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Wednesday, January 3, 2001
The conference left for dead over a year ago is still alive and kicking -- kicking the tails of mid-major and lower teams in the college basketball early season.
With Western Athletic Conference
play beginning tomorrow, there
is no clear-cut favoriteWAC CAPSULES
By Dave Reardon
Star-BulletinAll nine men's Western Athletic Conference basketball teams finished their pre-conference play with winning records.
The WAC is 76-28, and the Big East and Big Ten are the only other conferences of the 32 in Division I with all members above .500.
Granted, most of the wins haven't come against elite teams. But the WAC has a better composite record than the Mountain West Conference, which broke off and dumped the remaining teams two years ago, and has given the leftovers a measure of satisfaction.
"The WAC is a better conference; in basketball and football, and most women's sports," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said.
Beginning tomorrow night, the WAC teams take their whacks at each other. Four games are scheduled, including Hawaii at TCU.
The only thing clear is there is a logjam at the top of the conference, and there is no clear-cut favorite to hoist the league championship trophy and accompanying NCAA Tournament bid in March.
The media picked Fresno State. Most of the preseason publications liked SMU.
UTEP has the best record so far, at 10-1, and the nation's leading scorer in Brandon Wolfram (25 points a game).
Don't forget defending champion Tulsa, which went to the Elite Eight last year and finished 32-5.
And TCU, which has the highest scoring average per game this season at 100.5, is in the mix as well.
There is even a school of thought -- which emanates from way east of Manoa -- that UH, despite owning the league's worst record at 6-5, has a shot to come together in time to win it all with its wild-card recruiting class of mostly foreign talent.
"It wouldn't be an upset if Hawaii won it," UTEP coach Jason Rabedeaux said. "It's wide open."
It almost happened last season. After staggering on the road with only one win in the regular season, UH put a double-overtime scare into host Fresno State in the conference tournament before falling short, 103-100.
Realistically, the Rainbows are probably a year or two away from serious contention if some of the youngsters continue to blossom. Wallace knows his team has improved from last year and the start of camp, but that the rest of the league has, too.
"It's so balanced, and everyone's so good at home," said Wallace. "It will come down to who can win at home and steal some games on the road."
That's why the Rainbows would be overjoyed with a split with TCU tomorrow and SMU on Saturday before returning for the conference home-opener Jan. 11 against UTEP.
"I feel like the WAC will be one of the most competitive conferences in the country from top to bottom," UTEP coach Jason Rabedeaux said. "We have to protect our home court, and we need to increase our toughness and mentality of playing on the road."
Even the bottom-feeders appear to have improved.
"The league is so good from top to bottom anyone has a chance to win it," said Rice coach Willis Wilson, whose Owls were last in the WAC at 1-8 last season.
"We'll try to take advantage of opportunities as game nights roll around. We're better than last year, now it's a matter of finding out how good we can be."
San Jose State coach Steve Barnes directed the Spartans to a 6-8 conference mark in 1999-2000. Yet with an improved team of disciplined veterans this year, he's not sure if they can reach the .500 mark.
"I feel like we have a better team than last year, but the league is so much better I don't know if it will show in wins," Barnes said.
None of the WAC teams are ranked in either the media or coaches' Top-25 polls. But Fresno State is No. 17 in the Sagarin Ratings, a computer ranking that takes into account strength of schedule.
As for being put in the hot seat by the media, Bulldogs' coach Jerry Tarkanian takes it in stride.
"I really don't care. I don't think it makes a difference to our players," he said. "It's good for the community. It excites them a little."
Point guard Tito Maddox also gets the Fresno folks going. The sophomore might be the league's most exciting newcomer.
Like his coach, he's treating the start of conference play like just another day.
"You know, I'm not even worried about the WAC," Maddox said. "If we keep playing the way we are, nah, I'm not even worried about it."
A capsule look at the WAC teams, in order of pre-conference standings: WAC 2001
UTEP
Season record: 10-1.Last season: 13-15, 4-10.
