Mountain West basketball: Contenders, pretenders and how many NCAA Tournament bids?

The Mountain West has sent four teams to the men's NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.

Will it continue this year? Could it be more?

The league has been excellent in nonconference play and the Mountain West schedule looks to be an 18-game battle. Don't expect to see anyone go through with one or two losses. It appears likely the regular season champ will have probably four losses.

"This is going to be a gauntlet," CSU men's basketball coach Niko Medved said. "As a competitor, I'm really looking forward to it."

Here's a look at the league, who are the contenders and pretenders and who is in play for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Air Force (7-5)

Pretender. Picking up seven nonconference wins, albeit against low-level competition, has helped boost the Falcons' NET (212) to a position where it's not a horrendous drag. The Princeton offense is a pain to face and Ethan Taylor is a nice player, but Air Force doesn't have the weapons to hang with the top teams.

Boise State (9-4)

Lurking contender. Enigma. It's hard to pin what exactly this Boise State team is. The Broncos have played a tough schedule and been competitive, but mostly haven't won those tough games. Boise State likely needs to be right near the top of the league to have an NCAA Tournament bid. Don't count the Broncos fully out, but they need to show improvement to be a true contender.

Colorado State (12-1)

Contender. Going 4-0 vs. power conference teams shows the potential of this team to beat anyone, and the Rams will have the best player on the floor most nights in Isaiah Stevens. Getting healthy will be key and the first three games (vs. New Mexico, at Utah State and at Boise State) provide a huge early hurdle. CSU is well-positioned for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Fresno State (7-6)

Pretender. The lowest-ranked NET (221) team in the league has had a rough go. Fresno State has no wins of note and multiple bad losses. This is a team top contenders cannot afford a loss against.

Nevada (13-1)

Contender. Wins at Washington and neutral vs. TCU provide some solid resume pieces. Jarod Lucas (17.9 points per game) and Kenan Blackshear (16.1) are bona fide Mountain West stars. Depth behind the top guys might be a question mark, but Nevada looks dangerous.

New Mexico (12-1)

Contender. New Mexico has two of the best guards in the league in Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House, while Donovan Dent has emerged as yet another star guard. JT Toppin has become the much-needed big man force. How will the guard trio mesh together once healthy? That's a big question. New Mexico also was superb early last season before crashing in MW play. The biggest asterisk on UNM so far is a weak schedule with just three Quad 1 and 2 games so far.

San Diego State (11-2)

Uh, yeah, the national runner-up from a year ago is a contender. “Let me tell you all something, they’re the favorites right now until somebody knocks them off. They’ve owned it," Medved said. San Diego State started slow and had some scares against lesser opponents, but the Aztecs flexed their muscles to end nonconference play with a 10-point win at Gonzaga. The interior defense is different with Nathan Mensah gone but Jaedon LeDee (21.5 points, 9.2 rebounds per game) is a star. A healthy and clicking Darrion Trammell can be a difference maker.

San Jose State (7-6)

Pretender. San Jose State can defend well but struggles to score and doesn't have the pieces for the long haul of a MW season, especially given injuries. Tim Miles knows how to muck things up and steal upset wins, so they're a danger to top teams if not a threat to reach the top of the league.

UNLV (5-5)

Pretender. In many ways it's a typical UNLV team. Lots of athleticism and talent, but inconsistent. UNLV rolled Creighton but has lost to Loyola-Marymount, Richmond and Southern. Keylan Boone now joining the rotation as two-time transfers were granted freedom to play could boost UNLV. A team dangerous enough to beat anyone on their night, but not consistent enough to do it for 18 games.

Utah State (12-1)

Contender. It's remarkable what first-year coach Danny Sprinkle has done. Utah State returned zero production from last season and stacked a dozen nonconference wins with a fully new roster. The strength of schedule isn't great and there aren't many big resume wins yet, though, so the Aggies have work to do on the NCAA Tournament chase. Great Osobor (17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds) has been a star. It will be interesting to see how Utah State handles the rigors of the MW, but the Aggies have been a huge boon to the conference so far.

Wyoming (7-6)

Pretender. Considering Wyoming won nine total games a year ago, it's been a solid sign of rebuilding parts to win seven in nonconference play. Sam Griffin (18.3 points) and Akuel Kot (15.8) have been impressive. Wyoming doesn't have the tools to hang with the top of the standings, but trips to Laramie won't be comfortable.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Mountain West basketball: Contenders, pretenders and how many NCAA Tournament bids?