NCAA Basketball FanHouse

College Basketball's Top 25 Coaches

Matt Snyder — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, MVC, Pac-10, SEC, WAC, Coaches

In an effort to talk about something college basketball-related other than scandals in the summer, let's talk best current coaches. We'll attempt to order the top 25 current coaches in the nation. This is about the present and the future, not the distant past. What a guy did in the mid-90s doesn't matter near as much as the direction his program is currently headed. Past pedigree also matters, to an extent. For the perfect mix of past accomplishments with present achievement and a paved road for future success, look no further than the man atop the list.

The Untouchables

1. Roy Williams, North Carolina -- There are plenty of guys who could out X-and-O him during a game. Of course, he pretty much always has incredibly superior talent on the court, rendering that part of the coaching skill-set less meaningful. Recruiting is part of the job in college basketball, and he's done it well enough to amass two NCAA championships, three Final Fours and four 30-plus win seasons in the past five years. Until someone starts outdoing him on the recruiting trail and keeping those guys in school for more than a year, he'll stay here for a while.

2. Tom Izzo, Michigan State -- He reached his fifth Final Four last season, finishing as the runner-up to Roy's Tar Heels. In 2010, Izzo's Spartans will be cutting down the nets (yes, an incredibly early prediction). He's mixing youth with experience every single year, and that's why this program won't leave the national spotlight as long as he's around.

3. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke -- If this was any year from 1990 to 2001, he'd be the obvious choice for the best coach in the entire nation. In the past eight seasons, however, he's been slightly mortal -- advancing past the Sweet 16 just once. Of course, when we're talking about a guy going to the Sweet 16 six times and the Final Four once in an eight-year span -- and talking about how it hurts his overall resume -- that shows you what kind of bar he set for himself. He's still a legend, he's just being outperformed on Tobacco Road right now.

4. John Calipari, Kentucky -- There will be plenty of naysayers for the foreseeable future when it comes to "Coach Cal" and his "recruiting practices" -- especially in light of recent events. There's a sort of stigma following him around because he's arguably the best recruiter in the nation, but he's never been personally charged with anything concrete. The bottom line is that he's getting the job done and now his national platform is even bigger at one of the NCAA's marquee basketball programs. He's still looking for that elusive first national championship, but the smart money is on that drought ending rather quickly in Lexington (assuming he keeps his nose clean).

5. Bill Self, Kansas -- He's taken three different schools (including Tulsa) to the Elite Eight. He did so in his first year at Kansas. After a decent 2004-2005 season, Self built the team as his own, steadily improving over the next four seasons. Things culminated in 2008 when he did what Williams couldn't do at Kansas, which is win the National Championship. After significant losses to graduation and the NBA, the Jayhawks were in rebuilding mode last season, but it turned out to be reloading. A three-seed and Sweet 16 berth later, and Kansas is set up for another Final Four run. Expect that to be an annual statement about Self's Kansas squad for the foreseeable future.

6. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut -- He's got plenty of longevity, but he's likely not going anywhere, if his health and a possible NCAA inquiry allow, and neither are his Huskies. Though they're only losing Hasheem Thabeet and A.J. Price from a Final Four team, they have enough to pick up the pieces and make another deep run in March (if they make it, it will be Calhoun's ninth trip to the Elite Eight). Calhoun always does.

7. Rick Pitino, Louisville -- A Final Four and two Elite Eights in the past five years for Pitino, but he doesn't seem to have the national championship magic in Louisville. Plus, the addition of Calipari to UK will greatly cramp Pitino's recruiting within the basketball rich State of Kentucky. Don't get me wrong, though, Pitino is still ranked seventh on this list and in the prestigious "untouchables" category. He belongs.

Quasi-Elite

8. Billy Donovan, Florida -- He's lost tons of ground in the past two years. In fact, had we built this list after the two consecutive championships, he probably would have been ranked as the top overall coach in the nation. That doesn't just go away after two NCAA tournament-less seasons, but he's got something to prove now. Can he actually sustain success, or is everything dependent on landing one special recruiting class?

9. Ben Howland, UCLA -- Three straight Final Four appearances for the Bruins didn't yield a championship, though, and he took a step backward in 2009. If you look at his resume, though, there's no reason to doubt the direction of college basketball's most championship-laden program. Howland made Pitt into a powerhouse by his third season and built UCLA back into one -- making the Final Four in his third season. They'll be back.

10. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse -- The 14 Sweet 16 appearances, three national championship games and the one championship are all part of his incredibly lofty standing among historical collegiate coaching greats. Presently, he did take his 2009 group to the Sweet 16 after back-to-back trips to the NIT. He's enduring massive losses to graduation and the draft, though, so he'll have yet another reloading task in front of him. His name is keeping him here and he's likely to continue falling down the list as some of the younger talent trumps him. See the next guy on the list ...

Solid As a Rock

11. Jay Wright, Villanova -- After taking Hofstra to two consecutive NCAA tournament berths, Wright took his talents to Philly at age 40. He built the program for three years and it's been coming to fruition for the past five seasons. He's taken the Wildcats to four Sweet 16s in the past five years, and made a Final Four trip last season. It was the first for 'Nova since the magical 1985 run. They won't have to wait long for another one, because they'll be there again in 2010.

12. Tubby Smith, Minnesota -- He's gone to the Sweet 16 with three different schools and it's soon to be four [edit: originally said four and five, we regret the error] when he completes his rescue of the Gophers from the abyss. Six Sweet 16 appearances and a national championship in 10 years at Kentucky wasn't good enough for the die-hards in Lexington, but I'm pretty sure they'd deal with it in the Twin Cities. It would be awfully tough to win it all from up there, but the Gophers are on track to becoming a team who can occasionally visit the Sweet 16 and perhaps more.

13. Rick Barnes, Texas -- Texas will always be a football school, but Barnes does a heck of a job keeping the Longhorn faithful interested in hoops as well. The 2003 Final Four was nice, and they've been in the Elite Eight twice in the past four years. Heading into this year, they have some serious horses. Look for them to linger around the top 10.

14. Matt Painter, Purdue -- In my view, he's the most likely to jump up a level from this group in the next few years. I also expect this pick to receive the most scrutiny. So, here goes: Purdue has Final Four talent as they head into the 2009-2010 season. Should they make it, his resume will be as impressive as almost anyone at such a young age (he's only 38). In just four years he's transformed Purdue from a Big Ten doormat (3-13 in conference play his first season) to a legitimate national power. Maybe people outside Indiana (the State) don't realize what a joke Purdue basketball had become until he came in and played the role of savior. As beloved as Gene Keady was in Purdue, he never made it past the Elite Eight. Painter will get there before the age of 40. He's the most underrated coach in college basketball. His only other head coaching experience? A single season of domination in the Missouri Valley Conference (17-1 in 2004 conference play for Southern Illinois). [Then again, maybe I'm trying some reverse-jinxing action -- being an Indiana grad.]

