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Mountain West Conference " There are good people here at Wyoming. I wanted to come here because of the people, the coaches, the athletics staff and my teammates. The coaches are good to us, they motivate us and are very good teachers. As for the university, the students are very friendly. I have met a lot of good friends here. I also really like the multicultural center where I have met so many people, especially people from other countries. The University of Wyoming is a great place to meet to people."” Boubacar Sylla, Paris, France Redshirt Sophomore Center MOUNTAIN WEST NOTES OUTLOOK COACHES COWBOYS MWC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS The MWC Championship returns to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Only two of 15 all-MWC selections return for the 2009-10 season, and both are from Nev., (March 10-13) for the eighth time in the league’s 11-year history. The MWC BYU: junior guard Jimmer Fredette and senior forward Jonathan Tavernari, who Tournament was held in Las Vegas from 2000-2003 before moving to Denver’s were fi rst and third-team all-MWC selections in 2008-09, respectively. Also returning Pepsi Center for three years (2004-06). The 2011-13 MWC Tournaments will also are the 2008-09 Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, TCU senior center Zvonko take place at the Thomas & Mack Center. Buljan and Wyoming sophomore guard Afam Muojeke. MWC-MVC CHALLENGE MWC AMONG ATTENDANCE LEADERS The 2009-10 season features the inaugural MWC/MVC Challenge, the fi rst in a four- The Mountain West checked in at No. 7 in attendance last season, marking the 10th year agreement between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley conferences. Nine straight year the league ranked among the nation’s top seven. Below is a look at the Challenge Series games will be played each year, and each conference will host a nation’s top 10 conferences for attendance during the 2008-09 campaign: total of 18 games in the four-year period. The Challenge will feature head-to-head Rk. Conference Games 2008-09 Att. Average competition between nine Mountain West and nine Missouri Valley teams annually. 1. Big Ten 193 2,416,234 12,519 Evansville, by virtue of fi nishing the 2007-08 MVC regular season in 10th place, will 2. Southeastern 227 2,638,852 11,625 be the Valley school that does not participate in the 2009 Challenge Series. In keeping 3. Atlantic Coast 206 2,254,304 10,943 with the overall objective of the Challenge, match-ups for the fi rst year are based in 4. Big East 283 3,079,561 10,882 part on 2008-09 pre-season rankings and on RPI rankings from the previous year, 5. Big 12 220 2,286,956 10,395 or RPI rankings from the preceding three-year period. 6. Pacifi c 10 178 1,520,244 8,541 MWC COACHES 7. MOUNTAIN WEST 151 1,250,320 8,280 San Diego State Head Coach Steve Fisher is the dean of Mountain West Conference 8. Missouri Valley 173 1,341,151 7,752 men’s basketball coaches. Fisher enters his 11th season at the helm of the Aztec 9. Conference USA 197 1,142,317 5,799 OPPONENTS program and is the only MWC coach to hold his current position since the inception of 10. Atlantic 10 215 1,212,670 5,640 the conference in 1999. UNLV head coach Lon Kruger is the secondlongest tenured coach in the league, entering his sixth season with the Runnin’ Rebels. BYU’s Dave RETURNING STARTERS AND LETTERWINNERS This season, Mountain West Conference teams will feature rosters that total 67 Rose begins his fi fth season with the Cougars, while Air Force’s Jeff Reynolds, returning letterwinners, including 23 starters, the second-lowest tally in league history. Colorado State’s Tim Miles, New Mexico’s Steve Alford, Utah’s Jim Boylen and BYU brings back four starters from the 2008-09 campaign, while Air Force will be Wyoming’s Heath Schroyer each enter their third year with their respective programs. looking to reload with just one full-time starter returning for the Falcons. Jim Christian embarks on his second year at TCU. Youth will be served in 2009-10, as this season’s 38-member freshman class is HOME COURT ADVANTAGE the largest for the MWC since a league-record 40 freshmen hit the courts in 2005- REVIEW RECORDS TRADITIONS Utah