The Utah Runnin' Utes (7-7, 0-0 MWC) open their final season of Mountain West Conference play Wednesday night at Air Force (9-4, 0-0 MWC) at 8 p.m. MT. The game will be televised on the Mtn. (channel 616 on DirecTV). I'll be watching and tweeting, which you can follow along with at twitter.com/dpaysports. I'll be back on here for recap and analysis following the game. I blogged last week about the struggles of the Utah basketball program and I feel that I chronicled my thoughts on what is going on very well. All that being said, there still is a lot of season left and the Runnin' Utes can't get down about being on a 4 game losing streak or having a couple of bad losses this season. Conference play is beginning, and everyone needs to look at it as an opportunity for a fresh start. If the team puts things together now, there is still the possibility of a good season.
Air Force is a tough team to prepare for as they test your discipline and really work the clock. However, I think Utah will win this game because they have more talent and because Coach Jim Boylen has never lost to Air Force in his tenure at Utah. I think the Falcons are better than in years past, but I think Boylen and his staff have the confidence to bring the Utes into Colorado Springs and come out with a victory.
Following the road game with Air Force, the Runnin' Utes return home for a pair of games against ranked opponents. First, Utah takes on #6 San Diego State (15-0, 0-0 MWC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT and then hosts rival #15 BYU (14-1, 0-0 MWC) next Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. MT. I'm hoping for more of an electric atmosphere at the Huntsman Center for these two games. If San Diego State can win at TCU (9-6, 0-0 MWC) tomorrow night, they will be unbeaten coming into Saturday's match-up. That would be pretty special to have an undefeated team ranked #6 in the country come into our arena this far into the season. So I hope that happens. BYU is also playing some really good basketball this season and I fully expect a loud crowd for the game next Tuesday. Utah is encouraging fans to wear red for a "Red Out" for the BYU game and I am on board with that. I just like the sound of that and hope that it brings out people wearing even more red and being even more passionate about the Utah basketball than usual. As part of the Red Out, the Runnin' Utes will be wearing their red uniforms at home for the first time that I can ever remember.
I'm excited for conference play to get going in full swing. The Mountain West is a fun conference to follow and some good basketball is played there. It's been fun to have my team in the conference and be able to follow them for years. I'm going to try and soak up this last season of Utah in the Mountain West and enjoy the competitiveness and the rivalries the conference has to offer. Hopefully the Utes will put a product on the floor that I can be proud to call my team. It all starts Wednesday night.
Showing posts with label Mountain West Conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mountain West Conference. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, November 15, 2010
My 2010-2011 MWC Basketball picks
Alright, a few days after the official season opener, but I don't think there have been many games that we can learn much from, so I think it's still valid to give my 2010-2011 Mountain West Conference Basketball picks:
1. BYU
2. San Diego State
3. UNLV
4. New Mexico
5. Utah
6. TCU
7. Wyoming
8. Colorado State
9. Air Force
I know that a lot of people are picking #25 San Diego State to win the league and I almost did myself. They have all five starters returning from last year including Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas. I think the Aztecs are the most athletic team in the league and probably have the most talent. But they always seem to manage to lose a game or two in the MWC that they shouldn't and I think that will happen again this year. I think they will have a good year and make the NCAA Tournament and probably beat BYU in San Diego, but I still think they finish second. The Aztecs get a good non-conference test tomorrow night at #11 Gonzaga at 9 p.m. MT on ESPN2. That could give us a gauge on just how good this team is.
#23 BYU gets my pick to win the MWC for a number of reasons, chief among those being Jimmer Fredette. Fredette is in my opinion the best player in the Conference and when he gets going it can be lights out. He can single-handedly win games for his team when he is going right. I think Dave Rose is a great coach and manages to get more out of his teams than what is on paper and he always seems to manage to recruit great shooters. BYU enjoys a tremendous home court advantage as well and is very, very difficult to defeat there. I think any team in the country would have a tough time in that environment. That being said, it's not impossible to win there and teams can go in there and get a win. It just takes a great effort from a really good team. I think San Diego State will give them a game in Provo and UNLV may as well. But I think the thing that separates BYU from the rest of the league this year (aside from Fredette) is that they win the games they are supposed to win. I don't see them dropping games to TCU, Colorado State or Wyoming, etc. I'm not predicting the other contenders to drop games to those teams per se, but I think it's more likely to happen.
New Mexico is "only" losing Roman Martinez and Darington Hobson from last year's surprising MWC Championship team. But those are two big losses. Hobson was the player of the year and Martinez had a knack for knocking down clutch shots. However, the Lobos have a number of solid players back as well as a good coach in Steve Alford and I think will be right in the thick of the race and finish just behind UNLV in fourth place. I just don't know if they have what it takes to push them over the top.