15. Gary Williams, Maryland -- It's tough to argue with his past accolades, but I'm seeing three NIT appearances and two second-round exits from the Big Dance in the last five years. This is a list of coaching in the present, not the past. He'll continue to slide from what was once probably a top-5 rank if he doesn't show more potential with the future of the Maryland program.

16. Thad Matta, Ohio State -- He's a much better recruiter than on-court coach, but, again, recruiting is part of coaching in college basketball. He took Ohio State to the national title game in only his third season, yet they've been a tad bit disappointing since. Next year's Buckeyes do look to be very dangerous, especially with the return of David Lighty from injury. His worst season in three different stops still netted 20 wins overall wins.

17. Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh -- The big knock on Dixon has been his lack of tournament success. He did make the Elite Eight this year, but the Panthers never really got on track against inferior competition from their number one seed and eventually lost to a three seed. He's only 43, though, and has built a maintained a solid program after the departure of Howland. There's upward mobility here should he get over the hump in the next few years.

18. Bo Ryan, Wisconsin -- His regular season resume is impressive enough to land him higher on the list, but he hasn't had any serious tournament runs and it doesn't appear that's changing anytime soon. One thing I love hearing about him is how he gets so much out of limited talent. Well, first of all, he's had some talent. Secondly, recruiting talent is part of your job in collegiate sports. This isn't the NBA where he's saddled with an awful general manager. All that being said, he's a great coach and deserves a top-20 spot. He just seems a bit overrated to me at times in the eyes of the national media.

19. Bruce Weber, Illinois -- Built Southern Illinois' program into a regular Big Dance attendee before steering the Illini to a National Championship game appearance. After a drastic step-back (losing overall record in 2007-2008, which single-handedly knocked him down several ranking slots here), Weber coached an unheralded team to an impressive 24-10 campaign last season. The 2005 National Coach of the Year looks to continue building his reputation with a solid nucleus in place -- along with talented newcomers -- moving into the 2009-2010 season.

Rounding It Out

20. Bob Huggins, West Virginia -- We have to include him, because he wins games everywhere he goes -- and he wins immediately. He's not higher on the list, though, because there seems to be a glass ceiling in place at this point. His only trip to the Final Four was the last time Bob Knight made a trip and he doesn't appear to be in position to crack the top 5 in the Big East anytime soon. Still, he's going to win 20 and visit the NCAAs. That's clockwork.

21. Mark Few, Gonzaga -- He absolutely owns the WCC -- nine straight conference titles -- and has had decent-to-good success in the NCAA Tournament. At some point, though, the four Sweet 16s in 10 seasons need to turn into something more. Otherwise Few's just a very good coach dominating a sub-par conference. He actually may need to take his show elsewhere to shed that label, but the question is: Why would he? He's set up nicely there and won't get fired.

22. Bruce Pearl, Tennessee -- After making UW-Milwaukee relevant, Pearl took the Tennessee job and immediately thrust them into national prominence. The Vols took a step backward in 2009 after a 31-win season and two straight Sweet 16 appearances. Should Tyler Smith decide to come back -- he's filed paperwork for the NBA draft but not hired an agent and will also consider playing overseas -- they'll be headed back that way in 2010. If not, they still return everyone else and will still be in the NCAA Tourney mix as usual.

23. John Beilein, Michigan -- Talking about working your way through the ranks. He's been to Erie Community College, Nazareth College, Le Moyne College, Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia and now Michigan. After just one bad season in Ann Arbor, Beilein gave Wolverines hope they could once again cheer for a respectable basketball program. Considering DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris are coming back, the Wolverines have a nice shot at a Sweet 16 this year, which would be the third in the past six seasons for the late-blooming Beilein.

24. Lon Kruger, UNLV -- While Kruger's successors have had more success than he has (Donovan at Florida, Self and Weber at Illinois), he's still pretty adept at building winning programs. He took UNLV to the Sweet 16 in his third season and has been to the NCAA Tournament two of the past three years with the Runnin' Rebels. If he wants one, he'll probably get a crack at another major job soon.

25. Al Skinner, Boston College -- It's gotta be awfully tough to keep Boston College competitive in ACC basketball when measuring up against Duke, North Carolina, Maryland and others. BC is a football school, after all. Skinner's had his Eagles in the NCAA Tourney seven of the last nine seasons. Despite the loss of Tyrese Rice to graduation, they'll look to improve next season with the rest of the young nucleus returning.

Up-and-Comers

Here are some guys who might possibly be better coaches than several currently on the list. Some of them will need to prove it for a few more years, and others have circumstances they'll need to fight through in order to stick (Crean's Indiana mess, Bennett moving to the ACC from Pac-10, Capel needing to show he can win without Griffin, etc.).

[ordered alphabetically]

Mike Anderson, Missouri -- After winning 20-plus games all four seasons at UAB, Anderson undertook the massive task of cleaning up the Quin Snyder fiasco for Mizzou. Last season, just his third at the helm for the Tigers, saw Anderson lead his team to the Elite Eight. If things continue on this path, they'll have themselves quite the program.

Latest College Basketball Images

Pall bearers prepare to unload the casket of Wayman Tisdale during his funeral, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Tom Gilbert)

The hearse carrying the casket of Wayman Tisdale moves through Tulsa, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Shane Bevel)

John Wall, flanked by his sister Tonya Pulley and Dr. Frank Summerfield, formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

John Wall formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

John Wall laughs with his sister Tonya Pulley during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, where he announced he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, center, discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. At left is Word of God Christian Academy's Dr. Frank Summerfield and at right is Wall's sister Tonya Pulley. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, right, and Dr. Frank Summerfield discuss Wall's decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Tony Bennett, Virginia -- Moving from the Pac-10 to the ACC is no simple task. Plus, he's now going to be also competing with the Big East for regional recruits.

Jeff Capel, Oklahoma -- As mentioned above, it's entirely possible he's not a great coach and just was fortunate enough to land the beast that was Blake Griffin. It's also possible he keeps landing beasts due to great recruiting, which would qualify him for the above rankings. Time will tell, but it appears Oklahoma has a quality coach.

Tom Crean, Indiana -- Had he stayed at Marquette he'd easily qualify for the rankings above Skinner and Beilein (at least), but what he's able to carve out at Indiana from this point forward will make or break his legacy. Thus, it's not really fair to put him near the same level as Big Ten counterparts like Ryan or Weber just yet. It's possible he gets all the way up to the top of this list, but it's also possible he's never able to overcome the significant hole dug by Kelvin Sampson -- in which case he'd fall off this list completely.

