Full Version: Mountain West Basketball 2006-2007
In trying to follow the lead of the MVC (Missouri Valley), the MWC (Mountain West) has produced a healthy RPI schedule to allow perhaps up to 4 teams sneak into the NCAAs. New Mexico and UNLV have upgraded significantly with talented transfers (Giddens, Johnson). Air Force has MWC 2005 POY Nick Welch returning. BYU has four starters returning from a 22 win team. San Diego State also has four starters returning from a 24 win team. The first huge challenge is BYU at UCLA on November 15th.
Utah will NOT be one of the four...
This from the team that everybody in the conference was afraid to play in the 90's.
This from the team that everybody in the conference was afraid to play in the 90's.
Air Force is a surprisingly decent team, considering all of the height restrictions for cadets. They put a nice beat down on texas tech the other week.
QUOTE(Big_Lebowski @ Nov 24 2006, 12:54 AM) 
Air Force is a surprisingly decent team, considering all of the height restrictions for cadets. They put a nice beat down on texas tech the other week.
And they just handed previously undefeated Wake Forest their worst OOC defeat ever - 94-58 or something like that.
Air Force looks like the real deal.
I was shocked to see Boise State beat BYU. The Broncos weren't expected to do anything in the WAC this year.
Fresno State and Nevada are both 6-0 in the WAC after tonight. Nevada plays some tricky road games... they won at La.-Lafayette and Santa Clara back to back, and now the Wolf Pack travels to Cal for a real tough one. Fresno State, meanwhile, has played no one of note really but at least the Bulldogs are blowing them all out. Tonight's final: Fresno St. 80, Montana State 41.
I was shocked to see Boise State beat BYU. The Broncos weren't expected to do anything in the WAC this year.
Fresno State and Nevada are both 6-0 in the WAC after tonight. Nevada plays some tricky road games... they won at La.-Lafayette and Santa Clara back to back, and now the Wolf Pack travels to Cal for a real tough one. Fresno State, meanwhile, has played no one of note really but at least the Bulldogs are blowing them all out. Tonight's final: Fresno St. 80, Montana State 41.
Well as the season winds down, the Mountain West has three teams in the RPI Top 25 (Air Force, UNLV and BYU) with San Diego State in the Top 60. State has been a huge disappointment this year despite their recent resurgence. However, with the exception of TCU, any team can beat any team in this league. There is a chance that the Mountain West could finish with four 12-6 teams. If San Diego State reaches the tourney final or anyone other than BYU, Air Force or UNLV wins the conference tournament, the Mountain West still has an outside chance at four teams dancing - especially with a relatively down year for the mid majors and the WAC, MAC, CUSA, and A-10.
Utah will NOT be one of the four...
This from the team that everybody in the conference was afraid to play in the 90's.
How can Utah be so horrible this year yet be 2-0 against the Top 25 so far with wins against Wazzou and Air Force ... not to mention the smack down of Virginia. This conference tourney title is WIDE open.
QUOTE(Ill RepUTE @ Nov 23 2006, 09:37 PM)
Utah will NOT be one of the four...
This from the team that everybody in the conference was afraid to play in the 90's.
How can Utah be so horrible this year yet be 2-0 against the Top 25 so far with wins against Wazzou and Air Force ... not to mention the smack down of Virginia. This conference tourney title is WIDE open.
So much for four or even three bids.
TCU 71
Air Force 66.
OUCH! The MWC conference tourney really is wide open.
TCU 71
Air Force 66.
OUCH! The MWC conference tourney really is wide open.
Okay I know there are maybe two posters on here from Mountain West schools ... so I will congratulate BYU myself for winning the basketball championship tonight by ending Air Force's 30 game home winning streak! BYU will have won the football title, mens basketball title and is one win away from clinching the women's title as well. If they can get to the finals of the MWC tournament (they'll lose to UNLV in Vegas), I can see them getting as high as a 5 seed with a current RPI of 18 and three wins over Top 50 RPI teams.
Meanwhile, Air Force once ranked as high as 13th in the nation may be playing themselves out of the tourney.
Meanwhile, Air Force once ranked as high as 13th in the nation may be playing themselves out of the tourney.
BYU wins outright Mountain West title in football, mens basketball and womens basketball.
PROVO, Utah (March 3, 2007) -- Playing before a sellout crowd of 22,812, the BYU Cougars secured their position as the Mountain West Conference Champions on Saturday evening with an 85-62 victory against in-state rival, University of Utah. With this win, the Cougars improved to 23-7 overall and 13-3 in conference play, winning their first outright MWC regular-season title. BYU also maintained its hold on the nation's longest active home winning streak at 31 games.
