Mountain West Conference 2003-04 Recap
by Keith Irizarry
Coming into this season, you would have had to have been Madam Cleo if you saw Air Force storming to the forefront of the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons won the regular season title with a 22-7 overall record and a 12-2 record in conference after being the MWC anchor last season. At 5-2, Air Force had the biggest game of the season coming up, at California. A 49-44 victory proved to some doubters that this normally dismal program might have a spark. Boy, would they. Air Force began conference play 5-0 and just kept trucking along after that. Their well-balanced attack of Nick Welch, Tim Keller, Antoine Hood, and A.J. Kuhle made them an almost unstoppable force. The most interesting fact about this quartet: none of them averaged more than 11.4 ppg. Now THAT is teamwork!
BYU and Utah were the usual suspects in the MWC. Both teams did their thing, dredging up some great wins: BYU over eventual Final Four team, Oklahoma State (76-71), Utah over top 25 staple this season, Utah State (56-45). BYU also had an impressive 8-game winning streak as they finished up the season. UNLV was the fourth team in the conference to put scares in opposing foes, jumping out to a 9-3 non-conference record. They had wins over two Pac-10 teams (USC, California) and an SEC team (Auburn). The season looked bright, and these four teams would not disappoint. Speaking of that aforementioned word, Colorado State proved that last season’s run to the tournament title was a fluke, with a lackluster season and Wyoming never really got on track.
The regular season was not without heartache, though, for Utah. Head Coach, Rick Majerus was forced to leave the team for medical reasons, and ended up resigning for good. The Utes rallied behind interim head coach, Kerry Rupp. As for bright lights in the west, BYU’s Rafael Araujo proved to be a more than potent 6-11 center, as he dominated inside the paint to the tune of 18.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg. He was a monster. Other players like: Odartey Blankson (a junior who dropped over 17 points a game), Danny Granger (another junior, who lead the conference in scoring), and Freshman of the Year, Andrew Bogut, made the Mountain West a conference hoop fans needed to pay attention to.
Conference Tournament Recap
Wow, all the hype that Air Force had with them after being lackluster since about 1996, came crumbling down in one fell swoop. The Falcons not only lost their opening tourney game, but they were manhandled by lowly Colorado State, 60-48. Was their place in the NCAA tournament in jeopardy? Once again the naysayers came calling but would be silenced. With Air Force now out of conference title and automatic bid contention, someone would need to punch that ticket.
The final four in the MWC was setup with No. 2 BYU taking on No. 3 Utah and No. 4 UNLV battling No. 8 Colorado State. The overall feeling was that the loser of the BYU/Utah tilt might find themselves on the outside of the dance and looking in. Nick Jacobson (Utah) had 19 points, dropping seven points in the last 4:27, and thus giving the Utes a 54-51 victory. The Rams gave UNLV a run for its money, but ultimately the Rebels would hold on, 80-73.
The final was as thrilling a game as the MWC saw all season. Back and forth the 2 teams would go. UNLV, led by Blankson’s heroics in the latter portions of the game and his 23 points, appeared poised for the upset. But, Nick Jacobson had different plans. With 1.8 seconds to go, he let a rainbow three pointer fly and it would drop. The Utes qualified for the NCAA tournament for the third straight year. UNLV would head to the NIT.
NIT and NCAA’s
Air Force received an 11-seed and drew the No. 6-seeded Tarheels of North Carolina. Talk about disparity in programs. For the Falcons, it was their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 42 years, whereas the Tarheels are perennial March Madness attendees. The game would stay close for a while, behind 17 and 15 respectively from Nick Welch and Antoine Hood. At the end of the first half, Air Force led 28-23. The Heels would prove to be too much, though, in the second half, outscoring the falcons 40-24 and notching a 63-52 win. No doubt this was one of the most surprising and rewarding seasons any team has had in quite some time. Kudos to head coach Joe Scott for his hard-work and dedication to this program.
Utah would be another MWC 11-seed. In a game that many of the supposed experts thought could be won by the Utes, they paired off against the Big East’s Boston College. B.C. played swarming defense on Nick Jacobson, holding him to just 8 points on 3 of 18 shooting from the field. Eagle sophomore, Craig Smith was too much of a presence for the Utes to stop, as he poured in 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Freshman, Andrew Bogut was the leading scorer for Utah, with 16 points, but had a crucial mistake at the end of the game, not noticing the shot clock was winding down, and thus ending the season for the Utes. You can’t say enough about the heart these kids and this program showed after losing their leader, head coach Rick Majerus. They could’ve folded, but rallied the troops and made a run to the NCAA Tourney.
