Steve Bergum

The Pacific-10 Conference heads into the final week of its men's basketball schedule with league coaches still clamoring for respect - especially from the NCAA Tournament's selection committee. If they get it, some contend, the league could put as many as six in the Big Dance.

ASU's Mario Bennett, left, outrebounds WSU's Tavaras Mack, but had trouble offensively, scoring just 10 points. Photo by Associated Press

Mark Hendrickson, who scored 29 points, looks for basket under pressure from Arizona's Reggie Geary. Photo by Associated Press

With the start of spring practice nine days away, four members of Washington State's football team were suspended indefinitely Wednesday as a result of their involvement last weekend in a brawl outside a fraternity house. Cougars athletic director Rick Dickson announced the suspensions of interior offensive linemen Scott Sanderson, Ryan McShane and Marc McCloskey and tight end David Knuff, noting that none of the four will be allowed to participate in team activities unless they are reinstated.

Building a large, vocal and downright nasty following of Washington State fans was a top priority for Kelvin Sampson throughout his seven-year tenure as the Cougars' head coach. Now, less than a year after Sampson's departure to Oklahoma, it appears he succeeded.

The less-thanstoried history of the short-lived Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament takes up less than two pages in the league's 204-page media guide. It lasted only four years - from 1987 through 1990 - and failed to produce a single surprise berth in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA won the inaugural event and Arizona captured the next three before the league's presidents and chancellors jettisoned the tournament, claiming it put undue academic strain on the athletes involved.

Southeast B Garfield-Palouse blew a 15-point third-quarter lead and survived what Coach Tim Coles called its worst performance of the season Wednesday night to slip past Asotin 49-47 in the second round of the Southeast District B Boys Basketball Tournament at Washington State's Friel Court. The win pushed the Vikings (21-2) into Friday night's championship game against the Dayton Bulldogs (23-1), who received 22 points and 17 rebounds from Will Hutchens in a 60-44 romp past Lacrosse-Washtucna in Wednesday's first winners bracket game.

Washington State could have mailed in Tuesday night's men's basketball win over Seattle Pacific. To the selection committee of the National Invitation Tournament, at least.

Life on the road has been a pain for Washington State all season. But Thursday night, the Cougars shook off the effects of some nightmarish travel problems and eased a bunch of frustrations by holding off Oregon State 94-85 in front of a disappointing crowd of 5,916 at Gill Coliseum.

This is one of those wonderfully crucial stretches of the Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball race that many coaches try to downplay, their reasoning being that no one game is more important than the next in such a competitive league. But seldom does the Pac-10 schedule afford an opportunity for the title chase to define itself like it does over the next five days.

Isaac Fountaine and the Cougars watched Tyus Edney and the Bruins steal the game out from under them. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Tyus Edney brings his considerable talents to Friel Court today. Photo by Associated Press

WSU's Issac Fontaine breaks past the Southern Cal defense for two of his game-high 20 points. Photo by Associated Press

Eastman

Washington State point guard Donminic Ellison made a surprise appearance here late Friday night and is expected to play in today's 1 p.m. Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball against Arizona State at University Activity Center. Ellison, who is averaging 10.9 points and 7.0 assists per game, did not accompany the team to Tucson, Ariz., on Wednesday and did not play in Thursday night's 84-76 loss to Arizona. Ellison had what Cougar coach Kevin Eastman described as a severe case of chicken pox.

Ahamon Antrum (12) tangles with Damon Stoudamire. Photo by Associated Press

The defining moment of Arizona's 84-76 win over Washington State on Thursday night came with just more than a minute left and the Wildcats leading 76-74. It was a crucial possession for UA and, with Reggie Geary trapped near midcourt, WSU's Shamon Antrum locked up with Damon Stoudamire in a courageous effort to keep the Wildcats' All-American point guard from getting the basketball.

No, John Stockton didn't sign a letter of intent to play football at Washington State University on Wednesday, but he's a perfect example of the good-but-not-great class the Cougars signed. "It wasn't one of our better years in the state of Washington, I don't think, but you know this recruiting is such an imperfect science," WSU head coach Mike Price said. "Did Washington recruit (Spokane native) John Stockton? I know Washington State didn't. "Here we have a guy right in our own backyard who is one of the best pro point guards in the history of the NBA and both in-state schools didn't recruit him.

This was the week when Washington State was to have proven itself as either a surprise contender or surplus pretender in the Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball race. But with starting point guard Donminic Ellison flattened by chicken pox and unable to accompany the team on its annual swing into Arizona, the Cougars find themselves in much the same position they were in the last time they challenged one of the league's elite on the road.

Oral commitments continued to trickle in on the eve of national signing day, but it appears Washington State will not immediately sign the full complement of 24 football recruits coach Mike Price expected. Today is the first day high school and junior college prospects who are eligible to enroll next fall can sign national letters of intent with Division I schools. And by late Tuesday night, only nine had announced decisions to attend WSU.

Kevin Eastman keeps perspective. Photo by Associated Press

Washington State freshmen Carlos Daniel and Chris Griffin will apparently not be suspended for tonight's nonconference men's basketball game against California State-Northridge despite being cited by Pullman police over the weekend for being minors in possession of alcohol. Cougars coach Kevin Eastman said Tuesday that he had not finished looking into the incident, which allegedly took place late Saturday night. But he indicated any disciplinary action at this point would probably involve nothing more than some extra running or, in the case of Daniel, who has started WSU's last six games, perhaps a missed start.

The status of Washington State freshmen basketball players Carlos Daniel and Chris Griffin remained unclear Monday night after the two were cited by Pullman police during the weekend for being minors in possession of alcohol. Cougars coach Kevin Eastman, who earlier slapped a one-game suspension on sophomores Tavares Mack and Donminic Ellison for breaking curfew, refused to comment on the incident or the status of Daniel, 19, and Griffin, 18, saying he had not had a chance to discuss the matter in detail with the players allegedly involved.

Washington State's Isaac Fontaine has his hands full against Brent Barry on this loose ball, but Oregon State couldn't reach the Cougars down the stretch. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review