A Grip on Sports: The bubbles are shrinking, which is just fine by us, as we hurdle towards tomorrow’s day of decision
A GRIP ON SPORTS • No more bubbles. Well, after today. Everything will either coalesce or burst. In or out. No more waiting. For once, Washington State isn’t part of the bubble discussion that will end Sunday at around 3 p.m. Even as the Cougars’ Pac-12 bubble burst last night in Las Vegas.
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• When most folks go to the desert oasis, they want to enjoy themselves. Have a fun night or two. Maybe win some cash. And not do anything too stupid.
We won’t comment on that last sentence as it relates to the Cougs. They had way too many poor decisions in their 58-52 Pac-12 tournament semifinal loss to Colorado to fit in this space. And it’s unlimited.
But they did have one night of fun. Another filled with headaches. But unlike the millions of others who preceded them in such a stay in Vegas, they come home carrying a bag of cash. In the long run, that might be a big part of their legacy.
Oh, Arizona did its part too. The Wildcats’ second-half collapse Friday night in the first semifinal, a 67-59 Oregon win, ensured at least one bid-stealer would play in the Pac-12 final tournament championship game. Then the Cougars opened the door to another with offensive decisions that would have led to John Wooden muttering some bad words into his rolled-up program. We’re sure Kyle Smith was, even if we can’t read lips all that well.
The silver lining? It’s actually gold. Now that either Oregon or Colorado will be in the NCAA Tournament, joining the conference’s only locks, Arizona and WSU, means the Cougars and Oregon State can count on another million dollars or so toward NCAA payouts over the next few years. Any bit helps as the duo tries to rebuild the West Coast’s college legacy known as the Pacific-Whatever Conference.
Did Friday’s loss cost the Cougars a seed line or two? Maybe. Maybe not. We will never know. Same with Arizona. But we are certain neither Oregon nor Colorado would have heard their name called Sunday without a semifinal win. And nothing was about to stop the Cougars or Wildcats from their appointments with destiny.
• We can count. With the WSU and Gonzaga men headed to next weekend, along with the GU and Eastern Washington women, there are four local teams dancing. Half of the Division I programs within the sound of my typing fingers. And there is still an outside shot the Cougar women will hear their name called.
After all, their resume stacks up with anyone’s vying for the final at-large spots. If the selection committee declines to offer them a spot due to the absence of star Charlisse Leger-Walker, then the remaining WSU players are being hit with a double jeopardy of a sort. Not only did they lose the talents of a good friend and teammate, they face the prospect of being told she was the only reason they’ve won 18 games and earned a 29 ranking in the NCAA’s own analytical measuring system, the NET.
That’s just not true. But we’re afraid being passed over will be true.
• Speaking of being passed over, the powers-that-be in college football have passed over everyone not in the Big Ten or SEC with the CFP payout agreement reached this week. And it’s time for the rest of the Division I schools to make a stand. They won’t of course, but they should.
The news the two richest conferences will get richer, earning almost 60% of the more than one billion dollars ESPN is willing to pay for the 2026 season and beyond CFP setup, whatever it is, is just another death knell for schools not in those two conference. The scraps left for the ACC, Big 12 and everyone else will just widen the gap before the inevitable stratification to come. Why not force it now, before the chasm is so wide no one will be able to leap it?
One thing we are certain about: The amount WSU and Oregon State, aka the remains of the Pac-12, and the Group of Five members will receive will spark a lawsuit. This is not a voluntary agreement. This is a restraint of trade. A take-it-or-leave-it strong arming. Organized-crime. Someone will stand up and say just that. Ask the courts to invalidate the whole deal. And may just win.
No matter what, though, the deal tentatively agreed upon this week has sown seeds. And the harvest is further stratification in the football landscape. The top 20, 30 or 40 schools on one rung. A new next level. FCS. Division II and III. It will happen. Might as well be in a couple years.
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WSU: The Cougars’ defeat wasn’t due to their defense. That side of the ball was good enough to win. The offense? It sort-of disappeared in a flurry of turnovers, missed 3-pointers and poor decisions. That adds up to the 58-52 defeat, one Greg Woods’ dissects in this game story. … He also has the recap with highlights, leading off with Smith forgetting his glasses at the hotel. … Dave Boling has his column about their below-standards game. … Tyler Tjomsland offers us a visual story on the game as well. … Smith is one of the Naismith Trophy semifinalists. Greg has that story as well. … We can pass along stories from Boulder and Seattle as well. … The baseball team fell 4-1 at UCLA in conference play. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, Oregon’s win puts the Ducks within a game of an unlikely NCAA berth. Dana Altman’s teams more often than not play this way in March. … John Canzano has a look at UO’s second-half rally. … A Washington guard is already set to enter the transfer portal. … Utah took a step back this season, meaning next one, the first in the Big 12, will be key for Craig Smith and his team. … Speaking of the future, what’s next for Wayne Tinkle and Oregon State? … Remember, every college basketball player is a free agent as soon as the season ends. UCLA knows that all too well. … USC has a lot of questions for this offseason as well. … Speaking of questions, after the loss to Oregon, Arizona has a few entering the NCAA Tournament. One is Caleb Love’s up-and-down play. … How have Oregon’s women fallen so far so fast? … Arizona has a lot of pesky defenders. … In football news, Jon Wilner answers questions in the Mercury News. … Washington had more than enough highlights in its last Pac-12 season. … Oregon State’s new defensive line coach is coming off a year’s sabbatical. The Beavers have to rebuild their offensive line. … Oregon is throwing money around again. … Utah’s newest safety took a roundabout journey to the position. … A UCLA player had an improbably good pro day. … Arizona has a new coach who must continue to attract elite talent. … Finally, former UW athletic director Mike Lude died this week at 101.
Gonzaga: We’re not even to the NCAA tourney yet and we have schedule news for next season. The Zags’ return matchup with UConn will take place in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 14. Jim Meehan has all the details. … Greg Lee has his listing of the top-five GU women’s teams of all-time. … The 2011 squad’s NCAA run is also listed in this story of the top Cinderella stories ever from the women’s tournament.
EWU: The Eagles’ season isn’t over. Not yet. David Riley’s crew awaits a possible NIT invitation. If not, then there are a couple other postseason tournaments to consider. Then, what? The inevitable roster tear-down and rebuild, as just about every program in the nation deals with these days. Dan Thompson delves into all that this morning. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Northern Colorado has already accepted a postseason tournament berth. … The folks in Pocatello are just catching up to news we had yesterday about Lake City High’s Kolton Mitchell. … UC Davis is knee-deep into spring football.
Chiefs: Spokane had a chance to clinch a playoff berth but fell 3-1 at Wenatchee. They are home for two games this weekend.
Mariners: Rain took out the much-anticipated Spring Breakout game, which would have put a spotlight on younger players. … Spring is all about unknowns making a good impression.
Sounders: Seattle is back at Lumen Field today, hosting Colorado.
Reign: It’s a new-look team that begins NWSL play tomorrow at home, a team once star-studded now lacking some name recognition. The expanded league will be a challenge.
Seahawks: After free agency’s first wave, we still don’t know what type of team Seattle wants to be. And the Hawks still have holes to fill, especially at linebacker. … The Rams will have a huge hole they won’t be able to fill. Aaron Donald retired yesterday. Seahawk quarterbacks, past and present, rejoice.
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• Wow, are we excited for the weekend. And Monday. And Tuesday. Shorts weather. It’s been too long. Time to bust out the barbecue tools as well. Until later …