March Madness probably took a different meaning for the Mountain West after the NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday. Colorado State basketball head coach Niko Medved was clearly infuriated as he questioned the seeding of the teams from their conference.
Six Mountain West teams were able to make it in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, but they were seeded lower than most hoop fans expected them to be. San Diego State, Utah State, Nevada, New Mexico, Boise State and Colorado State were all selected, but aside from the Aztecs, the others didn't really fall into their projected seedings.
San Diego State earned the no. 5 seed, which is within their expected landing spot. Utah State, however, was seeded no. 8 despite being projected to go no. 6 or 7. The same goes for Nevada, who ended up as a no. 10 seed despite predictions of going no. 6 or 7. Mountain West conference champions New Mexico was seeded 11th after expectations that they would go no. 9 or 10. Both Boise State and Colorado State were among the last four teams to make it in the NCAA Tournament, via SB Nation.
After learning of the seedings on Sunday, Colorado State head coach Niko Medved didn't hold back in expressing his disappointment. While he's happy that his players and other young men from the Mountain West will get the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament, he can't help but feel disrespected with how they were seeded.
“To be honest, I was really surprised how most of the Mountain West was seeded. You know, I'm not the expert, but I think if you talk to the hundreds of people who do the bracketology, I think they really had all of the Mountain West teams seeded higher than they put. But you know what, that's fine, they always disrespect our league. Now it's time to go out and do something about it,” Medved shared.
Niko Medved says he’s shocked at the seedings and felt Mountain West was significantly disrespected pic.twitter.com/ABBqwmvrWA
— Kevin Lytle (@Kevin_Lytle) March 17, 2024
Niko Medved not alone in NCAA Tournament issue for Mountain West
For what it's worth, the Colorado State basketball head coach is not alone with his sentiments about the seedings of Mountain West teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Several fans also took to social media to express their disbelief that teams from the conference were seeded lower despite having six teams in the competition.
“So, the Mountain West sends six teams to the NCAA Tournament … but they're basically all seeded lower than they should be,” Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic wrote.
“I'm still thinking about how the Committee shoved the Mountain West in a locker with that seeding,” College Basketball Report added on X, formerly Twitter.
Basketball analyst Jeff Goodman furthered, “I am NOT happy about the Mountain West here. They got tremendously under-seeded through and through. I've seen that league. Nevada as a 10 is a joke. Colorado State in the Play-In is a joke.”
Another fan said, “I usually hate conference people but the disrespect on the seeding for all my Mountain West brethren was unnecessary. I could be eating a lot of crow on Friday night but I hope we all ball out.”
“Mountain West got six bids, but four teams were wildly underseeded,” another commenter shared in their analysis of the seedings.
It's definitely surprising to see how the Mountain West was treated in the NCAA Tournament selection. But as Niko Medved said, maybe this can further fuel them and show to everyone what they are capable of.
Follow Us
Subscribe