No title, but lots on the line for Lobos, Aztecs
Winner avoids the ‘play-in’ round
When the schedules came out last summer, this one was circled.
San Diego State, preseason favorite and perennial Mountain West title contender, finishing the regular season in the Pit against rival New Mexico, picked third with renewed expectations that their two preseason all-conference players would lead them back in title contention.
Well, there is, in fact, plenty riding on Saturday night’s Aztecs vs. Lobos game in the Pit. It’s just not exactly what some had hoped for.
“We didn’t know it was going to be the big game for the play-in game,” UNM coach Craig Neal said.
SDSU (17-12, 9-8 Mountain West) and UNM (16-13, 9-8 MWC) are tied in the standings. The winner Saturday night gets the No. 5 seed in next week’s league tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. The loser gets the No. 6 seed.
The distinction may not sound like much, but with the 11-team tournament format, the top five seeds get a bye into the quarterfinals that start Thursday. Seeds 6-11 must play Wednesday in the opening round, or better known by the unofficial term “play-in” round.
So, while a title isn’t on the line, there is still plenty to play for.
“It’s going to be a big game anyway,” Neal said. “It doesn’t matter where we are. I just think that’s the way it is and I think that’s the way it’ll always be. I think it’s always going to be one of those games everyone sees on the schedule.”
As for the rest of the Mountain West seeding scenarios for next week’s MWC tournament, only one spot has been decided. The scenarios are (with league records in parenthesis):
Nos. 1/2 seed: Colorado State (13-4)/Nevada (13-4).
The two play each other Saturday in Reno for a winner-take-all title game.
It is the third winner-takeall scenario in a regularseason finale in 18 seasons of MWC play. The previous two: Wyoming beat Utah in 2002 and SDSU beat UNM in 2014.
Nos. 3/4 seed: Boise State (11-6)/Fresno State (10-7).
If Boise State loses at Air Force and Fresno State beats UNLV on Saturday, the two would finish with equal records and Fresno State would get the No. 3 seed by virtue of sweeping the Broncos this season.
Nos. 5/6 seed: SDSU (9-8)/ UNM (9-8).
The two play each other Saturday in the Pit. The winner gets the No. 5 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals. The loser gets the No. 6 seed and is headed to the “playin” round.
Nos. 7/9 seed: Wyoming 7-10)/San Jose State (7-10).
The two play Saturday in Laramie, Wyo. The winner gets the No. 7 seed and the loser drops to the No. 9 seed based on possible tie breakers with No. 8 Utah State.
No 8 seed: Utah State (7-11) has locked up this spot.
Nos. 10/11 seed: Air Force (4-13)/UNLV (4-13).
Saturday, Air Force hosts Boise State and UNLV is at Fresno State. If they finish with equal records, AFA has the tiebreaker and the No. 10 seed.
The No. 11 seed plays the No. 6 seed that UNM and SDSU are fighting to avoid.
HOME RECORD: The Lobos are 4-4 at home in the Pit during league play. A loss Saturday against the Aztecs would be just the second home losing record in Mountain West play. The other was 2007 when UNM went 3-5 in MWC games.