Keno Davis, Providence -- One stellar year at Drake was followed by a pretty solid season at Providence in the uber-competitive Big East. At age 37, he's a true rising star in the coaching business.

Travis Ford, Oklahoma State -- From Campbellsville to Eastern Kentucky to UMass to Oklahoma State, the former Kentucky point guard has risen through the coaching ranks from the bottom up. His first season as head coach of the Cowboys yielded a 23-12 record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tourney.

Anthony Grant, Alabama -- Two NCAA appearances in three years at Virginia Commonwealth got this rising star the exposure needed to land the head coaching job for the Crimson Tide.

Trent Johnson, LSU -- After making Nevada relevant, he built Stanford as his own team in four years -- making a Sweet 16 in Year 4 -- and won the SEC in his first year in Baton Rouge. If this is his destination job, the Tigers have a program on the rise.

Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois -- His first three seasons were a cakewalk. Three Big Dances, two times advancing past the first round and one Sweet 16. The Salukies regressed to the 18-15 next season and all the way down to 13-17 last season. Did Lowery simply enjoy success due to the foundation built by Bruce Weber and Matt Painter, or is he suffering through a simple down-cycle that will be reversed in the near-future?

Sean Miller, Arizona -- It's time for the 40-year-old coaching phenom to take the next step. In five seasons at Xavier, Miller put together a 120-47 record with two Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight trip. Now, he's moving to a "power" conference across the nation. Fans will expect he maintain a top-10 program, so we'll see if he can meet expectations.

Mike Montgomery, California -- Wait, what? He's like a thousand years old, so how is he here? Because he hadn't coached in the college ranks since 2004 until last season. He had a good re-entry into the coaching ranks, but we need to see it sustained. It's not like he had a John Wooden-like resume before getting back into the swing of things.

Brad Stevens, Butler -- The 32-year-old Stevens learned the Butler ropes under both Thad Matta and Todd Lickliter. Since grabbing the head job, he's gone 56-10 in two seasons -- qualifying for the NCAA tournament both times. The Bulldogs should be even better this season than they were in 2008-2009, too.

***

It's tough to really hammer out a list with specific criteria and stick with it. For example, you could argue Roy Williams isn't as good a coach as Self because he couldn't win in Kansas while Self could. Then you could follow that up with Weber going to the Final Four at the helm for Illinois when Self couldn't get past the Sweet 16 round for the Illini. Weber, though, went 16-19 in 2007-2008 and Huggins hasn't had a losing record since 1985. All in all, there will always be reasons to say one coach is better than another.

This was simply meant to be a summer topic for arguing about college hoops while we wait out the offseason. You should also be able to find my early early early Final Four picks for 2010, though that's a different topic for a different day.

College Basketball's Top 25 Coaches originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Someday All Conference Tournaments Will Be Played in Las Vegas

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:45:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, WCC, MWC, WAC

The Western Athletic Conference could move its tournament to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas in 2011, joining the West Coast Conference and Mountain West Conference which also host tournaments in Sin City.

Hey Pac-10 and Big West, what are you doing having your conference tournaments in Los Angeles and Anaheim respectively? Maybe you too could move your tournaments to Las Vegas. Maybe they could erect a court on Fremont Street and have them play.

But, for right now, the WAC appears serious.

So serious, in fact, that WAC commissioner Karl Benson watched the WCC tournament final in what could only be described as a fact finding mission, and not just a reason to hang out in Las Vegas. The thinking is that the WAC tournament would follow the WCC tournament the next day. The WAC nearly had an agreement to play its conference tournament in the past, but a couple of school presidents refused to sign off.

Those presidents could be persuaded if Nevada is able to knock off Utah State this week in the conference tournament. Especially if one of those president's was from Utah State.

Benson not only witnessed a future venue for his conference tournament, he also witnessed the last gasp of Utah State's flimsy hopes for an at-large bid evaporate. St. Mary's was blown out by Gonzaga. And the Gaels, you may remember, beat the Aggies -- even without point guard Patrick Mills -- in the BracketBusters. That loss, along with the refusal to schedule quality opponents, put Utah State in a position to win or else. A daunting task consider that the Aggies have lost at Nevada this year.

So if Utah State loses on Nevada's home court, there is going to be a push for a conference tournament on a neutral court. Hence, Las Vegas.

Someday All Conference Tournaments Will Be Played in Las Vegas originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soft Schedule Dooms Utah State

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, WAC

When Utah State lost at Nevada Saturday night, some felt it was one of those "nothing to play for games." And some means Utah State fans trying to spin this awful loss. But when you are good mid-major team searching for respect, you cannot afford to have an off night. When an at-large bid hangs in the balance, you need to play every game like it's a tournament game.

The Aggies did not.

Utah State clinched the WAC title on Thursday night. Saturday's loss to Nevada sealed its reputation as a fraudulent team. And the reason is that butter-soft schedule.
Winning in Reno is no easy feat. And this isn't a slam on the Wolf Pack, the team picked to win the WAC title this season. Instead, this is a criticism of Utah State's effort. The Aggies never seem to rise to the occasion against big-time opponents. And it's because of that schedule.

Utah State's record is akin to running up the score against the computer against Madden. Hard to improve yourself when you are playing inferior competition. And this is something that has been mentioned in the past at great length.

But now you are seeing the rotten fruits of this aversion to labor. The Aggies looked star-struck losing at St. Mary's. And Utah State follows that up with a weak effort at Nevada.

You can hear the Utah State apologists spinning it now, the Aggies area young team, this was a rebuilding year. That's a nice story. But this current team had a chance at something special. Besides, Stew's teams will always be in the hunt.

For a conference title, at least. If Utah State ever wants to run with the big boys, they will have to start playing them. Anywhere.

Soft Schedule Dooms Utah State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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St. Mary's Bursts Utah State's Bubble

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:04:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, WCC, Mid-Majors, WAC, St. Mary's (CA)

St. Mary's might have been the biggest winner in Saturday's BracketBuster following a huge 75-64 win over Utah State. The Gaels had been adrift in recent weeks, seemingly rudderless without star Patrick Mills.

But St. Mary's has been solid in recent weeks, fattening up on the weaker teams in the West Coast Conference. Saturday's win over the Aggies was a big exclamation point on the season, letting people know that the Gaels are still in the hunt for an at-large bid.

Not to say that St. Mary's is in right now; the Gaels still have a lot of work to do. But the team is squarely on the bubble right now.

Utah State, not so much. It is on the bubble -- possibly. But after its own and the WAC's dismal showing in general, the Aggies are going to have to win the WAC tournament to reach the NCAA tournament. Again, this is coach Stew Morrill's own doing. As long as he is unwilling to play some of the big boys on the road, he has no reason to complain.

