Mountain West Conference Tournament capsules

Mountain West Conference Tournament Capsules

Note: All times Mountain

Air Force (9-20, 1-15)
Seeded: Ninth
First Opponent: Wyoming, Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Play-in game)
Series this season: 1-1. Won at home, 70-63, on Jan. 30; Lost at Wyoming, 58-49, on March 2.
What’s encouraging: In the play-in game, Air Force faces the only MWC team it beat in the regular season, and with a victory it would face a New Mexico team it took to the wire at The Pit.
What’s not: Air Force has been the worst team in the MWC for the past two seasons, and of its 15 losses in conference play this season, 11 came by double-digits, including eight by 17 or more points.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 150-1. Air Force has lost nine straight and 32 of its past 34 games against MWC opponents. Buster Douglas KO-ing Mike Tyson was more plausible.

BYU (28-4, 13-3)
Seeded: Second
First Opponent: TCU, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Series this season: 2-0. Won at home, 76-56, on Feb. 2; Won at TCU, 107-77, Saturday.
What’s encouraging: The Cougars have won six of their past seven games (with the lone loss in that stretch coming by two points to New Mexico), and they have multiple players who can light it up, including junior guard Jimmer Fredette (20.6 points per game), junior guard Jackson Emery (12.6) and senior guard/forward Jonathan Tavernari (10.5).
What’s not: BYU could meet UNLV in the semifinals. The Cougars have not beaten the Runnin’ Rebels at the Thomas and Mack Center since Feb. 5, 2005 – a stretch of six games, the most recent of which was an 88-74 loss Feb. 6.
Jake's odds of cutting down the nets: 2-1. BYU has size, shooting, experience and the revenge factor. The Cougars’ 83-81 loss to New Mexico on Feb. 27 gave the league title to the Lobos. That surely is motivating BYU.

Colorado State (16-14, 7-9)
Seeded: Fifth
First Opponent: San Diego State, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
Series this season: 0-2. Lost at home, 64-52, on Jan. 30; Lost at SDS, 68-55 on March 3.
What’s encouraging: With junior forwards Andy Ogide (11.9 points per game, 6.6 rebounds) and Travis Franklin (10.6, 5.0), Colorado State has a pair of talented, athletic forwards who at least give the Rams a chance against the Aztecs’ imposing front line.
What’s not: Prior to Saturday’s 76-67 victory over Utah, the Rams had lost five straight, including a 13-point loss to San Diego State on Mar. 3.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 40-1. San Diego State is a tough matchup, and the Rams probably still are a year or two away from making a run.

New Mexico (28-3, 14-2)
Seeded: First
First Opponent: Air Force-Wyoming Winner, Thursday, 1 p.m.
Series this season: 2-0 vs. Air Force. Won at Air Force, 73-50, on Jan. 20; Won at home, 59-56, on Feb. 20. 2-0 vs. Wyoming. Won at Wyoming, 70-68, on Jan. 16; Won at home, 83-61, on Feb. 17.
What’s encouraging: The regular-season league champs have the MWC Player of the Year (guard Darington Hobson), have won 14 in a row and have been infallible in close games. New Mexico is 6-0 in league games decided by four or fewer points.
What’s not: New Mexico lost in the quarterfinals of last season’s league tournament. And could the win streak – and all those close games – be wearing on the Lobos?
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 3-2. The Lobos are athletic and talented and should be rested – they haven’t played since March 3.

San Diego State (22-8, 11-5)
Seeded: Fourth
First Opponent: Colorado State, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
Series this season: 2-0. Won at CSU, 64-52, on Jan. 30; Won at home, 68-55 on March 3.
What’s encouraging: The Aztecs have won six of their past seven games, and they’ve shown they can play with the league’s top three teams. They split games with New Mexico and UNLV, and while they lost two to BYU, the first came by just two points.
What’s not: The Aztecs rank last in the league in free-throw shooting (60.8 percent) and have a short bench.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 5-1. You can’t count out the most athletic team in the conference, especially if the Aztecs are playing their best defensively.

TCU (13-18, 5-11)
Seeded: Seventh
First Opponent: BYU, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Series this season: 0-2. Lost at BYU, 76-56, on Feb. 2; Lost at home, 107-77, Saturday.
What’s encouraging: TCU ran out to an 18-4 lead last Saturday against the Cougars.
What’s not: BYU stomped the Horned Frogs after falling behind 18-4. The cliché is it’s tough to beat the same team three times in one season. But probably not when the first two victories have come by a combined 50 points.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 80-1. The Horned Frogs got a tough draw against a team that has beaten them 12 times in a row.

UNLV (23-7, 11-5)
Seeded: Third
First Opponent: Utah, Thursday, 9:30 p.m.
Series this season: 0-2. Lost at home, 73-69, on Jan. 16; Lost at Utah, 66-61 on Feb. 17.
What’s encouraging: The Rebels have won four straight and are playing on their home floor, where they always are tough.
What’s not: UNLV was swept by Utah, its first-round opponent, during the regular season, and its four-game winning streak came against CSU and the league’s bottom three teams – and came immediately after a three-game losing streak.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 4-1. Can’t count out the Rebels as long as the tournament is in Las Vegas.

Utah (14-16, 7-9)
Seeded: Sixth
First Opponent: UNLV, Thursday, 9:30 p.m.
Series this season: 2-0. Won at UNLV, 73-69, on Feb. 16; Won at home, 66-61, on Feb. 17.
What’s encouraging: The Utes, who swept UNLV in the regular season, have size and freshman guard Marshall Henderson, who can get hot from the perimeter.
What’s not: After beating UNLV for the second time in the regular season, the Utes lost three of their next five with their two victories coming over play-in game participants Air Force and Wyoming.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 30-1. The defending tournament champions have shown the ability to compete with the top teams in the league. But they’re probably too young to make another run through the tournament this season.

Wyoming (10-20, 3-13)
Seeded: Eighth
First Opponent: Air Force, Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Play-in game)
Series this season: 1-1. Lost at Air Force, 70-63, on Jan. 30; Won at home, 58-49, on March 2.
What’s encouraging: The emergence of freshman guard Desmar Jackson. In the 11 games since the Cowboys’ best player, Afam Muojeke, suffered a season-ending knee injury, Jackson has averaged 18.5 points.
What’s not: Wyoming hasn’t been the same without Muojeke and with center Adam Waddell playing through nagging knee and ankle injuries.
Jake’s odds of cutting down the nets: 100-1. The Cowboys have lost nine of their past 10, and the only team they beat was Air Force. The nine losses came by an average of 17.3 points.