Coaching New Mexico is 22-4 in Steve Alford’s sixth year. Alford has won at least 22 games every season and has the Lobos atop the competitive Mountain West Conference at 9-2. The Mountain West is often a conference for second chances, both for players and coaches. In his first season at Colorado State, Larry Eustachy has the Rams at 21-5 and one game behind New Mexico for the conference lead.

Offense Junior point guard Kendall Williams leads the Lobos with 13.1 points per game. Sharpshooter Tony Snell is hitting 37 percent from deep. This team does a good job of getting to the free throw line. Colorado State is the best rebounding team in the country—they snatch 41 percent of their own misses. That, combined with their low turnover rate, gives the Rams a very efficient offense.

Defense This is one of the better defensive teams in the country. The Lobos rank first in the conference in turnover percentage and overall defensive efficiency. It is difficult to score on this team inside. Wednesday’s last-second loss to UNLV was the first time all season the Rams were outrebounded, an incredible statistic. This team is sound defensively, though not overly imposing.