AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Senior guard Tim Anderson did his part again Monday to keep the Air Force Falcons’ five-year surge going forward when he was named the Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year.
“I see this award as more of a team award,” Anderson said. “I’m not the most athletic player and I can’t jump the highest, but in the scheme of our defense, team play helps a lot.”
In the past five seasons, when the Falcons have won 106 games, Anderson and center Nick Welch were the only AFA players singled out for an individual award. Welch was the co-MWC player of the year for the 2003-04 season. Anderson ranks second on the AFA career list in steals with 168.
“Anyone who can take five charges in a game, it’s an award well-deserved,” Falcons coach Jeff Reynolds said of Anderson.
Colorado State junior guard Marcus Walker was named the MWC newcomer of the year. A transfer from Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College who started his career at Nebraska, Walker leads the MWC in overall scoring at 17.2 points per game but lost the scoring title for conference games to New Mexico’s co-MWC player of the year, senior J.R. Giddens.
“When everything was going wrong, he was going right,” CSU coach Tim Miles said of Walker and the Rams’ winless MWC season. Meanwhile, 7-footer Stuart Creason, who reinjured his foot Saturday, is doubtful for the Rams’ MWC Tournament play-in game Wednesday against Wyoming.
The Falcons (16-13) play Thursday against San Diego State knowing they haven’t won an MWC Tournament game in eight tries. There is talk of NIT consideration.
“I’m not sure we’ve done enough,” Reynolds said. “Our team is worthy of going to the league tournament and win three games and get into the NCAAs. But if not, we’d love to go to the NIT.”
Mountain West primer
Staff writer Natalie Meisler breaks down the Mountain West women’s tournament, which begins today in Las Vegas:
Five things to watch
1. Potential Utah-Wyoming title game. Wyoming coach Joe Legerski was on Utah counterpart Elaine Elliott’s staff for a decade. No coaching secrets in this one.
2. Will No. 12 Utah (27-3, 16-0) become the first MWC school . . . to go through the conference season without a loss and win the tournament? The Utes were 14-0 in 2001 but lost in the semifinals.
3. Can Air Force (10-18, 4-12) sneak up on No. 2 seed TCU? Falcons won their play-in game last year. TCU, despite its high seed, might be nervous on the NCAA bubble.
4. A Wyoming-New Mexico final. It could shatter women’s attendance records given the way those schools travel to Las Vegas.
5. If Wyoming (24-5, 12-4) wins its opener with San Diego State . . . it would mark Legerski’s 100th career win in just his fifth season.
Three players to watch
1. Leilani Mitchell, 5-foot-5 senior guard, Utah. MWC player of the year and newcomer of the year turned a good Utah team into a great one. The Idaho transfer had 18 assists in one game, led the MWC in assists at 7.7 a game and was fourth in scoring at 16.4.
2. Hanna Zavecz, 6-0 senior forward, Wyoming. The Australian import is the big reason for Wyoming’s emergence on the national scene. Also won MWC defensive player of the year honors.
3. Dionne Marsh, 6-1 forward, New Mexico. First team all-MWC regular averaged 26.5 points in her past two games.
Dark horse to watch
New Mexico (17-12, 9-7). Usually draws higher than its No. 4 seed. Won the tournament as the No. 3 seed last year. Has a big fan following.
Our pick
Wyoming. Utah is playing only for NCAA seeding, and the Cowgirls have something to prove after being slighted by the NCAA Tournament a year ago. This could be the strongest women’s MWC field ever.
Colorado State’s chances
Tonight’s opening pigtail game (7 p.m. MDT) with UNLV comes down to which team wants to end its misery first and start the offseason. These are two once-solid programs that have hit rock bottom.
Air Force’s chances
TCU leads the series 10-1, but this may be the best AFA women’s team ever.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler contributed to this report.
Irv Moss: 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
