Local Schools Put San Diego in College Hoops Spotlight

USD men's basketball? Check!
USD women? Check!

UC San Diego men's basketball? Check!
UCSD women? Check!

Point Loma Nazarene women's basketball? Check!

The Toreros, Tritons and Sea Lions all won their conference tournaments and are now headed to the national basketball tourneys for their levels -- USD in Division 1, UCSD in Division 2, and PLNU in the NAIA.

Still to come? How about the San Diego State men to join the Toreros in the Big Dance? Could happen. Their road through the Mountain West Conference playoffs looks well set-up for them. If they can somehow ride the wave, then the city of San Diego will have six teams in March Madness. That's quite good for a place not known as America's Finest Hoops City.

Watching USD's amazingly convincing victory over Gonzaga to win the WCC title Monday night, I couldn't help but think that the Toreros not only gave the Aztecs extra incentive, but a road map toward success. They beat the Bulldogs and came back to topple Saint Mary's in the semifinal using two things that SDSU coach Steve Fisher has been stressing this year: defense and grabbing what he calls "50-50" balls. The USD defense held the Gaels to 16 second-half points in the semis and the Zags couldn't buy a short jump shot in the last 10 minutes of the final. Hands were up in the air at all times that Gonzaga possessed the ball. The television commentators noted how the Toreros seemed to get every loose ball.

The question now is, can a San Diego State men's team coming off a slightly disappointing regular season win three games in three days? I think so. They opened the season by winning three games in a row in Fresno and got better each game. They can be dangerous when getting into a rhythm.

Can they extend themselves physically and emotionally? Yes, though I've only seen it a couple times this year: the first 10 minutes at Cal, the first half at home vs Wyoming and the second half on the road at New Mexico. Perhaps the final five minutes at home vs BYU. That's four times in 30 games, so maybe the better question than "can they?" is "will they?"

We find out Thursday afternoon with the opening conference tournament game vs Air Force.

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If no one else steps up in defense of CIF-San Diego Section Commissioner Dennis Ackerman, I will. He has one of the most difficult jobs anyone can possibly have in sports. He's like the NBA commissioner but without the huge salary. Add in about 5,000 parents who all think they could run high school sports competition better than he does, and you understand the position he's in.

In the latest controversy, three of the county's best basketball players mysteriously left off All-Star Game rosters after overcoming eligibility questions earlier in the season, Ackerman had the final say over whom was selected.

Ackerman might have been wrong in this instance. The two boys players in question have since been added onto the roster. He's been wrong before. He's been right most of the time, though, and high school sports around here have flourished since he became commissioner.

So correct the mistake, but cut the man some slack.