Big West’s Spartan Existence

With one improbable, awkward three-point jump shot from one improbable, awkward San Jose State Spartan, a beleaguered basketball conference went from Big West to Big Worst Case Scenario Sunday afternoon.

Rich Taylor’s first basket of the game and second three-pointer of the season--coming with five seconds left in overtime--will be toasted by San Jose State alumni into the next century, but it left Big West officials feeling hungover and cotton-mouthed as they contemplated how they will be represented in the 1996 NCAA tournament.

By a sixth-place team that was 10-16 before straggling into Reno this past weekend.

By the 217th-ranked team in the nation, according to the Ratings Percentage Index.

By a team that was 1-7 in nonconference games, including losses to Ball State and Southeast Missouri State, and was 4-15 four weeks ago.

By a team that lost five consecutive games to start the season and seven consecutive games in January and February.

By a team that will leave the Big West in June because the school has decided to “step up” to the WAC before the 1996-97 athletic season.

Bye bye, San Jose State.

Thanks so much for dragging whatever was left of the Big West’s good name through the NCAA regional mud on your way out.

San Jose’s agenda for the NCAA tournament?

Tuesday: Fly to Dallas.

Wednesday: Practice at Reunion Arena.

Thursday: Lose to Kentucky by 40.

Friday: Fly home. Resume preparations for admission into WAC. Fax written apology to Big West office, if the mood strikes.

San Jose enters the NCAA tournament seeded 16th in the West Regional. There is no 17th seed. San Jose also enters as the first-round sacrifice for top-ranked Kentucky, suggesting, without getting too graphic about it, that the Spartans are the worst team in the 64-team field.

Ordinarily, the Big West could take San Jose and milk the Cinderella angle for the next four days. Taylor, the gangly, good-natured game winner, could become a 96-hour cult hero, with such quips as “That’s the kind of shot you grow up practicing in your backyard--3 . . . 2 . . . 1, sink the last-second shot. Except for me, it never went in.”

But that’s without factoring in the Spartans’ we’re-outta-here angle. When San Jose upset Utah State, 76-75, here Sunday, it lit a flare over Reno.

A team bolting the Big West in three months to become cannon fodder for the WAC outplayed and outlasted every team planning to stay in the Big West.

“It’s awkward,” Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell admitted, “but at the same time, we harbor no animosity toward San Jose. San Jose has been a good representative for this conference, they’re going out with class and style. We know the WAC decision was a business decision, a decision made for football . . .

“Is this what I wanted? I can’t say what I wanted or not. I can’t control what happens between the white lines. All I can say is [San Jose Coach] Stan Morrison is one of the class guys in this sport. From a personal standpoint, I’m thrilled for Stan.”

And Stan is thrilled for Stan. Morrison is a 14-year veteran of the Big West--seven seasons apiece at San Jose and the University of the Pacific--and he has now won tournament championships at both schools. Between, he also coached at USC, which fired him in 1986 after determining his 103-95 record with the Trojans was not good enough.

Over the weekend, USC finished its season by losing its 10th game in a row, still searching for a full-time head coach, while Morrison qualified for the NCAAs again. As sour a moment Sunday might have been for the Big West, it had to be twice as sweet for Morrison.

“Honestly, I don’t believe this reflects negatively on the Big West Conference,” Morrison said between room-illuminating smiles. “It says more about San Jose than the Big West. The Big West just conducted the tournament. San Jose won it.”

Farrell spent much of his stay in Reno deflecting media barbs about his sagging, shrinking conference and is girding for more. There have been jokes about the Big West tournament, in spite of San Jose, retaining an automatic bid next season--into the NIT. There has been more serious speculation about the Big West losing its NCAA bid and having to “play-in” for a berth in the 64-team field.

“I can tell you now,” Farrell said heatedly, “the Big West has never been and never will be a ‘play-in’ conference. We have too much respect across the country for that to ever happen.

“This was a down year for the Big West from a nonconference [record] standpoint. We can’t hide from that. But these things are cyclical. It might take a year or two, but it will turn around. We have all the tools, the facility and the first-class facilities to be a top-notch basketball conference.

“What we need to do now is obvious: Play better nonconference opponents. And beat them.”

And then, when the next Big West tournament comes around, have the good Big West teams beat the bad Big West teams. That doesn’t sound like too much to ask. And good news for the Big West holdovers: Next year, the task should be easier.

They won’t have San Jose State to kick them around anymore.