has won 11 consecutive games in the Huntsman Center to tie for the nation’s 06. Meanwhile, the 2009-10 sophomore class of 37 is a conference-high. The 14th-longest active home win streak. The Runnin’ Utes’ last loss at home was on upperclassmen are largely outnumbered with 29 juniors matching a league-low Dec. 10 vs. California (72-69). Below is a look at the country’s top home win streaks (three previous times) and 23 seniors ranking as the second-fewest number (22 in entering the 2009-10 season: 2007-08). Following is a breakdown of the 2009-10 rosters. RANK TEAM NEXT GAME STREAK Team Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Starters Letterwinners 1. Kansas Next Season 41 Air Force 9 5 4 3 1 12 2. Utah State Next Season 34 BYU 3 4 3 3 4 9 3. Cornell Next Season 21 Colorado State 4 1 4 6 3 10 Siena Next Season 21 New Mexico 4 4 2 1 3 6 5. Dayton Next Season 20 San Diego State 4 3 5 2 2 7 Pittsburgh Next Season 20 TCU 3 5 2 3 3 6 t14. UTAH Next Season 11 UNLV 3 4 4 2 2 6 Utah 5 4 4 2 3 7 DIALING FROM LONG DISTANCE Wyoming 3 7 1 1 2 5 Effective with the 2008-09 season, the 3-point line increased from 19 feet, 9 inches TOTALS 38 37 29 23 23 68 to 20 feet, 9 inches. UNLV currently holds the NCAA record for consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer. Since the offi cial adoption of the 3-point rule at the AHEAD OF THE CLASS start of the 1986-87 season, the Runnin’ Rebels have connected on at least one trey Since the inception of the Mountain West in 1999, BYU sits atop the league standings in all 738 of their games. Below is a list of MWC teams and their consecutive streaks in MWC (99) and overall (214) victories. Below is a look at how all nine MWC teams with at least one made 3-pointer entering the 2009-10 season: have fared: RANK TEAM GAMES LAST TIME WITHOUT A 3-POINT FG CONFERENCE OVERALL ADMINISTRATION 1. UNLV 738 Jan. 25, 1986 vs. Long Beach State TEAM W-L PCT. W-L PCT. 2. New Mexico 615 Jan. 3, 1991 vs. Colorado State BYU 99-49 .669 214-105 .671 3. Air Force 511 Dec. 4, 1991 vs. Adams State Utah 94-54 .635 208-112 .650 4. BYU 402 Nov. 22, 1996 vs. Cal State-Fullerton UNLV 91-57 .615 211-109 .659 5. TCU 344 Nov. 22, 1997 vs. LIU-Brooklyn New Mexico 75-73 .507 183-131 .583 6. Utah 193 Nov. 17, 2003 vs. Georgia State Wyoming 72-76 .486 170-137 .554 7. San Diego State 82 Jan. 27, 2007 vs. Utah San Diego State 69-79 .466 173-140 .553 8. Colorado State 62 Nov. 9, 2007 vs. Montana Air Force 64-84 .432 153-146 .512 9. Wyoming 42 Feb. 2, 2008 vs. BYU Colorado State 43-105 .291 137-165 .454 TCU* 17-47 .266 47-75 .385 300 WINS AND COUNTING *Record since joining MWC in 2005-06. MWC The Mountain West Conference is home to three 300-win head coaches. UNLV’s Lon Kruger has eclipsed 400 wins with a 430-286 record in 22 years as a head coach. New Mexico’s Steve Alford has accumulated a 354-204 record over an 18- year head coaching career, while San Diego State’s Steve Fisher is 357-222 in 19 seasons as a head coach. 157 ALL-TIME CONFERENCE STANDINGS 1999-00 Conference Games All Games OUTLOOK School W-L Pct. H A W-L Pct. H A N Coach UNLV* 10-4 .714 6-1 4-3 23-8 .742 18-2 4-4 1-2 Bill Bayno Utah 10-4 .714 7-0 3-4 23-9 .719 17-0 4-7 2-2 Rick Majerus New Mexico 9-5 .643 5-2 4-3 18-14 .563 13-7 5-6 0-1 Fran Fraschilla Colorado State 8-6 .571 5-2 3-4 18-12 .600 10-3 5-7 3-2 Ritchie McKay Wyoming 8-6 .571 6-1 2-5 19-12 .613 12-1 5-9 2-2 Steve McClain BYU 7-7 .500 5-2 2-5 22-11 .667 14-2 6-9 2-0 Steve Cleveland Air Force 4-10 .286 3-4 1-6 8-20 .286 6-7 2-11 0-2 Reggie Minton San Diego State 0-14 .000 0-7 0-7 5-23 .179 5-10 0-13 0-0 Steve Fisher COACHES 2000-01 Conference Games All Games School W-L Pct. H A W-L Pct. H A N Coach BYU* 10-4 .714 7-0 3-4 24-9 .727 15-0 4-6 5-3 Steve Cleveland Utah 10-4 .714 7-0 3-4 19-12 .613 13-3 5-6 1-3 Dick Hunsaker Wyoming 10-4 .714 6-1 4-3 20-10 .667 11-2 6-7 3-1 Steve McClain UNLV 7-7 .500 5-2 2-5 16-13 .552 12-3 3-7 1-3 Bill Bayno/Max Good COWBOYS New Mexico 6-8 .429 4-3 2-5 21-13 .618 15-4 4-8 2-1 Fran Fraschilla Colorado State 6-8 .429 5-2 1-6 15-13 .536 10-3 2-8 3-2 Dale Layer San Diego State 4-10 .400 3-4 1-6 14-14 .500 12-5 2-8 0-1 Steve Fisher Air Force 3-11 .214 3-4 0-7 8-21 .276 5-9 1-11 2-1 Joe Scott 2001-02 Conference Games All Games School W-L Pct.