The ESPN announcers kept saying that this was a bigger game for St. Mary's. And the Gaels needed the win, no doubt. But Utah State has always been viewed as a fraud and probably needed the win more, especially with Mills out. Utah State was a disappointment for a conference that just looked ugly in the BracketBusters. When you don't play many good teams, you need to beat them when you get the chance.

How bad was it for the WAC on Saturday?

Nevada is clearly in a rebuilding mode, but will play host to the conference tournament. The Wolf Pack hasn't been the same following the loss of players Nick Fazekas, Ramon Sessions and Marcelus Kemp. But coach Mark Fox still has enough to win the conference tournament.

New Mexico State has never recovered from the loss of Reggie Theus and the NCAA jacking around Herb Pope. The Aggies actually had a solid win over Cal State Fullerton, but this program is on the decline.

Boise State -- last year's conference tournament winner -- beat Utah State this week, but looked average at Portland State.

In fact, the West Coast conference proved that it was the premiere mid-major conference on the West Coast. St. Mary's and San Diego knocked off Utah State and Pacific respectively, arguably the top two teams in thet WAC and Big West. (Sorry, Long Beach State fans.)

Even San Jose State was exposed by UC-Riverside.

In the end, Utah State was proven to just be the best team in a really bad conference. Which is the equivalent of being the smartest contestant on Rock of Love. St. Mary's, on the other hand, is back in the mix.

BTW, you might not have noticed this, but did you see the way the St. Mary's fans reacted after the win? They stayed in their freaking seats and cheered on their team despite beating a ranked opponent. Maryland, on the other hand, has a championship banner hanging in its rafters and its fans rushed the court after winning a conference home game. Embarrassing.

St. Mary's Bursts Utah State's Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Losing Might Benefit Utah State

Adam Papagiorgio — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:02:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, WAC

Nobody likes to lose. Ever. And it's insulting to claim that losing might be the best thing that could ever happen to a team. Nothing will infuriate a fan base more than some outsider claiming that losing might be the best thing for a team.

So let's avoid that cliche right here. Losing is never a good thing. But sometimes you have to look at the bright side of things. Look big picture.

And in the wake of No. 21 Utah State's 10-point loss at Boise State on Saturday night, there might be some good that will come from it.

Let's talk frank Utah State. Your team is not getting into the tournament without winning the WAC tournament. We've all been down this road before. Utah State went 25-4 during the 2003-04 season and spent some time in the Top 25. But the Aggies were left out of the tournament after losing in the Big West tournament.

The reason, of course, was the schedule that is still pillow soft. Utah State could reach the Top 10, it seems, but would still have to sweat it out if it lost in the WAC tournament. There is a hope that things will be different this time around, but you can't assume anything. Never trust the NCAA selection committee.

So here is where Saturday's loss could have a positive effect. The Aggies have seemed to be going through cruise control in recent weeks. The WAC hasn't offered the competition that was promised when Utah State joined the conference. Then the Aggies were dealt a tough break when they drew Patrick Mills-less St. Mary's in the Bracketbuster.

Utah State needed a wake-up call. Something that sleeping walking through the WAC was going to deliver.

Hopefully the loss at Boise State will help this young team refocus and get back to winning. Now, I don't like the way Stew Morrill creates a schedule, but he's a good coach. This loss and the memory of 2003-04 should help him motivate his troops and get them back to basics.

Losing Might Benefit Utah State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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St. Mary's At-Large Hopes Gone

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:57:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, WCC, WAC, St. Mary's (CA)

St. Mary's point guard Patrick Mills and the other spectators at McKeon Pavilion are likely filled with the same 'what if' fantasies after Gonzaga defeated the home team, 72-70, on Thursday night. A crushing defeat for the Gaels who entered the season with tournament hopes.

You can never say never in college basketball. Not with conference tournaments looming a few weeks away. But any hope that St. Mary's had of getting an at-large bid floated away as the Gaels failed to rally for the second time this season against Gonzaga with their injured point guard languishing on the bench.

Fellow Australian Carlin Hughes almost willed St. Mary's to a win. A win that would have kept those at-large hopes alive. But in the end, he came up just short. The Gaels are also in danger of finishing out of the top two in the West Coast Conference, which guarantees a bye into the semifinals. But then again, playing extra games didn't seem to bother San Diego last season.

Gonzaga looked pretty good, holding off undermanned St. Mary's. The Bulldogs don't play too well in McKeon Pavilion, so escaping with a win is key and not a given. Not like, say, going to LMU.

Josh Heytvelt, in particular, looked really good. Heytvelt is the Lamar Odom of Gonzaga. He has all of the talent in the world, but sometimes you wonder where his heart is at. Much like the Lakers and Odom, Gonzaga is only going to go as far as Heytvelt will take them. He has to have a presence down low for the Bulldogs to have any sort of sustained run.

In another mid-major game of note:

Utah State 62, Idaho 53: This game was closer than it should have been. The Aggies are the Gaels last chance for a true "quality win" prior to the conference tournaments when the teams battle in the BracketBusters next week. So you can't blame Utah State for looking ahead. That happens.

St. Mary's At-Large Hopes Gone originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Economy Won't Effect Tourney Seeding

Will Brinson — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, SEC, WAC, March Madness, Coaches, Fans, Rumors, South

Travel costs for universities are a big deal in this economic climate. Look no further than the bowl "selections" that occurred this year -- there were a substantially larger number of teams hanging close to home, presumably to allow for cheaper travel for both the schools and their fans.

But the NCAA says that will not be a huge deal this year, and supposedly, geographical distance will not affect a team's pairing.

Selection committee chairman Mike Slive said during a conference call Tuesday that while the committee is sensitive to the economic climate, it has a responsibility to the nation to provide balanced brackets for the NCAA's marquee event, which begins in mid-March.

Whether or not this actually happens (I think it will, personally), this is still a tremendously positive statement for college basketball fans. There would be nothing worse than to see March Madness' inherent beauty -- the cross-country scramble to converge on one location -- tainted for the greater good of "economic stability."

Geographical selection isn't necessarily a problem for college football, though. Outside of the BCS bowls, any reduction of costs is substantial enough of a win for a team to validate staying close to home, not to mention an increase in ticket sales. But for college basketball, where the postseason actually matters, any sort of regional favoritism would be highly detrimental to the basic setup of the postseason itself.

Economy Won't Effect Tourney Seeding originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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San Diego St. Could Make Mountain West Four Bid Conference

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:51:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, WCC, Mid-Majors, MWC, WAC

One of the more interesting aspects of Joe Lunardi's Bracketology this week was that San Diego State was the second to last team left out of the tournament. Lunardi has UNLV, Utah and BYU (barely) as tournament teams, with San Diego State knocking on the door.

