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1/26/2008 3:33 AM

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The Presidents' Athletic Conference has reached the midway point in its men's basketball schedule. So what have we learned from the first rotation through the league?

For starters, we have to give credit to the coaches, sports information directors and media who voted in the PAC's preseason poll. They apparently knew what they were voting on. The balloting, done in November, produced the closest results in league history with Grove City a slight favorite.

The Wolverines are where they were expected to be, tied for first place at 5-1 with Bethany. Thomas More, the surprise team of the conference, is in third place at 4-2 followed by Washington & Jefferson at 3-3.

To illustrate just how amazingly balanced this conference is, you could change the results of a mere two possessions and Grove City would be 3-3 and in fourth place. Change three possessions and W&J is alone in first place at 5-1.

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The PAC tournament winner will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament, and nobody is ready to pick a clear-cut favorite or eliminate any of the seven teams. Provisional PAC members Geneva and St. Vincent are ineligible for the conference title.

"How many are eligible? That's how many can win this thing," Bethany coach Aaron Huffman said Wednesday after the Bison outlasted W&J 86-83 in overtime. "Anybody can win this conference. Grove City can win it, Thomas More can win it, W&J can win it, even Waynesburg (1-5) has an eight-point win over Thomas More. This is the most balanced the conference has been since I've been at Bethany."

n The best men's basketball rivalry in the PAC has to be W&J-Bethany. Each of the last three meetings have been decided by three points or less, including the Presidents' upset at Bethany in the conference tournament semifinals last year.

While the rivalry is certainly intense, there's nothing but respect between the teams and coaches.

"In some ways, I love to play against Bethany," W&J coach Glenn Gutierrez said. "In other ways, I hate to play against Bethany. I love to play against them because of their history, the way they play and the kind of kids they have. You know that if you don't play your best, then you have no chance. I don't like playing them because you know every game is going to be a battle, every possession. They are the blueprint for how I expect us to play."

n A pair of top-5 women's basketball teams will be playing in Washington County in February. Indiana (17-1), ranked fifth in Division II in the latest USA Today/ESPN poll, plays at California Feb. 2. The Vulcans are 15-2 and have won 11 in a row but did not receive a vote in the poll.

On Feb. 13, Thomas More (16-0) will play at Washington & Jefferson (12-4). The Saints are ranked No. 5 in Division III.

n An attempt to bring the Big East Conference baseball tournament to Washington and Consol Energy Park fell short. The Big East recently announced that the tournament will be held in Clearwater, Fla., for the next two years.

An announcement about another sporting event being brought to Consol Energy Park is expected next week.

Sports editor Chris Dugan can be reached at dugan@observer-reporter.com

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