The 2026 edition of the Mountain West men's basketball tournament will have something of a bitter-sweet feel, as it will bring to a close what has been a period of hardwood prosperity for the league.
Yes, the conference will still exist next year, but its makeup will look quite different as some of its more high-profile members will be off to the reborn Pac-12 at the conclusion of this academic term. We should enjoy this one, then, as it also promises to be a wide-open affair. There's also quite a bit on the line, as there isn't likely to be much of an at-large safety net for most of the participants this year.
Mountain West tournament schedule, bracket, scores
First round
Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 8 UNLV vs. No. 9 Wyoming, 3 p.m., Mountain West Network
Game 2: No. 5 Nevada vs. No. 12 Air Force, 5:30 p.m., Mountain West Network
Game 3: No. 7 Colorado State vs. No. 10 Fresno State, 9 p.m., Mountain West Network
Game 4: No. 6 Boise State vs. No. 11 San Jose State, 11:30 p.m., Mountain West Network
Quarterfinal
Thursday, March 12
Game 5: No. 1 Utah State vs. Game 1 winner, 3 p.m., CBSSN
Game 6: No. 4 Grand Canyon vs. Game 2 winner, 5:30 p.m., CBSSN
Game 7: No. 2 San Diego State vs. Game 3 winner, 9 p.m., CBSSN
Game 8: No. 3 New Mexico vs. Game 4 winner, 11:30 p.m., CBSSN
Friday, March 13
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Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9:30 p.m., CBSSN
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, midnight, CBSSN
Championship game
Saturday, March 14
Game 11: Championship game, 6 p.m., CBS
How to watch Mountain West tournament
TV: CBS | CBSSN | Mountain West Network
Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
The Mountain West tournament first round will air on the Mountain West Network and the league's streaming site The quarterfinals and semifinals will be broadcast by CBS Sports Network. CBS will air the championship game.
Mountain West favorite
Utah Stateclaimed the regular-season title and top seed for this event in Vegas, and it is the only team here that can be considered truly safe as far as the NCAA tournament is concerned. The Aggies, however, didn't secure that top seed until the final day of the campaign. No. 2San Diego Stateand No. 3New Mexicoare quite capable of hoisting the trophy, and we also shouldn't sleep on fifth-seeded Boise State, which qualifies as the league's hottest team entering on a five-game winning streak.
Mountain West top players
MJ Collins Jr., G, Utah State– The former Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech player found a good fit in Logan to conclude his collegiate career. He leads the Aggies in scoring at 17.6 points a game while connecting at a reliable 81.7% clip from the free-throw line.
Mason Falslev, G, Utah State– One of the top holdovers helping the Aggies to a fourth consecutive 25-win campaign, Falslev is a consistent shooter with 51.9% overall field-goal accuracy and 41.7% from the arc. He is averaging 15.9 points a game while also contributing 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
Reese Dixon-Waters, G, San Diego State– The Aztecs have several candidates who can score in bunches, but Dixon-Waters does so with the most frequency. He leads a trio of guards with double-digit averages, putting up 13.2 himself.
Jake Hall, G, New Mexico– The Carlsbad, California native quickly emerged in his freshman season as a perimeter threat for the Lobos. He leads the team at 16.3 points a game connecting on 44.4% of his three-point attempts.
Drew Fielder, F, Boise State– The Georgetown transer has played a big role as the Broncos have charged late in the season and become a threat to take home the title. He enters the tournament leading BSU in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (5.7).
NCAA tournament bubble storylines for Mountain West
Provided the seeds hold, the semifinal betweenSan Diego StateandNew Mexicocould serve as a de facto bubble eliminator. It's possible both could sneak in if there is sufficient chaos among contenders from other power leagues, but both squads will play like their season depends on it. Should any team outside the top three seeds steal the automatic bid, it could be bad news for both.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mountain West tournament bracket, scores, schedule
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