MWC

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Mountain West 2-0 in Rivalry Games

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:55:01 -0500

Wednesday offered Utah and UNLV the opportunity to knock off in-state rivals (Utah State and Nevada) who will enter their respective conference seasons expected to compete for league titles, and neither disappointed. The Utes were able to capitalize on seventeen Utah State turnovers and a hot-shooting Carlon Brown (sorry for referring to you as Carlton yesterday) to pull out the 68-67 win over the Aggies.

UNLV recovered from a slow first half to knock off Nevada 88-75 as Oscar Bellfield scored a career-high 22 points and the Runnin' Rebels outscored the Wolf Pack 55-37 in the second half. These are a pair of wins that while the may not look like much right now could end up being valuable resume-builders for both the teams and their conference.

Three Key Happenings

1. Cornell is a team to keep an eye on for the remainder of 2009. The Big Red picked up their second road win of the season, this time knocking off UMass 74-61 in Amherst. This follows their win at Alabama, but with the Crimson Tide rebuilding under a new head coach in Anthony Grant Wednesday's win may be the more impressive of the two. Cornell's Louis Dale (24 points) and UMass' Ricky Harris (26 points) had quite the individual duel but it was the overall shooting that did in the Minutemen. UMass shot just 36.7% from the field and turned the ball over nineteen times in the Legends Classic game. With SetonHall (home) and Syracuse (away) next on the schedule the two-time defending Ivy champs could have quite the resume heading into December.

2. This has the makings of a long season on The Farm. Stanford, who had already lost at home to San Diego, fell to Oral Roberts 83-81 at Maples Pavilion on Wednesday night. Not much was expected from Johnny Dawkins' team heading into the season but this just adds to the unimpressive start for the Pac-10. In their two losses this season the Cardinal have given up an average of eighty points per game and tonight the Golden Eagles shot 49.2% from the field. Landry Fields (28 points) and Jeremy Green (20 points) were effective scoring but this is not a team that will be consistently successful in outscoring opponents this season, so the defense must improve.

3. If Cincinnati can play this well offensively on a nightly basis look out. There was a lot of talk about the Bearcats possibly being the most improved team in the Big East due in large part to the arrival of Lance Stephenson and the return of Cashmere Wright in addition to standouts Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates. Mick Cronin's team definitely isn't short on individual talent but if they can execute offensively as they did in their 92-68 win over Toledo they'll be a handful. Cincinnati finished the night with twenty-seven assists (10 turnovers) on thirty-seven baskets and they shot 52.1% from the field. Maui next week will provide stiffer tests but their final tune-up is definitely a good start.

Top Three Games

1. North Texas 101, UT-Arlington 99 (2OT) The Mean Green moved to 2-0 on the season with the close win over the Mavericks. North Texas' Josh White led all scorers with thirty-five while Boston College transfer Marquez Haynes led the Mavs with twenty-nine.

2. Utah 68, Utah State 67 Carlon Brown led the Utes with twenty-two points in their win over the Aggies, the eighth straight time in the series that the home team has won. Jared Quayle led Utah State with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

3. Loyola (MD) 69, UMBC 66 Jamal Barney scored fourteen second-half points in helping to lead the Greyhounds over their neighbors in Baltimore. Chauncey Gilliam led all scorers with 22 points but it wasn't enough to lead the Retrievers to the home victory in the canine showdown.

Three Notable Offensive Performances

1. G Corey Hassan (Sacred Heart) The senior scored thirty-three points to go along with eleven rebounds in the Pioneers' 76-66 loss at Fordham.

2. F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts) Morrison scored thirty-one points and added nine rebounds and three assists in the Golden Eagles' 83-81 win at Stanford.

3. G James Anderson (Oklahoma State) Anderson led the Cowboys in their 93-61 win over Southern with thirty points and ten rebounds. Just imagine what he could have done had he shot better from behind the arc (3-10 3PT).

