Tony Bland knows what the perception is, that he traded a Lexus for a Yugo, a Rolex for a Swatch, a pair of Air Jordans for a pair of Chuck Taylors.
Winning for losing.
Notoriety for nothing.
Participating in March Madness for watching it.
Bland however, isn't biting. He won't have any of it.
|  | | Tony Bland returned to his Southern California roots after starting all 32 games as a sophomore at Syracuse. |
"You can change things pretty fast in basketball and that's what is already beginning to happen here," he said. "I knew what I was getting into. I knew how bad things had been. But I also knew with myself and a few others, it wasn't going to be that way any more."
Bland is the 6-foot-4 guard who left Syracuse for San Diego State; left a Sweet 16 team for one that managed nine wins (total) the prior two seasons; left an annual NCAA Tournament program for one that has been to three dances. Period.
And yet, Bland is the best example of the early magic Steve Fisher has spun as the third-year Aztecs coach. SDSU went 14-14 last year, its first .500 or better finish in six years and only the third since 1984-85.
This season, Bland and fellow transfer Brandon Smith (Michigan) will join a starting lineup that should include leading scorer/rebounder Randy Holcomb, junior point guard Deandre Moore (by way of Vanderbilt) and junior-college All-American center Mike Mackell.
Al Faux, one of the nation's best walk-ons a year ago, returns. So too does 1,000-point career scorer and three-year starter Myron Epps, an athletic forward who now must fight for every minute he gets.
Suddenly, almost overnight, SDSU has gone from pretender to contender. Or at least from sad to sleeper.
"Players like (Bland and Smith) are healthy additions to our team," said Fisher, the former Michigan coach whose three Final Fours and Fab Five legacy has energized a historically apathetic basketball town. "They're used to winning. They know what it takes. They realize there is not a whole lot of difference between average to good and good to really good. They're intent on making us part of that mix. They know how to get guys going."
Said Smith, who has one year eligibility and who was recruited to Michigan by Fisher: "Tony and I bring a positive attitude with us. There is no reason this team can't have as good a work ethic as there is in the country."
Know this: Bland, who often teamed with Smith and three walk-ons to beat last year's starting group during practice, will lead the way.
He started all 32 games as a sophomore at Syracuse, can play both guard spots and offers SDSU its best athlete off the dribble. More importantly, he attended Westchester High in Los Angeles. Interest from recruits in that area doubled once Bland announced he was homesick and transferred.
There is a word for young eyes: Impressionable.
Feeling is, if a player can leave a sold-out Carrier Dome and the Big East Conference for what was essentially a hoops purgatory before Fisher arrived, it's at least an option for recruits to consider.
"Sure, it was tough leaving Syracuse," Bland said. "The atmosphere was incredible for games. I had a lot of friends there and the coaches taught me a lot. But I'll have the same relationships here.
"I am sure of it."
Seems the Yugo is looking better and better every day.
Working vacation
Rick Majerus stayed home. He wanted to be there, desperately so. But the possibility of inadequate health care overseas won out.
Utah went 4-4 on its tour against club teams in the Canary Islands, Spain and France. Dick Hunsaker, who earned Mountain West Coach of the Year honors last season while filling in for the ailing Majerus, guided the team during its three-week tour.
The most impressive sight: Nick Jacobsen running the point.
The league's top freshman in 2000-01 directed the offense all eight games. Travis Spivey remained home, Kevin Bradley is close to being an academic causality and Marc Jackson is on a mission.
"I proved that I could play the point if the team needs me," Jacobsen said. "It was good to prove that to myself and the coaching staff. If anything, I came back from the trip with a more aggressive attitude."
Around the Mountain West Conference
Conference officials prefer their annual tournament be held at a neutral site, hence the push for Denver's Pepsi Center to host the event in 2004 and 2005. But the 2003 tourney is still out there, with Las Vegas (which will host in 2002 for the third straight year), San Diego and Albuquerque making bids. Feeling is, Sin City has had its time and a switch to Cox Arena or The Pit is needed.
From the something-you-don't-hear-about-often dept.: SDSU senior wing Jim Roban, slowed by injuries his first two seasons at the school, gave up his scholarship for next year so the Aztecs could sign former Crenshaw High star Tommy Johnson. Roban will petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility after suffering from back problems that forced him to sit out the 1999-2000 season. He has played in just 11 games since joining the program.
Air Force coach Joe Scott says forward Robert Todd will return to the program after receiving a six-month probation for violating Academy policy. Todd returns the team's leading scorer with a 10.7 average.
New Mexico coach Fran Fraschilla represented the conference in Washington, D.C., in late June, when the NCAA supported a bill to ban collegiate sports wagering. "It's an important issue," Fraschilla said. "Betting on college sports in hurting the game."
Things won't be easy for BYU in 2001-02. Steve Cleveland, whose team was the league's lone NCAA representative in March, faces his toughest schedule in four years. "It's going to be a challenge," Cleveland said.
Seven conference champions, including Stanford as a part of a Dec. 22 doubleheader in Las Vegas, dot BYU's schedule. Oh, did we mention the Cougars lose five key players off their NCAA team?
Ed Graney of the San Diego Union-Tribune is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at ed.graney@uniontrib.com.
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