The Mountain West, inside and out

By Ron Kantowski

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Three days in March. (OK, four if you count the soon-to-be annual play-in game between Colorado State and Air Force.)

Nine teams.

Eight coaches who think they got jobbed by the officials. (From what I’ve seen, Jeff Reynolds, the Air Force coach, rarely complains about over-the-back calls.)

Twenty-six letters.

Presenting an A-to-Z look at the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center:

A is for Alford. The New Mexico coach is perceived as a bad guy around here for suggesting the tournament should move somewhere else — like Albuquerque, for instance. Say what you will about his business savvy or bright red sports jackets, but the guy knows how to coach.

B is for beer, the lifeblood of Wyoming fans. If the tournament moves to Utah, they’ll have to bring their own.

C is for Carlon, as in Brown, the Utah forward who can leap tall buildings in a single bound. You’ve heard of guys who can place a quarter on the top of the backboard? Well, Brown can leave two dimes and a nickel if you need change for the parking meter.

D is for Denver, the Mile High City. Except when it comes to supporting the Mountain West tournament. Then it was a furlong short. The Pepsi Center barely belched during the tournament’s three-year run in Colorado.

E is for Ewing, as in Wyoming guard Brandon, the first player to be named to the Mountain West all-conference team four times. “E” also is for eligibility, of which the other coaches are glad he will finally run out.

F is for Flutie, as in Doug. The architect of the world’s most famous Hail Mary pass used to sit in the New Mexico cheering section before the tournament moved to Denver. Now he just sits on Gerald Phelan’s living room sofa and wishes they could get The Mtn.

G is for Green, as in Shaun, Utah’s excellent sixth man. Here’s a Clue of what to expect from the Utes: Mr. Green, beyond the 3-point arc, with a jump shot. Crime solved, Col. Mustard.

H is for home-court advantage. Lon Kruger has it, the coaches of the other teams complain about it. The fans of the other teams, on the other hand, don’t seem to mind. But what happens in Vegas sometimes moves to Denver. And then attendance drops.

I is for instant classic. 2002 quarterfinals. UNLV 120, New Mexico 117. Two overtimes. Lou Kelly and Ruben Douglas combine for a bazillion points. You can still catch it on ESPN Classic this time of the year. (There is no classic channel on The Mtn. But if there were, you’d probably have to pay extra.)

J is for jacking jump shots. San Diego State’s Brandon Heath fired up 27 against Wyoming in 2006. That’s more than Air Force shoots the entire game.

K is for (Cowboy) Ken Koretos, Wyoming’s No. 1 fan who wears a cowboy hat, beige and tan cowboy boots, and an oversized beer barrel (if there is such a thing in Wyoming) — and nothing else.

L is for Luke, as in Nevill, Utah’s 7-foot-2 center from Australia. No, he is not your father. Yes, he is the Mountain West player of the year.

M is for Majerus, as in Rick, the former Utah coach. If you listen closely, you can still hear him complaining about UNLV’s home-court advantage from St. Louis.

N is for nets. The team that cuts them down won’t be playing Notre Dame or Georgetown or some school you’ve never heard of with a direction or an ampersand in its name in the NIT.

O is for odd men out. Five Mountain West teams think they have a legitimate shot at an NCAA Tournament berth. Two are probably mistaken.

P is for Psycho Sarah Cummard, the wife of BYU star Lee Cummard. After last year’s title game, Mrs. Cummard was whistled for a flagrant foul when she scrapped with UNLV fans who were trying to storm the court. If I were Lee (who has been a good sport when asked about it), I would be sure to pick up my dirty clothes and never forget my anniversary.

Q is for quarterfinals, when Air Force always goes home. The Falcons have never won a tournament game. Not even when they were regular-season champions.

R is for REB-ELS! UNLV has won the tournament three times, more than any other school. Yes, all three championships came on UNLV’s home court. But UNLV did make it to the finals the first year it was played in Denver.

S is for security. There wasn’t much after last year’s championship game and chaos ensued. It’s never good when chaos ensues. Except at pro wrestling matches. Then it’s pretty cool.

T is for the 3-pointers TCU and UNLV made in last year’s quarterfinals. The Frogs and Rebels dialed 8 so often an international operator was summoned at halftime.

U is for underdog, which is what sixth-seeded Colorado State was in 2003 when it beat UNLV here.

V is for victories. UNLV has 17 in conference tournament play. Utah and BYU have 11. Nobody else is in double figures. Just like the Clippers.

W is for UNLV’s Wink Adams, the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 tournament. If Las Vegas were Provo — think about that for a minute — “W” could also be for Wesley, as in Mekeli, the 2001 MVP. But Las Vegas isn’t Provo.

X is for X’s (and O’s). I don’t know what Tim Miles, the Colorado State coach, knows about them. I do know he’s the best quote in the conference. As a sports writer, that’s all I care about.

Y is for B-Y-U. Love’ em or hate ’em, the tournament wouldn’t be the same without ’em.

Z is for Zvonko, as in Buljan, the TCU sharpshooter. Bullion usually comes in gold, silver or platinum. And chicken. Buljan comes in purple and white.