ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It wasn’t even three years ago, but it probably seems like much more.
In March 2013, the Mountain West Conference, then just a nine-member basketball league, sent five teams — yes, more than half — to the NCAA Tournament. Four of those teams earned top eight seeds.
Now, as another non-conference season draws to a close without much noise made by league members, the growing discussion around onlookers who are still paying attention to the 11-member league, is whether the MWC will be able to get even two teams into the Big Dance.
In its 16-season history, the MWC has been a one-bid conference once (2001 when BYU was a 12 seed).