But now the Aztecs look like a legitimate tournament team following their overtime win at Las Vegas Tuesday night. A win that should help increase it's tournament resume.

And dare you believe it? Is the Mountain West really a four-bid conference?

That's a delicate question. Are those four Mountain West teams among the best 65 teams in the country? No question. But when you start getting down to the 34 at-larges and the lower ranked conference champions, there's no guarantee the committee will include them.

If you look at Lunardi's rankings further, Miami was the first team left off the tournament list. No more. The Hurricanes, barring a huge collapse, probably punched their ticket with a home win over No. 6 Wake Forest. Though really, Hurricanes fans, you're storming the court? Don't you have like 50 baseball and football championships?

Lunardi also has St. Mary's as one of the last teams in the tournament. That's not going to happen with Patty Mills out. St. Mary's is also going to lose big at Utah State in the BracketBusters. So they are out. So San Diego State -- who might end up being the best team in the Mountain West -- should slide in.

But not at the expense of the other Mountain West teams. If anything, the NCAA selection committee should give the Mountain West the benefit of the doubt because of the way the conference is treated by the BCS. Now, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. I get that, I really do. But come on, how about a little turnabout is fair play?

UNLV, Utah, BYU and San Diego State should be looking at tournament bids this season. When you figure that the WCC is going to get in only one team, the WAC is going to get in only one team, there is no reason to believe that the Mountain West can't be a four-bid conference.

San Diego St. Could Make Mountain West Four Bid Conference originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BracketBusters: Utah State at St. Mary's

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:35:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, Mid-Majors, WAC, St. Mary's (CA)

BracketBusters 2009 matchups have been announced. FanHouse has the skinny.

The BracketBusters series is going to finally force No. 22 Utah State to play somebody good. Well, sort of.

Utah State finally cracked the Top 25 thanks in part to a schedule that includes more cupcakes than a Duncan Hines display case. Utah State's strength of schedule is currently as shameful 275 -- and that includes games against BYU and Utah.

So it's only fitting that the Aggies will be paired against an undermanned team in the 2009 BracketBusters. Utah State will face St. Mary's -- a team that has received a lot of unexplained attention from Aggies' fans.

St. Mary's, of course, will be without star guard Patrick Mills who will likely undergo surgery on his injured right hand. The Gaels haven't looked the same since Mills was injured in the first half against Gonzaga on Thursday. St. Mary's followed that up by being smoked by Portland on Saturday.

In other words, St. Mary's is the prefect opponent for Utah State.

So even when being forced to play a decent team for a change, Utah State catches a break. And it needs a break like the Steelers need another beneficial call from the referees.

The one positive for Utah State is that it will get a return visit from St. Mary's next year. Coach Stew Morrill has had trouble getting teams to travel to Logan, so now he figures to have at least one quality non-conference opponent come to town. That is, of course, assuming that Mills returns to St. Mary's next year. You can likely guess what he is going to do.

BracketBusters: Utah State at St. Mary's originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Utah State Deserve Respect?

Adam Papagiorgio — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, WAC

Utah State is lurking. The Aggies have been hanging out in the "also receiving votes" section of the weekly polls, looking to finally break through any time now.

This is almost an indignity for Stew Morrill's club. Utah State is 19-1, 7-0 in the Western Athletic Conference with the lone loss coming to BYU in Salt Lake City. Not exactly a bad loss. Still, it's not enough to sway the voters.

Utah State has nine consecutive 20-win seasons, and nine consecutive postseason appearances -- including five NCAA Tournament showings. So they have the pedigree, but not our respect.

However, the bigger question is, does Utah State deserve it?

The truth is, no they do not. Morrill has built a pretty good program in Logan, but it could be so much more. Utah State does have all of those 20-win seasons. None of them are that impressive. Morrill seems obsessed with winning 20 games. Not so obsessed with playing the best schedule possible.

Call them the anti-Gonzaga if you will.

The Aggies have not played a team currently ranked in the Top 25. There are the rivalry games against BYU and Utah, but that's about it. Weber State, Cal Poly, Utah Valley State, Idaho State, Howard and Houston Baptist are not going to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee. And what's funny is that Utah State thinks it is getting into automatic bid territory.

It is not. The Aggies strength of schedule is 221. Good luck with all of that.

Like most of the mid-majors, Utah State is going to need to win its conference tournament. And even an unabashed mid-major homer like myself can't defend this schedule and an at-large bid if they do not. And this has long been a problem for Utah State, and still, Morrill won't take steps to correct it.

The first thing in Utah State's defense is that nobody will come to play in Logan. And that's true. Cal State coach Bob Burton quipped that when Utah State left the Big West, Morrill would only see his backside because he was never going to return again. Utah State is viewed as a safety school for kids who can't get into BYU. And like it's big brother, Utah State is deadly at home, winning 28 consecutive home games.

But has Utah State ever considered playing road games? Crazy, for sure. The Aggies need take a couple of tough road trips, even if some of the majors won't return the favor. If that means taking some lumps at ACC and SEC schools, then do it.

The Aggies have a chance to be a Gonzaga-like program. But Morrill (a Gonzaga alumnus mind you) seems afraid. Why? He's already the school's all-time winningest coach. Morrill's legacy is secure. But for right now, that legacy is of a coach who has fattened up on cupcakes, refusing to take his team to new heights.

So in short, until Utah State respects itself, there is no need to give them your respect.

Does Utah State Deserve Respect? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gonzaga Back to Normal, Dominating WCC

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:40:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Nevada, WCC, Mid-Majors, WAC

Gonzaga had a rather troubling December, were it not for Tennessee. The Bulldogs lost to No. 2 Connecticut, Portland State and Utah in a near two-week stretch before beating the Volunteers for the second time this season. But any stumbling during the silly season is in the past as Gonzaga has once again retaken its throne as unmerciful ruler of the West Coast Conference.

The Bulldogs put any doubt to rest with a dominating performance over Santa Clara on Thursday, winning 95-53. The kind of exclamation to let the rest of the conference know that any momentary lapses were just that. And really, I thought Kerry Keating's club could have been a contender this season. Yeah, not so much.

This win won't do much to help Gonzaga's damaged national reputation they suffered at the end of December. But San Diego and St. Mary's no doubt took notice. Matt Bouldin was awesome, and it seems that Gonzaga is at its best when Jeremy Pargo doesn't have to score a lot and is handing out the ball like he did on Thursday night.

Now for a look at some other mid-major action of note.

Saint Mary's 78, Loyola Marymount 53: The first game of the Max Good era got off to a rousing start. The Gaels are going to end up cruising through the WCC schedule until they face Gonzaga.