Defending National Champions! Sounds like a daunting task; well that’s who the No. 12 seeded BYU Cougars would face-off against in the first round, and it was one heck of a game. The cougars shot nearly 50 percent from the field, had 4 double-digit scorers, and only allowed 6 Orangemen to even score (only 3 in double figures). On paper, it appears they played a nearly flawless game. Well, the word flawless goes to sophomore guard, Gerry McNamara of the Cuse. Mac rained in 43 points on 11-17 shooting, including 9 three-pointers. He was unstoppable. Araujo did his best to keep BYU alive, with his 24 points and 12 rebounds on the national stage. This was the fourth consecutive time that the Cougars fell in the first round. A valiant effort against the Orange did not go for naught. The nation was introduced to Rafael Araujo, a 6-11 beast who will get some major looks in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft.
UNLV took their game to Boise State and unfortunately forgot how to play basketball. Boise took it to the Runnin’ Rebels, 84-69. The Broncos shot 57 percent from the field in the first half, and held UNLV to a lowly 29 percent. UNLV would trail by as many as 26 points in the game, and despite a 17-3 run, would never really get close. Odartey Blankson had 26 points for the Rebs.
Hardware
MWC All-First Team
Danny Granger – Jr. Forward – New Mexico
Nick Jacobson – Sr. Guard – Utah
Odartey Blankson – Jr. Forward – UNLV
Rafael Araujo – Sr. Center – BYU
Nick Welch – So. Center – Air Force
Players of the Year
Rafael Araujo and Nick Welch
Coach of the Year
Joe Scott – Air Force
Freshman of the Year
Andrew Bogut – Utah
Team-by-team Recaps
Air Force Falcons (22-7, 12-2)
Team MVP: Nick Welch
Top Scorer: Nick Welch (11.4ppg)
Top Rebounder: Nick Welch (4.0 rpg)
Top Assists: A.J. Kuhle (3.1 apg)
Starters leaving:
A.J. Kuhle (graduating)
Joel Gerlah (graduating)
Key players returning:
Nick Welch (sophomore center, 11.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Antoine Hood (sophomore guard, 10.4 ppg)
Tim Keller (junior guard, 11.0ppg)
The Falcons aren’t losing much, and they retain a very young nucleus. Don’t think that Joe Scott’s boys were a one-year wonder; they will be in contention for the league title once again.
BYU Cougars (21-9, 10-4)
Team MVP: Rafael Araujo
Top Scorer: Rafael Araujo (18.4 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Rafael Araujo (10.1 rpg)
Top Assists: Luiz Lemes (4.5 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Rafael Araujo (graduating)
Mark Bigelow (graduating)
Luiz Lemes (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Mike Hall (junior guard, 12.8 ppg)
Garner Meads (freshman forward, 4.2 ppg)
BYU was senior-laden team that was built to win last season, and they did a great job of that. Mike Hall and some of the returning guys that didn’t see much court time last season will need to grow up quickly this upcoming year. It could be a sharp drop-off early on, but knowing the Cougars coaching regime, this team should still finish towards the top of the MWC.
Utah Utes (24-9, 9-5)
Team MVP: Nick Jacobson
Top Scorer: Nick Jacobson (16.5 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Andrew Bogut (9.9 rpg)
Top Assists: Tim Drisdom (3.6 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Nick Jacobson (graduating)
Tim Frost (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Andrew Bogut (freshman forward, 12.5ppg, 9.9 rpg)
Tim Drisdom: (sophomore guard, 6.1 ppg, 3.6 apg)
Richard Chaney (sophomore guard/forward, 9.5 ppg)
Justin Hawkins (freshman forward, 5.3 ppg)
Marc Jackson (senior guard, left the team last year, and will return this season. Was a second team MWC performer in 2002/03)
Ray Giacoletti was hired as the new Head Coach, after the Utes chose not to bring back interim head coach, Kerry Rupp. Giacoletti the head coach at Eastern Washington University for the past four years was Named the 2003-04 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year and led E. Dub to its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth this past season. Giacoletti named Randy Rahe, Marty Wilson, and Mike Score to his coaching staff. Utah, provided Giacoletti does not change much, will be the toast of the MWC next season. Returning some studs. My prediction is that Andrew Bogut will blow up next season and take home player of the year honors, while leading Utah to a conference title.
