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WAC overview

Sasser should lead Mustangs to the top

Special to CNNSI.com

Jeryl Sasser made the smart move in returning to SMU rather than jumping to the NBA. Stephen Dunn/Allsport

Order of Finish 1. SMU 2. Tulsa 3. TCU 4. Fresno State 5. Rice 6. Hawaii 7. UTEP 8. San Jose State 9. Nevada

Top storylines

Tulsa made a great run last year, advancing to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, but several key players from that team, along with coach Bill Self, have departed. Tulsa did everything in its power to keep Self, one of the hottest coaching properties in the country. To his credit, he resisted job offers, until Lon Kruger inexplicably left a great Illinois job for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Self inherits a top 10 team at Illinois, and his replacement at Tulsa, Buzz Peterson (yet another hot young coach) will try to carry on.

He's not a great shooter, but SMU's Jeryl Sasser is a well-rounded player who nearly tried his hand at the NBA after his junior year. He wisely opted to stay around, which will make the Mustangs the league favorite.

What kind of impact will UNLV transfer Greedy Daniels have on TCU? The Horned Frogs will make a full-blown return to Billyball, that run-and-gun, search-and-destroy offense preferred by coach Billy Tubbs, who had to tone down the attack last year to take advantage of post man Marquise Gainous.

The WAC didn't have an automatic NCAA Tournament bid last season but still got two teams (Tulsa and Fresno State) in the Big Dance. This year, the league regains its automatic bid, which will go to the conference tournament champion.

Players to Watch

Top Three Players

Jeryl Sasser, G, SMU • Sasser (17.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.6 apg) returns after flirting with the NBA. Turning pro would have been a disaster for the preseason first-team All-WAC pick; he needs work on his perimeter shooting. Branon Wolfram, F, UTEP • Wolfram (20.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, .553 field-goal percentage) put together some great numbers as a junior and many think he's the WAC's best player. He'll anchor a front line that will also have to rely on several newcomers. Marvin Ely, C, Fresno State • Ely (13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) is simply the WAC's best center. He led the league in blocked shots and shooting percentage a year ago.

Top Newcomer

Greedy Daniels, G, TCU • Daniels will fit right into Billy Tubbs' high-octane offense at TCU, regardless of whether he immediately wins the starting point-guard job. He'll see some work because of his defensive prowess alone.

Coaches

Hot Coach

Buzz Peterson, Tulsa • Peterson, one of several former North Carolina players or coaches who have gone on to become successful head coaches in the college ranks, was mentioned for several job offers the last few years before settling on Tulsa. Peterson did a great job in a tough situation in his last stop, at Appalachian State.

Coach on the Hot Seat

Buzz Peterson, Tulsa • Tulsa has long been a stepping stone for coaches on the move: Nolan Richardson (Arkansas), Tubby Smith (Georgia), Steve Robinson (Florida State) and Bill Self (Illinois) all left for bigger and better things after maintaining a successful program. Can Peterson do the same?

Mark Your Calendar

Nov. 23, Fresno State vs. North Carolina at Springfield, Mass. • The Bulldogs would get a great chance to pick up some much-needed RPI brownie points with a victory over the Tar Heels. Jan. 13, SMU at Fresno State • Fresno State will be looking to knock the WAC preseason favorites down a notch. Jan. 27, SMU at TCU • This game could establish early supremacy in the regular-season race.

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