WAC projected to send 3 teams to NCAA tourney

Steve Carp

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 | 12:20 p.m.

With less than three weeks until postseason are distributed, it's looking like the status quo will prevail in the WAC.

That means no more than three teams will be invited to the NCAA Tournament. The WAC, which has never had more than three, was hoping for at least four, maybe five and possibly even six prior to the season.

But with UNLV going in the tank, Fresno State unable to overcome its early-season woes and Hawaii taking a nosedive, it's looking like an upset will have to take place for the WAC to get a fourth team in.

Here's how things break down as the regular season enters the home stretch:

They're in

Put New Mexico, Utah and Texas Christian in the field in 64 and you can use a pen to write the names.

The 20-3 Lobos are on top of their game. They showed that Monday night by handling the Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The questions are where will Dave Bliss' team be seeded and where will it play?

New Mexico has been shipped out of the West the past three years and it's likely that will be the case this year. Look for the Lobos to wind up in the East or Southeast Regional, perhaps as a No. 3 seed.

Utah, which may have seen its hopes for a No. 2 seed go by the boards with last week's loss to Wyoming, may find itself staying in the West as a No. 3 or 4. As for TCU, the Horned Frogs are the WAC's hottest team, having already clinched the Pacific Division. TCU is bidding to become the first team to go undefeated in league play.

TCU meets New Mexico Saturday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, and that may be the most important game of the year for Billy Tubbs' team. A win over the Lobos and a good showing in the WAC tournament perhaps gives the Horned Frogs a higher seed than a likely fifth or sixth.

Teams with a shot

Colorado State will have 20-plus wins by the time the WAC tourney tips off here March 3. Wyoming, which has a good home over Utah and is the top defensive team in the WAC, also may have 20 wins come March. And Tulsa, which has been to the NCAAs the past four years, has some momentum.

The likelihood is that for any of those teams to get in, it will have to win the WAC tournament. Colorado State, despite its lack of quality wins, could still play its way into an at-large berth if it can get to the WAC championship game.

Must win tourney

Fresno State, Hawaii and UNLV are all in the same boat. To get to the Big Dance, they'll have to win the WAC tournament. For the Rebels and Rainbows it will mean winning four games in five days, a very tough task.

The Bulldogs, who still could finish second in the Pacific, would be well advised to do so. It would mean not playing on Tuesday. With Jerry Tarkanian's team already thin, the added game would not be beneficial.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson isn't ready to declare which of his teams were in and which were out.

"At this juncture, I'm not going to speculate on how many teams we'll have," he said. "I still believe that quality in the NCAA Tournament is just as important as quantity. That was my position last year and I'm sticking with it.

"We still need teams in the NCAA that win. It's no good having teams play one game and lose."

As for the NIT, assuming there are no upsets in the WAC tourney, look for Colorado State, Fresno State and Tulsa to get in. Wyoming, provided it doesn't falter down the stretch, would also have a good shot at gaining a spot in the 32-team field.

What about UNLV? Both Benson and UNLV athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro believe that if the Rebels have a winning record, they would likely go.

"Historically, the NIT will take a team that has a winning record and a strong tradition," Cavagnaro said. "I haven't talked to the NIT, but I'd like to think if we finish strong, we'll have a good shot at going."

Benson said: "A .500-plus UNLV team would definitely merit consideration. The UNLV name is still strong across the country."

Hawaii, despite big early-season wins over Kansas and Indiana, may find itself odd man out. The 4-6 Rainbows are struggling just to secure a spot in the WAC tournament. Given the school's proximity and the costs of flying the Rainbows to the mainland, the NIT might choose someone else.

And then there's Southern Methodist, which will play in the 1998 Preseason NIT. Mike Dement's team is 16-6 and like UNLV, doesn't have many quality wins. But with the Mustangs playing in the NIT's November event, there may be some sentiment to include them in the March tournament.

Rating the WAC

SUN basketball writer Steve Carp's weekly WAC basketball rankings: