May 31, 2001

By Jeff Call
Deseret News

PROVO, Utah -- If BYU -- or any other basketball program that is a member of a "mid-major" conference -- has much hope of earning an at-large NCAA Tournament berth in the future, it will have to play, and beat, teams from the top six conferences.

That message was sent, loud and clear, last March when the selection committee invited only five at-large teams that were not from the "Big Six" leagues (Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Southeastern, Atlantic Coast and Pac-10) to the NCAA Tournament.

While increasing emphasis is being placed on non-conference scheduling, BYU has played its share of difficult non-conference opponents during coach Steve Cleveland's four-year tenure, and year five will be no exception. Still, the Cougars are slated to face only two opponents from the "Big Six" conferences -- Stanford and Arizona State -- next season.

It's not from a lack of trying.

The problem is, none of the nation's top teams are interested in home-and-home deals with up-and-coming programs like BYU.

"The good teams, the Stanfords of the world, have learned they don't have to play non-conference road games," said BYU athletic director Val Hale. "Teams like that won't schedule home-and-home, especially if (the opponent) is solid. They want to play on a neutral court."

That's why one-night, made-for-TV doubleheaders played at neutral sites have become en vogue in college basketball. Last year, the Cougars participated in one such event in Houston, against Rice, which was followed by a contest between North Carolina and Texas A&M.

"There are real advantages to those types of games," Hale said. "There's a financial reward and television exposure. It's the best of all worlds."

The Cougars would very much like to inhabit those worlds more frequently. So much so that for months, Cleveland, Hale and other BYU officials have been laboring to stage a doubleheader of their own. Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller has offered the use of the Delta Center for that purpose.

BYU came close to hosting a doubleheader at the Delta Center for the 2001-02 season. In fact, the Cougars were set to play Southern Cal in one game -- which ESPN had agreed to televise -- and fellow Mountain West member Wyoming was to go against a Southeastern Conference school in the other. But that second matchup did not materialize, and the plan collapsed.

Not that BYU is giving up on the idea, for 2002 and beyond. "The issue is not dead," Cleveland said.

"It's something we would like to do," Hale said, "but it takes a lot of work and coordination. We have to have the manpower to make it happen, and we'll have to commit some resources. We do hope to do it in the future. The hardest part is getting teams to commit."

Though its attempt to host a doubleheader fell through, BYU will meet Stanford on a neutral court -- in Las Vegas on Dec. 22 -- as part of a doubleheader with UNLV and Texas.

TOUGH ENOUGH: BYU's 13 non-conference opponents in 2001-02 boasted a 234-156 (.600) record a year ago. Among those foes include defending league champions Stanford, Utah State, Creighton, Southern Utah and Cal-State Northridge. In all, the Cougars will take on nine teams that qualified for either the NCAA or NIT last year.

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES: BYU hosted two memorable ESPN "Big Monday" games last season -- big victories over UNLV and Utah. Yet ESPN opted not to schedule any "Big Monday" games at the Marriott Center next season.

"I'm a little surprised by that," Hale said. "Last season we had such a good response with large crowds and our team played well both nights. My guess is (ESPN) looked at the number of players we lost and they must think we're rebuilding. We don't necessarily think that is the case."