If Denver leaves the WAC, Seattle University needs to find a new conference fast

Seattle University’s new conference, the WAC, has been teetering on the brink of self-destruction for over a year now.

A mass exodus was already going to leave the conference with just six members next season, with Idaho, New Mexico State, Denver and Seattle welcoming conference newbies CSU-Bakersfield and Utah Valley. Idaho has announced its departure to the Big Sky in 2014, but that still gave the conference a year to come up with a replacement.

It doesn’t have that luxury anymore, because according to a CBS report, Denver is going to skip out of the WAC and join the Summit League in the summer of 2013. The WAC would be left with five (soon to be four) members.

I cannot emphasize enough how big of a problem this would be for Seattle. Five teams likely means no possible way to get into the NCAA tournament. Five teams means the conference would be on the level of the Great West as a complete afterthought. Five teams means the WAC, needing to have eight members by 2015, would have virtually no chance of survival.

It also is going to scare some recruits away from the program. A team with a secure conference future is always going to be more attractive than one in flux.

And all the school’s other athletic programs are going to take severe hits, too. Can the baseball team get Division-I players with no NCAA bid up for grabs? Will anyone watch the women’s soccer team play meaningless annual games against Utah Valley?

So here’s an urgent message to the people in the athletics department at Seattle University: Get to work.

Secure a future in Division-I athletics for the Redhawks, whatever it takes. It might require writing a hefty check to the Big West or the Big Sky, but it will be worth it in the short and long term.

Because the WAC is, sadly, not going to be a viable conference much longer. For this basketball program – and athletics program – to continue to grow, it needs to be in a different athletic conference, one with the promise of potential bids into the NCAA tournament years from now.

Utah Valley at Seattle – 84-74 LOSS

Teams that want to make the NIT, or in future years, compete for NCAA tournament berths, don’t lose to teams like Utah Valley University by double-digits at home. They just don’t.

Hero: Cervante Burrell. In the midst of an otherwise depressing letdown game, the senior point guard put up some solid numbers. 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (with just one turnover) is nothing to be ashamed of.

Goat: Aaron Broussard. Although he’s done yeoman’s work all season long, Broussard really hurt the Redhawks in this one with his 6-21 shooting – 2-9 from three-point range. Average that out, give him two more 3’s and two more 2’s, and hey, look at that, 10 more points and the game’s tied. If only it were that easy.

Key stat: Seattle took 10 more shots from the floor than Utah Valley, yet lost by 10. As a team that a) gives up lots of free throws, and b) shoots poorly from the floor, that’s been the story of their season.

Seattle at Utah Valley – 77-72 LOSS

It’s starting to feel like the Seattle University Redhawks just can’t get a break.

In one of their toughest halves of basketball all season, they fought back from a big deficit to take a lead late, then let it slip through their fingers in the closing stages of the game. They had shots to tie and/or take the lead in the final minute, but were unable to convert. It was probably a moral victory – battling back from being down 17 to take the lead is impressive. But moral victories seem to be the only kind the Redhawks can come by this season.

Utah Valley is the kind of team that good teams don’t have a problem with home or away. It’s the kind of team that, when Seattle U moves into the WAC next year, should be beaten in order to have a chance at a postseason berth. And postseason berths are what Cam Dollar, and the Redhawks, are targeting. That’s where they want this program to be. The Redhawks aren’t there yet. They’re getting closer. But they’re definitely not there yet.

Hero: Eric Wallace. The senior forward had a really strong game, converting 9 of 12 shots from the floor for 18 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and stayed out of foul trouble. Honorable mention goes to Jarell Flora, who nailed 3 of 4 threes, scoring 9 points in just 6 minutes off the bench.

Goat: Clutch shooting. Seattle missed their final 4 shots of the game. Cervante Burrell had a jumper to take the lead with 29 seconds left, and missed. After 2 UVU free throws, Flora shot a three to tie and missed (his only miss of the game). UVU missed a free throw, and Burrell had another jumper to cut into the lead and missed again. Two free throws later, the deficit was five, and Chad Rasmussen missed a desperation three with 4 seconds on the clock.

Key stat: 10 of 14. That’s how many of Seattle U’s remaining games take place in Seattle – starting with the Seatown Showdown against Washington on Tuesday.