Deseret News | Conference hoops coaches expect tough sledding

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Conference hoops coaches expect tough sledding

RR | 7:15 a.m. Jan. 2, 2009

Ewing is one of my favorite players in the league. He's fun to watch, and has had some great games in tournament play. Hopefully BYU can add to the MWC success by beating Wake, even if only by one point. That UNLV win over UL was impressive, and I watched part of that game. I don't see BYU beating them in the tourney, assuming they make it to the final. This conference has really come along in many sports. It's fun to be a fan.

UNLV | 10:04 a.m. Jan. 2, 2009

Even without our best player we can beat ranked teams on the road. No one has a chance this year in the MWC. It's all UNLV!!

Road games | 10:26 a.m. Jan. 2, 2009

The league is even between BYU, UNLV and SDSU. The difference is going to be which team can beat one of the other on the road. But none of it will matter in the end unless the MWC gets two or three teams into the NCAA tournament because of the advantage UNLV has in the conference tournament. UNLV will always win the tournament, best team or not, until it's moved to a neutral site. Can you imagine how the other league teams would feel if the MWC tournament was held every year at the Marriott Center? So UNLV gets the automatic bid every year regardless, so SDSU and BYU will have to hope the NCAA gives the conference one or two more spots into the big dance.

Comments continue below

MWC tournament | 11:52 a.m. Jan. 2, 2009

I have gone every year. Denver was just not the same. Maybe if they had it in a different venue in Vegas it might make it a little more fair, but either way it is better in Vegas.

I remember big Rick never won the MWC tournament in Vegas, maybe too many buffets in town and he could not focus.

No other venues | 12:58 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

Other than the Thomas and Mack Center there are no other venues for basketball in Vegas other than the casinos. There is an obvious problem with holding the tournament in a casino. The casino would have to suspend its sports book business. I would propose alternating the tournament site between Vegas and Salt Lake (Energy Solutions Arena). While Salt Lake cannot compare to Vegas as far as non-basketball entertainment, it would create some equality for all the teams. In addition, there would be a lot of local interest which would fill, or nearly fill the arena. Other sites such as Denver and San Diego will not garner any support among the locals and the teams would play in half empty arenas.

Anonymous | 1:20 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

i've been to the tourney in Vegas and attended it the year it was in SLC at the DC. I would rather not see UNLV get home court advantage every year, and it is a true advantage, but if fickle fans won't go to san diego, SAN DIEGO, then we've got a real problem in the conference. Denver was a huge mistake. The one year I attended it there, it was so empty, even in the championship game. Vegas is a good venue, but until the NBA builds a team there, we're stuck with the Thomas and Mack.

woody | 1:30 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

I have heard it said that Salt Lake or Provo dosen't have the night life or as many advantages for excitement as L.V. I guess I have my head in the sand because I thoufgt it was about basketball. I'm sure the players don't go to the casinos during the tournament play and everything else seems to be the advantage of L.V. gaining a whole bunch of money off of the party group. I think the school presidents, those who make decisions where to play should take their heads from where the can't see and come up with a new program to favor all teams. Everyone except UNLV, UTAH, BYU, and maybe a dark horse will usually win the tournament. Lets not get fouled up with the basketball program as we are with the whole television situation in football. Give the alumni and regular folk a chance to have excitment during a basketball tourney live action. UNLV facilities are smaller than some places in other towns and that my friend is where the money is. Give all other schools and cities a chance to host a tourney live and spread the money around, even tho it would take changing.

Basketball Conference Tournament | 3:22 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

I am not a believer in conference tournaments, simply because so many of the conferences end up with non regular season winners winning the conference tournament. This causes the wrong teams, who wouldn't qualify for the NCAA 65 team field to then become one of the 65 teams, thereby bumping some more worthy team out of the field. This is just a travesty, particularly when these usually minor conference teams (which to me shouldn't be included in the field anyway, as an automatic qualifier), sometimes these Hail Mary Tech type teams couldn't beat Bo Didley Tech anyway.
Come on! This is what turns me off. And then there is all the hulabalu of the ACC, SEC, Big 10 (really the Big 11; count the teams), Pac-10, Big 12 etc., discounting, or not counting/ignoring the MWC. I would favor rotating the MWC tournament between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas; so every other year the Rebs would have the advantage...that's cool. No team should have homecourt; that is why in the MWC there should be no post conference tournament.

