Tuesday night features one of the more intriguing match-ups in the Mountain West this season. The league-leading SDSU Aztecs head to Reno to face off against the new-look Nevada Wolf Pack.
The Aztecs have continued their usual dominance atop the Mountain West, and currently hold a perfect league record. They have the second best RPI in the league at 60 (Boise State's RPI is 59). SDSU has been very strong on the road in conference play, with nine-straight league wins dating back to last season. Sophomore Trey Kell has scored in double-figures in seven straight games, and was named MW Player of the Week for his performance last Tuesday against Fresno State.
Meanwhile, Nevada continues its best season since joining the Mountain West in 2012. Last week, the Wolf Pack took down arch-rival UNLV in front of a sold-out Lawlor Events Center. While it wasn't necessarily a program-defining win, it was a huge step in the right direction for Eric Musselman's Wolf Pack. They will need to build off that win to take down the Aztecs, as they remain the sole team that Nevada has not beaten since moving to the conference.
Don't expect much scoring tonight. SDSU features one of the top defenses in the country, as they rank fifth in opponent points per game (60.2), second in defensive FG% (36.5) and 15th in blocks per game (5.60).
Nevada's strength is in defense as well. The Wolf Pack lead the Mountain West in blocks per game (6.4), total blocks (122), defensive rebounds per game (28.1) and total rebounds per game (41.3). Unlike San Diego State, however, they feature a strong offense, which ranks third in the conference at 77.4 points per game.
Prediction:
I think Nevada can really give SDSU a run for their money, especially at home. However, I think the Aztec's talent and experience gives them the edge.
SDSU 60, Nevada 57