There is always the possibility of breakout stars coming to the fore but these three national prognostications don't bode well for the major media 'discovering' Mountain West Conference talent in 2014-15.
David Gardner's top 20 big men for 2014-15 contains no players from the MWC.
Chris Johnson's top 20 wing players for 2014-15 contains two players from the MWC:
WINSTON SHEPARD
San Diego State
Height: 6-8
Weight: 205
Class: Junior
Last season, Shepard began to show why he was rated one of the top small forwards in the class of 2012. The rangy forward more than doubled his scoring average, upped his rebounding and improved his free throw shooting while playing lockdown defense. After losing do-everything guard and leading scorer Xavier Thames this offseason, the Aztecs will need Shepard to make an even bigger jump in 2014-15. Shepard has the athletic tools to develop into one of the nation’s top two-way players, but his jump shot is inconsistent – he hit 16.2 percent of his 37 three-point attempts and 29.9 percent of his two-point jump shots last season, according to hoop-math.com – and it’s hard to say how he’ll take to a more prominent offensive role. Yet even if he can’t replicate Thames’ production, Shepard and a strong supporting cast should again make San Diego State one of the top teams on the West Coast.
RASHAD VAUGHN
UNLV
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
After losing seven players this offseason – including guard Deville Smith, who would have been the team’s top returning scorer – the Rebels need Vaughn to produce immediately. Vaughn, who averaged 19.9 points per game in his senior season at Findlay (Nev.) Prep and was rated as the No. 8 player in the class of 2014 by Rivals.com, can attack the basket off the dribble and knock down outside shots. Though some have critiqued his shot selection, the Rebels will have to tolerate a larger volume of attempts than is ideal if it results in enough scoring; UNLV ranked 120th nationally in offensive efficiency last season. Vaughn headlines a heralded recruiting class that also features five-star wing Dwayne Morgan and big man Goodluck Okonoboh.
Brian Hamilton's top 20 guards in college hoops contains no players from the MWC.
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