FanHouse Unlv Basketball

College basketball coaches are always looking for that edge. And Oregon State's Craig Robinson is no different than say, Ben Howland, Mike Montgomery or Tim Floyd in that respect. (Well, given USC's recent troubles, maybe Floyd isn't a good example.)

College recruiting can be competitive and tough. So any coach would be foolish to turn down any recruiting help. Especially recruiting help from family. Especially family that just happens to be the President of the United States.

Utah is clearly the class of the Mountain West right now after avenging an early loss to UNLV. Now the question becomes is Utah the best team in the West right now?

The Pac-10 folks with Washington, Arizona State and UCLA might beg to differ. All three teams are ranked in the Top 25, and Cal holds an early season win over Utah. (And before you even mention Gonzaga, realized that Utah owns a recent win over the Bulldogs.)

So be honest, if you were filling out our tournament bracket today, would you pick any of those three to beat the Utes?

Don't answer too quickly, and take some time to consider just how well the Utes are playing right now in one of the most underrated conferences in college basketball. Though some of the less educated college basketball fans haven't quite caught on to the Mountain West just yet.

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San Diego State has earned the admiration of ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi, who has continued to include the Aztecs in his Bracketology projections. But at some point, San Diego State needs to return the love.

The Aztecs also need to learn how to finish off a game.

San Diego State blew a 13-point halftime lead, as BYU came roaring back to handily defeat the Aztecs, 69-59. This was the second time San Diego State has blown a halftime lead in its last three losses. At least the Aztecs were blown out from the tip at New Mexico on Saturday. Now San Diego State is suddenly reeling with two consecutive conference losses.

And that tournament bid? Don't be so sure. Now the Aztecs need to worry about tournament seeding in the Mountain West conference tourney.

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Were it not for UCLA, UNLV would be a dead lock for 2009's most befuddling team award. The Rebels are an engima, a two-faced team more befitting of a Tommy Lee Jones' character instead of a Mountain West leader.

Let's recap UNLV's season. Losses at Colorado State, TCU and Wyoming. But a season sweep of BYU. The Rebels won at the Marriott Center -- arguably one of the toughest places to play in the nation. But couldn't win in Fort Collins against one of the worst teams in the Mountain West.

But when the NCAA selection committee looks at bubble teams, UNLV has a win at Louisville, at BYU and home wins over Utah, BYU and Arizona. The Rebels might have saved their tournament lives Saturday night.

Cal State Fullerton will play host to Long Beach State on tonight. There was a time in recent memory when this was the preeminent college basketball rivalry in Southern California. Or at least the most blood thirsty among the fans, once even resulting in a brawl among the fans with 27 fans going to jail like it was an Eagles game or something.

There was a time when the Big West actually mattered.

UNLV ruled the college basketball world and produced the greatest team in college basketball history.

The conference had three teams among the field of 64.

The conference actually churned out NBA players on a regular basis.

Now it has come to this -- the Big West is looking at a No. 16 seed. The conference of Jerry Tarkanian is now one of the bottom-feeders in the NCAA.

The Mountain West conference is currently a four-bid conference. Heady times for the conference that was robbed by the BCS. But if those teams want to stay in the tournament, there are a couple of rules that need to be followed. Or else the NIT awaits.

The first rule is just basic common sense. There can be no bad loses. None. Brigham Young hammered Colorado State on Wednesday night, while UNLV knocked off Texas Christian on Tuesday night. That is big. BYU doesn't lose at home, but they can pout on the road some times. The Rebels lost at Colorado State this season, so there are no rules too small to follow. Especially since Joe Lundardi has BYU and UNLV projected as two of the last teams in the tournament.

And then there is the second rule. Protect your home-court at all costs.

Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA was voted one of the toughest college arenas to play, according to a poll on EA Sports. And a spokesman for the company indicated that yes, the poll was serious. EA Sports conducted the poll to use in its upcoming NCAA basketball game.

UCLA made the cut of 15 in the poll made up of college basketball fans who have obviously never been to a game at Pauley Pavilion. Because those of us who have been to there would know that is just not the case. In fact, UCLA might have the most forgiving home courts for a big-time college basketball program. Ever.

One of the more interesting aspects of Joe Lunardi's Bracketology this week was that San Diego State was the second to last team left out of the tournament. Lunardi has UNLV, Utah and BYU (barely) as tournament teams, with San Diego State knocking on the door.

But now the Aztecs look like a legitimate tournament team following their overtime win at Las Vegas Tuesday night. A win that should help increase it's tournament resume.

And dare you believe it? Is the Mountain West really a four-bid conference?

You never really need a lot of reasons to make plans on a Saturday morning to head to Las Vegas -- a scant four hours away from where I'm at. But when you add in an all-world matchup between UNLV and Utah, let's just say the incentives just get a little bit sweeter.

But really, will anybody take you seriously when you say that you went to Las Vegas to see a college basketball game? Consider most of your friends dubious. Or maybe jealous. Or perhaps, a little of column A and a little of column B.

There, however, wasn't much time to waste. Only some time to get the wife in the car and get on the road, because we had a game to catch. UNLV was coming off a huge win at BYU on Wednesday and Utah was looking to forge its own monumental road win.

Brigham Young had one of the longest home winning streaks in the nation to start the 2008-09 season. Now the Cougars have won two games at the Marriott Center in recent weeks. UNLV played an outstanding second half as the Rebels won in Provo for the first time since 2005, scoring a 76-70 win. (Which I believe is the last time any Mountain West team won at BYU.)

Just a week ago, you had to wonder if the Rebels were even going to challenge for the Mountain West title after losing at Colorado State.

Yeah, nobody is going to be talking about that loss anymore.

Not with this performance. If you had any question about UNLV's fortitude, you shouldn't any more.