THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE THREAD

Discussion in 'Men's College Basketball' started by EPJr, Mar 23, 2013.

  1. EPJr

    EPJr Producer Staff Member Producer

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    San Jose State, Utah State
    Are Officially Members Of The Mountain West

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    We are pleased to announce the addition of San José State University and Utah State University to the ranks of the Mountain West," said Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson. "As we have developed the strategy for the future of the Conference, the long-standing rivalries with our current members and the fit within our geographic footprint made these two institutions the optimal choices to strengthen our membership and position ourselves for the next steps."

    Those next steps include continued consideration of a future association between Conference USA and the Mountain West. The two leagues have synchronized their new membership decisions and are still determining what form the alliance will take.


    http://www.mwcconnection.com/section/conference-expansion
     
  2. EPJr

    EPJr Producer Staff Member Producer

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    [​IMG]


    Mountain West to pay up to $3 million in Boise State exit fees:
    - The Mountain West agrees to pay up to $3 million of Boise State's exit fees to the Big East and the Big West. The money will come from Boise State's year-end distribution, which was to be forfeited, and is expected to be $2.5 million. The Mountain West will pick up the rest from its general fund.


    — The Mountain West will extend an option to San Diego State to join the league before offering membership to any other institution. The right of first option to San Diego State shall expire on Jan. 31.


    Read more here: http://voices.idahostatesman.com/20...3_million_boise_state_exit_fees#storylink=cpy

    San Diego State will remain a member of the Mountain West Conference and will not join the Big East this fall.
    The Mountain West's Board of Directors voted Wednesday afternoon to reinstate San Diego State this fall. The Aztecs were scheduled to leave the MWC and join the Big East on July 1 as a football-only member and the Big West in all other sports. However, the Aztecs will remain a member of the Mountain West in all sports.
    San Diego State's decision comes on the heels of Boise State's Dec. 31 decision to remain in the MWC and not join the Big East as a football-only member.

    http://espn.go.com/college-football...te-reinstated-mountain-west-conference-member
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2013
  3. EPJr

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    Mountain West Signs National Television Deal with ESPN
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    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Mountain West Conference announced it has reached agreement with ESPN to be a national television rights holder for Conference-controlled football and men's basketball games. The agreement, which begins with the 2013-14 season, was announced by Burke Magnus, ESPN senior vice president, college sports and Craig Thompson, MW Commissioner. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

    CBS Sports Network remains the primary rights holder for the Mountain West. As part of this new agreement, CBS Sports Network and ESPN will alternate game selections (after initial picks by CBSSN) in football and men's basketball with ESPN controlling the rights to Boise State home football games. CBS Sports Network retains the rights to Bronco road football contests.

    "The Mountain West looks forward to rejoining the ESPN networks beginning with our 15th season this fall," said MW Commissioner Craig Thompson. "Coupled with CBS Sports Network, we anticipate tremendous national exposure over several outlets as the league continues its growth and development."

    http://www.themwc.com/genrel/032013aac.html
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2013
  4. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Lobos: Steve Alford buyout at issue

    A University of New Mexico official says former Lobos basketball coach Steve Alford is willing to pay a $200,000 buyout for leaving the Albuquerque school to take a job at UCLA but he won't pay the $1 million payment that New Mexico wants.

    According to the Albuquerque Journal, an email written by a university lawyer says Alford is offering to comply with terms of his previous contract with New Mexico.
     
  5. EPJr

    EPJr Producer Staff Member Producer

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    Re: Lobos: Steve Alford buyout at issue

    2013-14 College Basketball Conference Snapshot:
    MWC, MVC, A-10 and more.
    The key mid-majors to watch for 2013-14

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    1. WICHITA STATE (30-9, 12-6 Missouri Valley, NCAA Final Four)
    Key players gone: Malcolm Armstead, Carl Hall, Demetric Williams
    Top returners: Ron Baker, Tekele Cotton, Cleanthony Early, Fred Van Vleet, Jake White
    New faces: D.J. Bowles (freshman), Kadeem Coleby (Louisiana-Lafayette transfer), Earl Watson (junior college), Evan Wessel (redshirt)
    The point guard Armstead and leading rebounder Hall are gone from the Final Four run, but the rising sophomore Baker played only 18 games last season. With Early, Baker and Cotton, there’s enough returning to win the Missouri Valley this season, especially if Van Vleet flourishes as a full-time point guard. The 6-foot-9 Louisiana-Lafayette transfer Coleby and local 6-5 guard Wessel will fill some gaps.

