Coaches foresee 20-game MW schedule
Menzies likes idea, but not everyone wants round robin
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