Coaches Lobbying for Extra Berth

The Big West Conference hasn’t had two teams in the NCAA tournament since Long Beach State and New Mexico State made it in 1993, but that might change this season.

Utah State (25-5) and Long Beach State (23-4) dominated the conference’s other teams, and that’s expected to continue in the postseason tournament, which decides the Big West’s NCAA automatic berth, beginning today in Nevada’s Lawlor Center in Reno.

“To go 16-0 in any league is almost impossible,” Pacific Coach Bob Thomason said.

But that’s what Utah State did, defeating Long Beach, 71-63, in the only meeting of the teams in February at Long Beach.

The Aggies’ Stew Morrill became the third coach to guide a team to an unbeaten record in Big West play. Jerry Tarkanian did it five times, three at Nevada Las Vegas and twice at Long Beach. Lute Olson did it once when he coached the 49ers.

“There’s no doubt that Utah State belongs in the NCAA tournament, and I think Long Beach does too,” Thomason said.

Long Beach Coach Wayne Morgan is hopeful that his team will gain one of the at-large berths if the 49ers don’t win the tournament.

“I’m not on the selection committee, but I believe both of us had seasons that are deserving,” Morgan said. “I think we’ve both shown that we’re among the top 40 or so teams in the country.”

Long Beach plays at noon today against Idaho (12-16), and Utah State faces Pacific (11-17) at 6 p.m.

New Mexico State (20-8) goes against UC Irvine (14-13) in the second afternoon game and UC Santa Barbara (14-13) meets Nevada (8-19) in the second night game. The semifinals are Friday night, and the title game at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday will be televised by ESPN.

Utah State enters the tournament with a 16-game winning streak, the nation’s longest.

Long Beach, which has won 20 or more games in the regular season for the first time since 1989-90, had won 15 in a row before losing to Utah State, but the 49ers have come back to win their last six games. Long Beach set a school record for consecutive road victories with 10.

“Long Beach is every bit as much the team to beat in this tournament as Utah State is,” Santa Barbara Coach Bob Williams said.