Here's my pre-season Mountain West Conference Team Ballot. This entry is so long, I'm listing the individual awards separately.
The team and individual rankings were voted on by coaches and select members of the media covering the conference. This differs from the awards handed out at the end of the year, which are solely decided by the coaches.

ILIANA'S TEAM RANKINGS
1. Utah
2. Lobos
3. UNLV
4. TCU
5. Wyoming
6. CSU
7. BYU
8. Air Force
9. San Diego State

The final tally from all coaches and media who voted in the pre-season poll.
1. Utah
2. Lobos
3. TCU
4. UNLV
5. CSU
6. BYU
7. Wyoming
8. San Diego State
9. Air Force

No, it's not blasphemy to pick the Utes over the Lobos even though New Mexico swept Utah in three meetings last season. Kim Smith and Shona Thorburn have paid their dues and will be a tough tandem to deal with again this year. They make their team better and give Utah the biggest advantage in conference play.
New Mexico is a close second, but the Lobos have a lot of gaps to fill and questions to answer. I have no doubt Katie Montgomery and Abbie Letz can aptly fill the leadership gap left by Mandi Moore. Yes, Mandi was about as amazing a competitor as I have ever seen, but Katie and Abbie are strong enough to help the Lobos bridge some of what they lost with Mandi graduating.
The bigger question, as already debated far and wide among fans, is how to replace Lindsey Arndt. She was a steady force on offense and helped bring up the ball when the Lobos were in trouble. Above all, she was a defensive enforcer. She was robbed for the Defensive Player of the Year Award last year. She had Dionne Marsh's back and easily checked the best players in the conference, frustrating Kim Smith in every matchup. Katie Kern was the last Lobo to be such an aggressive and imposing force inside. The Lobos' thinner, less aggressive lineup inside could be a problem this season.
TCU is sort of a wild card. They will be a strong, athletic team, but they suffered a huge loss with the graduation of Sandora Irvin. She scored tons more than her teammates and was an amazing shot blocker. I don't doubt the Horned Frogs could make some noise, they just haven't proven enough to me yet.
UNLV will be a force this year, with forward/center Sherry McCracklin back for her senior season after sitting out last year with injuries and dynamic point guard Sheena Moore running the the Rebels' offense. They are explosive and talented, but they don't rank higher because they haven't shown the killer instinct in clutch situations. McCracklin, like Lindsey Arndt, is one of those players who was aggressive on defense and made others like RanDee Henry on her team so much better. She was sorely missed last year and could have a big impact this season.
And finally, I don't think people can automatically pencil Air Force in as a last place team anymore. They're getting more talent every year and have a very strong coach. I think Don Flanagan thinks highly of Ardie McInelly because she's disciplined and is slowly developing her program in a way Flanagan really respects. The Falcons are going to steal some more wins this season and don't deserve to automatically be ranked No. 9.

Posted by ilimon at 02:53 PM | Permalink