Mountain West Tournament Primer: Where does your team stand?

After 198 conference games, a four-day knockout tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center will decide which Mountain West team will punch a ticket to the 68-team dance. Let's take a look at each of the 11 teams.

San Diego State Aztecs (23-8, 16-2)
How they got here: The conference's top defense helped guide the Aztecs to another MW regular season crown with only two hiccups coming against Fresno State and Boise State. 
Will win the tournament if: It has been discussed all year, the Aztecs need to score to reach the NCAAs. SDSU ranks 294th in the country in points per game but has been improving recently.
X-Factor: Jeremy Hemsley. SDSU is 9-0 when Hemsley shoots over 60% from the field. The freshman could be the difference.
Numbers never lie: SDSU is looking for its seventh consecutive NCAA appearance. The Aztecs had five appearances in school history prior to the streak.
Last year: Lost final to Wyoming, 45-43

Fresno State Bulldogs (22-9, 13-5)
How they got here: Marvelle Harris averaged 20/4/4 for the most surprising team in the MW this season, a six win improvement from 2015.
Will win the tournament if: Harris needs help from his teammates. Karachi Edo (9.7 PPG), Cullen Russo (8.0 PPG) or Terrell Carter (3.9 PPG) will need to step up in the frontcourt in order for the Bulldogs to clinch a bid.
X-Factor: Karachi Edo. With the possibility of matching up against frontcourters like Stephen Zimmerman, James Webb III and Winston Shepard, Edo will need to be a force to take pressure off of Harris.
Numbers never lie: Marvelle Harris is 1st in the Mountain West in assists, free throws and minutes played.
Last year: Lost quarterfinal to Colorado State, 71-59

Boise State Broncos (20-11, 11-7)
How they got here: Although not meeting lofty pre-season expectations, Leon Rice has pieced together another 20-win season led by a trio of James Webb III, Nick Duncan and Anthony Drmic.
Will win the tournament if: BSU has struggled with scoring droughts and lackadaisical play in the second half this season. If the Broncos can evade both, it has a great shot at returning to the tournament.
X-Factor: Anthony Drmic. The fifth-year senior is nearing the school's scoring record but has been hit-or-miss throughout the season.
Numbers never lie: Boise State ranks 21st in the country in 2-point field goal percentage, but is 303rd in attempts. 
Last year: Lost semifinal to Wyoming, 71-66

Nevada Wolf Pack (18-12, 10-8)
How they got here: The Wolf Pack doubled its 2015 win total under first year head coach Eric Musselman.
Will win the tournament if: Team leader Marqueze Coleman must return from an ankle injury for the Wolf Pack to have a chance of taking the MW crown.
X-Factor: Tyron Criswell. The senior guard (11.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG) has a tremendous responsibility replacing Coleman in the Nevada lineup.
Numbers never lie: Nevada is last in the nation in 3-point percentage with a 27.2% mark this season.
Last year: Lost first round to UNLV, 67-46

New Mexico Lobos (17-14, 10-8)
How they got here: New Mexico ended its second 4-game losing skid Saturday with a win over Nevada and had a season sweep over Boise State.
Will win the tournament if: The Lobos must get to the free throw line. Elijah Brown draws just over seven fouls per 40 minutes and has shown that he can close out a game at the stripe.
X-Factor: Tim Williams. The Samford transfer has enjoyed a successful season with New Mexico but has been banged up as the season progressed.
Numbers never lie: Cullen Neal experienced an unanticipated dip in production this year: 3-pt percentage down 17.8%, free throw percentage decreased 10.7% and committed one more turnover per game than in 2015.
Last year: Lost first round to Air Force, 68-61

UNLV Runnin' Rebels (17-14, 8-10)
How they got here: The Rebels have endured a mid-season coaching change, eligibility issues and a season-long injury bug en route to 8-10 conference record.
Will win the tournament if: The answer is simple: UNLV must ride its fast-paced offense and the home crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center to string four W's together.
X-Factor: Stephen Zimmerman. The five-star freshman missed five games in February with a knee injury and continues to rebuild strength. 
Numbers never lie: The Mountain West is 4th out of 32 NCAA conferences in home win percentage, a number that favors UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Last year: Lost quarterfinal to San Diego State, 67-64

Colorado State Rams (16-15, 8-10)
How they got here: After losing Gian Clavell to a season-ending injury in December, the Rams have patched together a 16-win season under Larry Eustachy.
Will win the tournament if: The Rams will put points on the scoreboard, regardless of the opposing defense. CSU must be active and force turnovers on defense in order to make noise against the top teams.
X-Factor: Antwan Scott. One of the better scorers in the MW has finished in double figures in 27 of 31 games this year.
Numbers never lie: CSU is 350th in steal percentage, swiping a pass only once per 20 possessions.
Last year: Lost semifinal to San Diego State, 56-43

Utah State Aggies (15-14, 7-11)
How they got here: Tim Duryea's junior-led squad has swept Colorado State, Air Force, and San Jose State, but only has one other victory in conference play.
Will win the tournament if: Utah State likes to play at a slower pace and limit the number of opponent possessions. Controlling the pace of play will be vital to keeping the Aggies within striking distance.
X-Factor: Jalen Moore. The 6-9 junior has the ability to make an impact every time he steps on the floor, and the Aggies will lean on him for leadership.
Numbers never lie: Two Aggies average better than 40% from deep: Chris Smith (45.9%) and Darius Perkins (41.6%).
Last year: Lost quarterfinal to Wyoming, 67-65

Wyoming Cowboys (14-17, 7-11)
How they got here: Josh Adams and more Josh Adams. The senior has been a force in the league since Wyoming's tournament run last March.
Will win the tournament if: Josh Adams needs to enter 'take-over mode' and put Wyoming on his back.
X-Factor: Jason McManamen. The only Cowboy not named Josh Adams that has been unstoppable at times this season, leading the MWC with a 45.9% 3-point shooting stroke.
Numbers never lie: Josh Adams has recorded 16 25+ point games and nine with 30+ points.
Last year: Won final against San Diego State, 45-43

Air Force Falcons (14-17, 5-13)
How they got here: The Falcons posted a modest 4-3 record in February with wins over UNLV, New Mexico and Boise State, but have lost each of the last three.
Will win the tournament if: C.J. Siples and Hayden Graham will need to play the best games of their lives in order for the Falcons to make a serious run at the top seeded teams. 
X-Factor: C.J. Siples. When Siples brings his 'A' game, the Falcons can be dangerous. The Academy is 4-1 when Siples finishes in double digits.
Numbers never lie: Air Force doesn't rank nationally in the top 100 in any major offensive category.
Last year: Lost quarterfinal to Boise State, 80-68

San Jose State Spartans (9-21, 4-14)
How they got here: San Jose State has a long way to go before competing for a NCAA bid, but the Spartans continue to make strides under Dave Wojcik.
Will win the tournament if: San Jose State outplayed Boise State for the entire 40 minutes on Saturday. If it can continue its efforts in Vegas, who knows what could happen? Don't bet on it, though.
X-Factor: Frank Rogers. The senior forward has bounced back from early off-court problems to lead the Spartans, and will hope to extend his career in Vegas.
Numbers never lie: SJSU's average player height is 79 inches, good for 3rd in the nation. 
Last year: Did not compete in MW tournament

Where do you see your team finishing in this year's tournament?