coreyschucky
11-08-2004, 12:56 PM
From CBSSPORTSLINE.COM
Mountain West Conference preview
By Gregg Doyel
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Gregg your opinion!
Stock Chart
Team Stock
1. Utah
2. UNLV
3. New Mexico
4. Air Force
5. Colorado State
6. BYU
7. San Diego State
8. Wyoming
The Mountain West has some serious questions to answer.
Andrew Bogut's resolve to return to college can only bolster the prospects for Utah.(Getty Images)
Looking back to a year ago, was Air Force's absolutely shocking success a fluke, a function of coach Joe Scott or the real thing? Only alternative No. 3 would be a good one for Air Force fans, considering Scott left after the season for his alma mater, Princeton. We'll find out.
Also looking back, was BYU's 21-victory season attributable to anything but Rafael Araujo? If so the Cougars are in trouble, because Araujo is in the NBA, and a handful of key contributors left with him. We'll find out.
Looking ahead to this season, can the new coaches at Utah and UNLV get their players on the same page quickly enough to capitalize on what looks to be the Mountain West's best two rosters? We'll find out.
Utah lost one of the best coaches in the business when Rick Majerus left in the middle of last season for health reasons. His replacement, Ray Giacoletti, became one of the West's most promising young coaches while at Eastern Washington.
Giacoletti's best work at Utah was done right off the bat, when he handled center Andrew Bogut just right -- giving Bogut the space to decide on his own to return for his sophomore season instead of turning pro.
UNLV actually might have upgraded its coaching position, going from Charlie Spoonhour -- no slouch -- to Lon Kruger. And Kruger inherited a great situation, with potential all-league players at the point (Jerel Blassingame), on the wing (Romel Beck) and in the post (Odartey Blankson).
If the Mountain West is going to get three NCAA Tournament bids for a fourth consecutive year, New Mexico is the best bet to join Utah and UNLV.
Utah
Top three: C Andrew Bogut, G Richard Chaney, G Marc Jackson.
On the rise: Bogut, who starred this summer for the Australian Olympic team, wasn't the only iffy Ute to decide to play for Giacoletti. Another was Jackson, a feisty point guard who chose not to play in 2003-04 rather than spend another season under Majerus' thumb.
Bogut was the league's freshman of the year last season, and Jackson was a second-team all-league guard a year ago, which means Utah has premium quality at the two most important positions on the floor. In between, Chaney (9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is a solid wing while junior Tim Drisdom (6.1 ppg, 3.6 apg) joins Jackson to give Utah a pair of starter-quality ball-handlers.
For the season to be special, Bogut will need help on the interior from a freshman, most likely 7-foot countryman Luke Nevill or 6-8, 260-pound Jake Schmidt.
UNLV
Top three: F Odartey Blankson, G Jerel Blassingame, F Romel Beck.
On the rise: Kruger was the hottest available coach during this past offseason, and he chose UNLV for a reason. Or three reasons: Blankson, Blassingame and Beck, the best trio in the league. All three are seniors, so Kruger will have to restock for next season -- and has, judging on the recruiting class he is building -- but UNLV should be able to milk that trio for an NCAA Tournament berth before they're gone.
The perimeter is strong with Blassingame, Beck and Michael Umeh, but with Blankson also hoping to move outside to work on his NBA potential, the Runnin' Rebels will be raw inside. Transfers Dustin Villepigue (Gonzaga) and Joel Anthony (junior college) were the best of the bunch during UNLV's preseason trip to Canada, and junior Louis Amundson is serviceable.
New Mexico
Top three: F Danny Granger, F David Chiotti, G Troy DeVries.
On the rise: The Lobos will be the most improved team in the Mountain West, by a large margin. Granger is the only thing between Utah's Bogut and the league's player of the year trophy, and Chiotti and DeVries are solid No. 2 and 3 scoring options.
And then there's a pair of intriguing X-factors on the wings, Mark Walters and Sean Phaler. Walters, 6-2, led league freshmen in scoring (9.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.6 rpg) two years ago but saw his numbers slide last season after a knee injury. If he's fully recovered, he's a stud. The same could go for Phaler, a former UCLA signee who backed off the Bruins when Steve Lavin was fired, then redshirted last season for New Mexico after getting hurt in a car accident. Stronger at 185 pounds, Phaler has all kinds of skills for a 6-9 player.
