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With the 2016-17 college basketball season nearing, USA Today released its preseason coaches poll.
After a tumultous season last year, the Mountain West is hoping to turn the page and place multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament in the spring.
San Diego State, Nevada and New Mexico are the consensus top three in the league and are considered to be legitimate tournament candidates. In USA Today's poll that was released Thursday morning, two of those three schools received votes.
San Diego State (17 votes) and Nevada (3 votes) are not far off from the top 25 rankings if either team can string a handful of wins together in the early going.
It should be an interesting battle for the Mountain West crown this year, but the MWC will have to earn its stripes if it wants to receive national attention.