MWC men’s tournament capsules

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 | 9:17 a.m.

No. 1 Air Force

COACH: Joe Scott.

OVERALL RECORD: 22-5.

MWC RECORD: 12-2.

BEST PLAYER: Nick Welch, 6-8, sophomore, center.

BEST WIN: Feb. 21 at Utah, 59-57.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. Colorado State, 6 p.m.

2004 VS. RAMS: Win, 65-57, on Jan. 12 in Colorado Springs; Win, 52-44, on Feb. 9 in Fort Collins.

STRENGTHS: The Falcons play tough defense, execute the Princeton offense to perfection and rarely beat themselves. The Falcons lead the nation in scoring defense allowing just 50.1 points per game. All five starters can hit the 3-pointer which makes it difficult to sag off to guard against their patented backcut layup attempts. Sophomore center Nick Welch averaged 13.6 points in conference play and was named MWC co-player of the year. He's a difficult matchup for opposing big men because he has guard skills and is quick enough to drive it to the basket from the top of the key where he frequently sets up on offense. He also is an excellent low post defender who finished fourth in the conference in steals (1.42 per game).

WEAKNESSES: Although the starting five is solid, depth is still a concern and the bench is still a question mark over a three-day stretch. The Falcons look about as imposing as Hickory High in the film Hoosiers and can get outmuscled on the boards. There is a big dropoff on offense when Welch goes to the bench or gets into foul trouble. Quick, athletic teams like UNLV have caused the Falcons some problems, especially when it comes to pressing them fullcourt. That usually cuts about 10 to 12 seconds off the shot clock.

No. 2 BYU

COACH: Steve Cleveland.

OVERALL RECORD: 20-7.

MWC RECORD: 10-4.

BEST PLAYER: Rafael Araujo, 6-11, senior, center.

BEST WIN: Dec. 6 vs. Oklahoma State, 76-71, in Salt Lake City.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. Wyoming, 2:30 p.m.

2004 RESULTS VS. COWBOYS: Win, 78-64, on Jan. 19 in Provo; Win, 67-53, on Feb. 14 in Laramie.

STRENGTHS: The Cougars are big, beefy and, as Rebels point guard Jerel Blassingame found out Saturday, sometimes nasty up front. Senior center Rafael Araujo, who earned conference co-player of the year honors after averaging 18.4 points and 10.0 rebounds, is a load in the post who uses his 285-pounds and 500-pound bench press to simply overpower many foes in the paint. And 25-year-old backup Jake Shoff (6-9, 265) also looks like he could play offensive tackle for Gary Crowton's football squad. Senior forward Mark Bigelow is one of the conference's top shooters while the improving backcourt of Luiz Lemes and Mike Hall is a major reason that BYU brings an eight-game winning streak into the tournament. Hall was named conference defensive player of the year.

WEAKNESSES: Not many. The Cougars have perhaps the best depth in the conference and are well-coached. Araujo is prone to foul problems at times. The Cougars shot a mediocre 34.9 percent from 3-point range but led the conference in field goal percentage (48.9 percent).

No. 3 Utah

COACH: Kerry Rupp.

OVERALL RECORD: 21-8.

MWC RECORD: 9-5.

BEST PLAYER: Nick Jacobson, 6-4, senior, guard.

BEST WIN: Dec. 23 at Colorado, 77-57.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. San Diego State, Noon.

2004 RESULTS VS. AZTECS: Win, 65-61, on Feb. 7 in Salt Lake City; Win, 66-53, on March 6 in San Diego.

STRENGTHS: The Utes have a good offensive mixture thanks to the outside shooting of heady senior guard Nick Jacobson (16.3 ppg), the conference's premier shooter, and the inside game of 6-9 senior center Tim Frost and 6-10 MWC freshman of the year Andrew Bogut (12.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg). Utah is the best rebounding team in the conference with a plus 7.7 margin. The Utes also play outstanding defense allowing opponents to make just 40.3 percent of their shots and score an average of just 56.7 points per game.

WEAKNESSES: Loss of head coach Rick Majerus (health problems) in the middle of the season can't be minimized. Majerus was regarded as one of the top five coaches in the nation and his teams generally overachieved. Utah seemed to sputter down the stretch winning just two of five games including a surprising 74-65 setback at Wyoming. The Utes have been prone to turnovers and ranked seventh in turnover margin in the conference (minus 3.66 per game).

No. 4 UNLV

COACH: Jay Spoonhour.

OVERALL RECORD: 16-11.

MWC RECORD: 7-7.

BEST PLAYER: Odartey Blankson, 6-7, junior, forward.

BEST WIN: Feb. 2 vs. Air Force, 63-50.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. New Mexico, 9 p.m. Results vs. Lobos in 2004: Win, 89-80, on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas; Win, 78-75, on March 1 in Albuquerque.

STRENGTHS: Mid-conference coaching change and switch to more popular up-tempo style seems to have revitalized a Rebels squad that was playing its best basketball of the season down the stretch. UNLV won four of six games with the only two losses by a combined three points at conference champ Air Force and to red-hot BYU. Junior point guard Jerel Blassingame averaged a league-high 7.43 assists per game and had 27 assists the past two games. Junior forward Odartey Blankson is second in the nation in double-doubles and led the conference in rebounding (10.4 rpg). Junior guard Romel Beck finished eighth in the MWC in scoring with a 14.4 average.

WEAKNESSES: Rebels have struggled against teams with big, physical front lines such as Stanford, BYU, Missouri and Utah. Senior center J.K. Edwards has been prone to foul problems which forces the erratic shooting Rebels to settle more for perimeter shots. Suspect depth will be put to the test in the Mile High altitude of Denver.

