The Mountain West might be one of the competitive and even divisions in college basketball, plagued with the same parity that has been evident in most major conferences. So don't fault Utah for losing at BYU and at New Mexico recently. The Utes fell to the Papagiorgio curse more than anything else. (Ask UCLA fans about that.)The Mountain West is wide open and the most realistic possibility is that three teams,Utah, BYU and New Mexico, could share the conference title. And you know who is the most important team in the Mountain West right now? Wyoming.
Utah blew its two-game cushion by losing at BYU and at New Mexico. Not that there's any harm there. If you are reading this post, you know how hard it is to win at the Marriott Center and at the Pit. But don't fret Utes, a share of the conference title will be yours with a win over the Horned Frogs.
An outright title? That's up to Wyoming.
Wyoming will play host to BYU tonight and New Mexico on Saturday. The Cougars and Lobos had better not believe this game is a chippy. The Cowboys already beat the Rebels and Aztecs at home this season, and are 12-1 at home this season. Utah was the only Mountain West team to win in Laramie this year.
This could be troublesome for BYU and New Mexico. The Cowboys have their conference tournament seed already set. But you know that the team and its fans would love to spoil the season of the Cougars and Lobos. This will be a tough test for BYU and New Mexico which also harbor NCAA tournament hopes. No letdowns will be acceptable.