San Diego 62, Pepperdine 47: Who put this schedule together? Two of the top three WCC powers were playing the bottom feeders in the conference. And as expected, they faced little resistance.

Utah State 65, Fresno State 61: Like their cross-state rivals, BYU, Utah State doesn't lose to conference opponents at home. If the Aggies ever butched up their schedule, they could be a Top 25 team. But right now, they are the best team in the WAC.

Nevada 77, Boise State 63: Huge win for the young Wolf Pack. They really needed this win, and Nevada is a team that will be pretty dangerous come conference tournament time.

Gonzaga Back to Normal, Dominating WCC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lack of Inside Presence Will Kill UNLV

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:22:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, UNLV, WCC, Mid-Majors, MWC, WAC

Anytime UNLV garners any sort of national attention, it seems like they stumble right back to earth. It happened again on Saturday night as the Rebels lost at Texas Christian, 80-73. The Rebels had to rely on too many three point shots, hoisting 34 shots from long range. While they were pretty impressive, going 15-of-34, they just couldn't score inside.

Zvonko Buljan led Horned Frogs with 20 points and 13 rebounds. UNLV had only 23 rebounds as a team. Texas Christian also did a great job holding down Wink Adams, limiting to only nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. The Rebels, at times, are a little too dependent on Adams. And when there isn't a decent inside presence, teams can really clamp down on UNLV's captain. Freshman Brice Massamba didn't even get off the bench.

Big men are in short supply in Division I basketball, but the Rebels are going to continue to strugle against any team with a decent big man. Should be interesting when Utah comes to town.

Let's check out some other mid-major games of note.

San Diego State 72, Utah 63: There isn't a definitive leader in the Mountain West. At least not yet, and until somebody can prove that they can win on the road. The Aztecs have been on quite a roll lately and for right now, let's call them the best team in the conference.

BYU 86, Colorado State 60: Yes BYU, we see that you won a conference road game. But come on, it's only Colorado State. The Cougars have to earn some respect.

Pepperdine 59, LMU 57: When these teams get together, throw out the record book. No really, throw it out because both teams are awful. But on this night, LMU was just a little worse and wanted it a little less.

Gonzaga 67, Portland 50: You couldn't help but wonder if the Bulldogs were going to suffer letdown after winning at Tennessee. Beat Portland by only 17 almost counts.

Utah State 77, New Mexico State 67: You knew the Aggies were going to win this one! Sorry, only get to use that twice a year. Utah State is now 15-1, but that one loss came to the only good team they played (BYU). New Mexico State should try to get Reggie Theus' room ready for him again.

For the record, Big West games are sponsored by Aladdin Bail Bonds. Seems fitting.

Long Beach State 86, UC Davis 78: The 49ers are leading the Big West at 4-0. Dan Monson's resume for his next job just keeps improving. Does he have Arizona on his mind?

Cal State 62, UC Santa Barbara 58: The Titans defeat El Diablo, Brad Holland -- the former Cal State coach and current UCSB assistant. Cal State had a rough opening stretch of the season, losing to Cal State Northridge and UC Irvine. Road wins at Cal Poly and Santa Barbara even then up. What's up with the Gauchos? They are 1-3 in conference. Must be Holland's bad influence. The might need a change at the top soon.

Lack of Inside Presence Will Kill UNLV originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yay, Free Candy Week in College Basketball

Chas Rich — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, SEC, WAC, Media Watch

It's that time of the year. ESPN is pushing the half-season deal for their Full Court Pay-Per-View package. That means a week of free games starting on Saturday, January 10 to January 17. A chance to just absolutely gorge on college basketball without having to pay extra for it. Well, as long as you aren't a fan of the Big 10, Pac-10, Mountain West, Atlantic-10 or Conference USA.

Some of the games included in the free preview:

January 10
12:00 PM ET No. 22 West Virginia at No. 15 Marquette
12:00 PM ET North Carolina State at No. 11 Clemson
1:30 PM ET No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas State

January 11
12:00 PM ET St. John's at No. 1 Pittsburgh
1:30 PM ET LSU at Alabama

January 13
8:00 PM ET Kansas State at Kansas

January 14
9:00 PM ET Maryland at Miami (FL)
9:00 PM ET No. 4 Wake Forest at No. 24 Boston College

The full schedule can be found after the jump.
January 10

12:00 PM ET No. 22 West Virginia at No. 15 Marquette

12:00 PM ET No. 25 Tennessee at Georgia

12:00 PM ET Georgia Tech at Maryland

12:00 PM ET North Carolina State at No. 11 Clemson

1:30 PM ET No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas State

1:45 PM ET Texas Tech at No. 23 Baylor

2:00 PM ET Seton Hall at No. 13 Notre Dame

2:00 PM ET Vanderbilt at Kentucky

3:00 PM ET Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin

4:00 PM ET Iowa State at No. 7 Texas

4:30 PM ET No. 5 Connecticut at Cincinnati

6:00 PM ET Mississippi at Florida

7:30 PM ET No. 9 Syracuse at Rutgers

8:05 PM ET Wright State at Valparaiso

8:05 PM ET Mississippi State at Arkansas

9:00 PM ET Utah State at New Mexico State

9:05 PM ET Hawaii at Boise State

January 11

12:00 PM ET St. John's at No. 1 Pittsburgh

1:30 PM ET LSU at Alabama

4:05 PM ET Weber State at Eastern Washington

January 12
None

January 13

8:00 PM ET Kansas State at Kansas

January 14

7:30 PM ET Vermont at Boston University

7:30 PM ET Rutgers at Cincinnati

8:00 PM ET Nebraska at Iowa State

8:00 PM ET Florida at Auburn

9:00 PM ET Maryland at Miami (FL)

9:00 PM ET No. 4 Wake Forest at No. 24 Boston College

January 15

8:00 PM ET No. 20 Butler at Loyola (IL)

9:05 PM ET Fresno State at Utah State

January 16
None

January 17

12:00 PM ET Maryland at Florida State

12:00 PM ET Georgia Tech at North Carolina State

12:00 PM ET South Florida at No. 22 West Virginia

1:30 PM ET Iowa State at Missouri

1:45 PM ET Oklahoma State at No. 23 Baylor

2:00 PM ET Arkansas at Florida

Yay, Free Candy Week in College Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last Chance of the Year for Mountain West, WAC to Make Some Noise

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:38:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Louisville, Nevada, UNLV, MWC, WAC, North Carolina

Well, it's only the calendar year, mind you. And really, don't you hate running into people on this day who love to say, "See you next year?" And here I am contributing to the problem. But enough about that, UNLV, Utah and Nevada all have an opportunity to make a splash on New Year's Eve with some high-profile games.

