Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook does the WAC

We first became acquainted with the Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook is our late teens -- you know, prehistoric times when we were dodging dinosaurs that wandered on to the basketball court.

Back then, Chris Wallace ran the enterprise out of Buckhannon, West Virginia. He is now the general manager of the Memphis NBA franchise after being affiliated with Celtics for some time.

We're not sure who is behind it now but it was the greatest of days when the 200+ page basketball publication arrived in the mail.

This year's edition is now available and there's a very interesting forecast regarding how the various teams will finish come March 2010. Here it is:

BLUE RIBBON FORECAST: WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

1. New Mexico State
2. Utah State
3. Nevada
4. Fresno State
5. San Jose State
6. Louisiana Tech
7. Idaho
8. Boise State
9. Hawai'i

We see the WAC as a very tight race with close to every team being in the running for a first division finish. Looking at the above, Hawaii will definitely be a better team than last season's version but it still looks like the Rainbow Warriors will be on the outside looking in.

Boise State has some talent to replace but it's never wise to give a thumbs down to a Greg Graham-coached squad.

The Idaho prediction is a stunner because the Vandals will have much more talent and experience to call upon. Mac Hopson will not stumble and Steffan Johnson will be a very effective backcourt teammate. Coach Don Verlin also now has many more talents to plug in upfront. We just don't see a 7th place finish.

As for LT, it's much more likely that the Bulldogs will end with the roster that starts the season and Magnum Rolle will have the paint to himself. If junior college transfer DeAndre Brown is as effective as advertised at the point then don't count the Techsters out.

San Jose State needs Adrian Oliver and Justin Graham to be healthy and retain that status to make a move to among the top teams in the conference.

We're a little surprised at the Fresno State slotting. We fully expect Paul George to have a monster season and Steven Shepp will handle the point fine but there will be a lot of pressure on Greg Smith to produce consistently from the get-go.

Nevada's lack of depth leaves the Pack an injury short of trouble. There's certainly enough talent there but can Coach David Carter run as much as he would like to with a shortstaffed roster?

Gary Wilkinson will certainly be missed in Logan (but we think probably not in any other WAC cities) but there is enough firepower on the Utah State roster to make the contribution level of the Aggie center needing only to be serviceable.

The first semester absences of Wendell McKines and Troy Gillenwater will give New Mexico State two distinct seasons: a before WM/TG and an after WM/TG. There is enough firepower on the roster for the Aggies to make do early but McKines and Gillenwater will be needed for rebounding purposes if Coach Marvin Menzies' squad is to top the WAC.