Big West’s Not So Big in NCAA

The Big West Conference hasn’t had more than one team reach the NCAA tournament since Long Beach State and New Mexico State advanced in 1993.

That pattern isn’t expected to change after the conference’s postseason men’s basketball tournament this week in Nevada’s Lawlor Center.

New Mexico State (20-9) and Boise State (19-7) appear to have only a longshot chance for an NCAA at-large berth if they don’t win the tournament and automatic bid.

“Our conference deserves more credit than it gets,” said Lou Henson, who coached at Illinois for 21 years before coming out of retirement last year to take over at New Mexico State.

The Big West’s power rating doesn’t help the situation. Nor does the fact that no team in the Western Division has a record better than 14-12.

While Boise State and New Mexico State, both from the Eastern Division, loom as the leading title threats in the tournament that begins today, the eight-team field appears more balanced than in the last two years.

“We think anybody can win this tournament,” Cal State Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking said. “It’s not like in the past with one or two dominant teams.”

Boise State is top seeded from the East, but the Broncos lost to third-seeded Idaho and fourth-seeded Utah State twice. Boise State swept the Western Division.

Fullerton, 13-13 and 7-9 in the conference, will open against Boise State tonight at 6. Fullerton played well on the road against Boise State in the regular season, but the Broncos won, 67-66, when a last-second shot by Titan guard Kenroy Jarrett rimmed out.

The Broncos’ Roberto Bergersen leads the conference in scoring with a 22.3 average.

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Big West at Reno

TODAY

* UC Santa Barbara vs. Utah State, noon

* New Mexico State vs. Pacific, 2:30 p.m.

* Boise State vs. Cal State Fullerton, 6 p.m.

* Long Beach State vs. Idaho, 8:30 p.m.