Fun, Passion and Playmakers Have Combined to Make The Mountain West A Top-Tier Basketball Conference

Roddie Anderson III of Boise State shoots a free throw in front of a section of New Mexico fans at the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

LAS VEGAS — Hope for the Mountain West Conference sending seven teams to the 2024 NCAA Tournament fell short in the most literal sense, with Dedon Thomas Jr.’s would-be, game-tying lay-up hitting the front of the rim.

With its 74-71 loss to San Diego State in overtime in the quarterfinal round of the MWC Tournament, UNLV dropped to 19-12. The Runnin’ Rebels’ hard-fought effort against the 2023 national runner-up provided a boost to UNLV’s KenPom.com overall rating, but precedent suggests No. 72 won’t garner support from the selection committee.

But that a day earlier — following his team’s opening-round loss to New Mexico — Air Force coach Joe Scott suggested seven MW March Madness participants as a possibility, and it couldn’t be dismissed as homeriffic hyperbole is remarkable in its own right.

UNLV resurrecting a season that as recently as the final week of January appeared to have flat-lined is a story on its own. The Runnin’ Rebels went 10-1 over an 11-game stretch with wins over New Mexico — which completed a season sweep — Colorado State and San Diego State.

Add an earlier win over Boise State, and a non-conference defeat of Creighton, and UNLV closed out with six defeats of opponents that should be pretty solidly in the NCAA Tournament.