Coach: Jason Rabedeaux (23-16).
Last and next game: Beat New Mexico Highlands, 121-86 Saturday; hosts Nevada tomorrow.
Plays Hawaii: Jan. 11 in Honolulu, March 3 in El Paso.
Top players: Brandon Wolfram (6-foot-9, Sr., 25.0 ppg), Roy Smallwood (6-6, So., 7.3 rpg) Eugene Costello (5-10, Jr., 4.1 apg).
Outlook: Some consider Wooden Award candidate Wolfram the best pro prospect in the conference. He and point guard Smallwood, last year's WAC Newcomer of the Year, lead a fast-paced attack. The Miners are 3-0 on the road.
Mr. X: 6-10 junior center Brian Stewart became eligible in mid-December. If he can help Wolfram and Smallwood on defense and on the boards, watch out.
FRESNO STATE
Season record: 11-2.Last season: 24-10, 11-3. Lost to Wisconsin in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Coach: Jerry Tarkanian (119-59, 744-182 overall).
Last and next game: Beat Norfolk State, 107-80, last Saturday; at Rice tomorrow.
Plays Hawaii: Feb. 1 in Honolulu; Feb. 11 in Fresno.
Top players: Demetrius Porter (6-0, Sr., 13.5 ppg), Melvin Ely (6-10, Sr., 7.1 rpg, 2.8 bpg), Tito Maddox (6-4, So., 15.0 ppg, 9.0 apg).
Outlook: The Bulldogs are deep and athletic. Ely is one of the best big men in the country and Maddox at the point is a star in the making. FSU begins conference play with a seven-game winning streak, but will be without ineligible 6-8 Terri Miller, who was expected to help the Bulldogs down low.
Mr. X: Can Porter make the switch from point to shooting guard and become a reasonable facsimile of Courtney Alexander, last year's WAC Player of the Year who led the nation in scoring?
TCU
Season record: 10-3.Last season: 18-14, 8-6.
Last and next games: Beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 130-71; hosts Hawaii tomorrow.
Plays Hawaii: Tomorrow in Forth Worth; Feb. 22 in Honolulu.
Coach: Billy Tubbs (129-73, 568-273).
Top players: Greedy Daniels (6-1, Jr., 15.9 ppg, 4.6 spg), Ryan Carroll (6-5, Sr., 19.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Derrick Davenport (6-10, Sr. 14.2 ppg, 3.3 bpg).
Outlook: Current WAC Player of the Week Daniels destroyed the school record for steals with 12 in Saturday's victory. While the Horned Frogs have built up impressive stats in preconference, they haven't exactly played the Stanfords and Michigan States of the world. TCU is 8-0 at home.
Mr. X: If Daniels keeps playing well he could push the Frogs to the top of the conference -- and save Tubbs' job, which has been said to be on the line.
SMU
Season record: 9-3.Last season: 21-9, 9-5. Lost to Southwest Missouri State in first round of NIT.
Coach: Mike Dement (87-69, 209-192).
Last and next game: Lost to No. 17 Oklahoma, 79-78, in OT last Saturday; hosts San Jose State tomorrow.
Plays Hawaii: Saturday in Dallas, Feb. 15 in Honolulu.
Top players: Willie Davis (6-6, Sr., 13.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Damon Hancock (6-3, Jr., 18.1 ppg), Jeryl Sasser (6-6, Sr., 17.5 ppg).
Outlook: The team development was slowed by a rash of early injuries, but they still have two of the league's best individual talents in Davis and Sasser.
Mr. X: Sasser faded badly at the end of last season, going into a horrendous shooting slump when his team needed him most.
SAN JOSE STATE
Season record: 8-3.Last season: 15-15, 6-8.
Coach: Steve Barnes (23-18).
Last and next game: Beat UC Riverside, 51-50, last Saturday; at SMU tomorrow.
