The University of Wyoming men’s basketball team has been picked to finish ninth in the Mountain West, as the conference announced its 2020-21 preseason media poll and all-conference team on Wednesday. The Cowboys garnered 59 points from media in the MW.

Wyoming returns four starters from last season’s squad: Hunter Maldonado started all 33 games, Hunter Thompson started 23, Kwane Marble II started 11 and Kenny Foster started six games for the Pokes. The Cowboys return not quite 50% of its scoring from last year in the four returners. That group collected 111 3-pointers on the season.

Wyoming welcomed eight newcomers to the 2020-21 roster, as the signing class was the top-ranked in the Mountain West and No. 53 in the nation, according to Rivals.com. The group features four three-star recruits and a trio of junior college student athletes.

New UW men’s basketball coach Jeff Linder’s past teams have consistently been one of the best teams in the nation in defending the 3-point line. Last season, Linder mentored a University of Northern Colorado team that ranked fourth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28%.

San Diego State has been predicted to claim the 2020-21 Mountain West regular season title as voted by conference media. The Aztecs captured the 2019-20 MW regular season title with a dominant 17-1 league mark and received 14 first-place votes, earning 211 points. SDSU returns three starters, including 2019-20 All-MW first team selection Matt Mitchell, and a total of eight letterwinners from last year’s roster that finished with a 30-2 mark.

Boise State was picked second in the preseason poll with 188 points and four first-place votes, while Utah State — the 2020 Mountain West tournament champion — was selected third with 177 points and the remaining two first-place votes.

UNLV was chosen to finish fourth with 160 points, Colorado State in fifth with 141 points, Nevada in sixth with 114 points, New Mexico in seventh with 106 points, Fresno State in eighth with 93 points, Wyoming in ninth with 59 points, Air Force in 10th with 39 points and San José State in 11th with 32 points.

UW’s seven game non-conference slate features five home contests inside the Arena-Auditorium — including three-straight games to open the season.

The Pokes open the season on Saturday, Nov. 28 facing off against Mississippi Valley State of the SWAC.

The Cowboys then host Texas Southern, another team the SWAC, on Nov. 30.

The Pokes follow that up with another team from Texas, facing off against Incarnate Word on Dec. 2.

Wyoming will then play its first road contest of the season on Dec. 6, heading to Oregon State.

UW will return home Dec. 9 to host Denver, then head to Utah Valley on Dec. 12.

Wyoming will close out the non-conference slate in the Arena-Auditorium, hosting Omaha on Dec. 17.

The Mountain West announced a change to the conference schedule format last week, with a new conference slate coming soon. The MW said it will move to a 20-game schedule that will play out over 11 weeks between December and February, offering flexibility for COVID-19-related postponements.

In the new format, MW teams “will face each other in a two-game series in the same week with a one-day break between contests,” UW explained. “Each institution will have five home and five road series, reducing the regular travel schedule by four weeks to help mitigate potential virus exposures.”

The Cowboys’ non-conference slate for the 2020-21 season is also subject to change, with times released at a later date. Wyoming will be hosting fans this season, as the Arena-Auditorium will be allowed 25% capacity. Information on tickets will be available in the coming days.