Some Mountain West coaches want 20-game conference schedule

Mountain West basketball coaches discussed Wednesday playing a full conference schedule of 20 games.

“I am in favor of that because I think it’s going to happen,” Utah State coach Tim Duryea said at conference media day at the Hard Rock Hotel. “I’m not sure you’re going to see much resistance to it among the current coaches because I think everybody knows it’s going to be a reality.”

Well, not everyone is on board. Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson and Dan Butterly, senior associate commissioner, said it’s far from a unanimous opinion.

“I think we do as good a job of scheduling as anybody in the conference,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “I like the ability to schedule games I think will benefit us NCAA Tournament-wise. It would be great if we’re again a league that five teams are making the NCAA Tournament — let’s play everybody twice — but when you’re a one-bid league, at this point we have to say, ‘How can we strengthen our resume outside the conference?’ That’s year to year.”

UNLV coach Marvin Menzies said he would be fine if the league went to 20 games.

“I just think it adds more equity when you’ve got to go to Wyoming and you’ve got to go to Air Force every year and you’ve got to go to the (New Mexico) Lobos every year,” he said.

If the coaches vote for the change, it would need to be approved by the conference joint council made up of athletic directors, senior women’s administrators and faculty representatives. The presidents then would have to sign off.

MW tournament’s future

The Mountain West will play its tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center through 2019 but is considering going elsewhere in 2020. San Diego and Phoenix are candidates, possibly on a one-year trial basis.

“In 2020, we’re open, we don’t have a contract, and we have that construction deal again (CONEXPO-CON/AGG convention) where rooms are going to be $300 a night,” Thompson said of expected Las Vegas hotel rates.

If the tournament leaves for a year, it then could return to Las Vegas, either at the Thomas & Mack or even the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The conference also could look to sign a multiyear deal elsewhere.

If the tournament remains in Las Vegas in 2020, the dates probably would be moved up a week so there is no conflict with the construction convention and Mountain West fans can find lower hotel rates.

A decision is expected to be made in the spring.

Eustachy holds court

Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy said enough to the print media to fill up two notebooks.

On the NCAA Tournament selection criteria: “We certainly have four or five teams that are in the top 64 in the country, I think, but does it fit the formula for ESPN? We’ll see because they’re drawing the brackets up, not the people in the room.”

On putting a media member into the room for the NCAA Tournament selection: “I think it’d be great because there would be some great accountability there because you never get the true story, do you? I mean you really don’t.”

On whether more basketball people should be put on the selection committee: “Yes, because there are people in those rooms who have no clue. I’m going to get Social Security in 48 days, I really don’t care what I say.”

On New Mexico coach Paul Weir: “I think he’s got the worst job in the country. I just told him that. It doesn’t pay enough. If I got paid $5 million, I’d take all that crap that you get in Albuquerque. He doesn’t make enough money ($625,000 this season). I mean that place is different.”

Still the target

This is the first time in four years San Diego State hasn’t been picked to win the conference, but Dutcher said that doesn’t change the perception of the program around the league.

“Nevada’s picked to win it, but when there’s a whiteout, blueout, yellowout, greenout or blackout, it’s going to be against San Diego State,” he said.

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Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.