LAS VEGAS — The formula has worked thus far in football for the Mountain West, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t in basketball: Chalk up wins against a tougher schedule, gain more national credibility.
The first practice doesn’t begin until Friday, but MWC commissioner Craig Thompson and several coaches at the preseason media event Tuesday were already talking about securing a second at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
“I would argue if everyone played one better top 50-ish opponent — (instead) of one of those 250 or lower teams — we’d probably be pushing a second at-large bid,” Thompson said of the historical pattern of one automatic and one at-large bid.
Undefeated Utah and Brigham Young have used wins over BCS teams to climb in the football top 15.
The old problem is landing home-and-away agreements when some powerhouse basketball programs want only home games.
Utah has one of the more ambitious nonconference slates with Oregon, Cal, Oklahoma, Gonzaga and LSU.
“We tell them we’ll play at your place first, then you come to our place,” Utes coach Jim Boylen said. “No one is going to your place first.”
CSU roster changes.
Colorado State coach Tim Miles said he won’t have his two tallest players this season. Purdue transfer Dan Vandervieren (6-feet-10) will redshirt after ankle and shoulder surgeries. Seven-foot center Ronnie Aguilar is on indefinite suspension for a team rules violation and isn’t listed in the media guide.
A previously unannounced walk-on transfer is Arin Dunn, a 6-1 junior guard who graduated from Broomfield High, then went to New Hampshire and Lamar Community College. He is the son of Dartmouth coach and former Air Force, CSU and Colorado assistant Terry Dunn.
The poll.
Despite losing all 16 regular-season league games last season, the Rams moved up from worst to next-to-last in the preseason MWC media poll.
“That’s a good deal, especially after we were 0-16,” CSU guard Marcus Walker said.
TCU, with the only new coach in the league, replaced CSU in the basement. Area Front Range teams didn’t fare much better in the prognostications with Air Force seventh and Wyoming sixth. UNLV was picked to win over defending champ BYU.
On the women’s side, the Rams also moved out of the cellar of the combined coaches/media poll despite not winning a league game. Air Force was picked last, barely behind CSU. Defending champion Utah picked No. 1. Wyoming was picked sixth.
Footnotes.
BYU center Trent Plaisted, who left a year early to enter the NBA draft, is playing professionally in Italy. . . . Former BYU guard Austin Ainge has joined his father, Danny, in the Boston Celtics’ front office. Last year’s MWC co-player of the year, New Mexico’s J.R. Giddens, is still in the Celtics camp.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
MWC preseason polls
MEN
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. UNLV (16) 206
2. Brigham Young (5) 181
3. San Diego St. (3) 170
4. Utah 148
5. New Mexico 132
6. Wyoming 75
7. Air Force 66
8. Colorado State 53
9. TCU 49
Preseason all-MWC
Lee Cummard, Sr., G, BYU
Lorrenzo Wade, Sr., F, S.D. State
Wink Adams, Sr., G, UNLV
Luke Nevill, Sr., C, Utah
Brandon Ewing, Sr., G, Wyoming
Preseason honors
Players of the year: Cummard, BYU; Adams, UNLV
Newcomer: Tre’Von Willis, So., G, UNLV
Freshman: Phillip McDonald, G, New Mexico
WOMEN
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Utah (16) 206
2. San Diego St. (6) 184
3. TCU (2) 161
4. New Mexico (2) 148
5. Brigham Young 117
6. Wyoming 113
7. UNLV 80
8. Colorado State 44
9. Air Force 36
Preseason all-MWC
Paris Johnson, So., C, S. Diego St.
Jene Morris, Jr., G, San Diego St.
Helena Sverrisdottir, So., F, TCU
Morgan Warburton, Sr., G, Utah
Kalee Whipple, Jr., F, Utah
Preseason honors
Player of the year: Warburton, Utah
Newcomer: Eboni Mangum, Jr., G, TCU
Freshman: Kristen Riley, F, BYU
