Mountain West Connection Bracketology: Week Six

I’m going to be honest, Mountain West basketball has not made much sense this year. We do know one thing; Nevada is good. After that, there is a lot of guess. It looked like Utah State and Fresno State would be fighting for an at-large spot in the NCAA tournament, while traditional powers like UNLV and San Diego State had fallen to the bottom half of the conference. After some horrible losses, the Aztecs suddenly look like the second best team in the conference and a team that might be ready to do some damage at the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Let’s take a look at the teams that are competing for a spot in the postseason.

Nevada:

Barring a complete meltdown, Nevada has cemented its spot in the NCAA tournament. The committee currently has them as a four-seed, as the play of other Mountain West teams has not done the Wolf Pack any favors. I still think Nevada ends up as a three-seed in the West region.

Utah State:

A great win over Fresno State had the Aggies in position to be an at-large team. That win was followed by a disappointing loss to the Aztecs on Saturday. I now have Utah State back in the NIT as a four-seed.

Fresno State:

Like the Aggies, the Bulldogs will need to be perfect the rest of the season to have a shot at an at-large bid. Fresno State needs to avoid a letdown before their match-up with Nevada on the 23rd. I can’t see the Bulldogs beating the Wolf Pack. Right now, they are a fringe NIT team; I think they sneak in as a six-seed.

San Diego State:

The Jekyll and Hyde of the Mountain West. The Aztecs have been great at home and terrible on the road. I think it worth adding the Aztecs to the conversation now. They are likely out of the two major tournaments, but they might be able to build on this momentum and enter the conversation.

Are there any other teams that have a shot to reach the postseason? What are your thoughts?