2026-27 Mountain West Top 10 Players: Hall Leads the List
2026-10-16
The Mountain West's best players can shape the race in different ways. Jake Hall changes defensive spacing, Elijah Price controls the interior, and Makaih Williams gives Grand Canyon a returning scorer in a deep group. This is MMH's editorial ranking of projected 2026-27 impact, separate from the official preseason awards.
The list uses Blue Ribbon's baseline and current roster information through October 16. Unresolved eligibility additions are outside the Top 10. The ranking also favors players with a clearer available role over a player whose return from injury still determines his immediate participation.
1. Jake Hall — New Mexico
G | So. | 6-4
Hall combines proven scoring with a skill that changes every possession around him. He averaged 16.4 points and shot 43.8 percent from three while making 117 threes last season. Defenders must track him through movement, which creates room for Tenette and the new forwards. His 31-point October 11 exhibition reinforces the scoring role, but the ranking rests on the full-season production. He is MMH's player-of-the-year choice.
2. Elijah Price — Nevada
F | R-Jr. | 6-9
Price supplies the most complete established interior foundation in the league. His 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game capture three needs at once: finishing, securing possessions and protecting the rim. Nevada can change its guard combinations without losing that anchor. Better delivery from Phipps and Bandelj could make his offensive work easier, while his defense gives the Wolf Pack a dependable starting point.
3. Makaih Williams — Grand Canyon
G | Sr. | 6-2
Williams returns after averaging 14.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He can score with the ball and share creation with Darling, an important combination for a team with several useful interior targets. This ranking does not require a particular eligibility ruling for another guard. Williams already gives Drew an established offensive piece who has produced in the Mountain West.
4. Dylan Darling — Grand Canyon
G | 5th | 6-1
Darling averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists in a smaller role at St. John's last season. His earlier 2024-25 Big Sky player-of-the-year season at Idaho State demonstrates what he has done with more responsibility, but it is a separate statistical season. Grand Canyon needs his organization, penetration and point-of-attack defense. The opportunity to lead this offense gives him a larger projected impact than his most recent scoring average alone would suggest.
5. Nasir (Naz) Meyer — Wyoming
G | So. | 6-7
Meyer averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 35.2 percent from three as a freshman. His size and perimeter skill give Wyoming a scorer who can fit several lineup shapes. The next step is creating better shots when the first action is stopped and finishing possessions more consistently at the other end. That development is central to the Cowboys' sleeper case, which gives him both a strong base role and meaningful upside.
6. Uriah Tenette — New Mexico
G | So. | 5-11
Tenette's 10.6 points and 2.9 assists came alongside an efficient approach to handling possessions: 52 steals against 34 turnovers last season. He can turn Hall's shooting gravity into penetration without needing every possession to be designed for him. New Mexico benefits from his existing partnership with Hall and from his ability to keep the offense moving when the defense removes an initial option.
7. Vaughn Weems — Nevada
G | Sr. | 6-5
Weems averaged 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 38.2 percent from three. His stronger late-season stretch adds to the upside case, but those closing games should not replace his full-season average. Nevada needs a wing who can finish actions started by the new guards and keep defenders from collapsing on Price. Weems already has evidence of both skills within this program.
8. Styles Phipps — Nevada
G | Jr. | 6-2
Phipps brings 13.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game from Pepperdine. That combination makes him more than a scorer added to the backcourt: he can organize possessions, attack the lane and help finish defensive stops on the glass. The adjustment is doing those jobs efficiently with a different supporting cast. If he establishes that partnership with Price quickly, Nevada has one of the league's most useful guard-big combinations.
9. Efe Demirel — Grand Canyon
C | So. | 7-1
Demirel averaged 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 63.0 percent from the field. Grand Canyon has several perimeter scorers; his value is giving them an efficient interior target and a larger defensive presence. A bigger role does not require a new offensive identity. Better rebounding and more consistent defensive possessions would make his returning production especially valuable in a title race with Nevada and New Mexico.
10. Hudson Mayes — New Mexico
G | So. | 6-5
Mayes averaged 11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds at UC San Diego, with enough perimeter shooting to work beside Hall and Tenette. His physical wing play helps New Mexico avoid giving up too much size when it uses several guards. His familiarity with Olen's style should help the adjustment, while the October 11 exhibition provided an early look at the rebounding contribution. This final spot favors fit and projected responsibility over a larger scoring average in isolation.
Next into the conversation
UNLV's Tyrin Jones has a strong case once his shoulder rehabilitation translates into regular participation. His 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season put him among the league's best returning interior players, but he did not play October 7. Connor Sevilla, Khaden Bennett, Blake Barkley, Jaden Zimmerman, Peter Bandelj, Zine Eddine Bedri and Leif Moeller also merit attention as their roles develop.
Jaden Henley and AJ Storr received preseason recognition, but recent reporting still identified unresolved eligibility questions. Tre Holloman and Dan Skillings Jr. carry similar qualifications. They are potential additions to later versions of this list rather than assumed available players now.
Sources
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook 2026-27 supplies baseline prior-season statistics. Current official rosters control player names, class years and heights. The official preseason awards, New Mexico's October 11 recap and UNLV's October 7 box score provide additional context. Awards and roster listings do not by themselves establish clearance.