Finally, the best conference in the West, the Mountain West. Some may disagree with slotting the Mountain West above the Pac-12 due to tehe numbers involved but from a Final Four perspective I think They have a better chance of sending one than the Pac-12 does.
Starting at the top is UNLV who's primed for a big year. Mike Moser is a player of the year candidate and this team is built for a strong run. I don't think a Final Four is out of the question and they are my "Mid-Major" surprise pick to win it all. If I were a gambling man I would have grabbed their earlier 30-1 odds with a dime of my own. Closely behind the Rebels come the Aztecs of San Diego State. What a job Steve Fisher has done, turning this team into a perienial tournament team. I think their ceiling is Elite Eight and with the right bracket perhaps Final Four. The last bid from this conference comes from Colorado State who's head coach left but all starters remained. Now coaching for the Rams is Larry Eustacy who continues his own personal rebuilding project. This team may have to adapt to a new philosophy but there's enough talent to make a run.
To recap and pin some numbers on these teams I have UNLV as a 3 seed, perhaps even a 2, San Diego State a 5, and Colorado State an 11. New Mexico wins the CBI.
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