UNLV is athletic and tough at home and should have another good year. This is all contingent on if Tre'Von Willis plays following his offseason arrest stemming from a domestic incident. Word is Willis will miss at least one regular season game, presumably before Conference play. If Willis is back and a team player, the Rebels can be right in the race. If Willis is out, then I would think New Mexico would easily pass them for 3rd place and they would be fighting Utah for 4th. With Willis in I think they are likely to be well ahead of the Utes in the standings.
Speaking of Utah, that's my team. The Runnin' Utes have made wholesale changes since last year's disappointing 14-17 campaign and Head Coach Jim Boylen has to be feeling pressure to perform this year. Fans like me aren't happy with the beating the Utes took at home to rival BYU in the regular season finale, it wasn't just that the Utes lost, it was that they looked worse than I've ever seen them in doing so. So hopefully the new changes to the roster foster a culture of more winning and competition on an every game type basis. I'm optimistic about this season and excited to see how things work out. I think if everyone gels, the Runnin' Utes could surprise some people this season. However, I'm trying to pick based on what's likely to happen and I have to temper my enthusiasm and pick the Utes fifth.
TCU I think is sixth this year, they always seem to have a few good players who can help them win a few games that maybe they shouldn't, particularly at home. I know the media picked Colorado State fifth, but I'm just not sold on the Rams. They don't inspire any confidence in me in being to win on the road except against the lowest of competition and I don't exactly see them having a clean slate at home either. So I picked TCU and Wyoming (and Utah) to finish ahead of them. The Horned Frogs and Cowboys I think have more potential to sneak up on people than does CSU.
Air Force gets picked to finish in last again. The Falcons have a unique, Princeton-style offense that can be difficult to defend and generally are a disciplined team. For this reason, they can stay in a lot of games that they otherwise wouldn't be able to. However, I don't think they are talented enough to finish somewhere that isn't in last, particularly offensively where they can go into prolonged dry spells.
So there you have it. Those are my picks and I'm sticking to them. I hope the Utes perform better than what I have them picked to do. We'll see. For the record I think BYU, San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico all make the NCAA Tournament and that Utah just makes the NIT with TCU missing out on this and being relegated to the CBI. I don't see anyone else making postseason play. I'm really excited to see how this college basketball season plays out. I think college basketball is my second favorite sport to Major League Baseball so it's exciting that it is getting under way. The Mountain West has been a fun league to watch over the years so I'm going to enjoy this last season of it with Utah getting a chance to compete with its traditional rivals.
1. BYU
2. San Diego State
3. UNLV
4. New Mexico
5. Utah
6. TCU
7. Wyoming
8. Colorado State
9. Air Force
I know that a lot of people are picking #25 San Diego State to win the league and I almost did myself. They have all five starters returning from last year including Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas. I think the Aztecs are the most athletic team in the league and probably have the most talent. But they always seem to manage to lose a game or two in the MWC that they shouldn't and I think that will happen again this year. I think they will have a good year and make the NCAA Tournament and probably beat BYU in San Diego, but I still think they finish second. The Aztecs get a good non-conference test tomorrow night at #11 Gonzaga at 9 p.m. MT on ESPN2. That could give us a gauge on just how good this team is.
#23 BYU gets my pick to win the MWC for a number of reasons, chief among those being Jimmer Fredette. Fredette is in my opinion the best player in the Conference and when he gets going it can be lights out. He can single-handedly win games for his team when he is going right. I think Dave Rose is a great coach and manages to get more out of his teams than what is on paper and he always seems to manage to recruit great shooters. BYU enjoys a tremendous home court advantage as well and is very, very difficult to defeat there. I think any team in the country would have a tough time in that environment. That being said, it's not impossible to win there and teams can go in there and get a win. It just takes a great effort from a really good team. I think San Diego State will give them a game in Provo and UNLV may as well. But I think the thing that separates BYU from the rest of the league this year (aside from Fredette) is that they win the games they are supposed to win. I don't see them dropping games to TCU, Colorado State or Wyoming, etc. I'm not predicting the other contenders to drop games to those teams per se, but I think it's more likely to happen.
New Mexico is "only" losing Roman Martinez and Darington Hobson from last year's surprising MWC Championship team. But those are two big losses. Hobson was the player of the year and Martinez had a knack for knocking down clutch shots. However, the Lobos have a number of solid players back as well as a good coach in Steve Alford and I think will be right in the thick of the race and finish just behind UNLV in fourth place. I just don't know if they have what it takes to push them over the top.