"Obviously it was a well played game," said BYU head coach Dave Rose. "I thought our team was really together tonight. There was balanced scoring, but I really thought we were able to handle the emotions of the night and stay together."
This was the 244th meeting between these two teams. BYU previously secured a 76-66 win at Utah earlier in the season.
"This has been a great rivalry," said Utah head coach Ray Giacoletti. "BYU is very deserving. Their group of seniors have come together and, with a few additions, they have all the pieces."
Six seniors were honored before the last home game of their careers, including Austin Ainge, Jimmy Balderson, Derek Dawes, Fernando Malaman, Mike Rose and Keena Young.
"This is a wonderful class of seniors whose hard work and dedication have led us to a regular-season conference championship," said Coach Rose. "I want to thank them for their friendship, and I want them to know that they will always be a part of this Cougar basketball program."
BYU was led in scoring by Young and Sam Burgess with 15 points each. Also scoring in double figures was Trent Plaisted with 13 points and Ainge with 11 points. Young also led the team with nine rebounds.
Utah got out to an early 6-1 lead before Young earned his first two points on the Cougars' possession following a Luke Nevill traveling call. A blocked shot by Plaisted was soon followed by a three-point play by Young with 16:28 to play in the first half, evening the score at 6-6.
With 14:03 to play in the first half, the Cougars took their first lead of the game after a dunk by Plaisted. Lee Cummard increased BYU's lead to 13-9 by hitting his first three-pointer of the night.
Utah's Johnnie Bryant hit a three-pointer, giving his team a one-point lead, before Balderson made one of his own with 10:15 left in the first half. A pass from Ainge to Burgess gave the Cougars a 21-20 lead.
Burgess' make from behind the arc with just under seven minutes to play in the first half was soon followed by the same from Ainge. Young's make off the glass gave the Cougars a 29-21 lead.
A three-pointer by Balderson with a minute to play in the half brought the score to 34-24. The fans were then brought to their feet when Ainge's fast break lay-up resulted in a three-point play.
BYU held a 37-26 advantage to close the first half, which consisted of five lead changes.
To open the second half of play, Plaisted went to 2-for-2 from the line after Nevill was called for his fourth foul. Plaisted recorded his second dunk of the night with 17:30 in the second half.
After a missed jumper, Young pulled down his own rebound to bring the score to 44-29. Mike Rose scored his first points of the game on a three-pointer with 15:30 to go in the second half.
Jonathan Tavernari increased the Cougar lead to 14 points when he made a lay-up on a pass from Young. Ainge followed with a three-pointer on the next possession. Balderson hit a three-pointer of his own with 13:30 in the second half.
After a Balderson miss, Tavernari scored the rebound and laid it in, bringing the score to 57-35. Mike Rose capitalized on a three-point play with 10:46 to play in the second half. The Cougars' 15-0 run ended on a Utah free throw by Daniel Deane.
With 8:40 to go in the second half Mike Rose found his second basket from behind the arc, bringing the score to 69-40, BYU's largest lead of the game. On Utah's next possession, Burgess recorded his first block of the season. A lay-in by Tavernari brought the Cougar lead to 73-49.
A pair of free throws by Utah's Ricky Johns with just under five minutes to play in the game was followed by a score from Plaisted. A successful trip to the free-throw line put the Cougars up two more points, bringing the lead to 81-57.
Utah's Johns hit a late three-pointer with under two minutes to play. After a second trip to the free-throw line for Burgess, BYU was up 85-60 with 41 seconds to play in the game.
As the buzzer sounded, BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe presented the conference championship trophy to the team.
"You couldn't have drawn it up any better," said Ainge. "We beat the Utes on our home floor by 23 for the conference championship."
"There's still a lot of basketball to be played," said Coach Rose. "We'll be happy for a couple of days and then go back to work."
Utah was led by Bryant with 18 points and Shaun Green with six rebounds.
The Cougars will next head to Las Vegas to play in the MWC Tournament. Entering as the No. 1 seed, the team will play on Thursday at noon PT against either New Mexico or TCU. The game will be televised on the mtn.
PROVO, Utah (March 3, 2007) -- Playing before a sellout crowd of 22,812, the BYU Cougars secured their position as the Mountain West Conference Champions on Saturday evening with an 85-62 victory against in-state rival, University of Utah. With this win, the Cougars improved to 23-7 overall and 13-3 in conference play, winning their first outright MWC regular-season title. BYU also maintained its hold on the nation's longest active home winning streak at 31 games.
"Obviously it was a well played game," said BYU head coach Dave Rose. "I thought our team was really together tonight. There was balanced scoring, but I really thought we were able to handle the emotions of the night and stay together."
