Tournament Is Academic, Off-Season Is Automatic

Would you believe they are playing for the love of the sport?

How about to keep their scholarships? Pride?

This much is known for sure: American West Conference teams opening tournament action today at Southern Utah University are not playing for a spot in the NCAA playoffs.

Twenty-nine conference champions receive automatic invitations to the 64-team Division I men’s basketball tournament. The American West is among four conferences which do not.

A conference must meet several qualifying standards for its champion to earn a bid. The American West falls short on several counts, starting with its number of teams.

The conference has four members, only one of which has a winning record.

In first-round games today, Cal State Northridge (7-19, 4-2) meets Cal State Sacramento (6-20, 2-4) at 2 p.m. and Southern Utah (15-11, 6-0) plays Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1-25, 0-6) at 7 p.m. at the 5,300-seat Centrum.

Southern Utah rarely was tested during the conference regular season, but the Thunderbirds’ mediocre overall record probably isn’t good enough even for a spot in the National Invitation Tournament.

Still, Bill Evans, Southern Utah’s coach, is campaigning hard for any kind of postseason bid.

He will mention that six of Southern Utah’s losses have come against teams which either have, or probably will, win 20 games.

He will mention that four of those losses were against likely NCAA tournament teams--Big West champion Utah State, Big Sky co-champion Weber State, Midwestern Collegiate champion Wisconsin Green Bay and Western Athletic runner-up Brigham Young.

He will mention that his team, if it wins the conference tournament, will have won 10 of its last 12 games.

He will mention that Southern Utah’s three-point shooting accuracy, 43.5%, leads the nation.

Then again, he might also mention his post-tournament plans: “Back to the recruiting trail,” he said.

Evans isn’t the only coach with motivational problems.

Northridge is another team running short on goals.

The Matadors didn’t win a conference championship, can’t have a winning season, and can’t so much as break into double figures in the victory column by winning the tournament.

“You would like to end the season on a positive note,” Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy said. “We’ll treat this tournament just like any other tournament we’ve been in. Winning it is something to strive for.”

Northridge hasn’t won a tournament in the five years it has competed on the Division I level, but Cassidy isn’t sure making history will be enough to stimulate his players.

“That’s a tough read,” he said. “They’re really into their studies right now.”

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Matador Notes

Cal State Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy is considering starting Ryan Martin in the place of Shawn Stone to give Northridge better shooting against Sacramento’s 1-2-2 zone. However, Martin had flu last week and was treated at a hospital for dehydration. . . . Peter Micelli, Northridge’s captain, is back in favor with Cassidy after a meeting to explain his absence from the Matadors’ Feb. 25 game against Southern Utah. Micelli was in his sister’s wedding that day. The 6-8 senior was benched for a nonconference game against the University of San Diego last week because he missed the game and a practice the next day without contacting members of the coaching staff.