UI a work in progress
About six weeks ago, University of Idaho men’s basketball coach Leonard Perry said the Big West Conference, Idaho’s former address, and the WAC, the Vandals’ new home, were comparable.
“We had two Top 25 teams (Pacific and Utah State) and the fourth-place team (Cal State Fullerton) went to the third round of the NIT,” Perry said of the Big West in November. “If the WAC is a ton better than that it’s going to be a huge adjustment, but it would baffle me if it’s a ton better.”
On second thought, how about a half-ton better?
“I still believe that the top four in the Big West are as good as the top four in the WAC,” Perry said earlier this week. “I think the mid-level teams in the WAC are better than I thought. The mid and lower teams are more athletic than they were in the Big West.”
That could be daunting news for the Vandals, who were projected in preseason polls to finish eighth by the media and ninth (last) by the coaches. Road wins are scarce in the WAC. Only San Jose State had a losing conference home record last season. Idaho, which tips off WAC play against visiting New Mexico State tonight, lost three games to Big Sky foes on a recent six-game home stand.
By virtually every measuring stick, the WAC outperforms the Big West, in part because of the addition of Utah State, which has won at least 23 games each of the last six seasons. The WAC is currently ranked 12th by Collegerpi.com; the Big West is 27th. Three WAC teams are in the top 65 in RPI, including Utah State at 45. Pacific, at 126, is the Big West’s top-rated team.
The WAC has won 6 of 10 meetings with Big West opponents this season.
Since the 1999-2000 season, the WAC has ranked between 7 and 14 in conference RPI. The Big West has been ranked 17th through 21st during that time frame. In the last 11 seasons, at least one WAC team has advanced to no worse than the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Three Big West entries have won first-round NCAA games since 1995 and all three lost in the second round.
“The athleticism (in the WAC) is just really at a high level and you want to add in the fact that you’re dealing with a couple of NBA players,” Perry said. “(Nevada’s) Nick Fazekas is flat-out a first-round pick and (Louisiana Tech’s) Paul Millsap will be a close second. That’s a jump for us in comparing it to the Big West.”
Idaho last switched conferences in 1996, leaving the Big Sky for the Big West. Idaho went 5-11 that season, finishing tied for last in the six-team East Division. The Vandals went on to finish third in the East the following two seasons before faltering.
WAC newcomers have had similar struggles. Nevada, now the conference kingpin, finished last in its inaugural WAC season of 2000-2001. The Wolf Pack took first the last two years and they’re expected to three-peat this season. Boise State placed seventh out of 10 teams in its WAC debut in 2001-02, but it tied for third in 2003-04 and advanced to the WAC tournament title game last season as an eight seed.
Perry said his expectations “are to compete every night and get better as the season goes on. If we compete in every area I think there are going to be quite a few nights where we give ourselves a chance to win games. We have to compete at a high level because we’re going to be outmanned in terms of athleticism and some nights skill-wise. I think the kids understand that.”
Scoring points is often a chore and the Vandals haven’t had a dominant big man for years.
“We evaluate as a staff if we are getting the looks we need and putting kids in position with open looks at the basket,” Perry said. “We’ve certainly done that and more. We’ve just missed some shots. We’re going to continue to encourage and tell the kids to play with confidence. When those shots are open, jump up and knock it down.”
Junior Desmond Nwoke has given Idaho an interior presence at times, but his playing time has been limited by chronic knee problems.
“He’s creaky,” Perry said. “When we start practice it takes an hour and 15 minutes to get it warmed up. It’s like an old car in a tough winter.”
The Vandals have one of the youngest teams in the WAC. Tanoris Shepard is the only senior in the rotation. Perry said he’s not pleased with the win-loss record, but the group is achieving in other areas. He applauded the team’s character and 2.97 grade-point average.
“I understand everybody wants to win, I get it more than anybody, but it’s a process,” Perry said. “And we’ve already begun the process.”