Healing

The Rebs fell short again in their first round game, causing me to mentally detach and take some time to process. I think what happened to the Rebels was a case of overinflated expectations. Last year's team so overachieved, it unreasonably raised expectations for this year. No bigs again, and five new head coaches in their second year who had figured out what Lon was doing with his small ball. It seems they figured it out a little bit and knew how to get past them. San Diego's length and athleticism was a bad matchup for them. Being a Cubs fan, there's always next year...Now, on to more Madness...

So, how's your bracket? I was crusing through the elite eight but only got one of the final four in. I picked Carolina all the way so I feel pretty good.

Other items to note...


Just because the men's team lost doesn't mean you can't stop cheering. Here's a reason to root for Louisville in the other bracket...

Did you celebrate Earth Hour on Saturday night? Some people on the Strip decided it was a worthy cause...

Has Coach Cal topped out at Memphis? The only thing changed since the Kentucky job was open before is that he was seven points up and two minutes from the championship with three guys who left for the NBA. Great timing on his part to leave now they have chased used car salesman Billy Gillispie out of town. I think it is a great match as Calipari will at least smooze the rotary club down there and he also can recruit nationally to the school. The Wildcats will be fine. Where goes Memphis? That will be interesting to see...

I wish Arizona would hire a coach already.... They aren't getting Pitino or Calipari. Mike Anderson from Mizzou may be a possibility but he is pretty invested in that program. Why would Mark Few move south? His standard of living is great and he rules his pond. Nobody is mentioning Lon Kruger who has probably turned down phone calls....which reminds me, how long before Steve Alford starts looking for a new post?

Stop watching Dancing with the Stars...

laters
cvz
Rebels by 10

All roads lead to...

Some thoughts from what I have noticed on the first day of the MWC tournament.
-The powers that be have done a good job of neutralizing the home court. I wonder if they will cover the banners from the rafters.
-Speaking of banners, I noticed that Bill Bayno brought three banners to UNLV: two conference tournament titles and a WAC Mountain division co-championship. He also tied for the conference regular season title the first season of the MWC with Utah, but they didn't put a banner up for that one. Bayno lasted five plus seasons. Kruger has put two tournament title banners up so far and if he doesn't pull the trifecta this year, you could argue that Bayno's five years has been more successful than Kruger's first five years. Interesting. Of course that trip to the Sweet 16 probably did more to rekindle interest in the Runnin' Rebels than anything Bayno did (although the 1998 WAC tournament title run was a fun time!).
-Two upsets by seed in the first day of the revamped Utah Invitational Mountain West Tournament (which is what I am calling Women's bracket), although UNLV's win over BYU probably was not an upset given that they had the Lady Cougs on the ropes in both regular season games before succumbing in the final minutes. Colorado State and Wyoming's rivalry in the tourney throws out the seeding and the Lady Rams sent the higher seeded Cowgirls home. Hopefully, their men's team has better luck. UNM handled Air Force easily as they did in the regular season. If they continue to be this efficient in their offense, they should sail through today for a matchup with the well rested Utes.
-Two players who were fun to watch yesterday were Amanda Best from UNM and Jamie Smith from UNLV. Both players rebound well and made the hustle plays. While the Lady Lobos had control from the start, Smith's energy and determination helped make the difference to close the deal against the Cougars.

Here's an article from the Review Journal looking at the Bird Points of players in the conference. Not surprisingly, no Rebels cracked the top 5 although the system does tell you that Rougeau is statistically their best player. He is all energy and he needs to have a great game for the Rebels to have a chance to win against the Aztecs.

Today we get to see the third seeded TCU Lady Frogs. It will be interesting to see if their opponents chance to play a game first helps or hinders the advantage given to the top teams in the league.

More when I can,

laters
cvz
Rebels by 10

Post Season Madness

Before I get to my eagerly awaited Mountain West Conference Tournament picks, let me get this off my chest. The end of the regular season could have really shaken up the bracket for this week's tournament. Too bad Wyoming and Air Force missed a chance to knock off New Mexico and BYU. Now three of the matchups in the quarterfinal round are rematches of the last regular season games. UNLV was up at halftime but let Kyle Spain get loose again and drain a pair of threes to let the Aztecs take control and push the lead to double digits. The Rebs could not shoot their way back in as they shot a horrible 33% from the field. They have scored 46 points in their last two games and if they do it again in the first round their third straight NCAA bid will be history.

