The recnt news of Boise State staying in the Mountain West conference looks have strengthened the position of the league and has added much needed stability.

MW commissioner Craig Thompson said in the immediate future the league will be 11 or 12 teams and will keep possibilities open to expanding in the future to 14 or 16 teams, depending on the dynamics.

Thompson said the conference with it's new stability fills a niche in college sports and there is room for a second western conference along with the PAC 12.

Thompson emphasized regional advantages and traditional rivalries as a strength.

San Diego State is still in the mix to return to the league and some discussions with BYU, which would make the conference very good in basketball for the future.

The MW appears to be the best league in the West over the PAC 12 in the last two or three seasons.

Mountain West basketball fans can be proud of the national reputation the conference has developed with programs like SDSU, New Mexico, and UNLV, and possible up-and-comers in Wyoming, Boise State, and CSU.

Adding a consistent winner next season in Utah State should only bolster the depth of the basketball conference.

LUKE MARTINEZ STATUS

UW head coach Larry Shyatt didn't make any predictions when sharp shooter Luke Martinez will return during his Friday conference call with the media.

Martinez fractured his fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand during an off-campus incident last Saturday night.

"If Doctor Shyatt was in charge, he'd be in practice on Friday," Shyatt joked.

AA FUTURE RENOVATIONS

Plans to renovate the Arena-Auditorium is in the fundraising part and the earliest it could start would be the spring of 2014 and probably later.

Renovations would happen in two phases and plans to add suites, improve the concourse, restructure the floor for more flexibility with added practice courts, state-of-the-art video screens, and overall improvements througout the 30 year old facility are among the goals.

When the upgrades come to fruition, the AA will surely be among the best college basketball facilities in the country.

GWG's MOUNTAIN WEST RANKINGS

1. UNLV - The Rebels possess one of the top freshmen in the country with forward Anthony Bennett.

2. SDSU - The Aztecs continue to roll under Steve Fisher.

3. New Mexico - Lobos beat ranked Cincinnati on road but loses to South Dakota State at home.

4. Wyoming - The Cowboys are 13-0 and still have much to accomplish.

5. CSU - The Rams hitting their stride under first year head coach.

6. Boise State - Broncos battled Michigan State tough on road.

7. Nevada - Hard team to guage right now and have a win on the road at Washington.

8. Air Force - Could be the best Falcon team in years.

9. Fresno State - Bulldogs have struggled but play scrappy "D".

UW BASKETBALL TV SCHEDULE

Jan. 9 Boise State* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (ROOT Sports)
Jan. 12 at Nevada* Reno, Nev. 4:00 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Fresno State* Fresno, Calif. 8:00 p.m.
Jan. 19 San Diego State* Laramie, Wyo. 5:30 p.m. (TWCSN)
Jan. 24 at UNLV* Las Vegas, Nev. 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
Jan. 26 Air Force* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 (ROOT Sports)
Jan. 30 New Mexico* Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m. (ROOT Sports)

Feb. 2 at Colorado State* Fort Collins, Colo. 2:30 p.m.(ROOT Sports)
Feb. 6 at CSU Bakersfield Bakersfield, Calif. 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 9 at Boise State* Boise, Idaho 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 13 Nevada* Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 16 Fresno State* Laramie, Wyo. 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 at San Diego State* San Diego, Calif. 8:00 p.m (TWCSN)
Feb. 23 UNLV* Laramie, Wyo. 5:30 p.m. (TWCSN)
Feb. 26 at Air Force* Colorado Springs, Colo. 7:00 p.m. (ROOT Sports)

March 2 at New Mexico* Albuquerque, N.M. 3:00 p.m. (ROOT Sports)
March 6 Colorado State* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (ROOT Sports)

UW BASKETBALL ON DENVER RADIO

The entire remaining Wyoming basketball schedule can be heard on Denver radio. ESPN 102.3 FM will pickup every game except home games versus UNLV and SDSU, and the road tilt at Boise State. The three games will be picked up by 105.5 FM.

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