MWC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:19:48 -0500

BYU is the MWC favorite, but the rest of the league is wide-open, as 6 other teams have legitimate hopes of making a deep run in the league tournament.

Conference Rank: 9th

10 year average: 7th

MWC Conference Page

All-MWC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jimmer Fredette	BYU	Jr
G	Afam Muojeke	Wyoming	So
G/f	Roman Martinez	New Mexico	Sr
F	Jonathan Tavernari	BYU	Sr
F	Billy White	San Diego St	Jr

Player of the Year - Greivis Vasquez Freshman of the Year - Kawhi Leonard (SDSU)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jimmer Fredette High-Major All-Americans Jimmer Fredette (1st Team) Jonathan Tavernari (2nd) Roman Martinez Afam Muojeke Billy White All-Freshman Team Kawhi Leonard		Points: Jimmer Fredette 16.2 Rebounds: Zvonko Buljan 7.8 Assists: Dairese Gray 4.1

MWC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

42	BYU	MWC	1	NCAA
62	Utah	MWC	2	NIT
85	UNLV	MWC	3	CBI/CIT
90	New Mexico	MWC	4	CBI/CIT
103	TCU	MWC	5	CBI/CIT
129	Wyoming	MWC	6
145	San Diego State	MWC	7
198	Colorado State	MWC	8
269	Air Force	MWC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MWC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Best Non-BCS Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:41 -0500

Poll: Who Will Win the MWC?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:30:32 -0400

College Basketball: Preseason Conference Ranking

CHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:04 -0400

After finishing 1st in the RPI the last two years, the ACC should fall back slightly thanks to the big-name departures at UNC & Wake Forest. This should allow one of the Big 12, Big Ten, or even SEC a shot at being #1. The Pac-10 is weak enough that a high-major like the A-10, MVC, or MWC could surpass it.

Chime in with your thoughts below if you agree or disagree with CHN's preseason conference ranking.

2009-10 Conference Ranking

*08-09 is last year's conference RPI. Commentary by Shawn Siegel, ranking by CHN.

	Conference	08-09*
1	Big Ten 9 of 11 teams go into season with ncaa hopes, and as many as 7 may reach that goal	2
2	Big 12 ku is the clear title contender. the bottom few teams are weak though and the middle-tier is hit or miss	3
3	ACC no dominant team like last year, but solid as always.	1
4	SEC rise of uk brings league back to prominence after down year..	6
5	Big East lose tons of big name players, and still held down by likes of depual, rutgers, etc	4
6	Pac-10 conceivable the pac-10 only receives 3 tourney bids.	5
7	Atlantic 10 should get at least 2 invites to the ncaa tournament	8
8	MVC with improvement expected from usual leaders creighton & siu, mvc should be solid all-around	9
9	MWC just about every top team loses a top player, but mwc should be one of the more entertaining leagues	7
10	Conference USA though memphis takes step back, rest of league is better than usual.	10
11	WAC after some down years, wac will once again be compeititve league	11
12	Horizon butler has top 10 hopes, but squads like csu and green bay lose key seniors.	12
13	Colonial while still 1 bid league, likes of odu, n'eastern, gmu, and vcu are all quality	14
14	Sun Belt more then just wku, the entire east division is solid	17
15	MAAC siena, niagara, and rider all have postseason hopes	13
16	WCC gonzaga and smc both worse then season ago	15
17	MAC #'s should be better than last year, but west division still a struggle	21
18	Big West led by up-and-coming long beach state. always finish around this #.	18
19	Summit darling ndsu loses a lot, so usual contenders like oru and oakland should be at forefront again	26
20	Big Sky with exception of sacramento st, this is a solid league top to bottom.	24
21	Southland underrated league always good for some non-conference upsets	19
22	Ivy cornell will be the best the ivy has offered in quite some years	29
23	Southern steph curry's departure opens up door for charleston	20
24	America East decimation of binghamton will hurt league #'s	16
25	Atlantic Sun the league's upper half is as solid as it's been for a few years	27
26	Patriot could use a rebound from former top gun bucknell.	22
27	OVC morehead st continues its improbable rise..	23
28	Big South outside of radford, not much to get excited about here..	25
29	NEC nec hasn't had much going for it in recent years	28
30	MEAC as usual, will battle swac for title of country's worst	30
31	SWAC solid jackson st gives swac hope of surpassing meac	31

