PHOTO BY NICOLAS PEÑA
As our team exchanged thoughts within our ever-running text thread, as we often do throughout late nights, early mornings, hoops, writing, and what other folks might call our “real jobs” – One thought quickly took control of our discussion around this week’s Mountain West power rankings… What a wild week of hoops.
A wild week indeed. Mountain Wests fans got to see unlikely upsets, some incredible comebacks, and a number of games that came down to the very last minute. But why waste time? If you’re here, you’re likely up to speed on the action. So, let’s dive right in.
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 (23-4, 13-3 MWC) | 36 points
Previous Rank: #1
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Boise State (75-56); Lost, at Nevada (77-80)
Why: After dominating Boise State on Wednesday, the Aggies had a rare slip-up over the weekend, coming up short in a tight road loss against Nevada. The loss marked Utah State’s first in nine games.
Despite the loss, the Aggies sit comfortably atop the league standings. Mason Falslev (averaging 16 points per game) and MJ Collins Jr. (nearly 18 points per game) are each having a respective Mountain West Player of the Year kind of season – Impressive when you consider the depth of this Utah State team. A challenging week is up next on the schedule, as the Aggies will pay a visit to an angry San Diego State team that’s coming off of two losses, before playing host to a Grand Canyon team that knocked the Aggies off in Phoenix a month ago.
#2 San Diego State Aztecs (18-8, 12-4 MWC) | 33 points
Previous Rank: #2
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, vs. Grand Canyon (63-73); Lost, at Colorado State (74-83)
Why: Among the true Mountain West title contenders, none had a rougher week than San Diego State. Back-to-back losses rarely plague the Aztecs, whose momentum was slowed by a dangerous Grand Canyon team, and an increasingly hot Colorado State squad. And while Aztec Nation may be concerned by some of the kinks this team seems to be ironing out – There is good news.
The upcoming week holds major bounce-back potential for SDSU, as league-leading Utah State makes the trip to Viejas Arena. On the back end of the week, the Aztecs have a date with New Mexico in The Pit. A pair of wins this week would be huge in the Aztecs’ race for the title (as well as for any at-large NCAA Tournament hopes). Head Coach Brian Dutcher has a reputation for getting the most out of his teams in March – Look for the Aztecs to work on shifting momentum sooner rather than later.
Of note, talented SDSU Freshman Elzie Harrington made his return from injury in the Aztecs’ loss to Colorado State (albeit with a bit of rust to shake off).
#3 New Mexico Lobos (21-6, 12-4 MWC) | 30 points
Previous Rank: #3
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Air Force (98-61); Won, at Fresno State (80-78)
Why: New Mexico had quite the scare over the weekend, nearly falling victim to the trap game that is Fresno State. Enter Deyton Albury and Jake Hall – The two explosive guards combined for 41 points in the comeback win, willing the Lobos back from a 22-point deficit, and making a number of key plays in crunch time. Side Note: If you’d like to read our recap of the unlikely comeback, you can find that article here.
Paired with a blowout win over Air Force earlier in the week, the Lobos find themselves riding a three-game winning streak, and are tied at second-place within the league standings (with San Diego State). Next up? A challenging road trip to Nevada, where the Wolf Pack just completed an upset win over Utah State.
#4 Grand Canyon ‘Lopes (17-10, 10-6 MWC) | 27 points
Previous Rank: #4
Weekly Snapshot: Won, at San Diego State (73-63); Lost, vs. Wyoming (65-70)
Why: Grand Canyon holds at #4 in our weekly power rankings. The ‘Lopes made a huge statement by defeating San Diego State in Viejas Arena, only to follow-up with a disappointing upset loss to Wyoming in Phoenix.
This puts Grand Canyon in an interesting position with regard to potential Mountain West Tournament seeding. The ‘Lopes do hold tiebreakers over league-leaders Utah State and San Diego State – The only team that can boast as much. But, the ‘Lopes would come up short in any tie-breaking processes against the likes of New Mexico, Nevada, or Colorado State. This makes GCU’s closing stretch all the more important, as they position for a run at the Mountain West Tournament title in a few weeks.
Senior guard Jaden Henley has been incredible this season (averaging 17 points per game), but Grand Canyon has struggled to close games as of late – They’ve dropped three of their last five games, losing each by single digits. A big week looms ahead, with rematches against UNLV and Utah State on deck.