Amen.

there is a place in vegas | 4:39 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

FYI there is another arena in vegas. They had the tournament that BYU and NC and Louisville played in last year there. I don't konw the name of it but it is ablsolutely ridiculous that UNLV gets to have the tournament on its homecourt every year. What do you think would happen if it was in the MC every year!!

PS what is up with the Utes? Lose to Southwest Baptist and beat Gonzaga? Didn't see that coming!

UNLV | 4:58 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY.....That's why the tournament is in Vegas. Ever heard of the BCS in football? Same reason it exists. MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY.....So complain all you want, Vegas fills the seats and everywhere else....NOT

Rebs | 7:22 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

If you can't beat ASU on a neutral floor, what makes you think you can beat UNLV on a neutral floor?

The facts still remains, you struggle against good teams in pressure situations.

Idaho Cougar Fan | 11:24 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

The Big Sky has the right idea, the winner of the regular season gets to host the Conference Tournament. It rewards the team who plays well during the regular season which makes the regular season that much more important. MWC needs to change it even if they had to go to Laramie to play the games.

Re: Rebs | 11:31 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

BYU did not struggle against any team this year. Even losing to ASU they outplayed the Sun Devils for the majority of the game.

UNLV | 11:43 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

Who cares about the Big Sky conference. I am sure it is a big money-making conference. Like Laramie would fill the seats and bring in the revenue. To host a "real" tournament, you need Hotels not Motels. Vegas offers a venue for both the players and the fans. If the tournament were held in Utah, the stands would only have fans for the BYU game. No one in Utah would support the other schools by buying tickets and attending all the games. MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY And BYU does struggle on the road against good teams.

Rebs | 12:50 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009

An "L" on a neutral floor time and time again is struggling.

East Sider | 5:00 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009

For those of us on the east side of the mountains, we would prefer a rotation of sites or the conference champ get the site. Contrary to UNLV fan, it should NOT be money, money, money. It should be basketball, basketball, basketball. When are we ever going to learn? Don't forget Albuquerque in this mix also.

@ 3:22 | 8:05 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009

The reason you don't like it is the same reason why most everyone in the country does like it. A team any team can get hot and go on a roll. Remember Stephon Curry and Davidson last year. This is the beauty of college basketball. Prepare for the post season. Get there. Then Dance!

UNLV | 9:13 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009

East Sider. The tournament is only played for one reason: MONEY....If you don't understand that, you don't understand NCAA basketball or Football.

Idahoan | 11:58 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009

"So complain all you want, Vegas fills the seats and everywhere else....NOT "

How does anyone know how well seats would be filled in locations other than the Thomas and Mack, and the Pepsi Center? Has the Mountain West Tournament ever been held anywhere else? Again, just talking Mountain West, not WAC in the pre-MWC days. If you think that the attendance at only the Pepsi Center tournaments is proof that seats wouldn't be filled in non-Vegas locations, that is a poor example. You've got to look at other locations as well.

Has any team in the conference had a regular-season tournament at their place, this year or previous years? I know BYU did this year. Anyone else? What was attendance like for the regular-season tournament? For anyone to claim that seats wouldn't be filled for the conference tournament in a non-Vegas location there has to be evidence. How do you know how well a tournament would be attended in such-and-such city (or arena) if that city/arena hasn't hosted a tournament before, or at least in the last 10 years?

equality for all | 3:52 p.m. Jan. 3, 2009

The anwser is to rotate to all arenas in the MWC, Fair yes...but not well recieved when comes to making money. This is not the pros, college ought to consider fairness along with money issues.

true mwc fan | 3:03 p.m. Jan. 5, 2009

I think unlv hosten the moutain west baskett ball tornament stinks becuse !!!!

1.they have the worest fans I have ever seen !!!

2. never should a tornamant game be plaied on team's home flor !!!!

3. if you must have it in a team's home arena
make all team's practic at a difreent place then ware the game is played !!!
like if the tornamant was played in Saltlake and the games ware at the delta center !!!

you could have teames practice at the huntman center and Salt lake comunity college so every one has an equell chance to ware no one famelliar with the host gym !!!

4 in the case of unlv have them stay in hottels and all ways be the vistor sence they get to play in ther home gym !!!

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