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

BYU Basketball Preview: #43

Joel Welser — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:28:41 -0400

Overall Rank: #43

Conference Rank: #1 Mountain West Conference

2008-09: 25-8, 12-4

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Dave Rose (97-34 at BYU, 97-34 overall)

Coach Dave Rose has done a great job during his four seasons at the helm of BYU. However, during those four years he had Lee Cummard to rely on. Cummard was one of the best all-around players in the nation last year and at times during his career he carried this team. Can the Cougars live on without Cummard?

Key Losses: F Lee Cummard, C Gavin MacGregor

Key Newcomers:

With everybody else returning who averaged at least ten minutes per game, the Cougars will stay towards the top of the conference and that means the newcomers will not need to produce too much. However, Logan Magnusson is ready to give the team some quality minutes. The junior college transfer is a versatile small forward who can do a little bit of everything. Shooting guard Tyler Haws and power forward Brandon Davies are highly regarded freshmen and wing Brock Zylstra is back on the team after redshirting during the 2006-2007 campaign and then taking his LDS mission.

Backcourt:

But it is hard to see where the newcomers will find minutes, although they will certainly push the returnees for playing time. In the backcourt Jimmer Fredette is the new superstar. As a sophomore last year the 6-2 guard averaged 16.2 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He is an efficient shooter from long range and is certainly capable of taking the clutch shots that went to Cummard last season. Jackson Emery will start by his side. Emery is not as explosive of a scorer, but he can hit the outside shot. Emery is mostly known for his defense, but it would be helpful if he could add a little more scoring to his repertoire to help replace Cummard. Lamont Morgan is the likely candidate to go from a roleplayer to a starter. Morgan only averaged 3.6 points per game last year, but he is a decent ballhandler. That would allow Fredette and Emery to play off the ball. With Charles Abouo and Michael Loyd, who sat out last season, on the bench, BYU has plenty of options.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt might have to carry a little more of the load this season and that should not be a problem with Chris Miles, James Anderson and Noah Hartsock returning. Miles is the starter under the basket and the 6-11 senior is capable of playing a bigger role. Last year he tallied 7.1 points per game and 4.0 rebounds. Miles weakness is his free-throw shooting and when he gets the ball under the basket, it is a good idea to foul him and make him earn his two points. If he can increase his free-throw shooting, Miles will develop into a much more dangerous scorer. Anderson and Hartsock both had promising freshmen campaigns and they should take a little pressure off of Miles. Anderson is a little better scorer at this point in his career, but Hartsock will hit the glass hard.

Who to Watch:

The player who will hold this team together is Jonathan Tavernari. After opting not to enter the NBA, Tavernari should provide the inside and outside presence for this team. Tavernari is really a 6-6 wing, but he is perfectly suited to play the four spot for the Cougars. He is a superb outside shooter, but he will also use his size to finish around the basket. After averaging 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last year, big things are expected from Tavernari.

Final Projection:

And big things are expected from BYU as well. Despite the loss of Cummard, BYU should be the team to beat in the Mountain West Conference. Fredette is ready to take over the backcourt and few teams have the ability to defend Tavernari. As long as Fredette can be the next Cummard, BYU might even win a game in the NCAA Tournament instead of losing, yet again, in the first round.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Lamont Morgan, Senior, Guard, 3.6 points per game

Jimmer Fredette, Junior, Guard, 16.2 points per game

Jackson Emery, Junior, Guard, 7.8 points per game

Jonathan Tavernari, Senior, Guard, 15.7 points per game

Chris Miles, Senior, Center, 7.1 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
44		45		46		47

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Utah Basketball Preview: #62

Joel Welser — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:03:34 -0400

Overall Rank: #62

Conference Rank: #2 Mountain West Conference

2008-09: 24-10, 12-4

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Jim Boylen (42-25 at Utah, 42-25 overall)

Utah had a great year in 2008-2009, ending up tying for the Mountain West Conference championship and making it to the NCAA Tournament. But now the Utes top four scorers, including superstar Luke Nevill, are gone and Coach Jim Boylen has a much tougher task during his third year with the program than he did last season.

