ESPN.com - ncb - Not may bids at-large out West

"It was late in the season last year and we had just beaten Gonzaga to tie for first place," said van Breda Kolff. "Then we go and beat Loyola in a home-and-home the same week. Beat them convincingly both times. The same weekend, Cal was beaten badly by Stanford.


	Two losses to Gonzaga put David Lalazarian and the Waves in a precarious position heading into the WCC tournament.

"The next week, the new RPIs come out. We dropped 15 spots from No. 24 to No. 39. Cal improved 14 spots. Now, it's pretty much known that the top 40 in the RPI will get into the NCAA Tournament. But after two wins, we were right there on it."

On the bubble.

Van Breda Kolff and his Pepperdine team made the tournament as an at-large pick last season, but not before some anxious moments leading to Selection Sunday. The Waves could again find themselves in a similar position next month should they not win the West Coast Conference tournament. It's an annual way of life for mid-major teams.

The waiting. The pressure to be perfect down the stretch.

Gonzaga is 20-5 overall and 12-0 in conference. It has an RPI of 88. Pepperdine is 18-7 overall and 10-2 in conference. It has an RPI of 71.

Translation: Whichever doesn't win the WCC tournament (assuming one does) will have a few sleepless nights before Selection Sunday.

"Everyone talks about bubble teams," van Breda Kolff said. "They make it seem like there are 30-40 bubble teams, but the reality is only six to eight spots are up for grabs. Unless you're in the so-called elite conferences like the ACC or Big Ten, your best chance is to always win the automatic bid and not leave it up to anyone else."

Here's a closer look at those facing life on the bubble out West.

Pac-10: Feeling is, a bubble team doesn't exist in the West Coast's elite league, that Stanford, UCLA, Arizona, Cal and USC are in.

Here's why: The conference RPI is three and the five teams sit between Nos. 1 and 21. If anything, losses now might only jeopardize NCAA seeds.

"I just think we need to continue proving ourselves as we look towards the tournament," said USC coach Henry Bibby, whose fifth-place team is 17-7 overall and 7-5 in conference. "We have three more weeks of basketball left and I still think there could be some major changes in positioning. Nothing is a shoe-in. Nowhere does it say because you're fifth in the Pac-10 that you're guaranteed a spot in the tournament."

Mountain West: Bubble-mania at its finest.

The top three teams (BYU, Utah and Wyoming) are separated by a half-game. New Mexico is 16-8 and 5-5 in conference, but its RPI of 53 and the league's sub-par non-conference results say the Lobos are barely on the bubble for an at-large bid.

It's a tough call here, with many feeling the league has a 50-50 chance of securing anything beyond its guaranteed spot. BYU is 19-7 overall, tied for first and has nothing wrapped up at this point.

"There isn't much margin for error, but it's wasted energy to think about it," BYU coach Steve Cleveland said. "I don't talk to my staff or players about it. I've never heard any of our players mention the word 'bubble.'

"I believe this conference deserves two or three teams in the tournament, but all of that will ultimately be out of our control. We have a good team. If anyone has a question as to how our conference can fare in an NCAA Tournament, all they need to look at is how Utah has done in recent years."

WAC: Fresno State (20-5, 9-3) is likely an NCAA lock, despite getting swept by Texas Christian and Texas-El Paso last week. But another bid will only come if someone other than Fresno wins the league tournament.

The conference RPI is 10. TCU (No. 49) is the only team other than Fresno in the Top 50.

Big West: UC Irvine beat Cal 56-52 early in the season and Bears coach Ben Braun remembers how well the Anteaters played.

"They were very competitive against us and UCLA and they beat Washington," Braun said. "It's a solid team, one that I think deserves an at-large bid if they don't win their conference tournament. They remind me of Long Beach State last year, getting stronger and stronger as the season goes by. They've really had a great year."

Will it be enough?

UCI is 20-3 overall and 12-1 in conference, followed by Utah State at 22-4 and 11-1. RPIs of 55 and 59 respectively suggest a few nervous moments for oneof them.