#5 Nevada Wolf Pack (18-9, 10-6 MWC) | 24 points
Previous Rank: #5
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at San José State (71-87); Won, vs. Utah State (80-77)
#6 Colorado State Rams (17-10, 8-8 MWC) | 20 points
Previous Rank: #9
Weekly Snapshot: Won, at UNLV (91-86); Won, vs. San Diego State (83-74)
#7 (Tie) Boise State Broncos (16-11, 8-8 MWC) | 17 points
Previous Rank: #7
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at Utah State (56-75); Won, vs. San José State (84-69)
#7 (Tie) UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (14-13, 9-7 MWC) | 17 points
Previous Rank: #6
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, vs. Colorado State (86-91); Won, at Air Force (91-66)
Why: This group of squads is particularly intriguing. Nevada, Colorado State, Boise State, and UNLV have each had moments of real brilliance, highlighting some of the league’s most explosive newcomers (for example, UNLV’s Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn, or Nevada’s Corey Camper Jr.). Yet, each has experienced a seesaw trajectory of ups-and-downs.
Nevada picked up a monster win against Utah State this weekend, but only after suffering an absolutely head-scratching loss to San José State. Corey Camper Jr. is averaging 17 points per game, and the Wolf Pack features one of the more talented cores in the league. The Pack will look to ride their big-win momentum into dates with New Mexico and UNLV this week.
Colorado State has quietly started to turn some heads, pulling a convincing win over San Diego State in Fort Collins on Saturday. This added to a five-game winning streak for the Rams, who seem to be clicking at just the right time. CSU has favorable match-ups with Fresno State and SJSU this week, and could string together some serious “dark horse” momentum, heading into March.
Boise State and UNLV have arguably been the most difficult squads to figure out in this year’s Mountain West. The Broncos and Rebels own some of the league’s best wins (both in and out of conference play), but have also experienced some of the league’s most lopsided losses as well. Win or lose, these teams seem to do so in dramatic fashion. The talent is undoubtedly there, but the clock is ticking as March approaches.
#9 Wyoming Cowboys (15-12, 6-10 MWC) | 12 points
Previous Rank: #10
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Fresno State (92-82); Won, at Grand Canyon (70-65)
#10 Fresno State Bulldogs (12-15, 6-10 MWC) | 9 points
Previous Rank: #8
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at Wyoming (82-92); Lost, vs. New Mexico (78-80)
#11 San José State Spartans (7-20, 2-14) | 6 points
Previous Rank: #11
Weekly Snapshot: Won, vs. Nevada (87-71); Lost, at Boise State (69-84)
#12 Air Force Falcons (3-24, 0-16 MWC) | 3 points
Previous Rank: #12
Weekly Snapshot: Lost, at UNM (61-98); Lost, vs. UNLV (66-91)
Why: Wyoming had a great week, snatching a pair of wins in gritty fashion – The Cowboys knocked off Fresno State in the Dome of Doom, before stealing a very impressive win over Grand Canyon on the road. Freshman Nas Meyer continues to add to a solid season, posting 22 points in Wyoming’s win over Fresno State.
Fresno State has shown encouraging strides throughout the season, especially in comparison to where the program was a year ago. And the Bulldogs were so close to what would have been a major upset win over New Mexico. Freshman forward DeShawn Gory is primed to be a star.
As for the latter two teams included here… As they say, times are tough. San José State did manage to snag a huge win over Nevada this week – A timely reminder that SJSU can play up to any opponent on any given night. Air Force, now at 0-16 in Mountain West play, officially parted ways with head coach Joe Scott, after Scott’s suspension caught Mountain West fans by surprise, just over a month ago. A full rebuild lays ahead for the Falcons.
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. Grand Canyon | 4. Grand Canyon | 9 points |
| 5. Nevada | 5. Nevada | 5. Nevada | 8 points |
| 6. Colorado State | 6. Colorado State | 6. Boise State | 7 points |
| 7. UNLV | 7. UNLV | 7. Colorado State | 6 points |
| 8. Boise State | 8. Boise State | 8. UNLV | 5 points |
| 9. Wyoming | 9. Wyoming | 9. Wyoming | 4 points |
| 10. Fresno State | 10. Fresno State | 10. Fresno State | 3 points |
| 11. San José State | 11. San José State | 11. San José 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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