Key Losses: G Lawrence Borha, F Shaun Green, G Tyler Kepkay, C Luke Nevill

Key Newcomers:

But Coach Boylen has brought in a great recruiting class and that should keep Utah towards the top of the of the conference. Junior college transfers Matt Read, Jay Watkins and Ricky Shoff should all have the experience to make an immediate impact. Center Jason Washburn was a highly touted recruit and is ready to contribute after a year of gaining strength on the bench. Fellow big men Shawn Glover and Jeremy Olsen will provide even more depth up front. The Utes need some depth on the perimeter as well and Marshall Henderson and Chris Hines should be able to provide that.

Backcourt:

Despite the absence of the top four scorers, Utah does return three starters and two of them are on the perimeter. Carlon Brown has turned into a steady point guard who can do a lot more than just pass. He is not much of a shooter, but Brown will finish around the basket and is the team’s top returning scorer after averaging 9.3 points per game last year. He is also a great rebounder for a guard and that might make a big difference without a great rebounder like Nevill on the team. Luka Drca will turn into the teams outside shooter, but he can also handle the ball and will occasionally get to the basket. Jace Tavita and Jordan Cyphers did not play too often last year, but the 6-4 wings will battle it out with the newcomers for playing time.

Frontcourt:

It was the 6-11, 230 pound forward Kim Tillie who often created space for Nevill to dominate the paint. Tillie is not much of a scorer, but he is a solid rebounder and will do all the dirty work around the basket. Tillie should step back into his starting role at the four spot, but the big question is just who is going to replace Nevill? Washburn is an option, but so is 7-3 center David Foster. Foster played as a freshman for Utah a couple of years ago before going on his LDS mission. He showed promise during that season, but was really only in the game when Nevill was in foul trouble. Now Foster needs to show that he can be a consistent force under the basket.

Who to Watch:

The Utes need to get production out of their newcomers or it could be a long season in Salt Lake City. Obviously the junior college transfers are the best bets to play early and it could end up being combo forward Jay Watkins that makes the biggest impact. The 6-7 Memphis, Tennessee native spent one year at San Francisco before heading to the College of Southern Idaho and finally ending up at Utah. His ability to hit the glass will give the team another strong rebounder, but Watkins can also use his size to get to the basket and could turn into a consistent scorer.

Final Projection:

This Utah team has potential, but potential is always a little dangerous. If Foster or Washburn can turn into something that even slightly resembles Nevill then the team will be in good shape. But that might not even be enough to reach the NCAA Tournament. The backcourt does not have a ton of firepower and they need to find another scorer to compliment Brown.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Carlon Brown, Junior, Guard, 9.3 points per game

Luka Drca, Senior, Guard, 7.7 points per game

Jay Watkins, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Kim Tillie, Senior, Forward, 3.3 points per game

David Foster, Sophomore, Center, DNP last season

Next Top 144 Teams
63		64		65		66

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

The Ultimate Schedule: Mountain West

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:55:15 -0400

Mountain West Scheduling “Rules”:

- Four non-conference games

- Eight conference games

Week 1: BYU vs. Oklahoma (September 5^th in Arlington, TX)