    2. VCU (27-9, 12-4 Atlantic 10, NCAA round of 32)
    Key players gone: Troy Daniels, Darius Theus
    Top returners: Rob Brandenburg, Treveon Graham, Juvonte Reddic, Melvin Thomas, Briante Weber
    New faces: Jordan Burgess (redshirt), Terrance Shannon (Florida State transfer)
    Five of the top seven players return to VCU, including three who averaged double-figure scoring. Theus’ 2.4 steals per game will be missed on the defensive end, but there’s a lot to like about a VCU team that went 12-4 in its first season in the Atlantic 10. Shannon was an injury-riddled player at Florida State, but he’s a 6-8 senior who will be a key piece for the Rams if he can stay healthy.

    3. GONZAGA (32-3, 16-0 West Coast, NCAA round of 32)
    Key players gone: Elias Harris, Guy Landry Edi, Kelly Olynyk
    Top returning players: Gary Bell Jr, Sam Dower, Przemek Karnowski, Kevin Pangos, David Stockton
    New faces: Gerald Coleman (Providence transfer), Angel Nunez (Louisville transfer)
    The front line takes a hit without Olynyk and Harris, but Mark Few’s backcourt should be solid with Pangos (41.7 percent on three pointers) and Bell. Two centers who were part-time players last season in Karnowski (7-1) and Dower (6-9) will look to take a step forward in replacing the Olynyk. Gonzaga’s season was marred by losing to Wichita State in the round of 32, but the Bulldogs should remain a top-25 contender in 2013-14.

    4. NEW MEXICO (29-6, 13-3 Mountain West, NCAA round of 64)
    Key players gone: Tony Snell, Demetrius Walker
    Top returning players: Cameron Bairstow, Alex Kirk, Hugh Greenwood, Kendall Williams
    New faces: Merv Lindsey (transfer from Kansas), Cullen Neal (freshman)
    Longtime Steve Alford assistant Craig Neal was promoted to coach a team that returns four players who started at least 30 games. The Lobos may be the preseason pick to win the Mountain West, but that NCAA Tournament loss to Harvard will be tough to forget. Snell (12.5 ppg) is a notable departure, but the Lobos were a balanced team for most of the season.

    5. SAINT LOUIS (28-7, 13-3 Atlantic 10, NCAA round of 32)
    Key players gone: Kwamain Mitchell, Cody Ellis
    Top returners: Dwayne Evans, Grandy Glaze, Jordair Jett, Rob Loe, Mike McCall
    Jim Crews has the job full-time and a chance to repeat in the Atlantic 10. Replacing Kwamain Mitchell’s 30 minutes per game will be tough. Four starters are back, not including the assist leader Jett.

    6. UMASS (21-12, 9-7 Atlantic 10, NIT first round)
    Key players gone: Freddie Riley, Terrell Vinson
    Top returning players: Cady Lalanne, Raphiael Putney, Chaz Williams
    New faces: Derrick Gordon (transfer from Western Kentucky)
    Derek Kellogg’s program has steadily improved in five seasons. Now, the Minutemen have a chance to be the top team in the Atlantic 10, which will see Butler, Temple and Xavier depart. The 5-9 point guard Chaz Williams will be one of the top players in the league, and the 6-3 Gordon was a major pickup from Western Kentucky, where he averaged 11.8 ppg, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

    7. HARVARD (20-10, 11-3 Ivy, NCAA round of 32)
    Key players gone: Christian Webster
    Top returning players: Siyani Chambers, Steve Moundou-Missi, Laurent Rivard, Wesley Saunders
    New faces: Zena Edosomwan (freshman)
    Harvard’s upset of New Mexico signaled the young Crimson would be ready to take the next step in 2013-14. Last year’s team had only one senior (Webster), and one junior seeing significant minutes (Rivard). Led by Saunders and Chambers, Harvard will have a leg up on the the rest of the Ivy League the next two seasons.

    8. BOISE STATE (21-11, 9-7 Mountain West, NCAA First Four)
    Key players gone: Kenny Buckner
    Top returning players: Anthony Drmic, Jeff Elorriaga, Igor Hadziomerovic, Derrick Marks, Mikey Thompson, Ryan Watkins
    The Mountain West is expanding, but teams like Colorado State, UNLV and San Diego State are in transition. With two of the league’s top returning scorers, Boise State is geared up for another run to the NCAA Tournament. Leading the four-guard lineup, Drmic averaged 17.7 points, and Marks averaged 16.3.

