It’s been two weeks since our Couch Potato Sports Coverage team ranked each of the Mountain West’s hoops teams – And as we all know, a lot can happen in the world of college hoops within two weeks… Especially in the conference of madness. This week had plenty of it. Upset wins, surprisingly-lopsided blowouts, and a healthy serving of late-game, absolute drama.
And through it all, the 2026 Mountain West hierarchy continues to take form, as conference play is in full swing and Selection Sunday rapidly approaches (and along with it, the hopes and aspirations of 12 particular programs residing in the Mountain and Pacific time zones).
Below, you’ll find our team’s composite rankings (much in the style of the AP Top-25 poll), as well as an explanation of how many points each team received. Is your team a little too low? Too high? Let us know. And remember, anything can happen in league play…
Mountain West Power Rankings
#1 Utah State Aggies (20-3, 11-2 MWC) | 36 points
Previous Rank: #2
Weekly Snapshot: Won, at New Mexico (86-66); Won, at Wyoming (85-83)
Why: Utah State continues to power through Mountain West play, tied for first-place in the league’s standings (with San Diego State), and carrying some serious momentum (having won 5 straight since a head-scratching upset loss to UNLV in The Spectrum). The Aggies truly had a roller-coaster week, upsetting New Mexico at The Pit in surprisingly dominant fashion (ending a 20+ game home winning-streak for the Lobos), before barely escaping the trap game that is Wyoming in the Dome of Doom.
And while Vanderbilt transfer guard MJ Collins Jr. has been attracting much of the attention for the Aggies (averaging nearly 19 points per game, and piecing together an All-Mountain West caliber season) – The always consistent Mason Falslev has been soaring high in recent weeks. The two guards combined for an absurd 80 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in the Aggies’ wins over New Mexico and Wyoming this last week.
With an inconsistent Fresno State team coming to Logan next (as well as an unusually-down Memphis Tigers team, making an appearance in a rare February non-conference match-up), the Aggies aren’t likely to loosen their grip atop our rankings this week.
#2 San Diego State Aztecs (17-6, 11-2 MWC) | 33 points
Previous Rank: #1
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Wyoming (72-63); Won, at Air Force (88-54)
Why: After dropping a tight one in Logan, the Aztecs quickly rebounded with a pair of wins, outlasting Wyoming in Viejas Arena, before dominating a reeling Air Force squad in Colorado Springs. Reese Dixon-Waters put together an impressive week – The lone Aztec to reach double-digits in this week’s pair of games. Dixon-Waters had 23 points in the win against Wyoming; 12 in the blowout win over Air Force; and effectively extended his streak of double-digit scoring efforts to 12 games (dating back to SDSU’s win over San Jose State on December 30th).
Seemingly every year, head coach Brian Dutcher has the Aztecs clicking and rolling at just the right time. Despite a rocky start to the season, SDSU has quietly battled its way through conference play, coming out on the winning end more often than not. The Aztecs will look to keep pace with Utah State through a tough closing stretch, starting with a Valentine’s Day showdown with Nevada in Viejas Arena.
#3 New Mexico Lobos (18-6, 9-4 MWC) | 30 points
Previous Rank: #3
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, vs. Utah State (66-86); Lost, vs. Boise State (90-91)
Why: The Lobos had quite the tough week. After winning 15 of 17 games, and entering the week in a tie for first-place in the Mountain West, New Mexico experienced back-to-back losses in The Pit (a rare occurrence in itself). This included an absolute collapse and beating at the hands of Utah State; as well as an absolute heartbreaker of a one-point loss to Boise State (in which veteran guard Luke Haupt had a career-high 30 points).
Some would think that the sky is falling in Albuquerque… Though in reality, the Lobos are still fighting to hold within the upper-tier of the Mountain West (currently tied for third in the league, with Nevada and – technically, Grand Canyon). They’re also trying to make the case for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, hovering in the mid-40s of the NCAA’s NET rankings. A massive measuring test is up next as New Mexico visits “The Biggest Party in College Basketball”, traveling to face Grand Canyon.
#4 Nevada Wolf Pack (17-7, 9-4 MWC) | 25 points
Previous Rank: #5
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at Boise State (87-91, OT); Won, vs. Fresno State (69-59)
Why: The Wolf Pack are similarly trying to battle their way back into the Mountain West title race, and have won 5 of their last 7 games. The Wolf Pack was on the losing end of a dramatic overtime game in Boise, before finding their footing against Fresno State. Corey Camper Jr. has been terrific for the Wolf Pack, and is perhaps the most underrated of the many impactful newcomers to the Mountain West this season – The transfer guard from UTEP had 35 points in the loss to Boise State; 15 points in the win over FSU; and is putting up nearly 18 points each game.
The Pack has a number of players that could alter the momentum of a game at any moment. The challenge is figuring out how to close through the tightly-contested, back-and-forth match-ups, as 3 of Nevada’s 4 conference losses have come by single digits (4, 5, and 7, respectively). Next up, Nevada will have a monster opportunity to make a statement, taking on San Diego State in Viejas Arena.
