The top 25 basketball players in Mountain West men's basketball this season

The college basketball season begins Monday, with the Mountain West looking to keep up with its six NCAA Tournament teams from last season. The conference lost 10 of its top 11 scorers, so there will be some fresh blood among the league's best players in 2024-25. To get you ready for the start of the season, here is our annual list of the top 25 MW players heading into the season.

The Mountain West's best players

25. Dontaie Allen, Wyoming: We'll add Allen to the list, a player from Wyoming who started his career at Kentucky but had his greatest success at Western Kentucky, where he averaged 8.7 points in two years and hit 38.9 percent of his three-pointers .

24. Rob Whaley Jr., UNLV: The Rebels' undersized Bull-in-a-China Shop Center is one of the most entertaining players in the league. He averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, shot 61.1 percent from the field and didn't appear until late in the season.

23. Jalen Weaver, Fresno State: It's a complete rebuild for Fresno State, with Weaver (7.4 ppg) the only returning player among the Bulldogs' top 10 scorers last season. The former Nevada guard should thrive in Vance Wahlberg's fast-paced system.

22. Xavier DuSell, Nevada: DuSell is on his third MW team and is the best shooter in the MW after leading the league last season with 88 made three-pointers at a rate of 39.5 percent. He will replace Jarod Lucas as Nevada's starting shooting guard.

21. Mustapha Amzil, New Mexico:Amzil was one of the MW's best sixth men a season ago and will play a larger role as the team's starting power forward after averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in just 18.8 minutes a season ago.

20. Pharaoh Compton, San Diego State: The MW Preseason Player of the Year is the highest-rated prep player SDSU has signed since 2005. He could have a JT Toppin-like impact on the Aztecs, who have lost six of their top seven scorers.

19. Latrell Davis, San Jose State:Davis is a potential dropout after averaging 5.7 points per game as a freshman last season. He played better and better as the season went on and SJSU needs to score after losing its top four point players from last year.

18. Ethan Taylor, Air Force: A big winger, Taylor posted 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season. He needs to become more efficient (37.8 percent from the field last season) to justify this ranking.

17. Nick Boyd, San Diego State: Our highest-rated player from San Diego State University, Boyd is a transfer from Florida Atlantic who averaged 9.3 points last season. He is a solid all-around player who could fill the role of the Aztecs' primary guard.

16. Tru Washington, New Mexico: As a freshman last season, Washington was a backup for New Mexico and showed just a hint of his potential (6.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.4 spg, 1.3 apg). He appears to be poised for a big second season.

15. Jalen Hill, UNLV: Hill tore his ACL last season, so it's unknown if he'll miss any of the games we saw last season when he averaged 10.7 points, 6.1 in his first season at UNLV after four at Oklahoma Rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals.

14. Tre Coleman, Nevada:Coleman has made the list on two consecutive All-MW defensive teams, and while there are more offensive players there, it's unlikely he'll be a major player on offense. Still, the quality of “D” he plays is of great value.

13. Keshawn Williams, Colorado State: Williams is one of the league's top transfer additions despite struggling with injuries, including a torn ACL in the 2022-23 season and playing just one game last year. At NIU, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

12. Beau Becker, Air Force: The Falcons lost their leading scorer (Rytis Petraitis) to transfer (Cal), which will open up a larger role for Becker, who posted 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game last season and 74 Three-pointers scored at a rate of 39.6 percent.

11. Mason Falslev, Utah State: As one of the MW's top freshmen last season, Falselev averaged 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 56.2 percent from the field. And there is more room to grow.

10. Kobe Sanders, Nevada: The MW Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Sanders, is a transfer from Cal Poly who had a strong performance in his first senior season (19.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg) and is now doing so in in a winning environment (23-95 for the Mustangs).

9.Alvaro Cardenas, Boise State: Cardenas was supposed to solve Boise State's point guard problems a season ago. The transfer from San Jose State has averaged double figures in each of the last two seasons and is a versatile player.

8. Ian Martinez, Utah State: A role player on the MW regular season champions last year, Martinez will be a bigger presence this season. After stints at Utah and Maryland, he posted a career average of 13.3 points last year and is a strong 3-point shooter.

7.O'Mar Stanley, Boise State:Stanley is a returning All-MW honoree who averaged 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He is an undersized center (6-8 in terms of height) who can stretch the floor a bit.

6.Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico:Junior Joseph was the fifth option for New Mexico last season but will play a larger role this season. With his expanded offensive options, he could be a 20 and 10 guy in the MW.

5.Nique Clifford, Colorado State:Clifford tested the NBA draft waters before returning to school. He will have the ball in his hands more on offense and is a strong two-way player who posted 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the 2023-24 season.

4. Nick Davidson, Nevada:Davidson had a breakout season in his second season (12.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) despite playing half the league season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He is now the Wolf Pack's go-to guy on offense.

3.Dedan Thomas Jr., UNLV: As a true point guard, Thomas fit in perfectly as a freshman last year, averaging 13.6 points and 5.1 assists per game. With a year of experience under his belt, he will be even better for the Rebels in year two.

2.Donovan Dent, New Mexico:Dent is undoubtedly the Lobos' lead guard following the departures of Jaelen House and Jamaal Mashburn Jr. He should improve on his 14.1 points, 5.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game last year.

1.Tyson Degenhart, Boise State: Degenhart, the MW preseason player of the year, averaged 16.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season. He has a consistent 3-point percentage (just 31.6 percent last season) before becoming unstoppable.

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight into sports in Northern Nevada. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @ByChrisMurray.