While the Mountain West might not be regarded in the same fashion as some of the bigger conferences in college basketball, it has provided no shortage of great teams, players and moments.
In some cases, the conference tournament is the only way for a team to make the NCAA tournament. But in others, like last year, a record six teams went to the NCAA tournament.
The point?
Basketball out west is better than many think. From Danny Granger to Jimmer Fredette to Kawhi Leonard to Sam Merrill, the Mountain West tournament has seen incredible performances from some electric players.
What Is the Lowest Seed to Win the Mountain West Tournament?
Since 2000, No. 2 seeds have won the Mountain West tournament eight times (more than any other seed). But the lowest seed to capture the Mountain West tournament championship was No. 6 Colorado State in 2003.
The 2003 Rams finished the regular season 16–13. They lost eight of their final 10 games and had no way to reach the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid.
Instead, Colorado State had to win the Mountain West tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Rams played Wyoming in the first round, after having lost to the Cowboys twice during the regular season.
The Rams won 74–71, then took on the BYU Cougars the next night. BYU had beaten Colorado State in the only meeting of the two programs that season, but the Rams prevailed again, winning 86–80 in overtime.
Finally, the Rams faced UNLV at the Rebels home arena (the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas). UNLV was 2–0 against Colorado State during the regular season, but the Rams once again squeaked out a win.
As a result, Colorado State was on the 14 line in the NCAA tournament. The Rams played No. 3 Duke in the first round, losing 67–57. To be fair to the Rams, Duke was ranked No. 7 in the final AP Poll that season.
How Did This Run Change Things for Colorado State?
Unfortunately for the Rams, rallying to win the Mountain West in 2003 didn’t do too much for the program.
Colorado State was under .500 each of the next two seasons, before going 33–28 over the next two. Things didn’t get much better after that, either. From 2007–09, the Rams won just 16 games.
A full decade later, the Rams did have a bright spot. In 2013, Colorado State went 24–7 in the regular season and defeated Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Other Deep Conference Tournament Runs by Low Seeds
In 2024, North Carolina State won the ACC tournament as the No. 10 seed. The Wolfpack became the first team as a No. 8 or lower to win the ACC tournament and the first No. 10 seed or lower to ever win a “Power Six” conference tournament.
The Wolfpack won five games in five days, becoming just the second team in history to do so, joining the UConn Huskies who did it in 2011.
In 2017, the Michigan Wolverines won the Big Ten tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Wolverines had stumbled down the stretch, going 6–4 in their final 10 games. But Michigan looked like a different team in the conference tournament, winning four games in four days.
But perhaps the most surprising conference tournament winner came in 2008 when the Georgia Bulldogs went on an unbelievable tear to win the SEC. Georgia lost 13 of its final 18 games and finished the regular season with a 4–12 record in SEC play. The Bulldogs were the sixth seed in the east division but were tied for the worst overall record by the 12 SEC teams. Georgia needed overtime in each of its first two games before sneaking by Mississippi State and Arkansas to head to the NCAA tournament.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lowest Seed to Ever Win the Mountain West Tournament.