    9. SAN DIEGO STATE (23-11, 9-7 Mountain West, NCAA round of 32)
    Key players gone: Jamaal Franklin, James Rahon, Chase Tapley
    Top returning players: J.J. O’Brien, Xavier Thames, Winston Shepard)
    New faces: Josh Davis (transfer from Tulane)
    The Aztecs have absorbed the loss of Kawhi Leonard and other key pieces in recent years. The next step is to replace Franklin, their top player the last two years, and the clutch Tapley. The key is the sophomore Shepard, a five-star recruit who averaged 5.7 points last season. Davis is a major pickup after averaging 17.6 points and 10.7 rebounds for Tulane in 2012-13.

    10. UNLV (25-10, 10-6 Mountain West, NCAA round of 64)
    Key players gone: Anthony Bennett, Anthony Marshall, Mike Moser, Katin Reinhardt
    Top returning players: Khem Birch, Bryce Dejean-Jones
    New faces: Jelan Kendrick (junior college), Christian Wood (freshman)
    UNLV was the most talented team in a deep Mountain West, but the Runnin’ Rebels finished third in the league before losing to Cal in the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels will have eight players who were top-100 recruits at some point, and that’s taking into account the departures of Reinhardt and Moser via transfer. With something of a revolving door on the roster, the results have been mixed under Dave Rice.

    http://www.athlonsports.com/college-basketball/2013-14-college-basketball-mid-major-rankings-mwc-mvc
     
  6. truebluefan

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    Larry Eustachy gets new contract

    Larry Eustachy has agreed to a new contract that will keep him at Colorado State through the 2017-18 season and that has options for three additional seasons.

    Eustachy led the Rams to a school record 26-win season and an NCAA tournament win over Missouri last season, his first at the school. CSU also cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1954 and Eustachy became the only head coach in NCAA history to lead five different schools to 24 or more wins in a season.
     
  7. truebluefan

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    Luke Martinez pleads guilty in fight

    A Wyoming basketball player accused of kicking a man in the face during a bar fight last winter has been ordered to serve jail time and pay $58,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge.

    Luke Martinez of Bismarck, N.D., entered the plea Monday in circuit court in Laramie, according to Joshua Merseal, deputy Albany County prosecutor.

    Magistrate Matthew Castano sentenced Martinez to 45 days in jail and ordered him to pay the restitution. Martinez started serving the sentence Monday, Merseal said.

    Martinez was accused of kicking Parfait Nayigihugu, who was unconscious at the time, outside a Laramie bar on Dec. 30.

    Martinez had faced a felony charge of aggravated assault and battery, which carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

    Read more http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-player-luke-martinez-pleads-guilty-bar-fight
     
  8. truebluefan

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    Cullen Neal had appendix out

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    New Mexico freshman guard Cullen Neal expects to be ready for the official start of practice in late September despite undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week while on the Lobos' trip to Australia.
     
  9. truebluefan

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    Braeden Anderson unlikely to play

    Fresno State forward Braeden Anderson, who suffered a broken neck earlier this month in a car accident, is back on campus and making progress but is expected to miss this season.

    "It's unlikely, but you never know," the 6-foot-9 Canadian told ESPN.com. "I've been improving in the last week and feel much better. I can move everything."

    Anderson was a passenger in a car wreck on Sept. 3. His neck hit the ceiling of the vehicle and the injuries required two surgeries. Anderson suffered a displacement of the C-5 through C-6 vertebrae and was taken from the Community Regional Medical Center to Stanford for the second surgery.

    Anderson returned to campus last week and told ESPN.com that his mother is staying with him as he continues to progress.

    "I'm able to move my neck," Anderson said. "My recovery is going ahead of schedule. The doctors told me that with the injury I suffered, I had a 0.6 percent chance of being discharged from the hospital. I've ended up making a full recovery. I know how fortunate I am."

    Read more http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ck-expected-miss-season-fresno-state-bulldogs
     
  10. truebluefan

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    Kevin Olekaibe gets NCAA clearance

    Kevin Olekaibe was granted a hardship waiver Monday and will be able to play immediately for his hometown UNLV Rebels, sources said.

    Olekaibe, a senior guard who led Fresno State in scoring two seasons ago, applied for a hardship waiver with his father gravely ill. He has been awaiting word since September as his father remains in hospice unable to speak or move his lower body.
     
  11. truebluefan

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    No. 23 New Mexico cruises past Alabama A&M, 88-52

    Cameron Bairstow and Alex Kirk gave Craig Neal a winning debut as New Mexico coach.

