Ranking the Mountain West’s most hated basketball teams of 2024-25: Part-II

We revealed the bottom 5 teams in the Mountain West that Aztec fans should hate in the 2024-25 season. Now we separate the men from the boys in terms of who’s most hateable. If your team has made it on to this list, wear it like a badge of honor but keep working. Someday you might get to San Diego State’s level.

5. UNLV

Is there a more delusional fanbase in the Mountain West? Every year the Runnin’ Rebels have, at least on paper, the talent to win the Mountain West. Every year their fanbase pumps their chest out like it’s 1990. Every year UNLOLV gets bounced from the Mountain West tournament in the quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Arena. 

Some Kool-Aid drinking fans even believe that UNLV turned down an offer to join the Pac 12 because they are waiting on a bigger offer from the Big 10 or Big 12. News flash Rebel fans- the Tarkanian days are history forever and you’ve had 2 good football seasons in 30 years. Time to wake up and realize it’s 2024.

Sadly, most of you sorry Rebel fans will continue to live on in your alternate reality. And the Thomas & Mack Arena will continue to be the Aztecs vacation home.

Coach Kevin Kruger does arguably have the best player in the Mountain West in future NBA first rounder Dedan Thomas Jr. Other impact players include Jalen Hill, Jailen Bedford, Rob Whaley, Jaden Henley, Julian Rishwain and all name teamer Bear Cherry.

The Runnin’ Rebs finished the nonconference season at 6-5 although the losses were to good teams. As conference play begins, UNLV fans have to wonder if after 10 seasons will this be the year their team gets past the quarterfinals of the conference tournament or will the cycle of disappointment continue on?

UNLV travel to San Diego first in their two game series this season on Saturday, January18. Tip off time is TBD.

4. Nevada

Winter has begun in Reno and the bats that hang from the rafters of the Lawlor Events Center and occasionally buzz the court during early season Wolf Pack games are gone. What still hangs in the rafters are numerous CBI tournament banners that are proudly displayed. Nothing screams “successful season” more than a CBI first round exit.

What Aztec fans should hate the most about Nevada is their national embarrassment to the conference in recent NCAA tournaments. The blow out loss to Arizona State in the 2023 first four was only outdone by the epic collapse in the 2024 first round to Dayton where the Wolf Pack blew a 17 point lead with under 8 minutes in the game. 

Gone is professional flopper Jarod Lucas and his 18 ppg but Coaches Steve Alford and Craig “Noodles” Neal remain to whine about any and every call that doesn’t go their way. 

Nevada (8-4) was picked near the top of the Mountain West preseason polls. The Wolf Pack return Nick Davidson, Tre Coleman, Tyler Robison, and Daniel Foster although none of them are more hate worthy than Lucas.

The Wolf Pack’s hopes of an at large NCAA bid look to be on life support as they dropped a bad loss at Loyola Marymount and played a relatively weak non-conference schedule. This should be a relief to Mountain West fans who hope this Nevada team hangs another CBI tournament banner to save us all from conference NCAA post season embarrassment again.

The Wolf Pack have to wait til the end of the month on Saturday, January 25th for their first crack at the Aztecs when they host Coach Dutcher’s team. Tip off scheduled for 7pm PST.

3. New Mexico

The history between San Diego State and New Mexico hate stems over many years. Names like Drew Gordon, Cameron Bairstow, and former coach Steve Alford named above had a good run of drawing the Aztecs anger. That hate had died down a ton as the Lobos lived in mediocrity for 8 years before Richard Pitino took the reins. 3 losses in 2 years to the Lobos including a conference tournament title game has helped revive the rivalry and hatred for each other.

Jaelon House: the name alone causes the blood pressure of Aztec fans to rise. He was the target of many derogatory signs, boos and middle finger salutes from the Aztec crowd in Viejas Arena. No other Mountain West player has lived in the heads of Aztec fans in recent memory than House did for 3 seasons. 

House has moved on to the pros and there may not be another Lobo who comes close to playing his arch enemy role. The current roster of Lobos are very talented but also full of nice guys. Well all except for the one who allegedly punched his walk-on teammate because they were sitting in his seat on a flight to a game.

