MWC’s muscle is in Colorado

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006 | 8:14 a.m.

Rob Miech

Appropriately, the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament will be staged in Colorado in March, since the league's two best teams reside in the Centennial State.

Air Force and Colorado State are the lone conference members among the top 100 in the current Ratings Percentage Index. Next season the tournament moves from the Pepsi Center in Denver back to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, but the Falcons and Rams might want to protest.

Their state deserves the spotlight, considering it's the highlight of a league whose overall RPI is barely ahead of the Atlantic 10, the Metro Atlantic, West Coast and Western Athletic conferences as well as the Colonial Athletic Association.

Former Denver Nuggets boss Jeff Bzdelik has settled into the Academy nicely, guiding Air Force to its best start (12-1) in history. Defense has keyed the Falcons, who lead the nation by yielding only 52.3 points a game.

Bzdelik, Buzz to friends and family, told the Denver Post that Air Force is like Seabiscuit.

"We're probably not fast enough, probably not big enough, probably not strong enough, probably not good enough," he said. "But the heart of this team? It just goes and goes."

A glance at the league, with records through Monday, as the conference schedule tips off tonight:

Air Force (12-1)

* The NCAA selection committee will like: Victories over Miami, Saint Mary's and Georgia Tech, and an assists-to-turnovers ratio (1.4) that's fourth in the country.

* The selection committee won't like: The rest of the schedule. The Falcons' strength-of-schedule is 268th in the nation.

* In a nutshell: Junior forward and all-around pest Jacob Burtschi will play a pivotal role in keeping Air Force atop the league without outstanding center Nick Welch (knee injury).

Colorado State (11-2)

* The selection committee will like: A sterling Ratings Percentage Index of 23.

* The committee won't like: Nothing. This could be the most complete team in the Mountain West.

* In a nutshell: Just when many counted coach Dale Layer out three years after reaching the NCAAs, this might be Act II.

Brigham Young (8-3)

* The selection committee will like: A neutral-site victory over sticky Washington State.

* The committee won't like: The ugly home defeat to Loyola Marymount, which was beaten by UNLV and SDSU.

* In a nutshell: Despite leading the league in scoring, BYU has only one player -- and he's a freshman, Trent Plaisted -- among the conference's top 20 individual scorers. So the Cougars could be dangerous with their balance.

New Mexico (9-4)

* The selection committee will like: A 9-0 home record. Continue to be wary of The Pit.

* The committee won't like: A loss at San Diego. Not against San Diego State but the University of San Diego's Toreros.

* In a nutshell: Senior forward David Chiotti continues to be one of the best players in the Mountain West.

Utah (7-4)

* The selection committee will like: That Utah is a household name -- it's played in 11 of the past 13 NCAA tournaments.

* The committee won't like: A 30-point drubbing against Arizona at home.

* In a nutshell: The Utes' usual stubbornness under the other guys' backboard will be their backbone.

San Diego State (7-5)

* The selection committee will like: Marcus Slaughter, tops in the league in scoring and second in rebounding.

* The committee won't like: Those nasty yellow uniforms.

* In a nutshell: A freshman point guard and a selfish team will be hard for the preseason favorites to overcome.

Wyoming (7-6)

* The selection committee will like: A victory over tough Charlotte.

* The committee won't like: Home defeats to Southern Illinois and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a loss at mediocre Princeton and Monday's debacle in Denver.

* In a nutshell: Strong defensive principles will keep the Cowboys in the top half of the league.

UNLV (6-6)

* The selection committee will like: A convincing win over Texas Tech.

* The committee won't like: A mystifying home loss to Pepperdine.

* In a nutshell: Without improved defense, the Rebels will not even make the NIT.

Texas Christian (4-9)

* The selection committee will like: The Frogs' offensive rebounding, best in the league. Then again, there are a lot of misses to retrieve.

* The committee won't like: An RPI of 276, below Maryland-Baltimore County, Stony Brook and Wofford. Ouch.

* In a nutshell: TCU's shooting woes will mark its first tour of the conference.

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com.

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