LAS VEGAS – The Mountain West Conference, in its most recent iteration, left this mortal hoops coil at 11:44 pm PDT Friday.
That’s when the final buzzer sounded on San Diego State’s wild 64-62 defeat of New Mexico in the nightcap of two Mountain West tournament semifinals at the Thomas & Mack Center, nearly three hours after Utah State thumped Nevada, 79-66, in the earlier semi.
As such, it set up an all-Disloyal 5 Mountain West tourney title game between the No. 2 seed Aztecs (22-10) and regular season champion Aggies (27-6), both of whom are departing the 27-year-old league for the re-imagined Pac 12 (which, incidentally, will only have nine schools come next hoops season).
A moment of silence, then, for the dearly departed Mountain West…
Thank you.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun. “This league, I can remember staying up late as a youngster, watching these games back home at 10:00, 11:00, and we’re in it now. To have a chance to win another title and be a part of this league, it’s pretty awesome, and it’s kind of bittersweet for the Aggies.
“I think everybody knows this is our last chance in this conference to win a tournament. You see who’s got the most fans. They’re probably driving right now from Logan, Utah, and we’re bringing reinforcements, I’m sure.”
San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher, who has been in the league as an assistant or head coach since its inception in 1999, said “parity” was the best thing about the Mountain West, after Aztecs sophomore forward Magoon Gwath came off the bench to lead San Diego State with 17 points, and added six rebounds and two blocks.
“It’s not just about the teams,” Dutcher said. “It’s about fan bases.
“Now, the charge for the Mountain West is to fill the building with someone other than New Mexico fans now that the Aztec fans are taking their support to another conference. Hopefully the new teams that they’ve added will support the teams…because it’s a conference worthy of following.”
More on that from the league’s commissioner later.
Spinning it forward, the Aggies and Aztecs split their two regular season meetings, with each team winning on its home court. Utah State prevailed, 71-66, on Jan. 31 in the Smith Spectrum, while San Diego State won, 89-72, in Viejas Arena on Feb. 25.
The Aztecs playing in their 17th Mountain West tournament title game (they’ve won a conference-best seven titles, most recently in 2023) is not surprising, given their high retention rate this past summer.
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Meanwhile, this is Utah State’s fifth Mountain West tournament title game appearance, and they have won it twice, in 2019 and 2020
As far as the so-called Disloyal 5 are concerned, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State have their bags checked, alongside Utah State and San Diego State, and they will be joined by WCC power Gonzaga and Texas State of the Sun Belt to combine with Pac 12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State.
Another moment of silence, then, for the once and future Mountain West…
Thank you again.
Initially formed in 1999, the Mountain West will be headlined in hoops next winter by New Mexico and UNR, as well as returning members UNLV, Air Force, San Jose State, Wyoming and Grand Canyon. They will be joined by Hawaii, which will play for the Big West Conference title and the conference’s automatic bid Saturday against UC Irvine, Big West mate UC Davis and Conference USA’s UTEP, to make it a 10-school basketball league.
Still, after the Wolf Pack saw five Utah State players score in double figures, led by freshman wing Adlan Elamin’s 15 points with junior guard Mason Falslev, the conference player of the year, going for 12 points, five rebounds and five assists, Calhoun was feeling whimsical about Saturday’s title game, regardless of his opponent.
“We all know each other,” he said. “Who can win with their identity, right?…Dutch’s team has an identity, we have an identity. Whoever plays to their strengths will probably win this game. Whoever plays more desperate, more connected and makes big plays is going to win the game.
“But I think the crowds here have been incredible. You know, all these games have been packed, and I think it just speaks volumes for the Mountain West.”
More Mountain West drama?
The Utah State band was given headbands with the league logo on it to wear during its game. The students wore them…inside out. To hide the logo.
Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the Mountain West Tournament would remain in Sin City, while hinting that the departing schools’ fan bases might not be all that missed.
In a manner of speaking.
“I was taking a look at the ticket sales for this year,” she told the newspaper, “It’s interesting to note Grand Canyon has already requested the same number of tickets that San Diego State requests on a yearly basis. Then Utah State, Boise State, and Fresno State were in the bottom half of the league as far as tickets sold. Utah was eight, Boise nine, Fresno is 11 over the last two years. Colorado State was fifth, so they were in the middle.
“But I mean, you look at Hawaii, Las Vegas is their ninth island, and they bring over 1,000 people when they advance to the tournament championships at the Big West. UTEP, again, fans are excited. Las Vegas is much more accessible than their previous championship in Huntsville, Alabama, and UC Davis is driving distance (from Las Vegas).”
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