ESPN.com - NCB - Does tourney bring Pac-10 back to the pack?

It's fitting, really, that Stanford and Arizona play Thursday night during Championship Week and it's still the Pac-10's regular season. Cardinal vs. Wildcats: A clash of two dissenters. A battle of minority opinion.


	Loren Woods and Arizona get a shot at No. 1 Stanford Thursday.

Championship Week is upon us and the Pac-10 will again determine its winner by a slate of 18 regular-season games. That stops next year, when the conference returns with an annual tournament to award its automatic NCAA bid.

It's like a Hannibal Lecter flick.

Ten years later, it's back.

"We tried this before and did not accomplish what we wanted," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "I have always held the opinion that a conference tournament hurts your league more than it helps getting teams into the NCAA Tournament. I think if you look at the numbers, they'll back that up. The last time we had a tournament, it was a bust. Teams on the bubble were knocked out because of it.

"We already take our kids out of school far too much. I keep hearing about what we should do to make things better for the student-athlete. How can less class time be better?"

Stanford coach Mike Montgomery promotes such thoughts. The Cardinal, who can clinch a third straight Pac-10 title with a victory on Thursday, annually sits in the same area of the league's train as Olson's team.

Up front.

Also, those against a tournament offer one reason for the re-birth: Green stuff.

Under terms of a television deal, each member school could earn as much as $300,000 a year from the tournament.

"It's all about money," Montgomery said. "I wonder how much of it gets back to the players who are playing in the tournament."

Stanford and Arizona -- traditionally ranked high and owners of strong non-league schedules -- wouldn't usually need a conference tournament to seal their NCAA fate. Others do. Example: Arizona State.

The Sun Devils are 13-14 overall and 5-11 in conference play, out of the post-season picture while sitting in a tie for sixth. But they have also won two straight and a little momentum can do wonders for a team offered a second life.

Next year, if needed, ASU has one.

"Conference tournaments are a big part of what makes March such a wonderful month for college basketball," ASU coach Rob Evans said. "Our league gets no coverage the entire week leading up to Selection Sunday because we're not playing. Conference tournaments allow you to remain visible on a national basis.

"I'm a big supporter of this."

The past: A conference tourney was held from 1987-90, but scheduling and attendance problems led to it being discontinued.

The future: An eight-team men's tournament will be held at the Los Angeles Staples Center beginning in 2002.

"I really think the positives outweigh the negatives," Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said. "This will give us an opportunity to gather our conference family as well as sponsors."

Games of the Week

Arizona at Stanford
Thursday
The Wildcats won't win a Pac-10 title, but they can help their NCAA seed by winning in Palo Alto. Stanford -- looking like a lock as the No. 1 seed in the West Region -- won the first meeting 85-76 in Tucson. "They have played extremely well defensively the past month and are moving better offensively," Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. "I'm sure they would love to come in here and right the ship for us beating them."
Mountain West tournament final
Saturday (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)
Do not be surprised at whichever teams advance here, given the league's parity throughout the season. Utah faces the winner of Colorado State-New Mexico in the semifinals. A darkhorse: CSU. The Rams are the league's best shooting team, which could offer a huge advantage on a neutral court in Las Vegas. They have lost both games to New Mexico, but only by a combined four points.
Big West tournament final
Saturday (ESPN, 12:30 a.m. ET) Each time conference tournaments offer us a Richmond or Creighton, the possibility of two Big West teams making the NCAA field decreases. What a shame. Top-seed UC Irvine (24-3, RPI of 61) and second-seeded Utah State (24-5, RPI of 63) are both worthy, but only the tournament winner will get a good night's sleep Saturday. The other assumes its place squarely on the bubble.

Zags Dance Again

Dan Dickau got his wish. It's why he transferred in the first place.

The former Washington guard and now Gonzaga standout was named the West Coast Conference Tournament most valuable player after leading the Zags past Santa Clara 80-77 in Monday's final in San Diego.

"This is exactly why I came here," Dickau said. "I knew we would be able to do this. I knew I'd be able to play in an NCAA Tournament."

Dickau's combined numbers in the semifinal and final: 49 points, 11 assists.

Gonzaga (24-6), the program from Spokane which long ago shed its Cinderella image for that of a consistent Division I winner, won its third straight WCC Tournament. This, after a 72-61 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay on Dec. 20 left Gonzaga's NCAA hopes buried in a midwest snow bank. But the Zags won 19 of their final 21, refusing to leave their fate in the hands of a selection committee.

"I have said all along that this is the most balanced and versatile team Gonzaga has had," coach Mark Few said. "This is very sweet. We definitely earned this. There is supreme satisfaction of a mission accomplished, but now there's much more left to be done."

Not so fortunate: Pepperdine, seeded second and needing a spot in the WCC tourney final to make a strong NCAA case, lost to Santa Clara 84-78 in the semis.

The Waves (21-8) all but guaranteed an NIT bid by blowing a 19-point lead against the Broncos, who rallied with five straight three-pointers down the stretch.

Around the West

Playing for a seed: This is where Fresno State finds itself entering the WAC Tournament in Tulsa. The Bulldogs open Thursday against the winner of Nevada-Rice. "I don't think we need to win the tournament to get into the NCAAs," Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "But if we're able to pull it off, it probably means we can stay out in the West Regional and get a high seed. If we lose this week, I assume we'd be shipped out of the West into another region."

Mountain West update: Just when it appeared Utah chose the correct path to an NCAA at-large bid, the Utes fell at Air Force 70-61 during the final week of regular-season play. The conference ended in a three-way tie for first with Utah, BYU and Wyoming.

Utah won all tie-breakers and receives a first-round bye in the conference tournament, which begins Thursday in Las Vegas. Coaches still feel the league can gain two NCAA bids, despite the top three teams offering RPIs between 44 and 58.

History says those in the Top 40 are guaranteed a berth.

"I will be shocked if we don't get two teams in," said Wyoming coach Steve McClain, whose team opens as the No. 3 seed against No. 6 San Diego State.

Conference commissioner Craig Thompson, last year's selection committee chair, remains somewhat neutral.

"I hate to put percentages on how many teams we might get," Thompson said. "If most of the conference tournament favorites win, I'm comfortable with the idea we can get a second team in. But when you start talking RPI ... which one are we referring to? There are about 100 of them out there."

Who's Hot

Trevor Diggs: The Nevada-Las Vegas senior knows how to go out in style -- a career-high 49 points in a season-finale win against Wyoming.

Ryan Mendez: Just what Stanford needs -- another clutch player.

Who's Not

University of San Diego: The senior-led Toreros, picked by many to win the West Coast Conference, finish fourth in the regular-season and lose in the tournament semifinals on their own court after leading Gonzaga by 14. If ever there was a definition of underachieving ...

Loren Woods: Bizarre, that's all we can say.

Quote to Note
"I was pretty happy when I heard (about the award). I kind of thought about it when we had our team banquet. I think I deserve it. I worked pretty hard this season and during last summer to improve my overall game. This just shows that all that work was worth it."
-- UC Irvine junior Jerry Green on being named the Big West Conference player of the year

Thought for the Day
So now Fresno State coaches tell us troubled guard Dennis Nathan -- he of the felony drug conviction -- wasn't a recruit. Let's see: Nathan took an official visit. He was offered a scholarship. He signed a letter-of-intent.

Our best guess as to the athletic department's mission statement: When it doubt, deny.

Ed Graney of the San Diego Union-Tribune is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at ed.graney@uniontrib.co.

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