Arizona's Russ Pennell; College basketball's new Steve Fisher?

Is head coach Russ Pennell of the Arizona Wildcats the new Steve Fisher of college basketball?

For sports enthusiasts who don’t remember, Fisher was named “interim” head coach at Michigan 20 years ago just before the NCAA Tournament.

Wolverines coach Bill Frieder had decided to take the job at Arizona State after the season, so Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler responded by saying he wanted a “Michigan man” to coach Michigan. (Ironically, Frieder was an alumnus of Michigan; Fisher was not.)

We know that improbable situation ended with Fisher winning his first six games as a head coach in leading the Wolverines to the national championship.

Now we have Pennell as the “interim” head coach at Arizona, replacing Lute Olson last October when Olson retired due to health issues.

All Pennell has done is lead the Wildcats to a nearly impossible spot in the Sweet 16; especially considering that a multitude of people believed San Diego State (Fisher’s current team), Saint Mary’s or someone else deserved to be in the NCAAs instead of Arizona.

Despite being in the Sweet 16, Pennell is not even going to be considered for the permanent job … why not?

He was an assistant coach at Arizona State from 1998-2006, as well as an assistant at the University of Mississippi for six seasons (1992-98).

He began his coaching career at Oklahoma State University from 1990-92. The Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in both of Pennell's seasons in Stillwater.

The past two seasons, Pennell was a radio analyst for Arizona. And that’s not a bad background, considering that opposing coaches are more likely to spill their secrets to a radio analyst than a current coach.

All things considered, Pennell should at least be considered for the permanent job at Arizona.

After all, he may become the next Steve Fisher!

NCAA Basketball: Make regular season matter

Don’t blame all of the injustices in the NCAA Tournament on the NCAA selection committee.

Much of the unfairness centers on the way teams are determined.

Why, after playing an entire season, should a conference’s automatic bid all come down to a 3- to-5-day tournament?

Shouldn’t a 4-month season have precedence over a tournament that lasts 3 to 4 days?

Certainly, teams such as Mississippi State and USC are only in because they won conference tournaments. But should those 4-day events matter more than a 4-month season?

Hardly.

That’s why teams such as San Diego State and Saint Mary’s this season – along with countless others over the years – have unfairly been left out of the tournament.

Oh, sure, one of those two teams could make a name for itself by winning the NIT. But that’s hardly a consolation for being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament.

There is one very valid criticism of college sports overall: Why does the Big Ten always get such high rankings in the postseason?

Seven Big Ten teams are in the NCAAs. Watch them fall on their collective faces – just like Big Ten teams traditionally do in the football postseason.

Until the regular season matters more than a tournament, there will continue to be injustices in the NCAA.

San Diego State hoops needs big-time wins

San Diego State needs to beat someone of significance if it hopes to receive an NCAA Tournament bid in men’s basketball this season.

The Aztecs may be off to a 13-5 start, but they have yet to post a win to get them over the hump when tournament selection time comes.

SDSU has faced three certain NCAA participants thus far – Arizona State, Arizona and Saint Mary’s. The Aztecs lost to all three.

Of the 13 wins, Utah has been the biggest-named opponent. And the Utes are no certain bet for the NCAAs.

Coach Steve Fisher has done a good job in his near-decade on Montezuma Mesa in turning the Aztecs from a horrible to middle-of-the-pack team. The program is good enough to make the NIT just about every year; yet you can only count on an NCAA berth (and loss) about once every five years.

Unless the Aztecs win the Mountain West Conference’s automatic NCAA bid this year, it’s going to be the same old thing:

Play in the NIT and hope for the best.

USD capable of pulling off NCAA upset

You know what?

The University of San Diego may have an upset in the making coming in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday vs. the University of Connecticut in Tampa, Fla.

Why?

These Toreros don’t seem to be intimidated on the big stage.

They went on the road in December and won at Kentucky, arguably one of the top four all-time national programs.

They won back-to-back games … albeit at home … against Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament.

UConn will be a tall task in more ways than one. The Huskies feature All-Big East Defensive Player of the Year Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3 sophomore center who averaged 4.5 blocked shots a game this season.

Albeit the Huskies (24-8) have won 13 of their last 16 games, they’ve also lost three of six since a 10-game winning streak. And they were defeated by West Virginia, 78-72, in last week’s first round of the Big East Tournament.

USD (21-13) must try to offset Thabeet inside with 6-8 center Gyno Pomare, who has averaged 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds.

As one might expect, the Toreros are a virtual unknown to UConn. Huskies coach Jim Calhoun mainly knows a little about Pomare.

“He's had some very good games. It's going to be an interesting battle, because we have a big guy, too,” Calhoun told the Connecticut media.

San Diego State? The Aztecs travel to Florida on Wednesday to play the two-time defending NCAA Champions in the NIT Tournament.

Say goodbye to the Aztecs!