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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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 Western Athletic Conference could 
When Utah State lost 
St. Mary's might have been the biggest winner in Saturday's BracketBuster following a huge 
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. 
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, 
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.
One of the more interesting aspects of Joe Lunardi's Bracketology this week was that San Diego State was the second to 
Utah State is lurking. The Aggies have been hanging out in the "
