:Okay, here’s an analysis of the provided article, followed by the defined keywords.
1.Analysis of the Source material
* Core topic: The article discusses the rising strength of the Mountain West Conference (MW) in college basketball, positioning it as a top mid-major conference. It highlights the conference’s NET ranking, strength of schedule, and the number of teams performing well nationally. It also focuses on Utah State as a leading team within the conference, detailing their strong offensive and defensive play, key players, and coaching.
* Intended Audience: College basketball fans, particularly those interested in mid-major conferences and the Mountain West. Sports analysts and those following college basketball rankings would also be part of the target audience.
* User Question Answered: The article answers the question of how strong the Mountain West Conference is this season and what makes it competitive. It also addresses Utah State’s position as a leading team within the conference.
2. Optimal Keywords
* Primary Topic: Mountain West Conference Basketball
* Primary Keyword: Mountain West Basketball
* Secondary Keywords:
* College Basketball
* Mid-Major Basketball
* Utah State Basketball
* MW Basketball Rankings
* NET Ranking (Basketball)
* Jerrod Calhoun (Coach)
* MJ Collins Jr.
* Mason Falslev
* conference Strength of Schedule
* College Basketball Analytics
* NCAA Basketball
* Mountain West Conference
* Basketball Tournament (implication)
* Offensive Efficiency
* Defensive Efficiency
* Turnover Rate
* College Sports
* Logan, utah (location of Utah State)
* Basketball stats
* Basketball analysis
* College basketball predictions
* March Madness (potential tie-in)
