WAC at a glance

1 Nevada Wolf Pack

Coach: Mark Fox, 52-13, 3rd season

Players to watch: Nick Fazekas, F, Sr.; Marcelus Kemp, G, Jr.; Kyle Shiloh, G, Sr.

Outlook: Bright, with four returning starters, a No. 25 preseason national ranking and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Fazekas toyed with turning pro, but opted to return. He’s the favorite to be WAC player of the year for the third consecutive year. Kemp, Shiloh and Ramon Sessions are proven players and Demarshay Johnson could provide a boost when he becomes academically eligible in December.

2 New Mexico State

Coach: Reggie Theus, 16-14, 2nd season

Players to watch: Tyrone Nelson, F, Jr.; Elijah Ingram, G, Sr.; Fred Peete, G, Jr.

Outlook: The Aggies sport six four-year transfers and four J.C. transfers, including NJCAA Tournament MVP Hatila Passos, a 6-9 center. Nelson, who has been suspended twice since August, is an MVP candidate. Peete, who was at Pullman for part of his prep career, averaged 13 points for Kansas State in 2004-05. Aggies could unseat Nevada, particularly with the WAC Tournament in Las Cruces.

3 Fresno State

Coach: Steve Cleveland, 15-13, 2nd season; 153-121 overall, 10th season

Players to watch: Quinton Hosley, F, Sr.; Ja’Vance Coleman, G, Sr.; Kevin Bell, G, Jr.

Outlook: Bulldogs are loaded with talent and should field another high-scoring team. Consider they averaged 73.8 points per game while shooting only 41 percent last year. Hosley and Coleman, who has lost 15 pounds since last season, are capable of 30-point nights. Two keys: Playing better team defense and getting interior production from Dwight O’Neil, Renato Cesar and James Tchana.

4 Utah State

Coach: Stew Morrill, 190-63, 9th season; 408-201 overall, 21st season

Players to watch: Jaycee Carroll, G, Jr.; Chaz Spicer, F, Sr.; Durrall Peterson, G/F, Sr.

Outlook: The Aggies, who have won at least 23 games each of the last seven seasons and are 112-11 at home under Morrill, return another roster restocked with J.C. talent. Sharp-shooting Carroll was second-team All-WAC last year. Spicer and Peterson will assume larger roles. J.C. transfers Mikel Watson and Michael Earl should help Aggies make a run at a top three finish.

5 Hawaii

Coach: Riley Wallace, 316-252, 20th season; 331-279 overall, 22nd season

Players to watch: Ahmet Gueye, F, Sr.; Matt Lojeski, G, Sr.; Matt Gibson, G, Jr.

Outlook: Wallace hasn’t had a losing season since 1998-99 and he’ll rely on three returning players (Gueye, Lojeski and Gibson) who averaged in double figures last year to keep that streak alive. The roster is bolstered by Colorado State transfer Stephen Verwers, Air Force transfer Jared Dillinger, freshman guard Todd Lowenthal and 6-5 Riley Luettgerodt, who averaged 27.6 points for Chemeketa (Ore.) C.C.

6 Boise State

Coach: Greg Graham, 66-59, 5th season; 84-64 overall, 6th season

Players to watch: Coby Karl, G, Sr.; Eric Lane, G, Sr.; Seth Robinson, F, Sr.

Outlook: The Broncos could be the surprise team in the WAC. They return five players who started at least half of the games a year ago, they have a star in Karl and they have depth with seven of their top nine back. College of Southern Idaho transfer Reggie Larry adds interior muscle. The Broncos have a chance to crack top four.

7 Louisiana Tech

Coach: Keith Richard, 140-97, 9th season

Players to watch: Chad McKenzie, F, Sr.; Jerome Richardson, G, Sr.; Trey McDowell, G, Sr.

Outlook: The Bulldogs won 20 games last year, but they must replace four starters and one Paul Millsap, who led the nation in rebounding for an unprecedented third straight season. Millsap is with the Utah Jazz. La Tech has six seniors, all are transfers with one year in the program. Former North Idaho College standout Harry Disy averaged roughly 10 minutes per game as a junior last season.

8 San Jose State

Coach: George Nessman, 6-25, 2nd season

Players to watch: Menelik Barbary, C, Sr.; Kevin Fleming, F, Sr.; Lance Holloway, F, Jr.

Outlook: The Spartans lead the WAC in one thing – longest roster. They list 19 players. San Jose State lost its top two scorers, but transfers Tim Pierce (Arizona State) and Kerry Wooldridge (Minnesota) should add some pop to the lineup. Spartans have ample size with six players between 6-7 and 6-9, but schedule has 14 opponents that had winning records last year.

9 Idaho

Coach: George Pfeifer

Players to watch: Keoni Watson, G, Sr.; Mike Kale, F, Jr.; O.J. Avworo, G, Fr.

Outlook: The Vandals have just three holdovers from the ‘05-‘06 team and Kale has been slowed by a knee injury. The newcomers bring improved quickness and athleticism, but Pfeifer has a big challenge trying to blend so many fresh faces together. Watson is a capable scorer, but Vandals need other options to emerge as well as improving their defense and rebounding from a year ago.