Very few people, if any, will expect the Cougars to beat the Sooners in the season opener. However, they’ve got the tools necessary to stick around for all four quarters. The last meeting came all the way back in 1994, when BYU beat Oklahoma in the Copper Bowl. The quarterback matchup alone should be worth the price of admission, with Max Hall facing off against reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford. The question: how much pressure can the Cougars put on Bradford? If he’s allowed to stand in the pocket and find open guys without pressure it’ll be a long day for the Cougars. But if Jan Jorgensen and company can make life difficult for Bradford then BYU will have a shot.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ Colorado (9/6), San Diego State @ UCLA (9/5)

Week 2: Texas @ Wyoming (September 12^th)

Very rarely does a team in the position of the Cowboys get to host a traditional power like the Longhorns, and they’ll be fighting an uphill battle when Colt McCoy and company arrive in Laramie. New head coach Dave Christiansen has experience against Texas given his prior position as offensive coordinator at Missouri, but he also doesn’t have the same caliber of playmaker. Texas will have an advantage at every position on the field, but War Memorial Stadium can be a tough place to play if you fall behind early. The Cowboys have won their last two home games against BCS opponents, beating Virginia in 2007 and Ole Miss in 2004. But neither team had the ability that Mack Brown’s team does.

Other Games Considered: Air Force @ Minnesota (9/12), Oregon State @ UNLV (9/12)

Week 3: Utah @ Oregon (September 19^th)

The game that’s gotten the bulk of the attention on the Ducks’ schedule is their opening night trip to Boise State. But the Utes will be a handful and then some when they walk into Autzen Stadium. Utah beat Oregon in 2003, but they’ll find the task much tougher thanks to the presence of players such as QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB LaGarrette Blount. The Ducks return just nine starters, but the amount of talent at new head coach Chip Kelly’s fingertips is enough for some to peg Oregon as a team that could possibly dethrone USC in the Pac-10. Whichever team does the better job of stopping the run will have the upper hand as both rely on the ground game to open things up in the passing game.

Other Games Considered: Florida State @ BYU (9/19), Nevada @ Colorado State (9/19), Air Force @ New Mexico (9/19)

Week 4: TCU @ Clemson (September 26^th)

The Horned Frogs make their second and final trip of the season into ACC country, this time looking to knock off a Clemson team that’s hard to peg in Death Valley. Kyle Parker hasn’t played in a college football game but he’ll be the starting quarterback for the Tigers, and Willy Korn will also see time. But if TCU can’t keep RB C.J. Spiller and WR Jacoby Ford under wraps they’ll have a hard time leaving with a victory. The Horned Frogs have a good enough offense to keep Clemson’s offense off of the field, but they’ll need some plays from Gary Patterson’s dependable defense to ensure a win.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ BYU (9/26), New Mexico State @ New Mexico (9/26)

Week 5: Bye Week (October 3^rd)

There are a couple of appealing non-conference games on this date, most notably Air Force travelling to Navy in a game that will likely decide which service academy wins the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. UNLV will play in-state rival Nevada for the Fremont Cannon and New Mexico will visit Lubbock (Texas Tech), but none of those games are as appealing as the already selected non-conference games.

Week 6: BYU @ UNLV (October 10^th)

The trip to Las Vegas can be a tricky one, despite the recent struggles of the home team. If you allow yourself to get caught up in the bright lights that are “Sin City” a loss is a distinct possibility, despite the face that BYU has won the last four games in the series. The Cougars needed a touchdown in the final two minutes of the game to win last season, a game that came in the middle of a five-game skid for the Rebels. The Cougars have done well in navigating their trips to Vegas, having never lost to UNLV on the road. So long as Max Hall and company come out with a business-like approach BYU should be in decent shape, but the chance is always there for the Rebels.