I'm still trying to figure out who needed to win more on Saturday, San Diego or UNLV. San Diego did nothing with their non-conference season and the Rebels wins at Louisville and at home vs. Arizona have kept them in the talk even through the losses to TCU, CSU and Wyoming. Yes, San Diego needed the win for their resume, but even if they win the first round, they probably need to get to the finals to be legitimately considered for a bid.

The impressive part of the conference season is how three teams managed to win 12 games in conference and five won 20 games before the post-season started. That is the definition of a competitive league and it looks as though the teams in the conference will get credit for that. I still don't think teams from the SEC and Big East understand how hard it is to travel to Ft. Collins and Laramie, Wyoming to beat an athletic basketball team. I hope the league does get four teams in, and I really hope UNLV is not the odd man out. With UNM's win, the game between SDSU and UNLV is most likely an elimination game for the NCAA dance. They say it is difficult to beat a good team three times in one season, and the last time the Rebs had to face a team it had trouble beating in the regular season it was SMU with Jeryl Sasser in 1999. UNLV bowed out as the division champion in the first round. I find myself very anxious about the first round. I think I could take solace in the fact that we forced overtime at home and were in a position to win the game both at the end of regulation and overtime. It still doesn't make me any less nervous and I hope I do not want to get rid of my all session pass after Thursday afternoon.

On to the tournament: I find it interesting the conference didn't adjust the scheduling to put UNLV in the evening session to impact attendance. The coaches in the conference do bitch about UNLV's home court advantage and I wonder if this lack of movement has the intention of placating them. It will be interesting to see how it affects this year's attendance and gives the conference the impetus it needs to move the tournament elsewhere.

Speaking of unfair decisions, I can't believe the conference re-aligned the bracket to give byes to the top three seeds in the league. This is a total overreaction to what happened last year and whoever is in charge of this should be dragged out into the street and shot. Of course, it probably was someone from Utah's idea but anyway....

Here are the picks:

CSU over Air Force in the play-in game. One thing you can count on in the Mountain West Tournament is that Air Force will lose in the first round. This is their first time in the play-in game however and I still don't think they will put together the ultimate cheer to put them over the top vs. C-State. That being said, they came closer to winning in their last two games and maybe they can ride that momentum to surprise the Rams.

1-BYU vs. 8-Colorado State. Could be a close game but on a neutral floor, BYU will shoot too well from the field for the Rams to pull the upset. I think BYU pulls away in the second half.

4-San Diego State vs. 5-UNLV. These teams are mirror images of each other and if San Diego comes to play defense, the Rebels are in trouble. The Aztecs are long, rangy and athletic and our three point shooters get nervous around that type of defense. If the Rebels shoot well, they can battle but they will need to get points in the paint and score off turnovers which they didn't do well on Saturday. The best first round game; I will pick from my gut which tells me the Rebels will overcome their shooting woes to best San Diego. My confidence index is low on this one, however.

2-Utah vs. 7-TCU. Utah has figured some things out and should put the Frogs down. Look for the Utes to be a little tentative as they play on a neutral court. TCU has nothing to lose and may play as loose as they did last year when they gave UNLV a scare by bombing three pointers from Summerlin. Nevil and Green and the rest of the company should pull the Utes to the semifinals.

3-New Mexico vs. 6-Wyoming. I think this game has the most upset potential. UNM has played well over its last ten games and a player of the year candidate in Tony Danridge. However, I can't stand Steve Alford and would love for the Lobos to choke against Wyoming who does have something to play for. Brandon Ewing is one of the best players in the league and doesn't want to stop playing. They gave UNM all they wanted in the regular season finale and had a chance to get a good look on the final possession to win the game. I thing Alford will have his boys ready to play but I still can't resist the chance to pick against them. I'll take Wyoming in a game that should have a good deal of pace.

