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Show 7 SPORTS www.dailyutahchronicle.corn Monday, March 15, 2010 MWC teams hope to take it all in tourney San Diego State BYU Bryan Chouinard ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Going into the Mountain West Conference Tournament, San Diego State was considered by most as a "bubble team" at best, but after the strong showing by the Aztecs in Las Vegas last week, SDSU has solidified itself as not only a team in the tournament, but also as a threat. After winning the MWC Tournament, the Aztecs earned the conference's automatic qualifying bid. Despite the tournament win, SDSU will be the nth seed in the Midwest bracket and will face the No. 6 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the first round. San Diego State won't be the only MWC school in the Midwest bracket, with UNLV slotted as the eighth seed, but the Aztecs' first challenge will come in getting to their tournament site. The Aztecs will be forced to make a cross-country trek to Providence, Rhode Island, where they will be playing at the See SDSU Page 8 RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle BYU guard Jimmer Fredette pulls a crossover on Carlon Brown in the first meeting between the Utes and Cougars this season. Fredette leads BYU in scoring this season with an average of 21.7 points per game. Bryan Chouinard ASST. SPORTS MIKE MANGUM/The Daily Utah Chronicle SDSU's Malcom Thomas goes up for a block on Marshall Henderson's shot. After winning the MWC Tournament this weekend, the Aztecs look to make a splash in the Big Dance. EDITOR After starting the 2009-2010 season 20—I, on Jan. 25 BYU found itself ranked No. io in the country, according to the Coaches Poll, and possibly in the hunt for a No. 2 or 3 seed for this month's New Mexico NCAA Tournament. But the Cougars have since lost four games, including a four-point loss to UNLV on the Rebels' home floor during last week's Mountain West Conference Tournament. Following the disappointing exit, it See BYU Page 8 UNLV Paige Fieldsted SPORTS I RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronide Lobo guard Jamal Fenton drives off a screen set on Marshall Henderson. New Mexico beat Utah in the Huntsman Center earlier this season in overtime, 68-65. Paige Fieldsted SPORTS EDITOR The New Mexico Lobos earned an at-large bid into the Big Dance after finishing the regular season with a 29-4 record and wrapping up the regu- lar season Mountain West Conference title. New Mexico earned a No. 3 seed in the tournament despite losing to San Diego State in the semifinals of the LENNIE MAHLER/The Daily Utah Chronicle Oscar Bellfield of UNLV attempts a layup over David Foster. UNLV earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament because of its impressive run through the Mountain West Conference Tournament. See LOBOS Page 8 EDITOR The UNLV Rebels failed to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament on their home court for the second year in a row. Despite falling to San Diego State in the championship game, the Rebels were the fourth MWC team to be invited to the NCAA Tournament. This is the first time in the history of the MWC that four teams have been invited to the Big Dance. UNLV finished the regular season with a 25-8 record, earning it an at-large bid into the tournament and a No. 8 seed. The Rebels will face No. 9 Northern Iowa in the opening round and—like San Diego State—will be playing out of the Midwest Region. This will be the 17th tournament appearance for UNLV, which has had a lot of success in the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels have appeared in the Final Four four times, winning the National See UNLV Page 8 1- THE GREAT DEBATE -1 Which team got snubbed in March Madness? Hokies could beat several teams in the Big Dance very basketball season, as March Madness approaches, talk of bubble watch PAIGE and who might get FIELDSTED left out in the cold inevitably emerges. There are always one Senior, Mass Communication or two teams that arguably should be in and Psychology the tournament and aren't. This year, Virginia teams that made it into the Tech was one of them. As the tournament, including Georselection show progressed gia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson. and the Hokies didn't hear their name picked as one of I realize that not everyone the 34 at-large teams to get can get into the tournaoffered a bid into the Big ment—after all, there are Dance, I can only imagine only 65 teams picked to take the disappointment they felt. part. But when teams such as Virginia Tech went 23-8 on Virginia Tech get left out, it the season and io-6 in the At- makes me question the syslantic Coast Conference, one tem of teams getting picked of the premiere basketball almost as much as I quesconferences in the country, tion the Bowl Championship but wasn't picked to go to the Series. Three of the Hokies' tournament. eight losses came to top-25 The Hokies beat several opponents. Most troubling of their losses, however, was to Miami in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Granted, Miami is not a great team and yes, the loss couldn't have come at a worse time, but I still think the Hokies deserve a shot to prove themselves on a big stage. One loss at the end of the season shouldn't set the tone for a team's whole season. Syracuse lost in the quarterfinals, its first game, of the Big East Tournament and still got a No. I seed. UNLV had a 25-8 record and not only got into the tournament but also received a No. 8 seed, and there is no doubt that the ACC is a better conference than the MWC. New Mexico and BYU also had big losses in the MWC Tournament but will still be going dancing. See FIELDSTED Page 8 Bulldogs' momentum would have carried them T he 20092010 college basketball season has been one of parody, oddiBRYAN ties and even a few CHOUINARIr sure things, and the NCAA Tournament will be no different. Junior, Parks, Recreation and Selection Sunday is a day where for some, Tourism dreams are made, and for others, bubbles pop. How about Virginia Tech Sunday, as the selection rather than Georgia Tech? show wore on with tradition- Maybe. al powerhouses such But really, this year's as North Carolina, bubble lacked that one glarUConn, Arizona and ing mix-up that Selection UCLA all out of the Sunday usually provides. running for a potenThe selection committee tial spot, this year's probably deserves a nice pat bubble might have been on the back. But there is one bigger than ever, but that team that I would have loved doesn't mean that anyone to see in the Big Dance, and left out of the Big Dance that's Mississippi State. deserved to be there. Did the Bulldogs deserve Could the committee have to be in the tournament after switched Illinois and Minfinishing the season 23-11 nesota? Perhaps. overall and 9-7 in a watered- S. Last week, Paige Fieldsted won the Great Debate, 2-0. Vote on who won this week down SEC West? Most certainly not. But would they have been fun to watch? Absolutely! The Bulldogs made an unexpected run to the SEC Title game this past weekend and for the second time this year, pushed Kentucky to overtime before crumbling down the stretch just to get their names considered for a possible at-large bid. But to be completely honest, after watching both matchups between the Bulldogs and Wildcats, I can say that those were two of the most exciting games of the season. In both instances, Jarvis Varnado—the all-time leader for blocked shots in a college career—and the Bulldogs gave arguably the best team in the country everything they could handle and then some. See CHOUINARD Page 8 www.dailyutahchronicle.com |