Knudsen: They Are Who We Thought They Were
FacebookBy Mark Knudsen, The Mtn. Insider
January 5, 2011
The recently concluded football season is a tough act to follow, but if the non-conference results are any indication, the Mountain West basketball season may be just as good - or dare we say even better - than the highly successful football season.
Lost in the glory of TCU’s Rose Bowl win and the Conference’s standout bowl season is the unprecedented success of San Diego State’s men’s basketball team, now at 15-0 and ranked No. 6 in the nation with league play starting tonight. The Aztecs have been impressive in every way possible, including winning tough road games against Cal and perennial power Gonzaga as they build their postseason resume.
The Aztecs aren’t a surprise to anyone who follows the league. Everyone knew they’d be good and that Kawhi Leonard was going to be a special player.
So far, no disappointments.
Leonard is averaging nearly 16 point and just under 10 rebounds per game. He’s gotten predictable help from D.J. Gay (12 PPG and 3 APG) and surprise help from transfer James Rahon. And with veteran leadership from a man with a NCAA title under his belt in head coach Steve Fisher, the Aztecs are every bit for real.
As is 14th-ranked BYU. Again, no surprise that Jimmer Fredette is lighting it up. Scoring at better than 24 points per game and hitting clutch shots down the stretch is what was expected from the senior from New York, and that’s exactly what he done so far. The Cougars have lost only once in non-conference play, and that was to UCLA the week before Christmas. Meanwhile, they’ve knocked around teams like Creighton and Arizona, so the Cougars are also who we thought they’d be.
It will be a major surprise if both SDSU and BYU don’t win at least two, or maybe even three, NCAA tournament games this March. They face each other on January 26 in Provo and again exactly one month later, February 26 in San Diego. Both games should be classics.
UNLV has looked very good at times as well, and Lon Kruger’s squad looks like a lock for the NCAA tourney. The Runnin’ Rebels are doing it with defense as the staple of the team. Wins over ranked teams Wisconsin and Kansas State are great for the Rebels’ postseason resume.
New Mexico and Colorado State also appear to be in the postseason mix. The Lobos suffered key losses after last season’s spectacular run, but they’re coming on strong and figure to get better and better as the season moves on.
Colorado State may have their best team since Boyd “Tiny” Grant roamed the sidelines in the 1980s and was taking the Rams to the NCAA tournament. It’s no fluke that CSU has already won 11 games and could reach the 20-win mark with a good Conference season. Quality wins over Mississippi and Southern Miss, along with solid showings in losses at Kansas and at Colorado, show the Rams are much improved and are a team that will have to be dealt with.
CSU got the jump on the other Conference teams with a win over Wyoming to open conference play Tuesday night. They look like a good bet to play in the postseason for the first time under Coach Tim Miles.
It looked to be something of an upset last season when the MWC got four teams into the NCAA tournament. However, getting four in again this year – and possibly a fifth – is not an outlandish thought right now.
ALL TIMES MOUNTAIN
