Fresno State ineligible for WAC tournament

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team qualified for the quarterfinals of next week's Western Athletic Conference Tournament without even playing a game yesterday.

Fresno State coach Ray Lopes talks to guard Terry Pettis at practice. Fresno's NCAA problems occurred before Lopes took over. Associated Press

The WAC Board of Directors voted yesterday to adopt a resolution that prohibits a member institution from participating in a conference championship tournament if it is also ineligible for NCAA post-season play in the same sport.

In simpler terms, Fresno State is out of the WAC Tournament this year because it is also on a self-imposed ban from the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs have already clinched the WAC regular-season championship and would have been the No. 1 seed for the March 11-15 WAC Tournament. Instead, every team will move up one seeding spot.

Hawai'i, which has two regular-season home games remaining, can finish anywhere from No. 5 to No. 7. With the disqualification of Fresno State, the top seven seeds for the WAC Tournament earn spots in the quarterfinals.

"There's a lot of ways to look at it," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "For the tournament itself, and the bid (to the NCAA Tournament), it's a good thing. Now, everybody can go in there and play without worrying about what happens if this or that."

Fresno State announced Monday that its men's basketball team was on a self-imposed ban from the NCAA Tournament and National Invitation Tournament this season after school officials confirmed allegations of academic fraud.

The Bulldogs still wanted to participate in the WAC Tournament, but that notion was rejected by the WAC Board of Directors yesterday.

Under first-year head coach Ray Lopes, the Bulldogs are 20-6 this season. The alleged academic fraud occurred during the 1999-2000 season under former coach Jerry Tarkanian.

"You gotta feel for the coach and those kids he has because they've done such a good job this year," Wallace said.

In a statement issued by the Fresno State athletic department, Lopes said: "We are disappointed not to be playing in the WAC Tournament. But we've got to be strong. We've still got two games left to play and we need to go out and compete like the champions we are."

The Bulldogs' regular-season WAC title will not be affected.

The school statement also reads: "We are very disappointed for our players and Coach Lopes; we will abide by the decision of the WAC. In doing so however, we acknowledge the WAC's declaration of support for stringent action when a university is in violation of NCAA rules and presume that it will hold every WAC member to this standard.

Because Fresno State is ineligible, only nine teams will participate in the WAC Tournament, which will be held in Tulsa, Okla.

The Nos. 8 and 9 seeds will play Tuesday — the opening day of the tournament — with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake. San Jose State and Texas-El Paso are already destined to finish as the two bottom seeds.

The other seven teams will be seeded into the quarterfinals, which start Thursday.

"It gives us two extra days, so that's good," Wallace said.

Had Fresno State been allowed to participate in the WAC Tournament, the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds would have had to play on opening day to earn spots in the quarterfinals. Hawai'i, which is currently in seventh place, could have been one of those teams.

"Of course it's better to avoid that play-in game," Wallace said. "But that doesn't take any pressure off us. We still have to go out and win three games if we want to get to the NCAA (Tournament)."

Tulsa, Rice, Nevada and Southern Methodist are now in contention to become the No. 1 seed for the WAC Tournament. The regular season concludes Saturday.

• Center of attention: With starting center Haim Shimonovich not expected to play tomorrow because of a sprained right ankle, Wallace was still in search of a replacement yesterday.

Freshman Milos Zivanovic started in place of Shimonovich at Rice last Saturday, but finished with three rebounds and no points. Wallace said he will probably start Zivanovic again because he prefers sophomore Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan to "give us energy off the bench."

"Even if we start Milos, Tony will get most of the minutes," Wallace said. "We just need Milos to give us a little more when he is in there."

• Payback at stake: Back on Jan. 4, Boise State beat Hawai'i, 65-63 in overtime, at Boise, Idaho.

It was the first of nine conference losses this season for the 'Bows. It was also one of four losses by two points or fewer.

"That was the game that caused our season to tailspin," Wallace said. "It was really one that got away and it started us on that streak of losing close games."

Hawai'i is 15-10 overall and in seventh place in the WAC at 7-9. Boise State is 12-14 overall and in eighth place at 6-10.