Believe it or not.
This could happen only in the Mountain West Conference, especially the areas that have been hammered with severe wintry weather.
The problem occurred Friday and involved a TV production truck on its way from Cheyenne to the Air Force Academy for the telecast of the Wyoming- AFA men’s basketball game Saturday at Clune Arena.
The truck hit 65-mph wind as it crossed the state line, and the wind tore away the top of the truck – leaving it useless for the game. But the telecast on The Mtn. went on as scheduled.
However, the announcers called the game off the feed from the network’s studio in southeast Denver.
“We’ve never had anything like that occur in our eight-year history,” commissioner Craig Thompson said Monday during the MWC’s weekly teleconference with the media. “We were thrilled … we got the game produced. I think in most cases with those circumstances, the telecast would have been canceled.”
Sticking with three
Thompson remains confident the MWC will send three teams to the men’s NCAA Tournament, but the Falcons are the only ranked MWC team this week. Air Force (20-3, 7-2) jumped to No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and No. 13 in the coaches poll. Nevada-Las Vegas dropped out of the coaches poll after losing 90-63 at Brigham Young on Saturday.
Thompson believes the MWC’s image is rising, and Air Force’s success this season is among the reasons. Other high points are UNLV’s 6-4 record on the road as well as Air Force and Colorado State each being 5-2 away from home.
Both Air Force and BYU, meanwhile, have won 28 consecutive home games.
Air Force’s national ranking puts the Falcons ahead of national powers Duke and Kentucky.
BYU the team to beat?
Even with wins over Air Force and UNLV, nobody, including BYU coach Dave Rose, is ready to say the Cougars (17-6, 7-2) are the team to beat as the conference race heads down the stretch.
“Fans can do what they want to do with it, but we’re in a situation where you just look at your next game,” Rose said. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
The Cougars have won four in a row.
BYU plays at Wyoming tonight, and the Cowboys are coming off an 88-43 loss at Air Force. The Cowboys had four starters miss Saturday’s game, including guards Brandon Ewing and Brad Jones and forward Joseph Taylor. They were suspended for fighting. Ewing and Jones will return tonight, but Taylor is suspended indefinitely.
Watching the clock
Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik has reminded his seniors that time is becoming a factor.
“I told our players that they have 320 minutes left in their regular-season college career and they should make every minute precious,” Bzdelik said.
Footnotes
Texas Christian coach Neil Dougherty, on his team being a spoiler the rest of the way: “Being a spoiler isn’t my job here. Our motivation is playing better, and that’s enough.” … San Diego State will honor Tony Gwynn, its baseball coach and a new member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, at halftime of tonight’s key game against Air Force.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
