Boise State’s Derrick Marks was named Mountain West men’s co-player of the week Monday.
Boise State men’s basketball sophomore guard Derrick Marks was named Mountain West co-player of the week Monday, along with New Mexico center Alex Kirk.
Marks had 44 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in two games last week, both Boise State wins. On Saturday in a win over Colorado State, he had a career-high 38 points, including 33 in the second half, when he shot 11-for-11 from the field.
“I’ve had a lot of guys almost beat us single-handedly, but nothing like the way Marks did — he was absolutely incredible,” Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy said Monday.
The 7-foot Kirk had 40 points and 16 rebounds in two games this week as the Lobos clinched the Mountain West regular season title.
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Boise State is ranked No. 44 in the NCAA’s latest RPI rankings, up three spots from last week. See the NCAA’s full RPI report here. UNLV is No. 14, and San Diego State is No. 32. Boise State’s last two games are against those two.
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The Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 for the first time ever in the Associated Press top 25. Boise State coach Leon Rice was an assistant at Gonzaga from 1998-2010.
“It’s nice because I didn’t have to divorce Gonzaga or anything, we’re not in the same conference or any of that,” Rice said. “I’m all Boise State, but I’m so happy for my friends and all those kids.”
Rice noted that Mark Few, the Bulldogs’ coach, on the staff at Gonzaga for more than 20 years, took the news of the No. 1 ranking in stride.
“On the biggest day, where they become No. 1, true to himself, Mark went fishing,” Rice said. “It won’t change him, it won’t change them. They’ll be able to handle it.”
Here is this week’s AP top 25, with my vote below.
1. Gonzaga (51)
2. Indiana (7)
3. Duke (5)
4. Kansas
5. Georgetown
6. Miami (Fla.)
7. Michigan
8. Louisville
9. Kansas State
10. Michigan State
11. Florida
12. New Mexico
13. Oklahoma State
14. Ohio State
15. Marquette
16. Saint Louis
17. Syracuse
18. Arizona
19. Oregon
20. Pittsburgh
21. Virginia Commonwealth
22. Wisconsin
23. UCLA
24. Notre Dame
25. Memphis
Others receiving votes: North Carolina 109, Louisiana Tech 103, Saint Mary’s (Cal) 47, UNLV 43, California 33, Butler 26, Illinois 25, Minnesota 10, Creighton 7, Middle Tennessee 5, Akron 4, Missouri 4, Belmont 3, Colorado St. 1.
My top 25
1. Gonzaga
2. Duke
3. Indiana
4. Kansas
5. Michigan
6. Georgetown
7. Miami (Fla.)
8. Louisville
9. New Mexico
10. Florida
11. Michigan State
12. Kansas State
13. Ohio State
14. Saint Louis
15. Marquette
16. Oklahoma State
17. Pittsburgh
18. Syracuse
19. UCLA
20. Arizona
21. Louisiana Tech
22. Virginia Commonwealth
23. Oregon
24. Saint Mary’s
25. UNLV
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Boise State’s Tuesday matchup with UNLV pits two of the hottest teams in the Mountain West against one another, riding four-game winning streaks.
The Rebels have found strength in numbers with standout junior Mike Moser battling a lingering elbow injury. Five players are averaging more points than Moser, who averaged 14 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season on his way to honorable mention AP All-American status. He has missed seven games and has started 12 of the 22 he’s played in. He made his first start in a month Saturday in a win at Nevada.
“Mike’s getting healthy, which is huge for them,” Rice said. “You take a guy of his caliber out of the lineup, there’s no question it has an effect. Other guys have stepped up with him out, and it’s made them better as a whole.”
UNLV coach Dave Rice noted that he only had five returning players who registered minutes for the team last season, including Moser, and that the team is now finding its groove with the young players acclimated to the rigors of the Mountain West, and key players healthy.
“It’s just taken a little bit of time to figure out this level, figure out how to play together — we are playing our best basketball of the season right now,” UNLV’s Rice said.
You are seeing the light Dave!
Actually, I would have put Miami ahead of Duke. They’ve done better in conference play, crushed Duke in Miami, and barely lost in Cameron Indoor Stadium at a Saturday afternoon game (the loudest it ever gets). They are guaranteed a share of the conference and Duke has the harder schedule remaining. Miami looked like a better team and Duke couldn’t get inside.