Semis:
1-BYU vs. 5-UNLV. The Rebels have to like their chances if they can find a way to get past the Aztecs. There is not much differentiation between the top five teams in the elague and really any team 1 through 5 could win the whole thing. The Cougars will find themselves in a place where the Rebels do in the first round, trying to beat a team that they hadn't beaten during the regular season. If the Rebs shoot well enough to get past the Aztecs, they do match up better with BYU. I think the Rebs can find a way to get pas them as it has been in the last two tournaments, this time playing on Friday instead of Saturday.

2-Utah vs. 6-Wyoming. I like Utah to get to the finals this year regardless of who they are playing in this round. Nevil will get his in the paint and will be too much for the Cowpokes to overcome.

Finals:
2-Utah vs. 5-UNLV. I think this will be a nip and tuck game. The last two tournaments have bucked the trend of the previous years by the top two seeds playing for the title. I think this year is too competitive to be that predictable. It could just as easy be UNM and BYU in the finals. That being said, I'll take the Utes as they are too big and too strong from the outside for the Rebs to combat with perimeter shooting.

Hopefully it will be an entertaining tournament at the T&M. I think the fact that five teams have a legitimate shot to win the whole thing that the fans will come in droves and drive attendance to maybe not record levels but enough for the powers that be to keep it in Vegas.

Enjoy the best week of the year!

laters
cvz
Rebels by 10

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Championship week is here and I am looking forward to the best week of the year. I wish I was able to go (and afford) to the West Coast Conference Tournament here in Vegas at the Orleans. Loyola Marymount has had a tough season but it would have been fun to see them lose in the first round tonight against San Diego. After watching Gonzaga the past few years and the conference taking the former Big Monday spot that the MWC/WAC had on ESPN, I have become more familiar with the teams. I hope it does well and comes back to a bigger venue in town next year.

Very nervous about the next turn on the roller coaster that is UNLV basketball this season. They will have to find a way to beat San Diego State twice in the next week to get in the tournament. The road win at Louisville is carrying them so far to be included in Lunardi's projection, but they teeter on the edge and really they shouldn't be. The win vs. Arizona is getting them more play as well. New Mexico and San Diego were unable to win any signature games out of conference and I really don't think both of them deserve to get in by beating good conference teams at home (Utah, BYU). We'll see how they play on Saturday to get a gauge on what to expect during the tournament. It should be a pretty entertaining week at the T&M.

My MWC Post Season Awards:
Player of the Year: Luke Nevill, Utah. I think BYU and UNM have players that could be considered by playing well this last week but Nevill truly has been the most consistent player throughout the conference season.

Defensive Player of the Year: Luke Nevill, Utah. Hands down he has this award. He has the most blocks this year although Rene Rougeau from the Rebels could have given him a run for his money if he had been more consistent.

Newcomer of the Year: Tre'von Willis, UNLV. While he hasn't been the most consistent for the Rebels, I think his overall play and reputation will put him over the top. Zvonko Buljan from TCU has put together a nice season but he has a little too much Vlade Divac in him. Sean Ogirri's lack of conscience about where and when he shoots should give him some consideration as well.

Coach of the Year: Tie-Jim Boylen, Utah & Steve Alford, New Mexico. By far the best coaching jobs of the year in conference. Utah gets a little too much credit for their schedule, but are reaping the RPI benefits of losing to a bunch of really good teams. Alford is annoying but has done more with his team with less talent than last year. As much as I personally can't stand him, he will have the Lobos in this position near the top of the conference for awhile to come.

First team all conference:
Luke Nevill, Utah Duh...
Lee Cummard, BYU - Had a good season but not POY material
After these two guys it really is a toss up for the last three spots between five to six players
Tony Danridge, New Mexico Athletic player who can elevate with a big play
Lorenzo Wade, San Diego State Put together a solid season, but will it stand out enough?
Brandon Ewing, Wyoming Their record may keep him out
Jimmer Fredette, BYU Scores in bunches but may not be prolific enough to make the first team
Wink Adams, UNLV Disappointing season statistically but a third straight trip to the NCAAs would be special

I think Zvonko and Andrew Faris are second team material as is Rene Rougeau. Chad Toppert and Marcus Walker fall in this category as well. We'll see how close I am.

Stay tuned to see my annual Mountain West Conference Tournament picks. I guarantee it will not be 1 vs. 2 in the final.

laters
cvz
Rebels by 10