Initial KenPom Rankings for Mountain West and Pac-12 Basketball Teams Released

The initial KenPom rankings were published on Sunday, ranking all 365 Division I college basketball teams from best to worst before any games have been played. Nevada is highlighted with a ranking of 70th, featuring an offensive rank of 96th and a defensive rank of 54th. Last season, the Wolf Pack ended at 72nd in the KenPom rankings, suggesting a continuation of performance.

The rankings for Mountain West and Pac-12 teams are as follows:

**Mountain West Rankings**

44. Grand Canyon

70. Nevada

77. New Mexico

78. UNLV

117. Wyoming

134. Hawaii

154. San Jose State

161. UTEP

180. UC Davis

265. Air Force

**Pac-12 Rankings**

14. Gonzaga

51. Utah State

59. Boise State

74. San Diego State

81. Colorado State

98. Oregon State

100. Texas State

102. Washington State

162. Fresno State

The average ranking for Mountain West teams is 128th, while the average for Pac-12 teams is 82nd. The Pac-12 benefits from having seven of its nine teams in the top 100, whereas the Mountain West has four of its 10 teams ranked within the same range.

Last year's preseason rankings for Mountain West teams were off by an average of 34 slots, particularly with greater accuracy among the top teams than the lower-ranked ones. The conference concluded the season with five teams in the top 60 and eight in the top 100. This season, projections indicate one top-60 team and four top-100 teams, suggesting a potentially less competitive Mountain West but with increased difficulty for teams to secure at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament.

For non-conference play, Nevada's opponents are ranked from best to worst as follows:

72. Saint Mary's

81. Colorado State

92. Santa Clara

104. UC Santa Barbara

113. Utah Valley

137. Pacific

145. Loyola Marymount

149. Loyola Chicago

159. Robert Morris

163. San Francisco

167. Sam Houston

232. South Dakota State

255. Idaho

If these rankings stand, Nevada is projected to play no Quad 1 games and four Quad 2 games in non-conference matchups. Within the Mountain West, the Wolf Pack could face one Quad 1 game and five Quad 2 games, which contrasts with last season's seven Quad 1 games and nine Quad 2 games. Columnist Chris Murray covers Northern Nevada sports and can be contacted at [email protected] or followed on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.