Marc Bailey admits he is a tad surprised at the consistency, the countless wins, the ability of Wyoming's basketball team to seemingly not stumble a bit in his absence.

"I think it says a lot for the system, that it's just not about one guy," said Bailey. "I didn't really have to say much to the (other players). They knew they would have to stick together. I'm really happy for them."

	Marc Jackson and the Utes are one of four MWC teams with NCAA-worthy résumés at this point of the season.

And yet, it's a battle to remain on top.

Wyoming could not have hoped for a better showing since Bailey was lost for the season Dec. 19. The Mountain West Conference's preseason player of the year tore his ACL, taking from the Cowboys their senior leader and one of the nation's best mid-range games.

Still, the Cowboys have won 13 of their past 15 and sit in a three-way tie for first with Utah and BYU at 4-1. Bailey went down and seniors Donta Richardson (16.8 ppg) and Uche Nsonwu-Amadi (13.7 ppg, 10.6 rpg) stepped up.

"We didn't change a thing," said Cowboys coach Steve McClain, whose team dropped its first conference game at San Diego State on Monday. "I think the worst thing we could have said is 'Marc is hurt. We need to shake things up.'

"We continued to run the same sets and run the same offense and play defense the same way we always did. We have confidence in all our players. We have guys who have been here four years, and it's nice to know they can take care of things."

That experience will be needed in the second half of what has become a wicked conference race. Five teams are separated by 1½ games, a group that does not include arguably the league's most gifted side in UNLV.

The Rebels are struggling at 13-6 overall and 2-4 in conference, but have the comfort of knowing they host the conference tournament.

If anything, the Mountain West continues to prove itself one of the nation's most underrated conferences. Power ratings this week place the league at No. 6, ahead of the Pac-10 and Conference USA. The Mountain West also leads the nation in shooting (46.6 percent), followed by the SEC and Big 12.

Four teams -- BYU (19), Utah (23), UNLV (45) and Wyoming (52) -- sit in the top 60 of RPI. It will be a shock if the league doesn't again earn at least three NCAA Tournament bids, and perhaps more should a team like SDSU repeat its three-day magic of last March.

But all the impressive numbers does not guarantee positive perception of one's league. The Mountain West annually struggles to be viewed in a higher light by many nationally.

One thing is for sure: It is not a conference that bemoans its absence from Bracket Buster Saturday, which promotes itself as "18 mid-major teams, some trying to impress the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee and others looking for more national exposure."

Pairings for the first annual event (Feb. 22) were released this week and the participating teams hail from several conferences, including the WAC, West Coast and Mid-American. It does not include the Mountain West.

BYU and Utah were approached initially about participating in the Bracket Buster, but quickly declined. A message came from the top.

"My own personal opinion is we don't need it, don't want it and am not interested," said Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson. "It's not to say this isn't very good for the conferences involved. There are some very good teams in it and I'll watch a lot of the games myself.

"But we have been able to schedule teams like Gonzaga and Creighton and Hawaii on our own. We can get those games on our own television package on our own merit. Why would we want to be involved with this? I'm looking at USA Today on the Bracket Buster and reading words like 'lesser leagues' and 'ambitious.' That is just not for us.

"We rank ahead of the Pac-10 in power ratings. Do you think they were called to participate in Bracket Buster?"

Excellent point.

Should be an interesting MWC race into March.

Games of the Week

Stanford at Oregon Thursday The second half of Pac-10 play begins with the Ducks trying to remain within striking distance of a top three finish. Stanford is the league's surprise team to date, having won four straight. The Cardinal, coming off a road sweep of the Arizona schools, is led in scoring by senior guard Julius Barnes (14 ppg). Nevada at Boise State Thursday It might not be a marquee matchup for the WAC, but the Wolf Pack is suddenly a real player in the conference race. Second-place Nevada beat first-place Fresno State by 13 on Saturday, and a road sweep of Boise State and then Texas-El Paso on Saturday will keep pressure on Fresno. BYU at Wyoming Saturday The top of the Mountain West will definitely be shaken up this week as the Cougars visit Laramie and then Colorado State on Monday. Utah plays CSU before tangling with Wyoming. The four teams are separated by one game. BYU is coming off an impressive 32-point win against Air Force, one of the nation's toughest teams to run away from. Wyoming has won 11 straight at home. USC at UNLV Sunday The Rebels, expected to be among the Mountain West leaders all season, are sitting in sixth place. USC is 9-9 overall and 5-5 in the Pac-10, but coming off victories against Oregon and UCLA. It appears USC and UNLV -- save second-half pushes in league play -- must win their respective conference tournaments or begin thinking NIT.

The WAC Perception
As you might expect, WAC coaches and officials have a different take on the Bracket Buster concept, consistently promoting it on weekly conference calls.

"It is a great day for the 18 teams in the event and could help some of those on the (NCAA Tournament) bubble," said Louisiana Tech coach Keith Richard, whose team hosts Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley in one matchup. "It is national exposure for each program and their leagues. That is a big thing."

The WAC is certainly involved in the day's marquee games, with Tulsa traveling to Gonzaga and Fresno State playing at Creighton.

But what about perception?

"I will continue to contest that the WAC is not a mid-major conference," said league commissioner Karl Benson. "We have sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament and won games. Maybe by playing in the (Bracket Buster), we will continue to be labeled by many as a mid-major conference, but I maintain we are not."

"It is unfortunate that the mid-major label has been placed on these 18 teams. Look at who Creighton and Gonzaga and Tulsa have beaten in the NCAA Tournament. Early on, the criticism was that our conference relegated itself downward by participating in (the Bracket Buster). At the time, we argued the conference is looking for television opportunities and high profile opponents. This event should be able to provide all that."

And still, the bottom line: Bracket Buster Saturday is being promoted as a collection of mid-majors seeking respect.

"You know, I'm glad we're in it, but wasn't necessarily for it," said Tulsa coach John Phillips. "It will give our guys another opportunity to prove themselves against a quality opponent on a tough court. But we were already scheduled to play Gonzaga. Once the game became part of this, it was moved right in the middle of conference play. That makes travel tough."

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