The question is, will they be able to take advantage of them? Here's a quick rundown of tonight's games.

UNLV at No. 18 Louisville. The Runnin' Rebels had a brief two-game let down earlier this season, but have established an 11-2 mark, including a big win over Arizona. But tonight's contest could be a tough one, as senior star Wink Adams will be a game-time decision. Adams suffered an abdominal injury recently, but a recent MRI revealed that it was only a strain.

Even if Adams is able to play, UNLV will have a tough test. The Rebels haven't been good on the boards and Louisville is a strong rebounding team. Plus Louisville's defense was able to smother the Rebels in the closing ten minutes of last year's game at the Thomas and Mack Center. Still, that game was closer than some thought. So I expect a similar game this year, where UNLV will hang tough for a while, but ultimately fall. Prediction: Louisville wins. Make your own pick.

Utah at No. 16 Gonzaga. This game suddenly became a huge one for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs looked like a solid Final Four candidate, but recent losses to Connecticut and Portland State has the team reeling, and many questioning the toughness of Gonzaga. That can't be good news for Utah.

The Runnin' Utes had a nice win over Oregon, but followed that up with three consecutive losses to Idaho State, Cal and No. 5 Oklahoma State. Utah also lost a close one to Utah State, and had more trouble then it should have with Big West doormat, UC Irvine. Utah looked good early against Oklahoma and have done well in flashes. But it looks like they are catching Gonzaga at the wrong time. Prediction: Gonzaga in a blowout. Make your own pick.

No. 1 North Carolina at Nevada. First off, congratulations to North Carolina for playing at UC Santa Barbara this season and at Nevada. Some more of the "big boys" should take note of this, because it makes college basketball a whole lot better.

But let's be honest about this one. Unless there is some kind of Reno 911 plot that will keep Tyler Hansbrough detained in a room at Fitzgerald's, then maybe Nevada would have a chance. But unless North Carolina makes like that Carver team that hit the nightlife in Las Vegas prior to a game during the White Shadow, this should be an easy Tar Heels' victory.

But as mentioned before, you can't imagine who exciting this is for Nevada fans and students who will finally get a chance to yell at Hansbrough. (Keep it clean, kids.) This is a once-in-a-lifetime game for them. And again, that's awesome for college basketball. Prediciton: North Carolina wins. Make your own pick. (And who are the six percent picking Nevada? See, this is why games like this are awesome.)

Wow, 0-for-3 for the Mountain West and WAC? That's depressing.

Last Chance of the Year for Mountain West, WAC to Make Some Noise originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNLV Does Like Winning

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: UNLV, Mid-Majors, MWC, WAC

UNLV blew a golden opportunity over the weekend to establish themselves as worthy of the Top 25. Instead, they suffered home losses to Cal and Cincinnati. But sometimes you can't measure the true mark of a team until they are faced with adversity.

The Runnin' Rebels went on the road and won at Fresno State on Tuesday night, showing some grit that they failed to show over the weekend. Of course, the win was over Fresno State. Not like it was one of the elite teams in college hoops. But it was still a dangerous opponent playing at home. That's nothing to be ashamed of. You hate to to label a December game as "must win," especially in college basketball. But coach Lon Kruger really need to keep this thing from snowballing and he did.

Former coach Jerry Tarkanian had an interesting take on why the Rebels were struggling -- they have too many good players. Yeah, uh, they were too good.

"I've seen some of UNLV's basketball games, lately, and I think (coach) Lon Kruger is feeling his way right now. He sure has a lot of talent. I never had that many players. I never wanted that many players. Every guy on his team is a player, so that might take you longer. You have to give them all a shot.

"I always went into the season knowing who my top eight or nine players would be. DeShawn Mitchell has looked absolutely super. That kid who transferred from UCLA, Chace Stanback ... I couldn't believe they didn't have room for him at UCLA. He's a big-time player and I can't wait to see him next season.

"Fans will have to be patient. But I believe Lon will have a very good team."

Hmm, you still have to defer to the coach on this one. And he is right. Kruger is going to have to find the right combination of players and establish his substitution patterns. The problem is, we at the 'House are pretty high on UNLV, so there are expectations there. We want to see wins right now.

Some other games of note:

Utah continues to put together some impressive wins, knocking off Oregon, 95-81. Hard not to like Utah right now, but the true barometer game will come on Dec. 10 when they face Cal.

Wyoming jumped out to a 5-0 record playing some of the Sisters of the Poor like CS Bakersfield. But the Cowboys earned more respect by hanging tough with defending WAC tournament champion Boise State before losing, 86-85.

Colorado was smacked around by TCU. Wow, is Jeff Bzdelik enjoying his career jump? He should have stayed at Air Force.

That was about as much as you could expect out of New Mexico State, who lost at Kansas. Marvin Menzies has a unique situation going at in Las Cruces, but at least he rid himself of Herb Pope. Jahmar Young is better anyway.

UNLV Does Like Winning originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nevada Suspends Three Players

Adam Papagiorgio — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:16:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, Mid-Majors, WAC, Police Blotter

Those writers and coaches might need a mulligan for picking Nevada as the top team in the WAC. Wolf Pack coach Mark Fox suspended Brandon Fields, London Giles and Ahyaro Phillips after the players were cited for misdemeanor petty larceny.

Fields is the leading returning scorer for the Wolf Pack, so this could be a huge blow to the team. Giles and Phillips are freshmen. Fox is waiting to "gather all of the facts" of the incident to see how long these suspensions last. You would almost guess that Fields will be given more leeway.

Petty larceny means that the alleged stolen items were valued at $250 or below. And the incident is believed to have taken place at the newly opened Scheels at the Legends of Sparks Marina.

If the charges hold up, you really have to question the intelligence of these players. Like, doesn't Nevada have boosters who could buy these young men some shoes so they don't have to steal them? If anything, I place the blame on the Wolf Pack boosters for not doing a better job of handing out the dough. Though, you could blame the sluggish economy for that, too. One of the presidential candidates looking to win the swing vote in Nevada should run on a platform of tax cuts for boosters so schools can avoid incidents such as this. He'd be an easy winner.

Nevada Suspends Three Players originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fresno, CSUN Don't Have Time for Learning

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, MWC, Pac-10, WAC

The NCAA released its Graduation Success Rates this week, and it wasn't pretty for some schools. In particular, the Fresno State and Cal State Northridge men's basketball programs. The Bulldogs are clocking in at 7 percent, and the Matadors are not much better at 8 percent.

That of course means that Cal State Northridge treats school work like it treats a Big West tournament game -- it chokes.

The rates measured students that started on campus from 1998 to 2001. For Fresno, that was during the Jerry Tarkanian and Ray Lopes era. Bobby Braswell started coaching at Northridge in 1996. Thanks for keeping up the tradition of the scholastically rich Cal State University system, gentlemen. No wonder UCSB fans love to chant "state school."

