Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Don't miss good, late-night basketball

There is no East Coast bias in college basketball. Only concern about sleep deprivation.

The fans and programs that feel slighted by what they perceive to be imbalanced media coverage must realize that one coast's prime time is another coast's bedtime.

Each season, there is a chunk of sexy regular-season college basketball that's often missed or overlooked by a portion of the country, not due to a lack of interest as much as a collective inability to stay awake. But the West Coast scene deserves more love and attention.

On Wednesday night -- the day before many Americans rose early to prep Thanksgiving dinner -- No. 3 Arizona faced No. 15 San Diego State in a battle for the Maui Invitational title. The game, which Arizona won by a 61-59 margin, commenced at 10:28 p.m. ET.

Many probably missed the tussle between a pair of squads that could be serious players in March.

It was an ugly affair. An officiating crew that called 38 fouls -- 14 in the first 12 minutes of the game -- made sure of it.

But it provided proof of progress for both the Wildcats and Aztecs, who've been here before. It was San Diego State's fourth consecutive loss to Arizona. The Wildcats bounced the Aztecs from last season's NCAA tournament and beat them during the 2013-14 regular season too.

Steve Fisher's squad held the lead at times on Wednesday, but it's that keeping the lead thing that ruins teams. The Aztecs couldn't find the rim in the final 10 minutes but Trey Kell's four-point play with 19 seconds to go nearly led to a miracle.

Clearly, Sean Miller is still tinkering. And his Arizona squad hasn't had the same breathtaking opening stretch that Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin have enjoyed to date. But his team fought through early foul trouble -- T.J. McConnell missed a portion of the first half and Kaleb Tarczewski fouled out in the second -- as it held off a rugged San Diego State squad that kept the game tight until the final buzzer.

Nick Johnson is gone but Stanley Johnson (18 points, nine rebounds, three steals, one block, 9-for-10 from the free throw line) could be the offensive spark for a group that needs one. A lineup of Johnson, Tarczewski, McConnell, Brandon Ashley and lottery-bound Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (14 points, six rebounds, three blocks) rivals any combination in the country.

And San Diego State should be the king of the Mountain West and a dangerous opponent for any squad that sees it in the NCAA tourney. But who will see SDSU and Arizona before the Big Dance? On the East Coast, only those who sacrifice their Z's. It's worth it, though.

You should stay up late and watch Mark Few lead one of the most talented Gonzaga teams he has ever assembled in Spokane.

You can see BYU score 85 points and still find a way to lose.

You can witness stellar freshman Kevon Looney attempt to salvage UCLA's uncertain season.

You can track Utah as it pursues its first NCAA tourney bid since 2009.

And you can catch Arizona and San Diego State joust in a premier matchup between two of the best teams on the West Coast and in the country.

Wednesday night's Maui Invitational title game and a multitude of previous West Coast matchups proved one thing: This is a bad season for college basketball fans to turn in early.

^ Back to Top ^