Around the Mountain: Is the system stacked against the Mountain West? Plus postseason matchups, portal entries and more

In the first 22 seasons of Mountain West existence, the league got four or more teams into the NCAA Tournament three times: 2010, 2012 and 2013.

In the past four years, it’s happened four more times.

Throw in the fact that two more teams — Boise State in the new Crown Tournament and San Jose State (yes, San Jose State) in the NIT — are playing in the postseason and it would seem as though things are going well for the league in hoops.

But Sunday’s NCAA Selection Show, especially after six Mountain West teams got in the tournament a year ago but were all severely underseeded compared to what most national analysts predicted, seemed to further solidify the growing belief that teams outside of basketball’s Power 5 (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC) simply don’t get the same respect when it comes to the Big Dance.

The Lobos were the regular-season champion and went 17-3 in the sixth-ranked league (out of 31). They swept the second- and third-place teams in the Mountain West, both of whom are also in the NCAA Tournament, handed Utah State its worst home loss since 1996 in a Quad 1 true road victory, had 10 wins away from the Pit, beat every team in the league at least once and had nonconference wins against the likes of Big Ten members UCLA and USC away from the Pit and Atlantic 10 champion and NCAA Tournament team VCU.

That, for any power conference team, or even for the Mountain West only a few years ago, would surely have resulted in a very good seed line, maybe even top five or so.

Instead, they received a No. 10 seed (the No. 38 seed overall).

Preseason Mountain West favorite Boise State was left out completely, instead watching a North Carolina team that went 1-12 in Quad 1 games and had its athletic director as the chair of the Selection Committee, get the last invite into the tournament.

“Surprised? No,” UNM coach Richard Pitino said when asked specifically about the Boise State snub. “I thought they’d be right there. It’s amazing when you watch a team like that — they’re not good enough to get an at-large.

“But it’s like I’ve said, the system has been set up to where high majors and power fours, they are absolutely at an advantage. When I was at Minnesota, I remember looking at the schedule, and every single game was a Quad 1. Every single one, home, road, whatever, maybe a quad two. So it just is what it is, and it’s, it’s obviously very disappointing for Boise, because they had a phenomenal year.”

It doesn’t even take power conference teams winning tough games anymore, but merely existing in tough leagues to game their computer metrics while even the good teams in non-power leagues can’t get the same number of quality game opportunities to make their computer metrics look as strong.

“We’re going to need investment,” Pitino said, referring more specifically to bottom teams in the league who aren’t investing in basketball and dragging the rest of the league’s numbers down. “We’re going to have to change up the way we schedule and do all those things. ... It’s going to be harder and harder.”

Mountain West in the NCAA Tournament

No. 10 New Mexico vs. No. 7 Marquette (Big East): Friday, 5:25 p.m., in Cleveland (TBS)

• UNM: KenPom 41, NET 42, Torvik 40

• Marquette: KenPom 28, NET 26, Torvik 31

• Line: Marquette by 3.5

No. 10 Utah State vs. No. 7 UCLA (Big Ten): Thursday, 7:25 p.m., in Lexington, Kentucky (TNT)

• USU: KenPom 52, NET 37, Torvik 48

• UCLA: KenPom 27, NET 27, Torvik 25

• Line: UCLA by 5.5

No. 11 San Diego State vs. No. 11 North Carolina (ACC): Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., in Dayton, Ohio (truTV)

• SDSU: KenPom 46, NET 52, Torvik 53

• UNC: KenPom 33, NET 36, Torvik 36

• Line: UNC by 4.5

No. 12 Colorado State vs. No. 5 Memphis (AAC): Friday, noon, in Seattle, Washington (TBS)

• CSU: KenPom 42, NET 47, Torvik 38

• Memphis: KenPom 51, NET 49, Torvik 60

• Line: CSU by 2.5

Mountain West in other events

Boise State turned down an invitation to play in the NIT and opted instead to play in the new 16-team Crown Tournament taking place March 31-April 6 in the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena.

The Broncos open against George Washington of the Atlantic-10.

Teams advancing to the semifinals receive $50,000 for NIL purposes. Playing in the April 6 championship nets $100,000 for the loser, $300,000 for the winner.

The Broncos’ rejection of the NIT then moved the NCAA to ask UNLV, which said no (they have no coach). And then on to Nevada, which also said no (they have an injury-riddled roster and had a star enter the transfer portal on Monday).

That left San Jose State. Yes, the 15-19 Spartans are in the NIT for the first time since 1981 and even get a home game in the Provident Credit Union Event Center on Wednesday night against Loyola Chicago on ESPN2.

Coaching carousel

So far, the Mountain West has just one official coaching change with the firing of UNLV’s Kevin Kruger on Saturday.

Colorado State coach Niko Medved has already been rumored to be the next hire at Minnesota, Pitino’s old gig for eight seasons prior to UNM.

And the Pitino watch remains on with his name being thrown around in reports for at least a half-dozen schools so far, though Villanova and Virginia are the ones worth keeping close eyes on for now.

Portal combat

Some big Mountain West names have already made their way into the transfer portal.

Three all-conference picks with eligibility remaining who are not playing in the postseason announced their intent to transfer:

• PG Dedan Thomas Jr., UNLV — sophomore with two years of eligibility remaining

• F Nick Davidson, Nevada — junior with one year of eligibility remaining

• G Obi Agbim, Wyoming — senior guard with one year of eligibility remaining.

In the case of Agbim, and likely others to follow in the Mountain West, he received an additional season of eligibility from the NCAA for starting his college career at a junior college.

Poll position

Yes, there was a new Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday. And for the first time all season, Colorado State received votes.

The Rams are unranked but have four points via appearing on three voter ballots — one at No. 24 (Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson) and two at No. 25. That places the Rams eight spots outside of being ranked.