It feels so good to be writing about college basketball again. It seems like yesterday when UConn was cutting down the nets for its second consecutive National Championship.
The Mountain West was one of the most exciting leagues in the sport last season, although the conference representatives were disappointing in the NCAA Tournament.
Entering the 2024-2025 season, the conference has taken a slight hit in the talent department.
According to KenPom, the Mountain West is power-rated as the sixth-best conference in the country, behind all four power conferences and the Big East.
The Mountain West will look vastly different during the 2025-2026 season, but for now, the last hurrah of the league, as we know it, starts.
I examined the conference in greater detail and analyzed the favorites, contenders and long shots. Without giving too much away, one of these teams has some value as a long shot, so stay tuned for the pick.
Without further ado, let's dive into my 2024-25 Mountain West preview.
2024-25 Mountain West Regular Season Title Futures
| Team Name | Odds (Via BetMGM) |
| San Diego State | +400 |
| Boise State | +400 |
| Nevada | +450 |
| Utah State | +500 |
| New Mexico | +500 |
| UNLV | +700 |
| Colorado State | +800 |
| Wyoming | +10000 |
| Fresno State | +10000 |
| San Jose State | +10000 |
| Air Force | +10000 |
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Mountain West Favorites
New Mexico Lobos
The Lobos enter the 2024-2025 season as the betting favorite (at FanDuel) to win the MWC regular season title. They're coming off a Mountain West Tournament championship last March, but they lost to Clemson in their first NCAA Tournament game.
Replacing Jamal Mashburn Jr. and JT Toppin will be challenging, but Richard Pitino wasted no time getting busy in the transfer portal. Pitino landed transfer CJ Noland from North Texas, a terrific shooter coming off a campaign in which he drilled 39% from deep.
Remember, Donovan Dent — the preseason favorite to win the MWC Player of the Year — is back. Dent formed a terrific backcourt tandem with Mashburn last year, but now he'll lead the charge with Noland beside him.
Other additions include forward Atiki Ally Atiki (BYU) and freshman Jovan Milicevic. The two will provide depth in the frontcourt.
The Lobos are the deepest team in the conference.
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack are also getting a lot of buzz in the preseason. A lot of that palpable buzz is thanks to Cal Poly transfer Kobe Sanders.
Sanders tore it up last season and could be one of the most underrated players in the country.
Take a look at some of his highlights below, as you can see how explosive he can be when attacking the rim:
Kobe Sanders is one of the most underrated transfers & players in college hoops this year…
6'6" lanky athletic guard that can handle, create & score at will. Slithery finisher that put up 20/4/3 at Cal Poly last year & will be the focal point for Nevada's offense🐺 pic.twitter.com/z7elkJLl44
— Ryan Hammer🔨 (@ryanhammer09) October 25, 2024
Besides Sanders, the Pack added Xavier DuSell (Fresno State) and Brandon Love (Texas State) from the portal.
It hurts that Kenan Blackshear and Jarod Lucas have departed, but this is another deep roster.
If Sanders lives up to the hype, he can make a run at the MWC Player of the Year award.
Mountain West Contenders
Boise State Broncos
The Mountain West is a top-heavy conference, and any of the top four preseason favorites can make their case to win the regular season title.
Many believe the Broncos should be the favorite (including BetMGM), and I understand why.
It's Year 15 for head coach Leon Rice, and he has the best three-man tandem of any starting five in the conference. Tyson Degenhart, O'Mar Stanley and Alvaro Cardenas (San Jose State transfer) will give opposing teams in the MWC fits.
They also added a project center from Arizona in Dylan Anderson. The seven-footer has dealt with health issues, but he has a ton of upside.
I love the talent on the Broncos, and I certainly see some value in the 4-1 number. KenPom has them rated as the top team in the conference, so I wouldn't mind taking a shot on the Broncos now.
San Diego State Aztecs
Brian Dutcher's Aztecs lost a lot of critical pieces during the offseason. The departures include:
- Jaedon LeDee
- Darrion Trammell
- Micah Parrish
- Lamont Butler
- Elijah Saunders
That's a massive amount of talent to lose, and it's hard to imagine the Aztecs returning to form. They added new pieces, though, in Jared Coleman-Jones and Wayne McKinney III, but that probably isn't enough to recoup the losses.
Dutcher is a terrific coach and the roster is still capable, but I wouldn't guarantee a NCAA Tournament spot. SDSU is being overpriced at the moment.
Mountain West Long Shots
Utah State Aggies
Utah State lost Great Osobor and now has a new head coach in Jerrod Calhoun from Youngstown State.
The Aggies also added Pavle Stosic from Gonzaga and Dexter Akanno from Oregon State.
The starting five is solid, but I question their depth. They should be in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament bid, but I would bet they'll fall short.
Colorado State Rams
Colorado State is another team that lost a lot of talent, and I wonder if its reinforcements will be impactful enough to replace the losses.
It lost sensational guard Isaiah Stevens to the NBA, and the only starter returning is Nique Clifford.
Clifford should provide plenty of scoring stability, but the rest of the roster could be questionable.
With all of their uncertainty, the Rams aren't worth a bet at their current price.
UNLV Rebels
The team I want to focus on here is the UNLV Rebels. Although the Rebels lost Luis Rodriguez and the Boone brothers, they reloaded with high-ceiling talent.
Big man Jeremiah Cherry, the most significant addition, could be the most dominant big in the conference. He'll have plenty of pick-and-roll opportunities with Dedan Thomas Jr., who will be their best player.
Forward Rob Whaley provides excellent frontcourt experience, and Jailen Bedford and Jalen Hill should be significant contributors.
The Rebels haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2013, and I will bet they're a sneaky darkhorse to contend in the MWC. They're listed at 9-1 on DraftKings, but I can snag them at 12-1 on BetMGM.
Rest of the Mountain West Pack
Air Force, San Jose State, Fresno State & Wyoming
The only thing these teams have in common is that they had a lot of roster turnover, which is the common trend in the new era of NIL deals in college sports.
These teams were gutted; some even saw their top players transfer within the conference.
These teams have far too much uncertainty to consider a dart at 150-1, and I don't see any of them sniffing a chance to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Mountain West Best Bets & Futures
Two bets worth making right now are Boise State +475 (DraftKings) and UNLV +1200 (FanDuel) to win the regular season title.
According to KenPom, Boise State should be the favorite to win the conference, and I don't disagree, given its dynamic starting five.
Degenhart is going to give Dent a run for his money as Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, and he'll be complimented nicely in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, UNLV has a ton of talent with high-ceiling potential, and if it can combine all of the pieces, there's no question that it'll be in the thick of the race.
I will target the Rebels early and often on a game-by-game basis, as the market will underrate them in most spots. It'll be critical to take advantage of mispriced lines, and by the time December rolls around, the 12-1 number you can snag right now will be long gone.