Donavan Dent, Tru Washington, Mustapha Amzil and Nelly Junior Joseph are ballers, but do they have the ability to push the buttons of Aztec fans like House did? Highly doubt it.

If a New Mexico player or coach doesn’t emerge as hateable, SDSU fans will still hate on the Lobos simply because of the bitter memories of House fresh in their minds. Call it a House Hate Hangover.

The Aztecs first play against the Lobos in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday, January 11th. Tip-off time is TBD.

2. Boise State

It’s easier to hate the football program more because of the sweetheart deal they got from the conference. Basketball has been just as successful in the past 15 seasons under Coach Leon Rice with one exception: Rice has yet to win a NCAA tournament game and consistently underperforms in the Mountain West tournament.

Despite their lack of postseason success, Boise State has had San Diego State’s number over the past couple of years. Since the 2021-22 season, the Broncos have an unthinkable 6-1 record over the Aztecs. In a league where the Aztecs claim to be top dog, it angers me to admit that SDSU has been more like Boise State’s lap puppy recently. That should be motivation enough to hate the guts out of Boise State.

Good news Aztec fans. Max Rice will no longer torture you with circus half-court shots that beat the shot clock at the end of regulation. The Broncos do however return the player most likely to become the biggest villain in Tyson Degenhart. 

Is it his disheveled appearance? Is it the career 14.8 point average in conference play while only averaging 7 ppg in 3 NCAA tournament First Round exits? Is it the post game hand waving to The Show having won 2 out of 3 times at Viejas Arena and once in the Mountain West tourney championship game?

Whatever the reason, Degenhart has all of the attributes to become public enemy #1 to Aztec fans this season.

The Aztecs head to Boise, Idaho next Saturday, January 4th to start their first matchups in the conference season. Tip off time scheduled for 1pm PST.

1. Utah State

Aztec fans- it’s no surprise that the Aggies top the list for the Mountain West team you should hate the most this season. Utah State is to college basketball what the sound of “Dueling Banjos” in the distance is to campers.

There is so much to hate about Utah State, or at least be disturbed by.  They cunningly snuck their way into the Pac 12 by reneging on a promise to re-up with the Mountain West. Just when we thought they were out, they weaseled their way back in. Well played Agg-boys. 

Their student body “The Herd” bring pet inflatable barnyard animals to games. They wear blue surgical gloves always prepared to check each other for prostate health. Their school fight song dance involves the simulation of milking cows.

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“The Aggies are Great Value brand BYU- the most hateable team & fanbase for the Aztecs since the Jimmer Fredette days.” -SD Sports Fiend.

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SDSU & Utah State couldn’t be more polar opposites except in winning. The Aggies are on their 4th coach in 5 years. Yet they always seem to find themselves at the top of the Mountain West standings having won 4 regular season or tournament titles since 2019. They even won a tourney game in 2024 to make it to the round of 32. Success breeds contempt and animosity. 

Last season the Aggies were predicted to finish at the bottom of the conference after a coaching departure and mass exodus in players. They responded by shocking the league to win the outright regular season title. But we all know who the real MVP of the league was and ultimately what happened in the Mountain West Tournament. (insert smiley face with shades)

This year they lost their coach again and their best post scorer/rebounder—yet the Aggies still find themselves in solid position for another NCAA at-large birth with an 11-1 record including a signature road win at Saint Mary’s.

Utah State is the villain in slasher movies who incomprehensibly keeps getting up and coming after you. They just won’t go away no matter how much you think you have them down.

The Aggies secret to success is suiting up a plethora of older players from rural Utah and the Salt Lake City suburbs. Mason Falslev, Isaac Johnson and Ian Martinez return to give the Aggies a strong core to build around. By the way, Johnson has the best pornstache in college basketball. The Show, take note. 

A part of me wants to see this Aggies program fall off a cliff and become irrelevant like they were when they first joined the Mountain West. Another part of me enjoys watching Utah State fans wait to drown their sorrows in the long Dairy Queen line at the Thomas & Mack Arena after a loss to the Aztecs in the conference tournament championship game.

Either way, if you’re an Aztec fan and you have hate in your heart for Utah State, let it out (without hurting any Aggies or their animals).

The Aztecs host Utah State this Saturday, December 28 at 3pm PST for SDSU’s Mountain West home opener