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (18-13, 7-7)
Team MVP: Odartey Blankson
Top Scorer: Odartey Blankson (17.6 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Odartey Blankson (10.2 rpg)
Top Assists: Jerel Blassingame (6.6 apg)
Starters Leaving:
James Peters (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Odartey Blankson (junior forward, 17.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg)
Jerel Blassingame (junior guard, 11.2 ppg, 6.6 apg)
Romel Black (junior guard/forward, 14.2 ppg)
Lon Kruger was hired at the end of the season as the new head coach. Kruger, with NCAA and NBA experience has added Lew Hill and Mike Shepherd to the Runnin’ Rebel staff. If Odartey Blankson continues to grow as a player and Jerel Blassingame can continue to run the show, the Runnin’ Rebels will have a major chance to contend for the MWC title. I think Kruger will have great success with this program, immediately.
New Mexico Lobos (14-14, 5-9)
Team MVP: Danny Granger
Top Scorer: Danny Granger (19.5 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Danny Granger (9.0 rpg)
Top Assists: Javin Tindall (3.5 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Javin Tindall (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Danny Granger (junior forward, 19.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg)
Troy Devries (junior guard, 10.7 ppg)
David Chiotti (sophomore forward, 12.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Lenny Miles (freshman guard, 2.9 ppg)
The Lobos return the core of a team that went 5-9 in conference play, is that enough? Granger is for real, but after him, the other guys need to step up their game. Lenny Miles, after one full year, could turn out to be a little bit of a surprise this season. Watch out for him. New Mexico, once again, looks like a middle of the pack team.
San Diego State Aztecs (14-16, 5-9)
Team MVP: Aerick Sanders
Top Scorer: Aerick Sanders (16.1 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Aerick Sanders (9.0 rpg)
Top Assists: Wesley Stokes (5.8 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Aerick Sanders (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Chris Walton (junior forward, 8.7 ppg)
Marcus Slaughter (freshman forward, 7.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Brandon Heath (freshman guard, 13.8 ppg)
Wesley Stokes (junior guard, 12.1 ppg, 5.8 apg)
Mohammed Camara, ranked as the 6th best forward in the nation from the Junior College ranks, will be with the Aztecs this upcoming season. The 6-11, 260 pound center from Louisville, averaged 9.6 ppg and 10.7 rpg for Riverside Community College the last two years. If you are looking for this upcoming season’s version of Air Force, it just may be San Diego State. No doubt, the loss of Sanders will be felt, but returning 4 starters, including a great playmaker in Wesley Stokes, will provide the Aztecs with the ability to win night in and night out. Camara will do his best to step in for Sanders, and JUCO transfers always seem to be more prepared than freshmen. Watch him become the newcomer of the MWC. A top 4 finish in the conference is extremely realistic.
Colorado State Rams (13-16, 4-10)
Team MVP: Matt Nelson
Top Scorer: Matt Nelson (15.6 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Matt Nelson (5.7 rpg)
Top Assists: Michael Morris (4.0 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Ronnie Clark (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Matt Willams (junior forward, 10.4 ppg)
Matt Nelson (junior center, 15.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
Dwight Boatner (freshman guard, 5.8 ppg)
Jon Rakiecki (junior guard, 5.7 ppg)
Freddy Robinson (sophomore guard/forward, 8.9 ppg)
Matt Nelson has the capabilities of becoming this season’s Rafael Araujo. He stands 7-feet in height, and has good footwork on the blocks, but needs to get tougher, sounds familiar, huh? The Rams, the perennial conference tourney team, yet strugglers in the regular season, will be a middle of the pack team at best next season.
Wyoming Cowboys (11-17, 4-10)
Team MVP: Jay Straight
Top Scorer: Jay Straight (15.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Alex Dunn (5.6 rpg)
Top Assists: Jay Straight (3.8 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Joe Ries (graduating)
Key Players Returning:
Jay Straight (junior guard, 15.7 ppg, 3.8 apg)
Alex Dunn (junior forward/center, 5.6 rpg)
Dion Sherrell (junior forward, 6.5 ppg)
Mikel Watson (freshman guard, 5.9 ppg)
Was there a more disappointing team than Wyoming in the MWC? Well, next season might still be a rough go of it. Jay Straight is a solid college basketball player, but my thoughts are that this team may ride on Mikel Watson’s back. The freshman guard did not have staggering numbers, but came on strong at the end of the season (scored double digits in 6 out the last 8 games). If he can parlay that play into a solid sophomore season, maybe the Cowboys can move out of the MWC cellar.
