PCAA Seeking a Different Image

Nineteen years of anonymity are apparently enough to bring change to the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.

Convinced the recognition problem is in part the result of their cumbersome name, the PCAA is about to be no more. Following a decision expected at its May meeting, the conference could be the Big West or Wild West.

“Where I live in the mountains,” Utah State Coach Rod Tueller said, “all I read about is the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) and how it should have six teams in the NCAA Tournament. If the selection committee does its work right and sticks to its criteria, which it won’t, there should be three PCAA teams in. All the WAC talk is an insult to this league.”

The league has been hurt by its lack of basketball balance. Nevada Las Vegas has been the conference champion six straight years while rendering the other nine schools virtual national nonentities.

“Except for Pacific, there really aren’t any weak teams,” UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian said before the conference tournament. “All of them have had success against us somewhere along the line, which hasn’t happened before.”

The PCAA is campaigning for three spots in the 64-team NCAA Tournament. No. 8 UNLV, 26-4 overall entering the conference tourney, is a lock to gain entrance when the field is announced today. UC Santa Barbara, with two regular season victories over the Rebels and a 21-6 mark, should qualify. Tueller’s Aggies were on the so-called bubble with an 18-9 record.

“I hope the bubble doesn’t burst,” Tueller said.

Tarkanian, the nation’s winningest active basketball coach, has yet to follow the thinking of the officals assigned to choose the NCAA field.

“When those guys sit in the room and make their selections, it’s sometimes hard to figure,” he said. “You’ll talk to them later on and they’ll say their criteria was strength of schedule. Next time, it will be what ranked teams did you beat. Next time, it’s how many home games you had. I basically think it depends on what they want it to be.

“I would really like to see the selection committee have certain criteria, have it all spelled out and then go right down the line. I would like to see it all out in the open that we’re going to use a computer rating or we’re going to have something that’s right for everybody. There is just too much there left for leeway.”

Tarkanian said the PCAA, which rarely appears on national television, can be assured of only two spots.

“I think Santa Barbara had a great, great year and I think it would be a crime if they weren’t in the tournament,” he said. “They beat North Carolina State and North Carolina State is going to be in the tournament. They’ve beaten us twice and we’ll be in the tournament. They beat Oregon State and Oregon State will probably be in the tournament.

“I think Utah State has played very, very well, but sometimes it is just so hard to say.”

The Rebels have been so dominant in conference, they turned previous PCAA tournaments into contests for second place. But this year, they lost three regular-season league games for the first time and appeared beatable.

“We went into the season thinking we’d have a good ballclub,” Tarkanian said. “I thought we could win every game we’d play and lose every game we’d play. I never set any goals. We had an 18-game (PCAA) schedule and all the games were tough.”