As the college basketball season begins to get underway, it may be a little too late for previews at this point but it’s never too late to give thoughts on what should be a good battle out in the Mountain West Conference.

There are four teams that could be in the mix to take the crown: San Diego State, Wyoming, a rejuvenated UNLV, and the defending conference champions Nevada.

Here are some reasons why these teams should be optimistic about their chances this season.

UNLV

-With freshman star forward Brandon McCoy coming in, along with transfers forward Shakur Juiston and guard Jordan Johnson, the Runnin’ Rebels have every reason to be optimistic about this season, especially after having their worst season last year when they finished with an 11-21 record.

-The Rebels are already off to a fast start with two dominating wins, albeit against inferior opponents, for a 2-0 record. They don’t play their first conference game until December 30 against Boise State so it remains to be seen how they will do in conference play but don’t count this team out as the Rebels look to return to excellence.

Nevada

-The defending conference champions and the lone representative of the Mountain West in the NCAA tournament, which ended in a first round loss to Iowa State, look to reclaim their throne by depending on their experience.

-With three starters returning and some good talent coming in, the Wolf Pack are already off to a, at the time of this article, 3-0 start on their season. Their first conference game will be two days after Christmas against Fresno State, which is the first of nine straight games against conference foes including New Mexico and Wyoming.

San Diego State

-The best defensive team in the conference last season looks to take their place on top of the heap this season after just missing out on the conference title last season against Nevada.

-With a new head coach in Brian Dutcher coming in and a new starting point guard in Devin Watson, a transfer from the University of South Florida, the Aztecs have a good chance of getting over the hump and being conference champions if their defensive excellence can continue.

Wyoming

-The Pokes ranked as one of the highest scoring teams in the conference last season with 77.9 points a game but their defense was another story: giving up to the tune of 74.6 points per game. If they can work out their defensive problems, this team will be dangerous this season.

-With a plethora of talent returning from last season, expect this team to contend for the conference championship.