Air Force
Top three: F Nick Welch, G Tim Keller, G Antoine Hood.
On the decline: We loved Air Force last season, writing about them before most other national basketball sites, as we recall. But we've fallen out of love.
For one thing, Scott is gone. Yes, Chris Mooney was Scott's lead assistant last season, which means he knows the system Air Force used to stun the college basketball world by winning 22 games and the Mountain West's regular-season championship. But Scott did things no coach has ever done at Air Force; it's a little much to assume Mooney will be able to do those same things.
Two seniors from last season's team, Joel Gerlach and A.J. Kuhle, are gone, and while they only averaged eight points each, that's like scoring in the low teens in a conventionally paced attack. Throw in the late-August surgery of Welch, the league's co-player of the year last season, and we've got enough doubts to drop Air Force to fourth.
Colorado State
Top three: C Matt Nelson, F Matt Williams, G Micheal Morris.
On the rise: Injuries were a problem last season, and they're already a problem this season. Starting wing Freddy Robinson isn't expected to play in 2004-05 after suffering a ruptured Achilles' in August while preparing for the team's trip to Mexico.
Nelson's recurring injuries to various parts of his body undercut the Rams last season and would have the same impact this year -- unless the Rams can get dramatically more production from 6-10 sophomore Stephen Verwers. Which is possible. The coaching staff is raving about the guy.
Robinson's absence in Mexico gave sophomore Phillip Thomasson more minutes and he capitalized, scoring a trip-high 23 points in one exhibition. If that was no fluke, and if Nelson can stay healthy, the Rams should be a lot better than their 4-10 league mark of a year ago.
BYU
Top three: G Mike Hall, F Garner Meads, G Austin Ainge.
On the decline: The Cougars suffered heavier offseason losses than anyone in the league, and while BYU coach Steve Cleveland's latest recruiting class is good, it's not that good.
No one can replace Araujo, a lottery pick who was generally good for 20 points and 10 rebounds last season. Also gone are three other consistent scoring threats -- Mark Bigelow, Kevin Woodberry and Luiz Lemes -- as well as Araujo's backup, Jake Shoff.
Hall is an obvious standout player and Meads might be one as well, but after that it'll take a lot of smoke and mirrors for BYU to stay competitive with the best teams in the league.
San Diego State
Top three: G Brandon Heath, F Marcus Slaughter, F Chris Walton.
On the decline: The Aztecs have a lot of talent, but they had a lot of talent last season, too, and went just 5-9 in the league.
The best player from that team, power forward Aerick Sanders, is gone, though the Aztecs could replace his 16 points and 10 rebounds per game with a combination of two players: Slaughter and enormous junior-college transfer Mohamed Camara. Aztecs coach Steve Fisher expects a breakout season from Slaughter, a 6-8 sophomore who averaged 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds last season, and Camara, 6-10 and 260 pounds, was once upon a time a highly decorated recruit.
Infuriating senior Wesley Stokes was supposed to be the team's starter at point guard, but he's academically ineligible for at least the first semester. Fisher says Heath, a scoring guard by trade, will get the first crack at point guard, with freshman Matt Thomas also in the mix.
Wyoming
Top three: G Jay Straight, C Alex Dunn, G James Ebert.
On the decline: The Cowboys have an excellent point guard in Straight and imposing size highlighted by the 7-0 Dunn and 6-10 junior college transfer Justin Williams.
In a lesser league, that would be enough of a foundation to compete for a championship. In the Mountain West, it's only a start. And Wyoming doesn't have a lot more than that start.
Newcomers galore will be asked to fill holes on the wing and in the paint. The most interesting new players are Steve Leven, James Ebert and Kevin Lewis, all of whom will be given the chance to score from the perimeter.
Accolades
First team
F -- Danny Granger, New Mexico
F -- Odartey Blankson, UNLV
C -- Andrew Bogut, Utah
G -- Jay Straight, Wyoming
G -- Jerel Blassingame, UNLV
Second team
F -- Nick Welch, Air Force
F -- David Chiotti, New Mexico
C -- Matt Nelson, Colorado State
G -- Brandon Heath, San Diego State
G -- Mike Hall, BYU
Player of the year
Andrew Bogut, Utah
Newcomer of the year
Mohamed Camara, San Diego State
Breakthrough player
Phillip Thomasson, Colorado State
Mountain West Conference preview
By Gregg Doyel
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Gregg your opinion!
