Wink Adams and the Rebels were predicted by Rivals.com to be a #8 seed in the NCAA tournament this year
Two MWC teams were predicted by Rivals.com to be in the NCAA Tournament this year. UNLV and BYU. UNLV is predicted as a #8 seed and BYU is predicted as a #10 seed. Also, two other Utah teams besides BYU were on there, too. Utah State is predicted in being a #13 seed and Weber State is a #15 seed.
UNLV and BYU are expected to be in the NCAA Tournament this year again because they are again on top of the Mountain West Conference. ! But it looks like other MWC teams are trying to bust in and earn respect. Here is a rundown of the MWC so far {top 5}:
1. UNLV {16-4, 4-2}
UNLV has been playing very well, and it wouldn't be a surprise if they get into the NCAA Tournament again this year. Earlier, they beat one of the top ranked teams, Louisville. They are tied for first right now among the MWC with Utah and TCU. They are all 4-2.
2. BYU {15-5, 3-3}
BYU has conference losses to Utah, UNLV, and New Mexico, and two to top 25 teams, former #20 Arizona State and former #6 Wake Forest. It doesn't sound like BYU has been doing very well, but they actually have been pretty productive. They blew out Boise State {who is currently 14-5} 94-56 and then against a hard working team {San Diego State} 77-71. Expect them to go to the Tournament again as well.
3. San Diego State {13-5, 3-2}
The Aztecs also challenged Arizona State {who was #15 at the time}, and loss, but only ! by 7. It wasn't as close as BYU's loss {which shouldn't have b! een a lo ss, cough, cough} but they have also been productive. They probably aren't going to be in the tournament, but they are pretty close.
4. Utah {13-7, 4-2}
They just beat BYU last night, 94-88 in overtime, behind a big performance by big man Luke Nevill. Utah has had an up and down season. They lost to former #5 Oklahoma by 22, then beat Weber State, then lost to Utah State, then beat UC Irvine and former #16 Gonzaga. They need to get consecutive wins instead of going up and down. Then they can get a bid in the tournament.
5. TCU {13-7, 4-2}
TCU didn't look so hot starting off the season. In the first five games, they were 1-4, beating only Western Michigan. Then they lost to Clemson, who was not ranked then but is now #12, Charleston, and Nebraska. But they have bounced back and now are 13-7. Forward Kevin Langford is looking pretty impressive, as is Zvonko Buljan. They also need to work harder if they want to get into the NCAA tournament.
