Mountain West Basketball Countdown: #12 - Hayden Graham

Hayden Graham, Air Force’s senior forward, is 12th in the MW Basketball Countdown.

Graham, who was an honorable mention on last year’s All-Mountain West team, will look to guide the Falcons into the NCAA Tournament discussion this season. It’s a long shot, but Air Force does return the key nucleus of scoring from last year.

The 6-5, 195-pound wing has evolved into one of the better players in the country despite a fairly insignificant role when he first arrived to Colorado Springs. Graham’s statistical improvements have been almost linear, as he has increased minutes per game (12.3, 23.8, 35.9), points per game (3.3, 7.8, 13.8) and rebounds per game (1.3, 4.3, 6.2) noticeably over his first three seasons.

Air Force head coach Dave Pilipovich will rely heavily on his senior this season, which is why the MWC Connection staff projects an impactful year for Graham.

Running Order:

• 12: Hayden Graham, Air Force
• 13: Malik Pope, San Diego State
• 14: D.J. Fenner, Nevada
• 15: Brandon Clarke, San Jose State
• 16: Karachi Edo, Fresno State
• 17: Lindsey Drew, Nevada
• 18: Cullen Russo, Fresno State
• 19: Zylan Cheatham, San Diego State
• 20: Trevor Lyons, Air Force
• 21: Chandler Hutchison, Boise State
• 22: Alan Herndon, Wyoming
• 23: Paris Austin, Boise State
• 24: Shane Rector, Utah State
• 25: Koby McEwen, Utah State