Games of the Week

UCLA at Oregon
Thursday
It's no gimme for the streaking Bruins. Not even close. UCLA enters with a five-game win streak, but the Bruins have dropped three of four under Steve Lavin at McArthur Court. Last season, the Ducks rolled 73-58 in Eugene. Oregon finds itself out of the NCAA Tournament picture, tied for sixth place with nine conference losses. But another defeat could damage UCLA's league championship thoughts, and Oregon is good enough at home to play a spoiler's role.
BYU at Utah
Saturday
There are few conferences where postseason tournament seedings are more important than the Mountain West. The NCAA upheld UNLV's postseason ban, meaning the league tourney will include just seven teams. The regular-season champion receives a first-round bye and needs just two victories to clinch the automatic NCAA berth. BYU won the first meeting 69-61 in Provo, but the Utes have won six straight. The teams are tied for first at 8-3 in conference.
Gonzaga at San Diego
Saturday
The first-place Zags have already clinched a share of the West Coast Conference title and the league tournament's No. 1 seed. But this is a key game for a few reasons. USD is still hoping for a third-place finish and an easier first-round matchup. Also, the tournament is at the Jenny Craig Pavilion and a win by the Toreros here would offer great confidence should the teams meet again next week.

A Good Knight
Finally, the Billy Knight everyone has spoken about for some time. UCLA's junior shooting guard -- the kid who was a left-handed jumper away from transferring to Pepperdine after last season -- is playing a major role in his team's quest for a conference title.

Knight scored 22 points in the team's upset of Stanford, went for 18 against DePaul and had 23 in a key victory against Arizona State last week. Knight has battled a log-jam at his spot since arriving in Westwood, competing with the likes of Ray Young, Rico Hines, Jason Flowers and Brandon Lloyd.

"Billy did a good job of hanging in there and not giving up," UCLA coach Steve Lavin said. "He is a good player and a good kid. I'm not sure where we would be without him."

UCLA is 17-6 overall and 10-2 in league, a game back of Stanford.

Around the West

It is just another score for most, another battle for last place in a mid-major league. It is a huge step for San Diego State.

Steve Fisher's team beat Air Force 62-48 in Colorado Springs on Monday, the Aztecs' first conference road victory in 14 tries spanning two seasons.

"We teased everyone, including ourselves, with a 10-3 preseason," Fisher said. "But, finally, we got one on the road."

The Aztecs are 12-12 and close out the regular season with home games against UNLV, Wyoming and Colorado State before the conference tournament.

A .500 finish is more than possible for the team that went 5-23 last season.

SDSU coaches are confident the Aztecs can live among the league's contenders next year. Tony Bland (Syracuse) and Brandon Smith (Michigan) will be eligible after sitting out transfer seasons. SDSU returns leading scorer and rebounder Randy Holcomb, point guard Deandre Moore and forward Myron Epps.

The goal: Land a legitimate center during the spring recruiting period.

Who's Hot

Paul Graham: Washington State's coach has directed the Cougars to four conference wins and counting. Considering where WSU began, that alone should earn some coach of the year votes.

Phil Cullen: Another week, another Utah player coming up big.

Who's Not

Cal when playing Stanford: Ouch. Mismatch with a capital M.

Washington: We're assuming no one would mind if the Huskies played those three top prep recruits now instead of waiting until next year.

Quote to Note
"Any time an official makes a mistake on a rule, where they messed up, they should be penalized. We all face it. Players face it. Coaches face it. Officials should be held accountable for blowing the interpretation of a rule. The word should be put out that's what will happen. What is good for one group should be good for all."
-- Arizona coach Lute Olson reacting to the Pac-10 suspending three officials this week for incorrectly ejecting USC coach Henry Bibby last week.

Thought for the Day
Texas Christian players Greedy Daniels and Myron Anthony were dismissed for a violation of team rules.

Our best guess: They passed up too many shots when ahead by 15 or more.

Ed Graney of the San Diego Union-Tribune is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at ed.graney@uniontrib.co.

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