Here is a team-by-team look at men's college basketball in the Mountain West Conference in their predicted order of finish:

UNLV
Coach: Lon Kruger, fifth year
Last year's record: 27-8, 12-4 conference
Returning starters: 3
Outlook: Lon Kruger is on to the second phase of his job with the Rebels; the first step was establishing respectability. Check. Next stop? Return to national prominence. The Rebels are getting close, and have established themselves as the favorite in the MWC. They have reached the NCAA Tournament two years straight for the first time since the glory days of the early 1990s, and made a deep run as a Cinderella two years ago. Point guard Wink Adams is one of the better at his position in the country, averaging 17 points, four rebounds and three assists last season. Fellow guard Rene Rougeau returns, as does solid forward Joe Darger. Look for the Rebels to thrive under the leadership of Kruger, who took Florida to a Final Four in the mid-1990s and has his sights set on doing the same for the Rebels.

New Mexico
Coach: Steve Alford, second year
Last year's record: 24-9, 11-5
Returning starters: 4
Outlook: The Lobos should be a consistent contender for the MWC crown under the leadership of Steve Alford. The Lobos return four starters and shooting specialist Chad Topper was second in the nation in three-point shooting at 48 percent. Coveted recruit Phillip McDonald spurned offers from schools like Kansas to join the Lobos. New Mexico was a bettor's delight with a 14-3 record ATS at home last year.

BYU
Coach: Dave Rose, fourth year
Last year's record: 27-8, 14-2
Returning starters: 2
Outlook: Despite losing center Trent Plaisted to the NBA Draft, the Cougars return a wealth of experience. They are led by MWC co-Player of the Year Lee Cummard, who averaged 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. Combo guard/forward Jonathan Tavernari posted 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Utah
Coach: Jim Boylen, second year
Last year's record: 18-15, 7-9
Returning starters: 5
Outlook: Jim Boylen's second season could be a breakout campaign for the Utes, who boast five returning starters and a potentially dominant front line. Senior 7-foot-1 center Luke Nevill is a dominant force in the conference; he averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. Senior forward Shaun Green will look to bounce back after a disappointing junior season.

San Diego State
Coach: Steve Fisher, 10th year
Last year's record: 20-13, 9-7
Returning starters: 5
Outlook: Steve Fisher really milked that 1989 NCAA title run as interim coach at Michigan for all it was worth. He hung on with the Wolverines as long as he could, and has now settled in with a solid but unspectacular program at San Diego State. Like Utah, he enjoys the comfort of a starting lineup that returns intact, and boasts perhaps the most explosive forward duo in the conference.

Air Force
Coach: Jeff Reynolds, second year
Last year's record: 16-14, 8-8
Returning starters: 3
Outlook: Air Force has suffered from a revolving door at the coaching position, with a series of one-and-done coaches leaving the program in constant transition. Jeff Reynolds did a respectable job in his first year, keeping the same oar-through-molasses offense going that keeps the Falcons in more games than they probably deserve. However, the club was just 11-14 ATS last season.

Wyoming
Coach: Heath Schroyer, second year
Last year's record: 12-18, 5-11
Returning starters: 4
Outlook: The Cowboys benefit from the experience of senior point guard Brandon Ewing, who has 93 career starts. He is a two-time MWC scoring champ who went for 17.2 points per game last season. Wyoming returns three other starters to complement Ewing, but otherwise lacks depth at almost every position.

TCU
Coach: Jim Christian, first year
Last year's record: 14-16, 6-10
Returning starters: 2
Outlook: Jim Christian is the conference's only first year head coach, and he comes from a successful run at Kent State with the formidable task of turning the Horned Frogs into consistent winners on the hardwood. He has a couple of nice pieces in place to build around, with former Cal transfer Kevin Langford likely to be among the MWC's top forwards. Junior guard Jason Ebie has potential as well.

Colorado State
Coach: Tim Miles, second year
Last year's record: 7-25, 0-16
Returning starters: 4
Outlook: The program was left in rough shape by former coach Dale Layer, and the Rams were one of the few programs in the country that failed to earn a single conference win. But things should improve at least a little, as they have four returning starters led by Nebraska transfer Marcus Walker. The guard went for 17.1 points per game last year despite constant defensive attention, as he was the Rams' lone offensive threat.