Mountain West Madness: Which Team Will Shake Up the 2025-26 Rankings on Feb. 9?

Mountain West basketball continues to sizzling as teams jostle for prime positioning with Selection Sunday just around the corner. Utah State holds tight at the summit, riding high on clutch performances and impressive Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories that have solidified their standing. But the story isn’t just about the Aggies; San Diego State’s lockdown defense and Boise State’s dramatic rise with nail-biter wins are stirring the pot — creating a dynamic race that keeps fans on the edge of their seats. As the conference battles intensify, every possession and play counts in this rollercoaster ride of college hoops that’s anything but predictable. Ready to dive into the latest twists and turns? LEARN MORE

1. Utah State

Utah State remained in the top spot in this week’s rankings. They escaped Laramie with a narrow 85-83 victory over the weekend, shooting north of 70 percent in the second half behind Mason Falslev, MJ Collins and Drake Allen. They own the most Quad 1 wins (3) in the Mountain West while being 5-0 in Quad 2 affairs, putting them in prime position to hear their name called on Selection Sunday, barring any more mishaps.

2. San Diego State

San Diego State’s defense forced more turnovers (22) than Air Force had baskets (19) in their dominant 88-54 win over the Falcons. Their nine-point win over Wyoming was a little more hairy, shooting just 3-of-18 from 3-point range with 13 missed free throws. But the Aztecs got the job done after maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the second half, limiting the Pokes to less than 40 percent shooting inside the arc.

3. Boise State

Boise State was the biggest riser in this week’s rankings, earning big wins over both Nevada (in overtime) and New Mexico (by one point!). Dylan Andrews has been subject to criticism for most of the season. But he played great in these two wins, scoring 25 points with six dimes against Nevada and followed that up by a 33-point effort over New Mexico. That’s one way to silence any naysayers.

4. Nevada

Nevada has played some memorable battles inside ExtraMile arena over the years. Tuesday night was another, though it could not escape with a win, losing 91-87 in overtime. The Wolf Pack responded with a 10-point win over Fresno, closing the final 11:05 with a 29-15 run after trailing through the first 30-plus minutes against the Bulldogs. They still aren’t quite in contention for an at-large bid, but they are still a threat.

5. New Mexico

New Mexico dropped to No. 5 this weekend with two tough home losses to Utah State and Boise State. The Broncos were red hot from beyond the arc, and the Lobos couldn’t quite find an answer despite shooting 11-of-24 from distance themselves. Their two losses this week came on the heels of a 24-game home win streak — life can come at you fast.

6. Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon crushed Air Force at home before a 80-78 loss to UNLV — despite double-doubles from both Jaden Henley and Nana Owusu-Anane. It marked the second time they’ve allowed 75-plus points in a single game since Dec. 22. The Antelopes matched UNLV from beyond the arc while finishing a plus-eight from the charity stripe. But the Runnin’ Rebels had six extra shot attempts while finishing a plus-five on the glass.

7. Fresno State

Fresno State gave Nevada a little scare after their insane 98-96 win over UNLV (more on that shortly) on Tuesday. They led by five with 11 minutes left in Reno, but missed nine of their next 12 shots that led to a 14-point swing that Fresno could not overcome. Their defense has been fairly stingy at keeping teams grounded from beyond the arc. But the Bulldogs’ efficiency and decision-making offensively has left plenty to be desired, at times.

8. UNLV

UNLV lost in the most impossible fashion to Fresno earlier in the week — leading by five (yes, FIVE) with six seconds left before five free throws, an impossibly bad inbounds miscue and a Jake Heidbreder game-winner sent the Runnin’ Rebels home with one of the most improbable losses of the season. The game featured 80 combined free throw attempts with 63 combined fouls. UNLV responded with a good win over Grand Canyon, but I couldn’t earnestly put them over Fresno after, well, their catastrophic loss inside Thomas & Mack earlier in the week.

9. Wyoming

Wyoming has now dropped three of its last four and seven of its last nine. Ironically enough, despite its two losses San Diego State and Utah State, Wyoming climbed nine spots in KenPom (from 111 to 102). But they haven’t quite gotten over the hump, having gone 4-9 through 13 MW affairs, the third-worst mark in the MW (0.5 game behind CSU).

10. Colorado State

Colorado State snapped a three-game skid with an eight-point win over San Jose State. The Rams’ shooting struggles continued, shooting 6-of-27 from 3-point range. Thankfully for them, San Jose State shot 35.0 percent from the floor and just 5-of-20 from distance. Kyle Jorgensen still hasn’t quite found his footing post-injury, averaging 9.7 points and 3.7 rebounds on 40.4 percent shooting in the six games since his return.

11. San Jose State

Losers of six straight, San Jose State has just one win since Dec. 9. They play at an incredibly slow pace, and are the 20th-least efficient team inside the arc with a bottom-50 effective field goal percentage.

12. Air Force

It was just another week for Air Force in the Mountain, losing by 24 and 34 points, respectively, to Grand Canyon and San Diego State. Air Force has scored more than 62 points just once since Dec. 3, owning the nation’s 10th-worst offense.