This was the 244th meeting between these two teams. BYU previously secured a 76-66 win at Utah earlier in the season.
"This has been a great rivalry," said Utah head coach Ray Giacoletti. "BYU is very deserving. Their group of seniors have come together and, with a few additions, they have all the pieces."
Six seniors were honored before the last home game of their careers, including Austin Ainge, Jimmy Balderson, Derek Dawes, Fernando Malaman, Mike Rose and Keena Young.
"This is a wonderful class of seniors whose hard work and dedication have led us to a regular-season conference championship," said Coach Rose. "I want to thank them for their friendship, and I want them to know that they will always be a part of this Cougar basketball program."
BYU was led in scoring by Young and Sam Burgess with 15 points each. Also scoring in double figures was Trent Plaisted with 13 points and Ainge with 11 points. Young also led the team with nine rebounds.
Utah got out to an early 6-1 lead before Young earned his first two points on the Cougars' possession following a Luke Nevill traveling call. A blocked shot by Plaisted was soon followed by a three-point play by Young with 16:28 to play in the first half, evening the score at 6-6.
With 14:03 to play in the first half, the Cougars took their first lead of the game after a dunk by Plaisted. Lee Cummard increased BYU's lead to 13-9 by hitting his first three-pointer of the night.
Utah's Johnnie Bryant hit a three-pointer, giving his team a one-point lead, before Balderson made one of his own with 10:15 left in the first half. A pass from Ainge to Burgess gave the Cougars a 21-20 lead.
Burgess' make from behind the arc with just under seven minutes to play in the first half was soon followed by the same from Ainge. Young's make off the glass gave the Cougars a 29-21 lead.
A three-pointer by Balderson with a minute to play in the half brought the score to 34-24. The fans were then brought to their feet when Ainge's fast break lay-up resulted in a three-point play.
BYU held a 37-26 advantage to close the first half, which consisted of five lead changes.
To open the second half of play, Plaisted went to 2-for-2 from the line after Nevill was called for his fourth foul. Plaisted recorded his second dunk of the night with 17:30 in the second half.
After a missed jumper, Young pulled down his own rebound to bring the score to 44-29. Mike Rose scored his first points of the game on a three-pointer with 15:30 to go in the second half.
Jonathan Tavernari increased the Cougar lead to 14 points when he made a lay-up on a pass from Young. Ainge followed with a three-pointer on the next possession. Balderson hit a three-pointer of his own with 13:30 in the second half.
After a Balderson miss, Tavernari scored the rebound and laid it in, bringing the score to 57-35. Mike Rose capitalized on a three-point play with 10:46 to play in the second half. The Cougars' 15-0 run ended on a Utah free throw by Daniel Deane.
With 8:40 to go in the second half Mike Rose found his second basket from behind the arc, bringing the score to 69-40, BYU's largest lead of the game. On Utah's next possession, Burgess recorded his first block of the season. A lay-in by Tavernari brought the Cougar lead to 73-49.
A pair of free throws by Utah's Ricky Johns with just under five minutes to play in the game was followed by a score from Plaisted. A successful trip to the free-throw line put the Cougars up two more points, bringing the lead to 81-57.
Utah's Johns hit a late three-pointer with under two minutes to play. After a second trip to the free-throw line for Burgess, BYU was up 85-60 with 41 seconds to play in the game.
As the buzzer sounded, BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe presented the conference championship trophy to the team.
"You couldn't have drawn it up any better," said Ainge. "We beat the Utes on our home floor by 23 for the conference championship."
"There's still a lot of basketball to be played," said Coach Rose. "We'll be happy for a couple of days and then go back to work."
Utah was led by Bryant with 18 points and Shaun Green with six rebounds.
The Cougars will next head to Las Vegas to play in the MWC Tournament. Entering as the No. 1 seed, the team will play on Thursday at noon PT against either New Mexico or TCU. The game will be televised on the mtn.
QUOTE(Big_Lebowski @ Nov 24 2006, 12:54 AM)
Air Force is a surprisingly decent team, considering all of the height restrictions for cadets. They put a nice beat down on texas tech the other week.
Well so much for Air Force being strong. I guess the rigors of the academy always catch up with their sports teams this time of year. Air Force has NEVER won a tournament game. Even as the one seed. Amazing. And now Air Force is squarely on the bubble. And of course San Diego State underperformed which means that the Mountain West may have gone from a 4 bid league to a two bid league in a matter of two weeks. I still think Air Force gets in but Nevada and Kentucky's losses for example, don't help.
Congratulations and good luck to UNLV and Air Force. 20 teams still playing.
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