ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For the first time in 15 seasons, the Mountain West Conference appears headed toward being a league that will send only one team — the winner of its conference tournament — to the NCAA Tournament.
That, coupled with the relative parity of the league from top to bottom, means the tournament March 9-12 (for the men) has the potential to be as exciting as ever.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the first-place San Diego State Aztecs sit at 12-1 and 3½ games ahead of the field. The rest of the league seems headed for a stretch run with two big goals in mind: First, earn a top 5 seed to avoid having to play on the first day of the tournament in the play-in game.