There were some other interesting notes in reports found around the Internet. Stanford, as you would expect, received perfect scores for football and men's basketball. Arizona and Arizona State, not so much. The Wildcats were the worst in the Pac-10.

In the Mountain West, Air Force and BYU had GSRs of 91 in men's basketball. New Mexico had a 27, and UNLV followed with a 29. Utah State was the top team in the WAC.

You can check more out here.

Personally, this whole notion of graduation rates seems pretty silly. The 15,000 fans that jam the SaveMart Center on the campus of Fresno State are there to watch those kids play basketball, not conduct chemistry experiments. Of course, nobody ever goes to CS Northridge games so there is no real excuse for them to not be better students.

Holding coaches accountable is equally silly. If a player misses an assignment on the court would want to fire his English professor? Of course not. A college coach is there to make his teams win. Graduating should just be extra gravy. Maybe the NCAA should be leaning on the faculty to get these kids motivated.

But the truth is, the athletes need to be ultimately held accountable. They are given every opportunity to get an education. If they don't, that is their loss. That may sound a touch callous, but the world is a tough place. If a player can't take advantage of a free education to a top-flight school (and CS Northridge), then is there really ever a chance of reaching those guys?

Having kids throw away an education is tragic, but that's not going to make me enjoy the games any less.

Fresno, CSUN Don't Have Time for Learning originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UNLV, Nevada Picked to Win Conferences

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:25:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada, UNLV, Mid-Majors, MWC, WAC

The state of Nevada rules the college basketball world. Or at least the Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences. UNLV was selected by as the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West. Nevada was tabbed to win the WAC. That should make the inter-state rivalry even more intense this year.

The Runnin' Rebels will have five seniors this season and will finally start seeing the fruits of Lon Kruger's recruiting labors. Guard Wink Adams was selected as the preseason co-player of the year, while Tre'Von Willis was selected as the preseason pick as top newcomer.

BYU's Lee Cummard was the other selection for Mountain West preseason co-player of the year. No word on if his wife started a riot when she learned that Lee was not the sole winner. BYU was picked to finish second in conference.

San Diego State's Lorrenzo Wade, Wyoming's Brandon Ewing and Utah center Luke Nevill round out the preseason first team for the Mountain West.

Nevada isn't a surprise pick in the WAC. Mark Fox has been building a strong program in Reno. Wolfpack guard Armon Johnson is the preseason pick for player of the year. Fellow guard Brandon Fields was selected to the second team.

Nevada, Utah State and New Mexico State were the top three picks in both the media and coach's polls. The media picked Louisiana Tech to finish fourth, while the coach's went with San Jose State. Last year's tournament winner, Boise State was picked to finish fifth by both the coaches and media. Obviously there is not a lot of respect giving that that burgeoning program.

Both the Mountain West and WAC appear to be on the upswing. UNLV has made some good runs in the tournaments in recent years, and should have the most talented team in Kruger's run. Nevada has been on the verge for years, but really needs to make a move in the tournament.

UNLV, Nevada Picked to Win Conferences originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May Smaller Conferences Look at Expansion to Help Offset Fuel Costs?

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:44:00 EST

Filed under: WCC, A-10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, WAC, Fans

I was reading an article in my Sporting News magazine (yes, I still get the print one) about the plight of Hawaii's athletic program. Due to the rising fuel costs, it is difficult for them to (a) get to road games and (b) get anyone to fly out to play them.

The article threw it out there that conferences may have to adjust to the rising fuel costs by rescheduling and/or expansion.

Hawaii's conference, the WAC, is the nation's largest geographic conference ... and that's even if you took Hawaii out of the picture. WAC teams must travel all the way down to Louisiana, all the way up to Idaho and all the way west to Hawaii.

The Pac-10 ... a BCS conference ... uses an outstanding scheduling model where a team plays at both Oregon teams (or Arizona, or Washington, or Bay Area or Southern California teams) on a Thursday/Saturday schedule. That allows these schools to limit their travel costs. Could the WAC follow suit?

The WAC has two Idaho schools (Idaho, Boise State), two California schools (Fresno State, San Jose State) and not much else. They could link a trip to Utah State and Nevada together, but Hawaii, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech are kind of left in the cold.

Would it be ideal for the WAC to expand and add three more teams? That would give them 12 and allow them to hold a football conference championship game and maybe help on travel costs in basketball. Most likely, they'd have to pillage the Sun Belt for a few teams (Arkansas State? North Texas?) or add some non-football members like Northern Arizona?

And that is just the WAC. Will smaller conferences look to do the same? The Big West has made themselves a conference of nine members ... all based in California. Conference USA pared down to a predominately gulf based conference, though they do have members in West Virginia and North Carolina.

In the conference booms of the early 1990s and mid 2000s the goal was to spread your conference's reach to new markets. The ACC moved up to New England, the Big East over to Louisville and Cincinnati and many smaller conferences adding far away schools.

That is just a conference issue. There is another issue of non-conference scheduling, something that is tough for schools like Hawaii and events like the Great Alaskan Shootout. What we could see is a lot more intraconference games between regional schools and less cross-country showdowns. That could trouble the western schools who like to have a few games that get some pub from the east coast media.

Schools are thinking about shortening their seasons by a game or two. The NCAA is even thinking about toying with the scheduling of the NCAA tournament so schools can find the cheapest way to travel.

With the economy the way it is and fuel prices the way they are, this is just one of the areas of collateral damage.

May Smaller Conferences Look at Expansion to Help Offset Fuel Costs? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legenday UTEP Coach Don Haskins Dies

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:57:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, WAC, Coaches

Don Haskins, the coach who is best known for starting five black players for Texas Western in the 1966 NCAA Championship game, died today at the age of 78.

In that 1966 game, Haskins famously broke color barriers by starting an all-black lineup in their championship victory over Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats. The story was told in the Disney movie Glory Road.

Haskins, whose health had been failing over the past couple of years, coached for 38 years at Texas Western, which would eventually be renamed the University of Texas at El Paso (or UTEP).

Former coach Eddie Sutton had this to say about the impact of that 1966 team:

"When they won the national championship against the University of Kentucky, that changed college basketball," Sutton said. "At that time, there weren't many teams in the South or Southwest that had African-Americans playing. There was a change in the recruiting of the black athlete. It really changed after that. They've had a great impact on the game."

Haskins had just five losing seasons in his career at UTEP, 14 WAC championships, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and 719 wins before retiring in 1999. He was elected to the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 1997, while the entire 1966 team was inducted exactly one year ago.

Legenday UTEP Coach Don Haskins Dies originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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