It turns out that the University of Hawaii’s overtime basketball victory over then-14th-ranked Xavier spoke to more than just the Rainbow Warriors’ prime-time tenacity and timely resurgence.
While it was significant as the first triumph by the Rainbow Warriors over a ranked team since the stunning of No. 4 Michigan State in the 2005 season opener, it also says plenty about the current state of the Western Athletic Conference. None of it very flattering for the WAC.
For instance, the upset of now no-longer-ranked Xavier in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is the only victory by a WAC team over a nationally ranked opponent this season. More revealing, sadly, the conference office says it was also the only game played by a WAC team against a Top 25 foe.
Which sheds some light on why most of the services that approximate the NCAA’s important Ratings Percentage Index currently have the WAC languishing as the 18th- or 19th-best (among 31) Division I conference. By comparison, last season the WAC finished 13th and that was rated a “down” year.
That’s something to consider as the ‘Bows wind up their pre-conference season with two games, South Carolina State (Thursday) and No. 19 Nevada-Las Vegas (Saturday) at the Stan Sheriff Center, this week and then head into their 33rd — and final — run through the WAC.
Murderer’s Row the conference isn’t this season. Which can be good news if you are picked to finish fourth this year the way UH was. And it should portend even better tidings for the ’Bows, who haven’t had a winning finish in the WAC in five seasons. Not since the 17-11 2005-’06 campaign, when UH beat Michigan State and then went 10-6 in conference, have the ’Bows won more games than they have lost in the WAC.
When you look at the RPI and strength of schedule numbers, it shouldn’t be any wonder the WAC figures to be a one-bid conference for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years. Especially when you examine the who-in-the-heck-is-that list of opponents: Cedarville, Longwood, Holy Names, Academy of Art and North Carolina A&T to name a nameless few.
Your first reaction is that WAC teams have spent the early nonconference season fattening up on an assortment of pastry counter opponents. That, however, would be misleading.
Twinkies, yes. Only two schools in the conference — Fresno State (86) and New Mexico State (97) — have played a strength of schedule ranked 220 or better among the 344 Division I schools. San Jose State (295), Idaho (297), UH (313) and Louisiana Tech (314) have had it the softest, the CBS Sportsline computers indicate.
But fattening up? Well, not exactly. WAC teams aren’t whipping up on a whole lot of medium-echelon opponents or much of anybody else, either. As of Monday night, the WAC was 48-45 and barely holding its collective head above water against Division I teams.
How the ’Bows will do in the conference this season remains to be seen, but they can strut a little bit entering it with the WAC’s marquee victory to date.
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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