Other Games Considered: Utah @ Colorado State (10/10), TCU @ Air Force (10/10)

Week 7: Colorado State @ TCU (October 17^th)

The Horned Frogs have won five straight in the series since Colorado State beat them in Fort Collins in 1998. They hadn’t played often in the past due to different conference affiliations, and the Rams have averaged just 8.4 points per game in those five losses. TCU’s defense can give many teams trouble, and they did just that in holding the Rams to just eleven yards rushing in last year’s 13-7 victory. And with Gartrell Johnson gone things could possibly get worse for CSU, but it isn’t like they weren’t in that game. If Colorado State can make a few plays offensively they can hang around. But if Jerry Hughes and company shut them down, look out.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Air Force (10/17), Utah @ UNLV (10/17)

Week 8: TCU @ BYU (October 24^th)

The Mountain West title, and possibly even more, could be on the line when the Horned Frogs visit Provo. Last year’s meeting was the first tell-tale sign that everything wasn’t right with BYU, with TCU putting forth a dominant showing in the 32-7 blowout. BYU could establish nothing on the ground (23 yards rushing), and the one-dimensional version of the Cougar offense didn’t stand a chance. In fact, TCU held eight straight opponents to fewer than 100 yards on the ground to start 2008. Can things be different with a change of scenery? That’s what the Cougars will hope, having won three of the four meetings between the two teams in Provo.

Other Games Considered: Air Force @ Utah (10/24), San Diego State @ Colorado State (10/24)

Week 9: Air Force @ Colorado State (October 31^st)

The two Mountain West teams in Colorado square off on Halloween, with both looking to be teams caught in the midsection of the league. The Falcons have won the last three meetings in the series, with the neither of the last two being close. Air Force accounted for more than four hundred yards in last season’s 38-17 victory, even throwing for 171 yards. The Falcons are going to get their yards on the ground; when they’re able to hit the big play through the air as well Troy Calhoun’s team is virtually impossible to stop. If CSU can accomplish the task of limiting Air Force on the ground, they could win the Ram/Falcon Trophy for the first time in three years.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Utah (10/31), UNLV @ TCU (10/31)

Week 10: BYU @ Wyoming (November 7^th)

We should have a good idea as to how much Coach Christiansen has changed the culture in Laramie by the time the first week of November rolls around; whether or not they can be competitive with the Cougars will show how far they have to go. BYU has won eight of the last nine meetings, and six of those eight meetings were decided by double digits. Six turnovers cost the Cowboys in last year’s 44-0 shutout, but even without those miscues Wyoming would have been in serious trouble. If Karsten Sween and company don’t take better care of the football they’ll be in for a long day.

Other Games Considered: Colorado State @ UNLV (11/7), TCU @ San Diego State (11/7)

Week 11: Utah @ TCU (November 14^th)

The second of three games that will most likely decide who wins the conference will be in Fort Worth, with TCU likely remembering the fact that they were one loss away from a trip to the BCS. Utah won 13-10 thanks to a touchdown pass from Brian Johnson to Freddie Brown with forty-eight seconds remaining in the game, sealing the fate of both teams. With the home-field advantage TCU will hope to turn the tables on Utah, this time finishing off a superior effort. The preseason signs point to a TCU win, but the Utes have won five of the six prior meetings. The winner will go a long way towards cementing a possible conference title, and maybe even a BCS bid.

Other Games Considered: UNLV @ Air Force (11/14), Wyoming @ San Diego State (11/14)

Week 12: Air Force @ BYU (November 21^st)

The Cougars have won the last five meetings in the series, including a 38-24 win in Colorado Springs last season. BYU won the time of possession battle by just over two minutes, but the key in their win was the fact that they took better advantage of their opportunities than the Falcons. The problem for Air Force is that they haven’t even been close in the series, with none of the last five games being decided by single digits. If Air Force can control the game on the ground and keep Max Hall from matching last year’s output (354 yards passing and two touchdowns) they’ll have a punchers chance. But make no mistake about it: Air Force will be fighting an uphill battle.

Other Games Considered: TCU @ Wyoming (11/21), Colorado State @ New Mexico (11/21)

Week 13: Utah @ BYU (November 28^th)

To say these two schools don’t like each other would be like saying that 1+1=2. There’s a reason why the game has the nickname of the “Holy War”, and Utah fans took great joy in watching their team embarrass the Cougars in Salt Lake City last year. Six BYU turnovers led to a 48-24 beating that sealed the Utes’ trip to New Orleans, ending a two-game losing streak in the series. Anything from a possible BCS berth to the conference bowl pecking order could be on the line, but those perks won’t replace the allure of bragging rights for a year.