    Bairstow had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Kirk added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and the 23rd-ranked Lobos opened the season with an 88-52 victory over Alabama A&M on Saturday night.
     
  12. truebluefan

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    No. 15 Gonzaga beats Colorado State 93-61

    Gonzaga coach Mark Few offered an undisputable truth about basketball after his 15th-ranked Bulldogs routed Colorado State.

    "Life is pretty good when you make your shots," Few said. "That makes everybody look good."

    Gonzaga shot 58 percent and made 14 3-pointers in beating the Rams 93-61 on Monday night.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400505486
     
  13. truebluefan

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    Cleveland Thomas lifts No. 19 New Mexico in double OT

    New Mexico coach Craig Neal knew his team had guys capable of making big shots. At the Charleston Classic on Thursday, Neal watched three of his players hit 3-pointers to save the 19th-ranked Lobos.

    Kendall Williams and Alex Kirk had late 3-pointers that forced a first and second time overtime and Cleveland Thomas hit a 3 to put New Mexico (3-0) up for good in a 97-94, double overtime thriller Thursday.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400499267
     
  14. truebluefan

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    Alex Kirk muscles No. 19 New Mexico by Davidson

    No. 19 New Mexico can count on its four veterans to lead the way.

    The starters back from last year's Mountain West champions combined for 55 points to help the Lobos bounce back from the season's first loss. They beat Davidson 79-58 to take third place at the Charleston Classic on Sunday.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400519036
     
  15. truebluefan

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    San Diego State knocks off No. 20 Creighton

    It didn't look promising for San Diego State when Doug McDermott made his first six shots to help 20th-ranked Creighton build a 12-point lead. The Aztecs got back in the game by ramping up their defensive pressure on the Bluejays' leading scorer.

    Xavier Thames scored six of his 26 points in the final 1:18, J.J. O'Brien had 15 points and seven rebounds, and San Diego State overcame 30 points by McDermott to upset Creighton 86-80 Friday night in the second round of the Wooden Legacy at Cal State Fullerton.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400519988
     
  16. truebluefan

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    SDSU beats No. 25 Marquette 67-59

    Four days, three games, two wins over ranked opponents and one tournament championship.

    Not a bad Thanksgiving weekend for San Diego State.

    Xavier Thames scored a career-high 27 points and San Diego State held off a late rally to beat No. 25 Marquette 67-59 in the championship game of the Wooden Legacy on Sunday night.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400520130
     
  17. truebluefan

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    No. 24 San Diego State rallies by Washington

    After playing five games in 11 days, the No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs looked tired against Washington. A second-half surge changed all that in a hurry.

    Following a sluggish first half, in which the Aztecs trailed by nine at the break, San Diego State rallied for a 70-63 win on Sunday.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400505523
     
  18. truebluefan

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    Thames leads No. 24 SDSU over S. Utah, 76-39

    Southern Utah had scored only five points through the first 15 minutes, and suddenly No. 24 San Diego State had a short-term goal.

    "We weren't really worried about offense in this game," Xavier Thames said. "We were just mainly focusing on defense and getting stops and trying to hold them under 10 points in the first half. But I think they got 11. That was our main focus, just getting stops each and every possession."

    That they did. SDSU's defense never gave Southern Utah a chance and the Aztecs won a 76-39 laugher Wednesday night.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400498090
     
  19. truebluefan

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    Winston Shepard leads No. 24 Aztecs to 65-36 victory

    Winston Shepard got instant redemption for whatever it was that got him benched Wednesday night by San Diego State coach Steve Fisher.

    Shepard returned from a one-game suspension to score seven straight points during a 13-0 run midway through the second half that helped the No. 24 Aztecs wake up and pull away from McNeese State for a 65-36 victory Saturday night.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400503934
     
  20. truebluefan

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    No. 20 San Diego State demolishes St. Katherine College by 83

    This game was an enormous mismatch when it was scheduled, tiny St. Katherine College in its inaugural season of basketball against San Diego State, which has played in the past four NCAA tournaments.

    When it started, 6-foot-10 Skylar Spencer controlled the opening tip against 6-7 Jonathan Wood, the Firebirds' tallest starter, and the blowout was on.

    Sophomore forward Winston Shepard scored a career-high 21 points and Dwayne Polee II had 19 points and 12 rebounds as No. 20 San Diego State overwhelmed St. Katherine College 118-35 on Friday night for its ninth straight win.

    Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400505535
     

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