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Taking a look at the Mountain West Conference Contenders
Who will win the Mountain West?
Mountain West basketball is shaping up to be a tight race down the stretch. With three contenders in Utah State, Boise State, and Colorado State fixing to potentially win, it’s going to be a fun ride as the season has just three weeks remaining.
For now, Utah State is leading the conference with an 11-2 record, while both Boise State and Colorado State only own three losses each. San Diego State owns a 9-3 record and is the winner of three straight but needs to play at least three more games before they enter the discussion. With just under a month left in the season, give your NBA picks for tonight a break and take a look at the Mountain West.
Utah State
Out of San Diego State’s three losses in the conference, two of them come to Utah State. Currently, the team is in the driver’s seat to run away with the conference crown. Three games were postponed due to COVID/safety protocols. One of those games was against Fresno State, while the other two were against Wyoming.
Fresno State is 7-7 in the conference, while Wyoming is 4-8, so both are winnable games. The real test will come against Boise State. Even if Boise State were to split with Utah State, the team would still have an advantage. Boise State will need to win both games to pull off the championship. Utah State has won a share of the conference the last two seasons.
Boise State
This team has the hardest road to the conference crown. With only four games left, all four are against conference contenders. After a two-game series with Utah State, the team must take on a very hot San Diego State team. At 16-4, the team has taken care of the winnable games but now it comes down to beating the good teams.
Derrick Alston is the fourth-leading scorer in the conference and has put up the second-most points in conference play. The team is going to need four big games from their leader. Boise State hasn’t won the conference since trying for a conference share in 2015.
Colorado State
This is another toss-up team. Colorado State has four games to makeup, two with New Mexico and two with Nevada. Nevada owns the second-best player in the entire conference, so that will not be an easy matchup. In reality, seeing Colorado State win all four of those games just doesn’t seem likely, so that will hurt their chances of winning.
Now, this is a big if. If Colorado State can win all four of those games, winning the conference, or at least a share, Their final two games of the season are with Air Force and Colorado State is simply better. With Utah State and Boise State beating each other up, the winner of the conference will have three losses. Win out, and Colorado State could be champions. Considering Colorado State hasn’t won the conference since 2003, this would be a huge achievement.
Remember that San Diego State is in the same situation as Colorado State. With only three losses, if the team can win out, they could also share some of the championships. Winning out will be difficult, but it’s these two teams’ only hopes.
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