Wyoming Cowboys to Begin Conference Tournament Play Wednesday

Our Pokes will need to hit the ground running this week to keep their post season dreams alive.

With the arrival of March comes the countdown to the big dance. The NCAA Tournament is right around the corner. However, there is still some ball to be played before the teams are plotted and the brackets are filled out.

Conference tournaments are taking place all across the country this week.

For many teams, it's all about extending their dominance over their opponents. While regular season titles have already been handed out, there's something to be said for winning the conference tournament. On one hand, it's nice to add another trophy to the shelf. On the other hand, it's a last minute bid to be in the big tournament. Any team who wins their conference tournament will automatically receive a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

Our Pokes are not ranked in the overall standings so they will need to make some noise before Selection Sunday rolls around. Winning this weekend is paramount for Wyoming, especially since the Cowboys are No. 8 in the conference standings. A few wins would guarantee extended post season play for them.

The Mountain West Conference Tournament gets underway on Wednesday, March 10. As a #8 seed, the Pokes will face #9 San Jose State at noon MT. Anyone else planning on playing hooky or taking an extended lunch to watch the game?

The favorite in the conference is San Diego State. They are on top of the Mountain West Conference and are currently ranked No. 19 across the board. With the way the bracket is laid out, we would have to face the Aztecs in the Quarterfinals of the tournament, should we take down the Spartans. It won't be an easy road to a conference title, but it would be one for the storybooks if we can pull it off.