Stock Chart
Team Stock
1. Utah
2. UNLV
3. New Mexico
4. Air Force
5. Colorado State
6. BYU
7. San Diego State
8. Wyoming
The Mountain West has some serious questions to answer.
Andrew Bogut's resolve to return to college can only bolster the prospects for Utah.(Getty Images)
Looking back to a year ago, was Air Force's absolutely shocking success a fluke, a function of coach Joe Scott or the real thing? Only alternative No. 3 would be a good one for Air Force fans, considering Scott left after the season for his alma mater, Princeton. We'll find out.
Also looking back, was BYU's 21-victory season attributable to anything but Rafael Araujo? If so the Cougars are in trouble, because Araujo is in the NBA, and a handful of key contributors left with him. We'll find out.
Looking ahead to this season, can the new coaches at Utah and UNLV get their players on the same page quickly enough to capitalize on what looks to be the Mountain West's best two rosters? We'll find out.
Utah lost one of the best coaches in the business when Rick Majerus left in the middle of last season for health reasons. His replacement, Ray Giacoletti, became one of the West's most promising young coaches while at Eastern Washington.
Giacoletti's best work at Utah was done right off the bat, when he handled center Andrew Bogut just right -- giving Bogut the space to decide on his own to return for his sophomore season instead of turning pro.
UNLV actually might have upgraded its coaching position, going from Charlie Spoonhour -- no slouch -- to Lon Kruger. And Kruger inherited a great situation, with potential all-league players at the point (Jerel Blassingame), on the wing (Romel Beck) and in the post (Odartey Blankson).
If the Mountain West is going to get three NCAA Tournament bids for a fourth consecutive year, New Mexico is the best bet to join Utah and UNLV.
Utah
Top three: C Andrew Bogut, G Richard Chaney, G Marc Jackson.
On the rise: Bogut, who starred this summer for the Australian Olympic team, wasn't the only iffy Ute to decide to play for Giacoletti. Another was Jackson, a feisty point guard who chose not to play in 2003-04 rather than spend another season under Majerus' thumb.
Bogut was the league's freshman of the year last season, and Jackson was a second-team all-league guard a year ago, which means Utah has premium quality at the two most important positions on the floor. In between, Chaney (9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is a solid wing while junior Tim Drisdom (6.1 ppg, 3.6 apg) joins Jackson to give Utah a pair of starter-quality ball-handlers.
For the season to be special, Bogut will need help on the interior from a freshman, most likely 7-foot countryman Luke Nevill or 6-8, 260-pound Jake Schmidt.
UNLV
Top three: F Odartey Blankson, G Jerel Blassingame, F Romel Beck.
On the rise: Kruger was the hottest available coach during this past offseason, and he chose UNLV for a reason. Or three reasons: Blankson, Blassingame and Beck, the best trio in the league. All three are seniors, so Kruger will have to restock for next season -- and has, judging on the recruiting class he is building -- but UNLV should be able to milk that trio for an NCAA Tournament berth before they're gone.
The perimeter is strong with Blassingame, Beck and Michael Umeh, but with Blankson also hoping to move outside to work on his NBA potential, the Runnin' Rebels will be raw inside. Transfers Dustin Villepigue (Gonzaga) and Joel Anthony (junior college) were the best of the bunch during UNLV's preseason trip to Canada, and junior Louis Amundson is serviceable.
New Mexico
Top three: F Danny Granger, F David Chiotti, G Troy DeVries.
On the rise: The Lobos will be the most improved team in the Mountain West, by a large margin. Granger is the only thing between Utah's Bogut and the league's player of the year trophy, and Chiotti and DeVries are solid No. 2 and 3 scoring options.
And then there's a pair of intriguing X-factors on the wings, Mark Walters and Sean Phaler. Walters, 6-2, led league freshmen in scoring (9.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.6 rpg) two years ago but saw his numbers slide last season after a knee injury. If he's fully recovered, he's a stud. The same could go for Phaler, a former UCLA signee who backed off the Bruins when Steve Lavin was fired, then redshirted last season for New Mexico after getting hurt in a car accident. Stronger at 185 pounds, Phaler has all kinds of skills for a 6-9 player.