#5 Grand Canyon ‘Lopes (15-8, 8-4 MWC) | 24 points
Previous Rank: #4
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Air Force (81-57); Lost, at UNLV (78-80)
#6 Boise State Broncos (15-9, 7-6 MWC) | 23 points
Previous Rank: #6
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Nevada (91-87, OT); Won, at New Mexico (91-90)
#7 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (11-12, 6-6 MWC) | 17 points
Previous Rank: #7
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at Fresno State (96-98); Won, vs. Grand Canyon (80-78)
#8 Fresno State Bulldogs (11-12, 5-7 MWC) | 16 points
Previous Rank: #8 (Tie)
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. UNLV (98-96); Lost, at Nevada (59-69)
Why: Boise State is the clear winner of this week’s Mountain West litmus test – The Broncos stole two vital victories from the jaws of defeat, knocking off Nevada in Overtime, and New Mexico in The Pit. Since an odd four-game skid that threatened to run Boise State’s season off the rails, the Broncos have won 6 of their last 7 games, and are quite literally clawing their way back into the Mountain West race. At 7-6, this will be a difficult task, but the Broncos are seemingly finding their way.
Grand Canyon has been mostly impressive in its first season of Mountain West play – The ‘Lopes have been riding momentum from a handful of impressive conference wins (SDSU, Utah State, Boise State), but came up just short on the road at UNLV. The disappointing loss serves as a speed bump, but Jaden Henley continues to lead a rotation of dynamic playmakers. GCU has climbed its way into the top-70 of the NET, and has another opportunity to make a statement, playing host to New Mexico this week.
UNLV and Fresno State have been a much more mixed bag – The two teams have had their share of exciting and unlikely wins; and yet, they’ve each had their experiences with frustrating and absolutely tiring losing streaks. Both teams struggle with inconsistency, though in the case of UNLV, this is perhaps more remarkable (considering that UNLV has wins at Utah State, Stanford, and Memphis this season). It’s no surprise that Tuesday’s match-up between the two schools was complete madness – The result of an unbelievable Fresno State comeback with mere seconds on the clock. Seriously, if you haven’t seen the highlights of that particular game yet, you’re in for a treat (or a head-scratcher, depending on which way you lean).
Each of these squads carries its share of question marks into each game, but could prove dangerous regardless of the match-up.
#9 Wyoming Cowboys (13-11, 4-9 MWC) | 12 points
Previous Rank: #8 (Tie)
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at San Diego State (63-72); Lost, vs. Utah State (83-85)
#10 Colorado State Rams (13-10, 4-8 MWC) | 9 points
Previous Rank: #8 (Tie)
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. San Jose State (65-57)
#11 San Jose State Spartans (6-17, 1-11 MWC) | 6 points
Previous Rank: #11
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at Colorado State (57-65)
#12 Air Force Falcons (3-20, 0-12 MWC) | 3 points
Previous Rank: #12
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at Grand Canyon (57-81); Lost, vs. San Diego State (54-88)
Why: This tier of teams is fully-onboard the struggle bus – A dreaded ride for any sports fan, but not a ride without its light at the end of the tunnel. Starting with Wyoming, it’s a great sign that the Cowboys were able to take the fight to conference-leading Utah State in Laramie. Sure, the Dome of Doom serves as quite the advantageous home venue; yet, as with some of the above programs, Wyoming’s efforts have been a mixed bag at times, regardless of venue and location. The Cowboys had a chance to force their tilt with Utah State into Overtime, but simply couldn’t get the look they desired. Barring other moral victories, it’s still a good sign that the Cowboys could show some fight given the circumstances.
The same could be said for Colorado State. Struggling with recent injuries and growing pains, the Rams picked up a quiet (but much-needed) bounce-back win over San Jose State on Saturday. The next week presents winnable games, including a short road trip to Air Force, and a rivalry rematch against Wyoming (in Moby Arena).
As for SJSU and Air Force, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to make the argument for optimism in the short-term future. The Spartans undoubtedly have talent, but just can’t translate this talent into wins. Meanwhile, the Falcons are still navigating the recent suspension of head coach Joe Scott, and are winless in Mountain West play.
How Our Team Voted
| Dan’s Rankings | Jay’s Rankings | Larry’s Rankings | Point Value |
| 1. Utah State | 1. Utah State | 1. Utah State | 12 points |
| 2. San Diego State | 2. San Diego State | 2. San Diego State | 11 points |
| 3. New Mexico | 3. New Mexico | 3. New Mexico | 10 points |
| 4. Grand Canyon | 4. Boise State | 4. Nevada | 9 points |
| 5. Nevada | 5. Nevada | 5. Grand Canyon | 8 points |
| 6. Boise State | 6. Grand Canyon | 6. Boise State | 7 points |
| 7. UNLV | 7. Fresno State | 7. UNLV | 6 points |
| 8. Fresno State | 8. UNLV | 8. Fresno State | 5 points |
| 9. Wyoming | 9. Wyoming | 9. Wyoming | 4 points |
| 10. Colorado State | 10. Colorado State | 10. Colorado State | 3 points |
| 11. San Jose State | 11. San Jose State | 11. San Jose State | 2 points |
| 12. Air Force | 12. Air Force | 12. Air Force | 1 point |
Thank you for reading – You can find more content from our writers at the following:
- Couch Potato Sports: https://x.com/CouchPSports
- Dan: https://www.instagram.com/couchpotatosportscoverage/?hl=en
- Jay: https://x.com/LoboSauceJay
- Larry: https://x.com/LarryMunizCBB
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