Alford fights Mountain West curse

If you polled media that covers Mountain West Conference basketball on a daily basis about which coach would be the one to lob an obscenity at an opposing player during a postgame handshake, New Mexico's Steve Alford might be a unanimous choice.

Well, maybe Air Force's Jeff Reynolds, but he probably would be cursing at one of his players, the one who didn't rebound, which means he would be cursing at most of them.

Well, maybe Utah's Jim Boylen, but his indiscretion probably would be muttered to himself, which might be followed by a complete breakdown, which would create one of those uncomfortable moments for anyone around but not necessarily draw attention from the league office.

Nope. Alford is the one.

You might not like that side of him. Many don't.

You might think him at times a whiner. Many do.

There is merit to all that -- just watch the YouTube clip of Alford after Saturday's game at Brigham Young.

You need to realize, however, he has done as terrific a job coaching this season as anyone else nationally. Maybe the best job.

New Mexico on March 14 has a chance to be the best case study since Plato tossed out that idea about ethical knowledge being closely linked to mathematics. The Lobos today have an NCAA Tournament resume that, if owned by a team from one of the Bowl Championship Series conferences, would have them all but ensured a No. 2 seed come Selection Sunday.

But history tells us even the best Mountain West teams must annually scratch and fight and claw and pray to be smiled favorably upon by the selection committee. If the Lobos win out and claim the regular-season and conference tournament titles and are not placed as high as a No. 2, their fans should be disappointed but hardly shocked.

In a smaller manner, postseason awards on a conference and national level now being strongly considered should also include much talk of the Lobos.

That he received a public reprimand for his actions and language toward BYU senior Jonathan Tavernari after New Mexico's win in Provo doesn't lessen the impact Alford has made in directing the Lobos to a 27-3 record and No. 8 ranking.

If his team beats visiting Texas Christian tonight and finishes alone in first place, Alford being named Coach of the Year in the Mountain West should be more foregone conclusion than UNLV being a double-digit favorite against Wyoming on Saturday.

Alford also should be considered for the honor on a national level. If all things were even, and they aren't, he would be among no more than three seriously considered.

He has taken a team picked fifth in a top-seven RPI league to within one victory of an outright title, a stretch that includes 13 straight wins, seven coming on the road.

The Lobos are 6-0 against ranked teams and own an RPI of 7 against a top-50 schedule.

Alford has had good fortune, particularly a team so healthy that it has started the same lineup for 30 games. That doesn't happen often nowadays. It's incredibly important.

"One of the best teams in the country," TCU coach Jim Christian said. "A great team, deserving of all the accolades they're getting. Who do you help off of? You can't leave anybody alone. They can all make plays for themselves or someone else. The components are put together so well, it's hard to say, 'OK, we're going to lock in and take this guy out.' "

That's not all coaching, but it's a big part.

Alford is a lot of attitude, some productive, some annoying, but he obviously arrived in Albuquerque with the correct blueprint on how to quickly turn around what was a 15-17 team going nowhere. His players constantly talk about buying into a disciplined approach, which is made easier when you win so much.

He is probably not going to win national Coach of the Year -- Jim Boeheim of Syracuse seems a front-runner difficult to catch today from the country's best conference in the Big East -- but should be a major part of the discussion.

Alford looked a bit of a loon Saturday, walking back toward a college player and offering a choice word with cameras from a nationally televised game still rolling.

He deserved the reprimand because, tough as it is to believe sometimes, coaches are supposed to act the bigger person in such times.

But you can't in any way discount the job he has done.

"A special year," he said. "You have to be a little lucky, but we've created a bit of that luck also. To do what we have done, you have to be pretty good."

That's not all coaching, but it's a big part.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618.