Plays Hawaii: Jan. 20 in Honolulu, March 1 in San Jose.
Top players: Mike Garrett (6-1, Sr., 12.1 ppg), Darnell Williams (6-7, Sr., 7.9 rpg), Cory Powell (6-5, Sr., 11.3 ppg).
Outlook: One of these teams is not like the others, one of these teams doesn't belong. In a league full of run-and-gun, the Spartans like to work the clock. Their success will be predicated on their ability to control the tempo.
Mr. X: 6-9 forward/center David Granucci's rebounding help has allowed the Spartans to out-board opposition by 8 a game so far. It will help if he maintains his 4.5 rpg pace in the WAC.
RICE
Season record: 7-3.Last season: 5-22, 1-13.
Coach: Willis Wilson (110-123).
Last and next game: Beat Duquesne, 81-68, last Saturday; hosts Fresno State tomorrow.
Plays Hawaii: Jan. 25 in Houston, Feb. 17 in Honolulu.
Top players: Mike Wilks (5-11, Sr., 19.2 ppg), Eric Cooper (6-6, Sr., 12.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Shawn Tyndell (6-5, Jr., 14.2 ppg).
Outlook: The Owls have been decent against a better schedule than most of the other WAC teams, and have begun to get good shots off their offense. But how far that will go in conference play remains to be seen.
Mr. X: Center T.J. McKenzie returned to the starting lineup with a career-high 22 points in the Duquesne victory, and could be a force in the WAC at 6-11.
TULSA
Season record: 9-4.Last season: 32-5, 12-2. Lost to North Carolina in fourth round of NCAA Tournament.
Last and next game: Beat Jackson State, 107-49, last night; hosts Fresno State on Saturday.
Coach: Buzz Peterson (first year, 88-43).
Top players: David Shelton (6-6, Sr., 13.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Greg Harrington (6-2, Jr., 5.0 apg), Kevin Johnson (6-7, So., 11.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg).
Outlook: The league's flagship team, which went to the Elite Eight last year, took a broadside when coach Bill Self left for Illinois. Peterson, 37, took Appalachian State to the NCAA Tournament, and is considered an up-and-coming coach.
Mr. X: How patient will the Golden Hurricane fans be with Peterson, who has one of the nation's best sixth-man in Shelton, but only two starters back from the defending WAC Championship team?
NEVADA
Season record: 7-4.Last season: 9-20, 6-10 (Big West).
Last and next game: Lost to Washington State, 75-72, last Saturday; at UTEP tomorrow.
Coach: Trent Johnson (16-24).
Top players: Terrance Green (6-2, So.,14.0 ppg), Andre Hazel (5-11, Fr., 4.6 apg), Richard Sturgis (6-5, Sr., 5.5 rpg).
Outlook: The Wolf Pack came up with a huge 80-71 victory at UNLV, but will probably find it difficult to steal victories its first year in the WAC with a young backcourt and small frontcourt. Nevada is 6-0 at home.
Mr. X: 6-7 forward Joe Bayless scored 17 points with 12 rebounds in the Washington State loss. If he improves consistent enough to earn more than his 19.6 mpg of playing time, the Wolf Pack could turn some heads.
HAWAII
Season record: 6-5.Last season: 17-12, 5-9 WAC.
Last and next games: Lost to No. 6 Tennessee, 69-58; visits TCU tomorrow.
Coach: Riley Wallace (205-189, 220-216).
Top players: Troy Ostler (6-10, Sr., 16.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Predrag Savovic (6-6, Jr., 15.9 ppg), Nerijus Puida (6-5, Sr., 5.5 apg).
Outlook: The Rainbows proved gritty in preconference play, but continue to search for consistency. Injuries forced Wallace to test youngsters, which could improve depth down the line.
Mr. X: If 6-10 center Haim Shimonovic is cleared to play, it creates a ripple effect that can only help the Rainbows.
Dave Reardon, Star-Bulletin
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
