Arizona's Russ Pennell; College basketball's new Steve Fisher?

Is head coach Russ Pennell of the Arizona Wildcats the new Steve Fisher of college basketball?

For sports enthusiasts who don’t remember, Fisher was named “interim” head coach at Michigan 20 years ago just before the NCAA Tournament.

Wolverines coach Bill Frieder had decided to take the job at Arizona State after the season, so Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler responded by saying he wanted a “Michigan man” to coach Michigan. (Ironically, Frieder was an alumnus of Michigan; Fisher was not.)

We know that improbable situation ended with Fisher winning his first six games as a head coach in leading the Wolverines to the national championship.

Now we have Pennell as the “interim” head coach at Arizona, replacing Lute Olson last October when Olson retired due to health issues.

All Pennell has done is lead the Wildcats to a nearly impossible spot in the Sweet 16; especially considering that a multitude of people believed San Diego State (Fisher’s current team), Saint Mary’s or someone else deserved to be in the NCAAs instead of Arizona.

Despite being in the Sweet 16, Pennell is not even going to be considered for the permanent job … why not?

He was an assistant coach at Arizona State from 1998-2006, as well as an assistant at the University of Mississippi for six seasons (1992-98).

He began his coaching career at Oklahoma State University from 1990-92. The Cowboys advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in both of Pennell's seasons in Stillwater.

The past two seasons, Pennell was a radio analyst for Arizona. And that’s not a bad background, considering that opposing coaches are more likely to spill their secrets to a radio analyst than a current coach.

All things considered, Pennell should at least be considered for the permanent job at Arizona.

After all, he may become the next Steve Fisher!

San Diego State hoops needs big-time wins

San Diego State needs to beat someone of significance if it hopes to receive an NCAA Tournament bid in men’s basketball this season.

The Aztecs may be off to a 13-5 start, but they have yet to post a win to get them over the hump when tournament selection time comes.

SDSU has faced three certain NCAA participants thus far – Arizona State, Arizona and Saint Mary’s. The Aztecs lost to all three.

Of the 13 wins, Utah has been the biggest-named opponent. And the Utes are no certain bet for the NCAAs.

Coach Steve Fisher has done a good job in his near-decade on Montezuma Mesa in turning the Aztecs from a horrible to middle-of-the-pack team. The program is good enough to make the NIT just about every year; yet you can only count on an NCAA berth (and loss) about once every five years.

Unless the Aztecs win the Mountain West Conference’s automatic NCAA bid this year, it’s going to be the same old thing:

Play in the NIT and hope for the best.

Has SDSU finally met its match?

Colorado State has the longest football losing streak in the nation at 11 games.

The Rams are favored to win by 13 ½ points in their Mountain West Conference opener Saturday.

Must be a mistake, right?

Wrong.

Colorado State is hosting San Diego State, which also is opening its conference season.

With the Rams being on an 11-game losing streak and favored by so many points, it can only tell you one thing: The opposition must be horrible.

And it is.

Take away a win against Sacramento State of Division I-AA (or whatever the NCAA calls it these days), and the Aztecs would be winless this season.

Sure, two of their three losses were to teams currently in the Top 25 (Arizona State and Cincinnati.) The other was to Washington State of the Pac-10. All three games were blowouts.

At least Colorado State has been competitive against arguably a tougher schedule than SDSU has faced.

The Rams only lost by a field goal in overtime to Colorado, which beat then No. 3-ranked Oklahoma last weekend. They also came within six points of a California team now ranked third in the nation.

Any wonder why the Rams are favored so heavily?

At Coach Sonny Lubick’s weekly press conference, he was asked about his Colorado State team having an easier schedule ahead.

“You look to it as a real chance,” he said. “However, if we get foolish, and start thinking ahead too much, then you've got a major problem.”

With the nation’s longest losing streak, don’t expect the Rams to look ahead this week.

Prediction: Colorado State 27, SDSU 17

Aztecs face another tough weekend

Do you want to make some money this weekend?

Take Arizona State and give the 28-point spread to San Diego State for Saturday night’s game in Tempe, Ariz.

Why?

There are 469 reasons, as in the 469 passing yards Washington State rolled up in a 45-17 win over the Aztecs last weekend.

And that was Washington State, a weaker link in the Pac-10. Arizona State figures to be a factor in the tough Pac-10 this year, which figures to be bad news for SDSU.

The Sun Devils have the nation’s No. 23-ranked passer in Rudy Carpenter.

After facing coach Chuck Long and his Aztecs, don’t be surprised if Carpenter ranks among the top 10 nationally.

Prediction: Arizona State 44, SDSU 10