MWC Tournament notebook: Gorman’s Roban bows out, or does he?

Victoria Sun and Steve Addy

Friday, March 9, 2001 | 11:03 a.m.

If this was Jim Roban's last game, it was fitting that it was played at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Roban, a 6-6 swingman, starred at Bishop Gorman High School, where he earned all-state and honorable mention All-America honors. He transferred to San Diego State last season after playing a year at Dixie Junior College, but a bad back and eventual back surgery kept him out of the Aztecs' lineup all of last season and most of this one.

He played 12 minutes in SDSU's 73-58 loss to Wyoming in Thursday night's Mountain West Conference quarterfinals and did not score.

"If it was my last game it was a good one," Roban said. "It was fun.

"It's fun to be able to come back to Vegas and be able to play. The last time we came back here I couldn't play, I was hurt. So it was good to at least come back and be able to contribute a little bit."

Roban is hopeful that he will be able to contribute more next year for the Aztecs.

After the season he will apply for a medical red-shirt (for last year) in an effort to regain a year of eligibility. This year, he appeared in only 10 regular-season games.

"I should be getting a medical red-shirt," Roban said. "It's not confirmed, but as long as I keep believing it's going to happen, then maybe it will."

"For me, personally, it's a pretty big game because the first two times we played them I had some pretty frustrating performances," Bailey said. "I think I had nine points in both games so I'm really excited to play this one because I need to redeem myself."

"That's great to come on a neutral court and have it feel like a home floor," Wyoming forward Josh Davis said. "These fans paid their money to get here and support us. We can't thank them enough."

"My jersey is hanging in the rafters, and I have 34 years of basketball experience," he said Thursday. "It would take me one year to learn what I need to know to be a college coach.

"It's obvious the school has a (public relations) problem. It's going to take someone who is accepted by all of the political factions to pull this thing together. That could be me. I don't understand why they keep looking at outside people for this job.

"Why not hire someone who understands what it means to wear Rebels red? And they won't find anybody who can recruit the West Coast better than I can. I can walk into any gym in the country and kids know who I am."

Scott didn't help his standing in Thursday's 69-54 loss to BYU. On three occasions after calls went against his team, he gestured toward MWC officiating coordinator Bobby Dibler, seated across the court from Air Force's bench.

Scott's gestures seemed more plaintive than dismissive, as if asking for Dibler's help with an officiating crew of Bill Gracey, Bob Staffen and Verne Harris. Air Force was called for 23 fouls, BYU 16.