Wednesday, March 5, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Joby Wright's four-year tenure at Wyoming ended Tuesday with nary a tear.
Even a tough 72-61 loss to Texas Christian which saw the Cowboys squander a 15-point second-half lead couldn't cause Wright to emotionally lose it at the Thomas & Mack Center.
He maintained his composure throughout his postgame press conference and wanted the focus to be on his players.
"These young men have played hard all season," he said of his well-worn team which finished 12-16. "They have had to battle through a lot of adversity and big injuries to our inside inside players as well as a very tough schedule.
"I really wanted to win this game for them, not for me, but to reward them for their perseverance."
Wright resigned Monday after a third straight losing season. In four years, Wright's teams went 53-60. He didn't want to go into the details behind the move after the TCU loss.
"It's a very personal matter," he said.
As for his future, Wright didn't know what was in store.
"I just want to make sure my family is taken care of and my players are taken care of," he said. "That's the most important thing right now."
Au revoir, Olivier?
If Tuesday was Olivier Saint-Jean's final collegiate game, he went out with an average performance. For him.
The San Jose State junior scored 23 points in a losing effort against New Mexico as the Lobos drubbed the Spartans, 103-70. The WAC's leading scorer averaged 23.8 during the regular season.
Saint-Jean had just eight points at halftime. But as the game turned into a total rout, the Lobos let him go. He finished 10 of 15 from the field and had six rebounds, leading the Spartans in both categories.
Many believe he will turn pro in the coming weeks and forego his senior season with the Spartans.
"For me, it's a disappointing experience," he said. "We didn't play very well and I'm very sad with the way we ended the season."
As for when he'll make a decision, Saint-Jean said it won't take long.
"Not longer than a month," he said. "It's not an easy decision. It's a family decision. You weigh the goods and the bads and you see how it comes out.
"I will talk to my mother very soon and we will go from there."
Women back on floor
After taking Tuesday off, the WAC women's tournament resumes play today with four games.
In the 12:30 p.m. opener, Hawaii, a first-round winner over Texas Christian, meets Rice, the second-seeded team from the Mountain Division. At 3, New Mexico, which beat Fresno State Monday, faces Pacific champ San Diego State.
The evening session has Utah, the Mountain champ, meeting in-state rival Brigham Young at 6 p.m. and Colorado State, the Pacific runner-up, taking on Southern Methodist, which beat San Jose State Monday to advance.
The women's semis will be played at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Friday with the championship game Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The men's tournament resumes Thursday after taking today off. Thursday's schedule has UNLV meeting Tulsa at 12:30 p.m., TCU facing Fresno State at 3, Utah vs. SMU at 6 and Hawaii against New Mexico at 9. The Lobos-Rainbows game will be televised live on ESPN (Prime Cable Channel 19).
Media poll results
Today's SUN "Best of the WAC Poll" has a varied selection of all-conference picks and other items of interest.
But for the past four years, WAC beat writer Andy Katz has conducted his own poll because of what he claims are the biases of conference coaches. Katz, who covers Fresno State for the Fresno Bee, released the media's selections Tuesday, some of which fall in line with those of today's SUN poll.
The players of the year, Hawaii's Anthony Carter and Utah's Keith Van Horn, are the same, as are the coaches of the year, the Rainbows' Riley Wallace and the Utes' Rick Majerus.
But the Katz Poll listed some other categories. For instance, UNLV's Keon Clark was selected as the top defensive player in the Pacific Division and Tulsa's Michael Ruffin earned the honor in the Mountain. And there was a selection for unsung player. Hawaii forward Micah Kroeger earned the Pacific honor and Utah's Ben Caton took the Mountain unsung player title.
Rebels a good bet
You can't make a bet on any of the games in this week's WAC tournament because Nevada gaming statutes prohibit wagering on collegiate sporting events held in the Silver State.
But if you could, UNLV might be a good proposition. According to noted professional gambler Lem Banker, the Rebels are 17-8 against the spread this season, the best record in the WAC and the second best in the nation. Only Akron at 17-7 has been better against the number.
Tuesday, UNLV opened an 8-point favorite against Rice before the Owls were bet down to +7 1/2. The Rebels covered, winning by 10, 71-61.
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