Mountain West at its best when Rebels, Aztecs are prosperous

Marvin Menzies remembers another time, back when Viejas Arena was known as Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl, when 12,414 seats were mostly empty, when instead of expecting to win championships and hang banners, the home basketball team considered it a victory not to be out of games by halftime.

“Back then, Cher was a lot better draw to that arena than the Aztecs,” Menzies said.

He reflects now on the program at which he became an assistant in 1999, when Steve Fisher was named coach at San Diego State.

He reflects as the leader of a UNLV program that, more than any other one, has developed a rivalry with the Aztecs that helped the Mountain West place itself among the better non-Power 5 leagues for basketball in the past decade. Simply, the Mountain West needs UNLV and San Diego State to be good, and that’s not the case right now for two of the three teams that have the most conference wins since the league was founded in July 1999.

But that reality has taken a serious hit the past few years, the current one in particular, and part of the reason is where two of its most celebrated programs sit this season.

Simply, the Mountain West needs UNLV and San Diego State to be good, and that’s not the case right now for two of the three teams that have the most conference wins since the league was founded in July 1999.

The Aztecs have 166 league victories; UNLV and New Mexico are next with 161 apiece.

The Rebels and Aztecs meet Sunday afternoon in San Diego, where last-place GRANEY,