Columnist Ron Kantowski: UNLV’s burst bubble had little to do with RPI

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 | 10:13 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's insider notes column appears Tuesday. Reach him at ron@ lasvegassun.com or(702) 259-4088.

Maybe they should call it R.I.P. instead of RPI. Because as UNLV learned the hard way Sunday, having a solid Ratings Percentage Index doesn't guarantee that your NCAA tournament chances aren't going to wind up dead.

With an RPI of 40, the Rebels were the highest rated of the bubble teams that didn't get into the dance, ahead of Seton Hall (42), Texas Tech (48) and Boston College (49). That is, if you even considered UNLV a bubble team.

Virtually none of the so-called experts that I heard break down the tournament on Sunday night did.

The only big shot that spoke up on the Rebels' behalf was Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe. And the words were no sooner out of his mouth that the other panelists on ESPN's "Around the Horn" shot him down like one of Billy Kilmer's passes.

UNLV also received some extra credit from Jay Coleman and Allen Lynch, college professors who used computer software to accurately predict 64 of the 65 teams in last year's bracket (they missed on Missouri) and 63 of 65 this year.

Their only bricks were the Rebels and Texas Tech, who they picked ahead of Alabama and North Carolina State.

Gee, thanks. Should I just see Don Pardo about the lovely parting gift?

That said, the MWC got three in for the second consecutive year, and regardless of what NCAA selection committee chairman Jim Livengood said about conference affiliations not having an impact on the bracket, the fact is very few conferences -- even highly regarded ones -- get half of their members into the tournament.

As for seeding, if the idea is simply to keep playing as long as possible, well then, yes, maybe Colorado State would have rather drawn Texas Southern. But at the risk of underestimating them (a dangerous proposition around these parts), chances are the Rams aren't going to win the tournament, anyway.

In which case, I believe a competitive loss to Duke would do more for their program -- and the MWC's credibility in general -- than a win against Texas Southern.

When you add the Little Dance (NIT) to the big one, six of the eight MWC teams are still practicing (although in the case of San Diego State, probably not very hard). Had New Mexico had its normal year, it would have been 7 of 8.

It has been a very good season.

On the negative side, Tark may have needed a pick-me-up following another scathing article about the Fresno State program under his watch that appeared in Thursday's Los Angeles Times, which, next to Lute Olson, may have been Tark's biggest nemesis.

The story, among other things, charges the Fresno State administration with turning a blind eye during Tarkanian's stint at his alma mater and claimed that half of his players used drugs, although the Times did not quote a source in making the latter charge.

Did you see the prayer Banks launched in the last two seconds of Saturday's loss to Colorado State? It looked like a soccer throw-in. His two-handed heave struck the backboard with such force it's amazing it didn't shatter, in the manner of the Rebels' NCAA tournament hopes.

With CSU lying back in no-foul mode, the Rebels would have been better to try that Valparaiso hook-and-ladder play that you'll see about 200 times between now and the NCAA championship game.

It also should be noted that one of the Falcons' wins came against the Rebels. And the rematch here was much too close for comfort, with the Rebels finally slamming the back door shut, 74-70.