No. 5 New Mexico

COACH: Ritchie McKay.

OVERALL RECORD: 14-13.

MWC RECORD: 5-9.

BEST PLAYER: Danny Granger, 6-8, junior, forward.

BEST WIN: Jan. 26 vs. BYU, 65-63.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. UNLV, 9 p.m.

2004 RESULTS VS. REBELS: Loss, 89-80, on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas; Loss, 78-75, on March 1 in Albuquerque.

STRENGTHS: The Lobos have two of the conference's top 3-point shooters in guards Javin Tindall, who hit 9 of 11 against UNLV this season, and Troy DeVries, who is connecting on 44.9 percent of his 3's this year. Toss in the fact that junior forward Danny Granger led the conference in scoring with a 19.8 average and may be the best all-around player in the conference and you have the potential for a very potent offense on any given night. The Lobos also do a good job of limiting their mistakes. They average just 13.1 turnovers per game which ranks them second in the MWC behind Air Force. New Mexico is also one of the best free throw shooting teams (71.7 percent) in the conference.

WEAKNESSES: The Lobos lack size and depth in the front line. Center David Chiotti (12.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) has had a solid year but is simply overmatched against bigger teams. New Mexico has lost 27 games in a row away from The Pit including a sloppy 76-66 regular season finale at Colorado State that seemed to be demoralizing to the squad. Most teams focus on trying to contain Granger which means the Lobos usually live or die by the outside shot.

No. 6 San Diego State

COACH: Steve Fisher.

OVERALL RECORD: 14-14.

MWC RECORD: 5-9.

BEST PLAYER: Aerick Sanders, 6-8, senior, center.

BEST WIN: Jan. 12 vs. BYU, 65-61.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. Utah, Noon.

2004 RESULTS VS. UTES: Loss, 65-61, on Feb. 7 in Salt Lake City; Loss, 66-53, on March 6 in San Diego.

STRENGTHS: Led by three-time MWC player of the week Aerick Sanders, freshman star Marcus Slaughter and 6-10 junior Chris Walton, the Aztecs have a front line that can match up physically with just about any team in the conference. Sanders finished tied for second in the MWC in rebounding (10.0 avg.) behind just UNLV's Odartey Blankson and was fifth in scoring (16.0 ppg). The starting back court of point guard Wesley Stokes and freshman Brandon Heath is as athletic as any in the conference and can cause havoc on defense. They both rank in the top six in the MWC in steals.

WEAKNESSES: The Aztecs have struggled badly in conference play shooting, especially from the perimeter. San Diego State shot a pitiful 28.8 percent from 3-point range (70-of-243) in MWC play and a league-worst 41.2 percent from the floor overall. Free throw shooting (66.8 per cent) wasn't much better. Not so surprisingly, teams have started to pack their defenses inside to try and stop Sanders and Slaughter while daring Stokes and Heath to fire away from the outside.

No. 7 Wyoming

COACH: Steve McClain.

OVERALL RECORD: 11-16.

MWC RECORD: 4-10.

BEST PLAYER: Jay Straight, 5-11, junior, point guard.

BEST WIN: Dec. 6 vs. Washington, 92-76.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. BYU, 2:30 p.m.

2004 RESULTS VS. COUGARS: Loss, 78-64, on Jan. 19 in Provo; Loss, 67-53, on Feb. 14 in Laramie.

STRENGTHS: Point guard Jay Straight has the ability to take over games when he's connecting on his 3-point tries. He finished sixth in the MWC in scoring with a 15.9 average. Senior big forward Joe Ries is a solid, workmanlike player who leads a big, physical front line that includes improving 7-foot junior Alex Dunn. The Cowboys are one of the conference's better rebounding teams (plus 2.3 per game). Wyoming could have the biggest fan support at the conference tournament, especially if the Cowboys can upset BYU.

WEAKNESSES: Shooting. The Cowboys shoot just 43.7 percent from the floor and are the worst free throw shooting team in the conference (66.7 p ercent). Straight, who out of necessity sometimes gets caught up trying to do too much, has almost as many turnovers (89) as assists (95). Starting guard Tim Henry left the team in midseason complaining about team chemistry problems. Other than Straight, there are no real impact players. Just a lot of Average Joes. Make that Average Cowboy Joes.

No. 8 Colorado State

COACH: Dale Layer.

OVERALL RECORD: 12-15.

MWC RECORD: 4-10.

BEST PLAYER: Matt Nelson, 7-0, junior, center.

BEST WIN: Dec. 30 vs. Purdue, 71-69.

FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT: vs. Air Force, 6 p.m.

2004 RESULTS VS. FALCONS: Loss, 65-57, on Jan. 12 in Colorado Springs; Loss, 52-44, on Feb. 9 in Fort Collins.

STRENGTHS: Junior center Matt Nelson missed part of the season with a knee injury but seems to be back near full speed now after scoring 25 points in the Rams' season-ending 76-66 victory against New Mexico. He was the MVP of last year's conference tournament and is almost automatic when he gets the ball within 6 feet of the basket. The Rams, thanks to Nelson and sophomore leaper Michael Morris, lead the conference in blocked shots averaging 4.89 per game.

WEAKNESSES: Layer has used 17 different starting lineups this season and has turned to freshman Dwight Boatner to play point guard. The Rams are a poor 3-point shooting team (33.9 percent) and have struggled with turnovers (17.3 per game). Rebounding also has been a problem especially when Nelson is on the bench. San Diego State had 25 offensive boards in one game against the Rams this year.

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