Thursday, March 6, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
ONE BENEFIT OF Las Vegas hosting the WAC Tournament is that we get to see the conference's best players, something that doesn't happen during the regular season because of the scheduling that comes with a 16-team league.
So if you take a pass on tonight's Utah-Southern Methodist and Hawaii-New Mexico games at the Thomas & Mack Center, it's your fault.
Several of the WAC's stars will be on display with Hawaii's backcourt of Anthony Carter and Alika Smith going head-to-head against New Mexico's talented trio of Charles Smith, Kenny Thomas and Clayton Shields.
Carter was the Pacific Division Player of the Year. UNLV fans are familiar with him by now, as he helped beat the Rebels twice this season. As for Tres Lobos, what they did to San Jose State Tuesday is typical of the damage they're capable of inflicting. These teams split the regular-season series and the rubber match at 9 p.m. should be another war.
But Utah's Keith Van Horn remains the marquee attraction this evening. It has been a long time since someone has come down the pike with such a complete game in this league, and Van Horn has not disappointed.
He can score. He can rebound. He has become a better defender. Even though he's 6-foot-10, he sees the court like a point guard. He can deliver the ball anywhere to his teammates.
A year ago, everyone thought Van Horn was going to bail on Rick Majerus and go for the NBA's big bucks. Instead, he stayed in Utah, where he believed there was some unfinished business after Kentucky bopped the Utes out of the NCAA Tournament.
Look at what Utah has done with Van Horn on the court and it's easy to see he made the right decision -- both for himself and for the program. The Utes are ranked third in the nation and bring a 23-3 record into tonight's game with SMU.
Van Horn has averaged 22 points, 9.3 rebounds, has shot 51 percent from the floor and leads the WAC in free throw percentage at 88. Take him out of the equation and Utah is not being talked about as a top seed in the NCAA regionals.
Then there are the intangibles.
Van Horn was tabbed as Utah's captain. And he has been diligent in keeping his teammates focused. He also has remained mentally tough and emotionally strong following the death of his father during his freshman year.
"As good a player as Keith is, and he's obviously very good, he's a better person," Majerus said. "He's the best captain I've ever had. The other guys really respect him."
And why shouldn't they? He gives an honest day's effort every time out. And for a shot-and-beer guy like Majerus, that's the kind of player he wants to be associated with. When you combine a blue-collar work ethic with white-collar savoir-faire, you've got a lottery pick who is going to make some NBA general manager look very smart and a coach very happy.
Van Horn is indeed special. To miss seeing him play in person would not be very smart.
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