Last Tuesday, the Air Force sports information department e-mailed the media procedures for securing NCAA Tournament credentials. On Wednesday, the Falcons lost at Mountain West Conference leader San Diego State.
But the Falcons held on Saturday to defeat visiting Wyoming 62-61, improving to 19-5 and 7-4 in the MWC. Win No. 20 could come Wednesday at Texas Christian (5-19, 1-9). There was a time 20 wins was the magic number for NCAA Tournament consideration. Now it’s the RPI, and the Falcons led the MWC on Sunday at a bubble-like No. 46 on the Collegerpi.com list. The NCAA updates its RPI at midweek.
This could be the season the 65-team NCAA Tournament has only one representative from the MWC – the winner of the MWC Tournament in Denver. In past seasons there has been at least one at-large hopeful, with the MWC collectively pulling for an upset in the league tournament to produce two berths.
Last year, Utah was locked into an at-large berth long before the MWC Tournament. New Mexico, which came into the MWC Tournament at 23-6, had to win it all at the Pepsi Center to secure a berth. In 2004, when they won the MWC regular-season title but lost in the first round of the league tournament, the Falcons waited anxiously for the announcement of the NCAA bracket to learn their record-setting season wasn’t over. They received an at-large berth, lost 63-52 to North Carolina in Denver and finished 22-7.
With eight straight wins, San Diego State (16-7, 9-2) appeared on the verge of at-large consideration. But the Aztecs lost 67-65 on Saturday to visiting Utah. With an RPI of 60, they will have to return to winning form in a hurry.
