#1: Utah State Aggies (9-1) | 35 points (2 first-place votes)

Why: Save for a road hiccup against South Florida (USF, who is a Top-75 team in the NET), Utah State has once again rolled through their non-conference schedule. While the schedule may not catch the attention of more casual viewers, the Aggies do own solid wins over VCU, Davidson, and Illinois State. This team was picked to finish high in the Mountain West, and they haven’t shown any signs of planning to do otherwise.

#2: New Mexico Lobos (9-2) | 31 points

Why: New Head Coach Eric Olen has this team showing fight that has caught the attention of viewers within the Mountain West and beyond. With a roster of newcomers, and a completely new coaching staff, the Lobos are building a solid defensive identity, and own impressive wins over VCU (away), Santa Clara, and Mississippi State (who may be struggling, but still boasts a roster that includes a preseason All-SEC pick in Josh Hubbard). In the post-Pitino era, there is still plenty to be excited about in The Pit.

#3 (Tie): Boise State Broncos (8-3) & Colorado State Rams (9-2) | 30 points each (BSU – 1 first-place vote)

Why: Each of these teams has a resume that is anchored by a horrific loss (BSU – Hawai’i Pacific / CSU – Denver). Yet, both teams rebounded quickly from their respective losses, and have built exciting momentum heading into conference play. Boise State has faced arguably the toughest schedule of any Mountain West team, and has competed throughout. The Broncos’ road wins over Butler (at Hinkle Fieldhouse) and Saint Mary’s (neutral court) are among the most impressive that the Mountain West can claim this season. Likewise, Colorado State (also featuring a new Head Coach and roster) claims wins over Colorado (who seems poised to improve in Big XII play), Wichita State, and the same USF squad that handled Utah State. Both teams begin Mountain West play with tough match-ups, but keep an eye on these two to make a run at the conference title.

#5 (Tie): Nevada Wolf Pack (8-3), San Diego State Aztecs (5-3), & Wyoming Cowboys (8-2) | 21 points each

Why: Nevada and San Diego State have had their respective struggles thus far, but it’d be unwise to count either team out just yet. The Wolf Pack has shown grit in closing out tightly-contested games (Pacific, UCSD, Duquesne), and has a talented core of players to build momentum around. San Diego State, despite a head-scratching loss to Troy in Viejas Arena, still boasts the most-talented roster in the Mountain West. Losses to Michigan (Okay, a beat-down) and Baylor are not bad in any way (Michigan has pretty much destroyed every opponent since). Brian Dutcher has a habit of getting the most out of his players, and we wouldn’t expect any less from a squad that is still finding its identity. And speaking of getting the most out of players, Sundance Wicks has Wyoming catching the attention of Mountain West fans. It’s often said (and true) that college basketball is infinitely more fun when Wyoming is good, and it looks like Wyoming has plans of getting there sooner, rather than later.

#8: Grand Canyon Antelopes (6-4) | 15 points

Why: Grand Canyon, the newest addition to the Mountain West, enters this season with big aspirations. The Antelopes have no shortage of talented players, and they boast one of the rowdiest home courts in the sport – Right at home in the company of The Pit, Viejas, The Spectrum, Moby, Lawlor, The X, and so on. Sure, GCU has also had its share of hiccups in the non-conference (Looking at you, Youngstown State) – They’ve still shown fight and a pesky persistence against talented squads from Saint Louis, Oklahoma State, and Iowa. This team will be challenging to out (especially at home).

#9: UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (4-6) | 10 points

Why: I’m sure that UNLV fans are asking themselves this very same question. The Rebels have flashed exciting potential against the likes of Memphis and Stanford, but have also experienced the heartbreak of head-scratching upsets – Time, and time, and time again. As is the case with most Mountain West programs in the NIL era, this team is trying to figure things out with a lot of new pieces. And these pieces have potential. But potential isn’t enough to win games (yet).

#10: San Jose State Spartans (5-6) | 9 points

#11: Fresno State Bulldogs (6-5) | 8 points

#12: Air Force Falcons (3-8) | 3 points

Why: SJSU, Fresno State, and Air Force find themselves in a similar position to last season – There is more building than winning, and the building aspect isn’t always entirely obvious. Yet, each of these teams can easily be a “trap game” for opponents. Year after year, madness occurs in league play, and some of the biggest in-conference upsets have occurred within games that feature one of these three programs. Each has its share of question marks, but each has the tools to cause trouble in league play. The question becomes how (and how consistently) these tools develop.