Pregame Shootaround 1.16.13: MWC action, and NC State visits Maryland

Jan 16, 2013, 1:54 PM EDT

Game of the Day: UNLV at No. 15 San Diego State (10:00 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Net)

Coming into the season, it was a consensus: UNLV and SDSU were the two teams to beat in the Mountain West. And while New Mexico has done their best to throw a wrench into those plans, it’s still a fair statement that the Rebels and the Aztecs are two of the favorites to take home a league title.

This game is quite important for the Rebels, who have had their share of struggles on the road in recents years. They already dropped a game at the Pit earlier this year and head to Ft. Collins this weekend to take on Colorado State. The biggest question I have with UNLV is that I’m not sure what they are beyond Anthony Marshall, and I’m not sure how all their pieces fit together just yet. Are they a team that thrives on their size up front? Are they a running team that thrives on the explosive-but-inconsistent scoring on the wing? Is Anthony Marshall the kind of ball-dominating point guard you want? How does Mike Moser factor in?

SDSU has significantly fewer questions from a personnel perspective, but they still have their issues. They don’t exactly have a dominating front court and their most talented player — Jamaal Franklin — may not be their best player — Chase Tapley?

The bottom line? This is a conference that is going to be so much fun to watch play out specifically because of matchups like this. Grab your popcorn, pop open a beer and buckle up for the ride.

Who’s Getting Upset?: No. 14 NC State at Maryland (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

NC State beat Duke on Saturday. I know this. Duke was also without Ryan Kelly — their most important player and a guy that could have taken away the CJ Leslie factor — and Seth Curry down the stretch. Maryland? They’re healthy, and they will be playing in front of a raucous crown in College Park tonight. I don’t think NC State is good enough to go on the road to a good ACC team and win.

Mid-Major Matchup of the Day: No. 19 New Mexico at Boise State (9:00 p.m. ET, ROOT)

I know this isn’t a mid-major matchup, but it’s not a BCS conference matchup and I really wanted the chance to spew some knowledge on the topic. I’m buying New Mexico with the way that Alex Kirk has been playing of late. He’s capable of being an absolute beast, and if he can keep that up — and stay healthy — he adds a dimension to the Lobos that many didn’t think they would have heading into the season.

But the Broncos are legit. They’ve won at Creighton this season. They won at Wyoming this season. They shoot a bunch of threes and just got their leading scorer, Derrick Marks, back from a suspension. UNM better show up ready to play.

Five Things to Watch For

1) Is the WCC a two-bid conference this season? I’m not sure of that just yet, but if it is going to be, it will be either St. Mary’s or BYU. They play tonight at 11:00 p.m. ET (ESPN).

2) Carl Hall is going to be back in the lineup for Wichita State tonight after breaking his thumb in December. That’s good news for the Shockers, as he’ll be matching with Illinois State big man Jackie Carmichael. The Redbirds have been a massive disappointment in league play, but they have too much talent to be this bad.

3) In one of the sneaky-good A-10 matchups this season, Kevin Dillard and Dayton visit Ramon Galloway and La Salle.

4) Washington is the most surprising team in the Pac-12, sitting at 3-0 after a trio of road wins. Colorado? They’re 1-3 in league play and visiting the Huskies at 11:30 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network).

5) Hofstra is 2-1 in the CAA this season after seeing almost half of their roster depart due to legal issues or injuries. They’ll be taking on Northeastern, who is 4-0 in the league. At the same time, 3-1 Towson will be visiting 3-0 Delaware. Can we make some sense of the CAA race after tonight?

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