Mountain West Basketball Power Rankings For November 27
Check out the latest Mountain West basketball staff power rankings
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Nevada leads the way in the first staff power rankings of the season
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Throughout the season, the Mountain West Wire staff will provide weekly men’s basketball team power rankings. The rankings are compiled by the Wire staff on a standard 1-11 ranking basis.
Composite score is a rating that shows each team’s relative strength among the other ten Mountain West teams. After total votes are tallied, each team’s point total is divided by the team with the most votes, creating a composite score. The top-ranked team will always have a perfect composite score of 1.0000.
1) Nevada Wolf Pack (6-0)
Composite score: 1.0000
-The addition of the Martin twins has been huge for the Wolf Pack, averaging a combined 34.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 5.3 steals+blocks per game. Nevada has won 15 of its last 16 games dating back to last season.
2) UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (6-0)
Composite score: .8955
-UNLV hasn’t played many teams worth noting yet, but its 85-58 dismantling of Utah in the MGM Resorts Main Event was impressive. The Rebels are 4th in the nation with 96.3 points per game.
3) San Diego State Aztecs (5-2)
Composite score: .8209
-Second half collapses to Arizona State and Washington State have dampened the start of the Brian Dutcher era, but the Aztecs are still one of the MWC’s most talented teams. Devin Watson, Trey Kell and Jeremy Hemsley are a combined 41.4% from the field.
4) Boise State Broncos (5-1)
Composite score: .6866
-Boise State nearly captured the Puerto Rico Tip-Off At Myrtle Beach title, but its comeback bid against Iowa State fell short. Otherwise, the Broncos have been solid, even despite preseason player of the year Chandler Hutchison out with a head injury. Big games against Loyola Chicago and Oregon await.
5) Wyoming Cowboys (5-1)
Composite score: .6716
-Wyoming was torched by Cincinnati in the Cayman Islands Classic final, but has found a way to close games out down the stretch in its five wins. Hayden Dalton (17.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 47.2% 3P) is a legitimate player of the year candidate.
6) Fresno State Bulldogs (4-2)
Composite score: .5075
-Fresno State’s predictably high-octane offense has had a few bumps in the road (less than one point per possession in losses against Arkansas and Evansville), but the Bulldogs should be able to complete the non-conference slate with a respectable 10-3 record.
7) Colorado State Rams (3-3)
Composite score: .3731
-It’s been a bumpy start for Colorado State. All three losses have been by double digits, and the Rams haven’t looked particularly strong in its wins, either. CSU’s top scoring guards, Prentiss Nixon and J.D. Paige, continue to struggle with efficiency issues.
8) Utah State Aggies (4-3)
Composite score: .3582
-All three of Utah State’s losses have come in road environments, and the Aggies have been hit with a massive injury bug that has tagged Norbert Janicek, Julion Pearre and Koby McEwen. The Aggies will likely be a team that can lose to anyone on the road and beat anyone at home again this season.
9) New Mexico Lobos (2-4)
Composite score: .2090
-After an electric 2-0 start, the Lobos have dropped four straight including a brutal home loss to Tennessee Tech, a team that ranks 198th in KenPom. UNM isn’t all that talented, and it could be a rocky season full of ups and downs for New Mexico.
10) Air Force Falcons (3-2)
Composite score: .1791
-Air Force is off to a better start to the season than most would have imagined, but the expectations for the Falcons remain fairly low. One of AFA’s projected offensive leaders, Jacob Van, has connected on just four of his 20 field goal attempts.
11) San Jose State Spartans (2-3)
Composite score: .0448
-Ryan Welage is the real deal (19.6/4.6/1.2), but Jean Prioleau’s supporting cast is extremely thin. On the bright side, SJSU competed with Saint Mary’s for nearly 30 minutes for the second consecutive season.