Other Games Considered: Wyoming @ Colorado State (11/27), San Diego State @ UNLV (11/28)

Mountain West Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:39:44 -0400

Can someone else crash the BCS party?

Utah was able to qualify for the BCS thanks to an undefeated season and the necessary ranking in the final BCS poll. But what they did once the Allstate Sugar Bowl kicked off sent shockwaves throughout the college football world, harassing the Alabama offense from start to finish. The Utes’ 31-17 win over the Crimson Tide left no doubt as to which team was the better of the two, and it gave the Mountain West a solid platform on which to stand in discussing their merits for an automatic BCS bid. The arguments got all the way to Capitol Hill, but nothing’s been changed to the current format (ESPN’s deal runs from 2010 to 2013, so it’s doubtful anything happens before that contract ends).

What can the Mountain West do for an encore? They can grab another at-large berth, and the three teams who finished atop the conference standings in 2008 have more than enough ammunition to make a run. The defending champion Utes will have a new quarterback among seven new starters on offense. Three of those starters are on the offensive line with senior left tackle Zane Beadles leading the way. Quarterbacks Terrance Cain and Jordan Wynn will compete for snaps and both could very well see action this season. Matt Asiata is back at running back, but expect many players to get quality touches both in the backfield and at receiver.

Defensively Utah was slated to return seven starters with rover Stevenson Sylvester leading the way. But the defensive end who had the best ability to make up for the loss of Paul Kruger, Koa Misi, went down in fall camp with a back injury. While it’s doubtful that Misi will play in the opener against Utah State he should be back the following week against San Jose State. But there’s still more than enough talent on defense to get Utah through the first two games of the season. The hope is that by the time they visit Oregon (September 19^th) Cain and/or Wynn will be comfortable in leading the offense.

TCU was the other Mountain West team ranked in the Top 10 at season’s end, and they could find themselves back in that realm due to a team that returns seven offensive starters. Senior QB Andy Dalton is a dependable option who can make plays with his arm or with his legs. Running back Joseph Turner also returns, and he was the team’s leading rusher in 2008. Gary Patterson’s team tends to look to a variety of options on offense instead of leaning upon a few choice stars.

And while the defense returns just four starters they do welcome back DE Jerry Hughes. Hughes was a headache for opposing offensive coordinators, racking up fifteen sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in 2008. TCU lost their top three tacklers from a season ago, but they do return four starters in the secondary. Add to this a schedule that lends itself to an undefeated run (Virginia and Clemson are both beatable) and it isn’t difficult to picture the Horned Frogs making a run at the BCS.

BYU has the toughest schedule of the three, opening with Oklahoma in the new Cowboys Stadium before hosting Florida State two weeks later. QB Max Hall, RB Harvey Unga and TE Dennis Pitta all return to Provo, but the Cougars have just four starters back on offense. And unfortunately for head coach Bronco Mendenhall guys have gotten hurt in fall camp. Left tackle Matt Reynolds broke his hand, and younger brother Houston will be out for the year due to a torn ACL. For a group that returned just two starters (Matt was one of those two) the missed time due to injury could have an effect on its chemistry.

Defensively the Cougars will be very good with eight starters back. Senior DE Jan Jorgensen leads the way up front and middle linebacker Matt Bauman also returns after leading the team with 108 tackles. The talent is there for BYU to make a run at the Mountain West title, and they host both TCU and Utah. They’ll also deal with slightly lowered expectations due to the tough early schedule, and the hype was an issue once things didn’t go as planned in 2008 (the loss to TCU).

