Olowokandi, Pacific Making Themselves Hard to Ignore

Those who thought the Big West Conference might start slowly sinking into the Pacific Ocean when Nevada Las Vegas and San Jose State ran for higher ground in the Western Athletic Conference a year ago were wrong.

The tide might have gotten a little high in a few places, but the Big West managed to keep its head above water. The conference’s power rating, in fact, improved from the previous season.

Still, the Big West sent only one team to the NCAA tournament--conference tournament champion Pacific, which lost to St. Joseph’s by 10 points in the first round. Nevada, which lost in the conference title game, knocked off Fresno State in the NIT, but was eliminated in the second round by Nebraska.

“I think this year will provide [the Big West] with the opportunity to move up again,” Nevada Coach Pat Foster said.

Foster thinks Pacific could bring the conference national recognition with a talented cast that includes 7-foot center Michael Olowokandi and guards Adam Jacobsen and Corey Anders. Jacobsen, an all-conference selection two years ago, missed all but three games last season because of a knee injury.

Pacific, which won a school-record 24 games last season under Coach Bob Thomason, doesn’t appear to be seriously threatened in the Western Division, even though UC Santa Barbara should be improved with Raymond Tutt back. Tutt led the conference with a 24-point average last season.

New Mexico State and Nevada should battle for the top rung in the Eastern Division.

Former Illinois Coach Lou Henson, who has taken 18 teams to the NCAA tournament, came out of retirement to coach New Mexico State for one year after the school ousted Neil McCarthy on Oct. 15. Henson led the Aggies for nine seasons before moving to the Big Ten.

A look at the teams by division and in alphabetical order, excluding Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Irvine:

WESTERN DIVISION

CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO

* Coach: Jeff Schneider.

* 1996-97: 14-16, 6-10, tied for fourth in division.

* Returning starters: Two.

* Top players: Mike Wozniak (15.4 points), Ben Larson (11.0).

* Outlook: The Mustangs still won’t be allowed to play in the conference tournament because they haven’t been in Division I long enough under NCAA rules to qualify for an automatic berth. Cal Poly led the conference in scoring last season, but its defense was next to last.

PACIFIC

* Coach: Bob Thomason.

* 1996-97: 24-6 overall, 12-4 in conference, won division and tournament, lost in West Regional first round.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Michael Olowokandi (10.9 points), Rayne Mahaffey (11.0), Adam Jacobsen (10.5), Corey Anders (10.0).

* Outlook: If Olowokandi stays injury-free, the Tigers should be the conference’s best team. Olowokandi sat out 11 games last season because of a knee injury. Thomason calls Anders “the best defensive player I’ve coached.” Anders led the conference in steals last season with 82.

UC SANTA BARBARA

* Coach: Jerry Pimm.

* 1996-97: 12-15, 7-9, third in division, lost in quarterfinals of tournament.

* Returning starters: Four.

* Top players: Raymond Tutt (24 points), Kealon Wallace (8.9).

* Outlook: Pimm begins his 24th season as a college head coach, his 15th in the Big West. Tutt ranked fourth in the nation in scoring last season, but has been slowed in the preseason by a foot injury. Tutt shot 51.5%, including 46.6% on three-point attempts.

EASTERN DIVISION

BOISE STATE

* Coach: Rod Jensen.

* 1996-97: 14-13, 9-7, fourth in division, lost in quarterfinals of tournament.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Gerry Washington (11.4 points), Roberto Bergersen (9.6), Mike Tolman (9.3).

* Outlook: Boise State was one of the conference’s strongest defensive teams last season, holding opponents to a 62-point average, but the Broncos averaged only 66. Jensen will need to upgrade the offense for his team to be a factor in the division.

IDAHO

* Coach: David Farrar.

* 1996-97: 13-17, 5-11, tied for fifth in division.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Troy Thompson (8.3 points), Kris Baumann (8.2).

* Outlook: Farrar is the third coach in three years, and the lack of stability is likely to show. Several new players will have to help, among them Avery Curry, a senior guard who transferred from Florida State.

NEVADA

* Coach: Pat Foster.

* 1996-97: 21-10, 12-4, tied for first in division; lost in final of conference tournament and second round of NIT.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Jimmy Carroll (14.2 points), Paul Culbertson (11.2).

* Outlook: Foster’s big problem is finding a replacement for Faron Hand, last season’s player of the year who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds. Foster, however, believes this team has more depth.

NEW MEXICO STATE

* Coach: Lou Henson.

* 1996-97: 19-9, 12-4, tied for first in division, lost in semifinals of tournament.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Louis Richardson (18.1 points), Denmark Reid (11.1).

* Outlook: The Aggies lost one of the conference’s top players when point guard Antoine Hubbard was suspended and withdrew from school after being accused of domestic violence against his girlfriend. Henson’s fresh approach might be exactly what the Aggies need to challenge Pacific.

NORTH TEXAS

* Coach: Vic Trilli.

* 1996-97: 10-16, 5-11, tied for fifth in division.

* Returning starters: Two.

* Top players: T.J. Atkins (10.9 points), David Miller (10.4).

* Outlook: The Eagles have eight of their top 10 scorers back, and Trilli is promising a faster game. If it works, North Texas might to improve its conference record but probably not much.

UTAH STATE

* Coach: Larry Eustachy.

* 1996-97: 20-9, 12-4, tied for first in division, lost in semifinals of tournament.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Marcus Saxon (13.2 points), Kevin Rice (10.5).

* Outlook: The Aggies led the nation in rebounding margin, but the two players mainly responsible, Maurice Spillers and Antwan Smith, are gone.