2009 Mountain West Men’s Basketball Tournament Predictions

Written March 10, 2009 by Jason Lowry

BYU Utah St Basketball

The Mountain West Men’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled to get going Wednesday, March 11 from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. All 9 teams get a shot at earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that goes along with winning this tournament, and there is no clear cut favorite, as there are a number of very good teams in this conference that could make the tournament even without a winning the tournament. Here is a look at the 3 top seeds and a sleeper I feel could make some noise and possibly win this tournament. Bet MWC Basketball Tournament at Bookmaker.com.

1. BYU Cougars (24-6, 12-4 MWC)

The Cougars earned the No.1 seed, but it wasn’t like they beat up on Utah or New Mexico, as they split their 2 games with both these teams. The Cougars did have a real solid finish to the season winning 9 of their final 10 games, with the only loss coming on the road to UNLV 74-75. If the Cougars are going to win this tournament they will need their scoring trio of Lee Cummard, Jonathan Tavernari, and Jimmer Fredette to bring it every night. Cummard led the Cougars with 17 points per game, but Tavernari and Fredette were right behind him at 16 points a game.

2. Utah Utes (21-9, 12-4 MWC)

The Utes had a pretty tough finish to the regular season, as they had to play 2 of their final 3 games on the road against BYU and New Mexico, where they were unable to win. The Utes did finish up the season with a win against TCU, and will have to beat them once again, as they face TCU in their first game of the tournament. The Utes had won 8 games before the back to back losses to the two top teams, so you have to like their chances of getting hot and making a deep run in this tournament. The Utes have 4 players averaging double figures in points, but the go to guy is Luke Nevill, and his 17 points a game.

3. New Mexico Lobos (21-10, 12-4 MWC)

The Lobos come into the tournament with a 5 game winning streak, but in their final game of the season they beat Wyoming by just one point, and they will have to figure out how to beat them once again, as they will face Wyoming this Thursday in quarterfinal action. The Lobos have beat both the Utes and Cougars this season, so this team is just as much of a threat as the top 2 teams listed here. The Lobos will need a strong tournament from Tony Danridge, as he leads the Lobos with a solid 15.2 scoring average.

Sleeper: UNLV Rebels (21-9, 9-7 MWC)

The Rebels have been in nearly every game they played this season, and they were a very nice 4-2 against the top 3 teams, including a perfect 2-0 against the Cougars. The Rebels have a scary first round matchup, as they try to beat San Diego State for the first time this season, after falling for the 2nd time to the Aztecs in their final conference game. The Rebels will need a huge tournament from a number of players, but they have to make sure to get Wink Adams and Tre’Von Willis going if they want any shot of winning.

Predictions: BYU Cougars

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