UNLV is athletic and tough at home and should have another good year. This is all contingent on if Tre'Von Willis plays following his offseason arrest stemming from a domestic incident. Word is Willis will miss at least one regular season game, presumably before Conference play. If Willis is back and a team player, the Rebels can be right in the race. If Willis is out, then I would think New Mexico would easily pass them for 3rd place and they would be fighting Utah for 4th. With Willis in I think they are likely to be well ahead of the Utes in the standings.
Speaking of Utah, that's my team. The Runnin' Utes have made wholesale changes since last year's disappointing 14-17 campaign and Head Coach Jim Boylen has to be feeling pressure to perform this year. Fans like me aren't happy with the beating the Utes took at home to rival BYU in the regular season finale, it wasn't just that the Utes lost, it was that they looked worse than I've ever seen them in doing so. So hopefully the new changes to the roster foster a culture of more winning and competition on an every game type basis. I'm optimistic about this season and excited to see how things work out. I think if everyone gels, the Runnin' Utes could surprise some people this season. However, I'm trying to pick based on what's likely to happen and I have to temper my enthusiasm and pick the Utes fifth.
TCU I think is sixth this year, they always seem to have a few good players who can help them win a few games that maybe they shouldn't, particularly at home. I know the media picked Colorado State fifth, but I'm just not sold on the Rams. They don't inspire any confidence in me in being to win on the road except against the lowest of competition and I don't exactly see them having a clean slate at home either. So I picked TCU and Wyoming (and Utah) to finish ahead of them. The Horned Frogs and Cowboys I think have more potential to sneak up on people than does CSU.
Air Force gets picked to finish in last again. The Falcons have a unique, Princeton-style offense that can be difficult to defend and generally are a disciplined team. For this reason, they can stay in a lot of games that they otherwise wouldn't be able to. However, I don't think they are talented enough to finish somewhere that isn't in last, particularly offensively where they can go into prolonged dry spells.
So there you have it. Those are my picks and I'm sticking to them. I hope the Utes perform better than what I have them picked to do. We'll see. For the record I think BYU, San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico all make the NCAA Tournament and that Utah just makes the NIT with TCU missing out on this and being relegated to the CBI. I don't see anyone else making postseason play. I'm really excited to see how this college basketball season plays out. I think college basketball is my second favorite sport to Major League Baseball so it's exciting that it is getting under way. The Mountain West has been a fun league to watch over the years so I'm going to enjoy this last season of it with Utah getting a chance to compete with its traditional rivals.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
BYU officially independent in football
Well it is finally official: BYU is going independent in football beginning next season. They will join the West Coast Conference in all other sports. I have already chronicled my thoughts on the blog before, but to recap I think the move will likely create more revenue and exposure (at least in the regular season) but will probably make it harder for them to access the BCS. BYU will likely not be able to have the scheduling power and BCS automatic access guarantees that fellow independent Notre Dame has. It is really tough not to be tied into a conference, but BYU definitely has resources that could help it to at least remain competitive. I think it will make it harder competitively in the long haul, however, unless they do join another conference at some point. If it was me in charge of the decision I probably would have stayed in the Mountain West Conference and worked out some sort of new television package if at all possible.
As for the men's basketball program, I think the Mountain West Conference is definitely a better conference top to bottom than the West Coast Conference but the WCC is more top heavy with Gonzaga and to a lesser extent Saint Mary's which made a run to the Sweet 16 last season. I don't know that it will be a huge drop-off, but I think it will be a drop-off nonetheless. There are some bad teams and bad programs in the WCC that have been down for a while that will really hurt BYU's strength of schedule. BYU does significantly help the conference, though, and should help it to be a bit more of a player nationally. I would put it just a step down from the Mountain West at this point in basketball.
Perhaps the biggest loser in all of this is Utah State. To seem my full thoughts on the subject, simply scroll down the blog. It now appears more than ever though, that USU made a big mistake in turning down the Mountain West. They are now left in what is barely still a conference in the WAC.
As for the men's basketball program, I think the Mountain West Conference is definitely a better conference top to bottom than the West Coast Conference but the WCC is more top heavy with Gonzaga and to a lesser extent Saint Mary's which made a run to the Sweet 16 last season. I don't know that it will be a huge drop-off, but I think it will be a drop-off nonetheless. There are some bad teams and bad programs in the WCC that have been down for a while that will really hurt BYU's strength of schedule. BYU does significantly help the conference, though, and should help it to be a bit more of a player nationally. I would put it just a step down from the Mountain West at this point in basketball.
Perhaps the biggest loser in all of this is Utah State. To seem my full thoughts on the subject, simply scroll down the blog. It now appears more than ever though, that USU made a big mistake in turning down the Mountain West. They are now left in what is barely still a conference in the WAC.
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