What do we know about the Mountain West? It looks like a one bid league and the team with the most experience is considered the top team, Boise State, at this moment. The Lobos are 3-1 after a 86-74 loss at UNLV. The Rebels fired their head coach Dave Rice on Sunday after a 0-3 start to MW play. Both teams built brick walls early in the game, not able to hit shots at the rim or from the outside. It was the constant pressure from the Rebels that eventually wore down UNM as they continued to pull away in the second half. The Lobos will be fine when they hit the court Saturday at home against Wyoming. One big question I have with this team is can and how will they handle pressure from guards with size and quickness? They struggled against UNLV. Came up short verse Auburn and saw Washington State run away in the second half. Perimeter shooting could help change the match-up next time they play but overall the Lobos have to do a better job of setting up in the half court. Getting the ball into the post in a good position. Avoid dribbling into bad double teams. Pressure frustrates every team. West Virginia made Kansas look silly at times this week with a full court press. I’m looking forward to the next big road tests for the Lobos, at Boise State and San Diego State. Its great early conference experience to have what could be the toughest road trips (Fresno State, UNLV, BSU and SDSU) done in the first half of conference play. It sets up for good return games and the ability for the Lobos to get on a very nice roll heading into the Mountain West tournament. React to the moment while understanding the journey is far from over.