There’s a clear separation between the top three teams and the rest of the Mountain West, which should make for entertaining matchups between teams in the middle of the league. Mike Sanford enters an important year at UNLV, and with fourteen returning starters the Rebels could surpass five wins for the first time since 2003. QB Omar Clayton had eighteen touchdown passes and just four interceptions last season, and backup Mike Clausen also saw time under center. More production will be needed from the passing game, especially with RB Frank Summers off to the NFL. Defensively, first team All-MWC LB Jason Beauchamp leads a unit that returns seven starters.

Air Force has had a solid two-year run under Troy Calhoun, winning seventeen games over that span. Tim Jefferson takes over full-time under center in their option attack, and the backfield has more than a few options with tailbacks Asher Clark and Kyle Lumpkin being among the returnees. Seven starters return to a Falcon defense that will look to improve upon its standing of fifth in the conference in total defense. Optimism abounds in Fort Collins as well, with Colorado State looking to build upon a season that included a bowl victory in Steve Fairchild’s first campaign.

The Rams will have seven starters back on offense, led by All-Mountain West receivers Rashaun Greer (first team) and Dion Morton (second team). But they’ll need to replace the production of running back Gartrell Johnson and quarterback Kyle Farris if they want to entertain any thought of finishing in the top half of the conference. The defense returns just five starters but leading tacklers Mychal Sisson and Ricky Brewer will both be back. Expect CSU to once again flirt with bowl eligibility, hoping for back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2002-03.

Wyoming and San Diego State both return seventeen starters, but cynics may note that it could be a negative since both also have new head coaches. Dave Christiansen arrives in Laramie following a successful stint as the offensive coordinator at Missouri. And while there’s no Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin he will have a senior quarterback in Karsten Sween who should be looking to close out an otherwise underwhelming career on a high note. The receivers are there for Sween to do just that; it remains to be seen if the coaching change improves his production.

The Aztecs have long been described as a sleeping giant due to the recruiting resources at their disposal. Well, they’ve fallen into a virtual coma in recent seasons, and the fans hope that Brady Hoke is the answer. Hoke led Ball State to a MAC West crown in 2008 on the strength of Nate Davis’ throwing arm. QB Ryan Lindley took his fair share of lumps in 2008 yet still finished with sixteen touchdown passes to nine interceptions. Returning leaders abound on the ground and through the air, putting the onus on a defense that was dead last in the conference to make improvements. While it’s too much to expect big things from San Diego State this season do not be surprised if they surprise someone.

New Mexico also welcomes a new head coach in Mike Locksley, who replaces Rocky Long. The question is what they’ll get from the quarterback position; Donovan Porterie was largely disappointing last season, eventually losing his job to Brad Gruner. With the loss of RB Rodney Ferguson the Lobos will need more from the passing game, which also returns wide receivers Chris Hernandez, Bryant Williams and Roland Bruno. New Mexico will also have a lot of rebuilding to do on defense with just three starters returning to a unit that ranked forth in the Mountain West. Three of their top four tacklers are back, led by middle linebacker Clint McPeek (103 tackles).

As for a winner, look for the Horned Frogs to edge out BYU, despite the fact that they have to visit Provo on October 24^th. Utah could be a spoiler but the fact that they have to visit both of the other two contenders will do them no favors. Can the conference add more evidence to the idea that they deserve an automatic seat at the BCS table? They’ve got a pretty good shot to do just that.

Storyline: Can any of the top three teams make a run at the BCS? BYU has the schedule best suited to make national waves (Oklahoma and Florida State), but TCU may have the best schedule in terms of possibly going undefeated. Virginia isn’t expected to be very good, and Clemson has talent but will break in a new quarterback in Kyle Parker.

Players of the Year: QB Max Hall (BYU) and DE Jerry Hughes (TCU)

How they’ll finish

1. TCU

2. BYU

3. Utah

4. UNLV

5. Air Force

6. Colorado State

7. San Diego State

8. Wyoming

9. New Mexico

Next: Mountain West Ultimate Schedule

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Shawn Siegel — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:44:08 -0400