Colorado State and New Mexico — the two best men’s basketball teams in the Mountain West — rescued the conference from a rough start to the NCAA Tournament. Following non-competitive losses by San Diego State and Utah State,

Xavier and Indiana had chances to give their NCAA Tournament resumes a significant boost. But the Musketeers lost 89-87 to Marquette, and Indiana fell 72-59 to Oregon.

A major reason for CU’s success in 2025 is Colorado Springs’ very own, Nique Clifford. The Vanguard grad was named tournament MVP and scored a game-high 24 points in the Mountain West Championship, shooting 7-17 from the field, 3-8 from three-point land. Clifford also added on six boards and three assists.