Monday, Feb. 25, 2008 | 1:24 p.m.
UNLV isn’t just jousting for a high seed in the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament Tuesday when it plays host to San Diego State.
The Rebels (20-6, 9-3 in league) are trying to impress the NCAA tournament selection committee over the final two weeks of the regular season.
They have a ding against them, since that victory over Division-II Dixie State counts for nothing. But they sport a solid Ratings Percentage Index of 32.
The selection committee uses the RPI as a barometer when it picks its 65-team field. Brigham Young, at 27, owns the best Mountain West RPI.
The Cougars (21-6, 10-2) can all but lock up the regular-season conference crown Tuesday night at New Mexico (22-6, 9-4). Then BYU cruises, ending the season with Air Force (14-12, 6-7) and Wyoming (10-16, 3-10) at home and finishing at TCU (13-12, 5-7).
San Diego State (18-9, 8-5) upended BYU on Saturday to make the regular season more interesting, and the Aztecs and Rebels figure to play their usual playground, helter-skelter games Tuesday.
UNLV then plays host to TCU before going to New Mexico on March 4. The Lobos own an RPI of 44 and could spoil plenty with games left against BYU and UNLV.
The Rebels finish at home against Utah.
Second place in the Mountain West might be good enough for a spot in the NCAAs for UNLV, regardless of how it plays in the league tournament. That’s why the next two weeks are so important to the Rebels.
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