Air Force
Top three: F Nick Welch, G Tim Keller, G Antoine Hood.
On the decline: We loved Air Force last season, writing about them before most other national basketball sites, as we recall. But we've fallen out of love.
For one thing, Scott is gone. Yes, Chris Mooney was Scott's lead assistant last season, which means he knows the system Air Force used to stun the college basketball world by winning 22 games and the Mountain West's regular-season championship. But Scott did things no coach has ever done at Air Force; it's a little much to assume Mooney will be able to do those same things.
Two seniors from last season's team, Joel Gerlach and A.J. Kuhle, are gone, and while they only averaged eight points each, that's like scoring in the low teens in a conventionally paced attack. Throw in the late-August surgery of Welch, the league's co-player of the year last season, and we've got enough doubts to drop Air Force to fourth.
Colorado State
Top three: C Matt Nelson, F Matt Williams, G Micheal Morris.
On the rise: Injuries were a problem last season, and they're already a problem this season. Starting wing Freddy Robinson isn't expected to play in 2004-05 after suffering a ruptured Achilles' in August while preparing for the team's trip to Mexico.
Nelson's recurring injuries to various parts of his body undercut the Rams last season and would have the same impact this year -- unless the Rams can get dramatically more production from 6-10 sophomore Stephen Verwers. Which is possible. The coaching staff is raving about the guy.
Robinson's absence in Mexico gave sophomore Phillip Thomasson more minutes and he capitalized, scoring a trip-high 23 points in one exhibition. If that was no fluke, and if Nelson can stay healthy, the Rams should be a lot better than their 4-10 league mark of a year ago.
BYU
Top three: G Mike Hall, F Garner Meads, G Austin Ainge.
On the decline: The Cougars suffered heavier offseason losses than anyone in the league, and while BYU coach Steve Cleveland's latest recruiting class is good, it's not that good.
No one can replace Araujo, a lottery pick who was generally good for 20 points and 10 rebounds last season. Also gone are three other consistent scoring threats -- Mark Bigelow, Kevin Woodberry and Luiz Lemes -- as well as Araujo's backup, Jake Shoff.
Hall is an obvious standout player and Meads might be one as well, but after that it'll take a lot of smoke and mirrors for BYU to stay competitive with the best teams in the league.
San Diego State
Top three: G Brandon Heath, F Marcus Slaughter, F Chris Walton.
On the decline: The Aztecs have a lot of talent, but they had a lot of talent last season, too, and went just 5-9 in the league.
The best player from that team, power forward Aerick Sanders, is gone, though the Aztecs could replace his 16 points and 10 rebounds per game with a combination of two players: Slaughter and enormous junior-college transfer Mohamed Camara. Aztecs coach Steve Fisher expects a breakout season from Slaughter, a 6-8 sophomore who averaged 7.9 points and 6.8 rebounds last season, and Camara, 6-10 and 260 pounds, was once upon a time a highly decorated recruit.
Infuriating senior Wesley Stokes was supposed to be the team's starter at point guard, but he's academically ineligible for at least the first semester. Fisher says Heath, a scoring guard by trade, will get the first crack at point guard, with freshman Matt Thomas also in the mix.
Wyoming
Top three: G Jay Straight, C Alex Dunn, G James Ebert.
On the decline: The Cowboys have an excellent point guard in Straight and imposing size highlighted by the 7-0 Dunn and 6-10 junior college transfer Justin Williams.
In a lesser league, that would be enough of a foundation to compete for a championship. In the Mountain West, it's only a start. And Wyoming doesn't have a lot more than that start.
Newcomers galore will be asked to fill holes on the wing and in the paint. The most interesting new players are Steve Leven, James Ebert and Kevin Lewis, all of whom will be given the chance to score from the perimeter.
Accolades
First team
F -- Danny Granger, New Mexico
F -- Odartey Blankson, UNLV
C -- Andrew Bogut, Utah
G -- Jay Straight, Wyoming
G -- Jerel Blassingame, UNLV
Second team
F -- Nick Welch, Air Force
F -- David Chiotti, New Mexico
C -- Matt Nelson, Colorado State
G -- Brandon Heath, San Diego State
G -- Mike Hall, BYU
Player of the year
Andrew Bogut, Utah
Newcomer of the year
Mohamed Camara, San Diego State
Breakthrough player
Phillip Thomasson, Colorado State