FanHouse BYU

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.

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.

In a rather over-the-top and ultimately costly macho display, two BYU football players have found themselves suspended for the rest of spring practices and the Blue-White game after being arrested over the weekend.

Players Terrance Deshawn Hooks and Vitale TaAaga Magauli So'oto were arrested and cited for burglary. BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall suspended the players Sunday. A news release from BYU athletics said that sophomore inside linebacker Hooks and sophomore tight end So'oto were suspended from the team "for violation of team rules."

It seems the girlfriend of Hooks was leaving a dance when some guys on the third floor of a nearby apartment building were tossing water balloons off of their balcony into the parking lot. One of the balloons hit the girlfriend of Hooks on the leg. She yelled at them, they yelled back, and she left for her boyfriend, who brought So'oto with him as back-up.

More yelling from the parking lot to the balcony before Hooks and So'oto headed into the apartment to find the water balloon tossers to, um, talk.

Naturally the players got turned around and confused -- not even sure which was the right apartment they wanted. That didn't stop them from choosing a door.

When no one answered immediately, Edwards said Hooks kicked the door in. The group in the "wrong apartment" called security, who happened to be an off-duty Orem police officer. The officer told them he was on his way over and to call the police.

When Hooks, Dew and So'oto actually found the apartment they were looking for, they kicked that door in and proceeded to the back room where, Edwards said, the balloon throwers had retreated. Before they got to them, the security officer and police arrived in the apartment.

Hooks, Dew and So'oto were taken into custody for burglary, in that they entered or remained unlawfully on a premise with the intent to commit an assault.

Police cited the balloon throwers with criminal mischief for their part in the incident.

Considering that the players went to the trouble to kick-in two doors to find them, the balloon tossers probably weren't too upset over a minor misdemeanor versus what would have happened if security and police hadn't arrived sooner.