawrence will likely start at the point as he builds upon the success of his freshman season. He had more steals than turnovers and an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio but will need to shoot better to make opponents respect him as a scorer. Freshman recruit Kendall Wallace will provide depth in the backcourt.
Up front, 6’10” transfer Emmanuel Adeife will need to adjust quickly if the Rebels are going to be a contender. Curtis Terry is the likely starter at small forward as he returns for his senior season. Lamar Robertson, a redshirt sophomore, Joe Darger, more of a three-point threat, and sophomore Matt Shaw are all about the same size and will compete for minutes.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 21 vs. Louisville
Nov. 24 vs. Nevada
Dec. 19 vs. Arizona
Dec. 30 vs. Minnesota
UNLV has too many question marks to put them on par with last season. Under Kruger’s direction, they should finish in the middle of the pack as they integrate all the new faces.
7. TCU Horned Frogs
2005-06 record: 6-25, 2-12 MWC (9th place)
Projected starting five:
Sr. G Brent Hackett
So. G Jason Ebie
Sr. F Neiman Owens
Jr. F Kevin Langford
Sr. F Alvardo Parker
Look for continued improvement from the Horned Frogs that gets them out of the cellar for the first time in their three years in the Mountain West. Coach Neil Dougherty is in his sixth season and has four returning starters and four returning reserves.
TCU won three of their final five games last year, including a big upset over Air Force, and should enter the season more confident and battle-tested than before. Kevin Langford led the team with 13 points and 6 rebounds per outing a year ago, and he could improve upon those numbers in his second year in the Mountain West.
Brent Hackett was exceptional at times and earned TCU’s first Player of the Week award last year. It is still a question mark as to who will join him in the backcourt. Sophomore Jason Ebie will get a chance but look for freshman Mike Scott to push him for minutes at the point.
At the small forward position, senior Neiman Owens averaged six points and two assists per game. His numbers need to go up, but he is not a good three-point shooter, making only 22 percent of his attempts. He is a good defender and rebounder, so the Horned Frogs will keep him in the lineup.
Junior college transfer John Ortiz will get a shot at defending the post and will compete for playing time with redshirt freshman Luke Tauscher and incoming freshman Daniel Ford.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 28 at Texas Tech
Dec. 2 vs. Oklahoma
Dec. 5 at Southern Methodist
Jan. 2 at Texas
With most of the conference in a rebuilding process, this should be TCU’s best chance to rise to the middle of the pack and pull off some upsets.
8. Air Force Falcons
2006-07 record: 26-9, 10-6 MWC (Tie/3rd place)
Projected starting five:
Sr. G Tim Anderson
Jr. G Andrew Henke
Jr. F Anwar Johnson
Sr. F Eric Kenzik
Sr. C Keith Maren
This will be a rough year for the Falcons, who have enjoyed surprising success over the past four seasons. Coach Bzdelik has moved on along with four talented starters. Jeff Reynolds comes in as the Falcons’ fourth coach in five seasons. Reynolds was an assistant to Bzdelik but will not have nearly the talent and experience suiting up for him this time around.
Lone returning starter Tim Anderson will need to move up from the supporting cast to be the leading man and improve upon his 9 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists last season. Andrew Henke previously played a vital sixth man role and figures to start alongside Anderson going forward. The backcourt should be the strength of the Falcons this season.
Upfront there is an undersized group of unproven players. Eric Kenzik and Kevin Maren will see more court time and try to fill the gap left by Nick Welch and Jacob Burtschi. Maren is the team’s biggest player at 6′ 8″, 240 pounds. Freshman Phillip Brown is also expected to help rebound and block shots down low.
At small forward, Anwar Johnson should move into a starting role and increase his production. The Falcons hope that incoming freshmen forward Tom Fow and guard Tyler Burke can contribute right away.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 23 vs. Mississippi Valley State
Nov. 25 at Washington State
Nov. 29 vs. Colorado
Dec. 30 at Wake Forest
The core of players that won 90 games over the last four seasons is gone, and the Falcons will fall to the bottom ranks of the conference. These Falcons won’t enjoy nearly the home court winning percentage that Clune Arena fans have enjoyed in recent history.
9. Colorado State Rams
2006-07 record: 17-13, 6-10 MWC (Tie/6th place)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Marcus Walker
Jr. G Willis Gardner
Fr. F Josh Simmons
Jr. F Ronnie Aguilar
Sr. C Stuart Creason
Sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. It will at least seem that way for the Rams this season. Jason Smith exited for the NBA, coach Dale Layer was let go, and several players decided to seek better fortunes elsewhere.
Tim Miles from North Dakota State takes over for Layer and brings enthusiasm and energy to the head coaching position. He helped his former school reach Division I status and pulled off some big wins over Wisconsin and Marquette in the past two seasons.
Stuart Creason should come into his own this year in the absence of Smith. The 7-foot senior will be the focal point of the offense and prove that he is one of the best big men in the conference. His 10 points and 5 rebounds per game last year should go up as he assumes more of a leadership role.
Ronnie Aguilar is a back-up center with limited playing time. He could start alongside Creason if Miles elects to employ a twin-towers strategy. Freshman Josh Simmons and Andre McFarland will compete for the wing position.
Junior college transfers Marcus Walker and Willis Gardner will get strong consideration for starting roles at the guard positions, with Gardner running the point.
Schedule Highlights
Key out of conference games:
Nov. 15 at Oregon State
Nov. 24 at Stanford
Dec. 19 at Nevada
Dec. 22 vs. Colorado
The Rams lost more than 80 percent of their scoring, assists and rebounding from a year ago. This will be a long, long season for new coach Miles and company.
MWC Summary
Rebuilding and readjusting to new coaches will be prevalent throughout the conference and will lead to some tough games among the top six teams. Don’t look for anyone to run away with the conference title.
With scarcely a complete balanced team in the bunch, the Mountain West will have a number of close games and upsets throughout the season. This may be a year in which only one team makes the Big Dance and a couple of teams compete in the NIT.
