The March to Madness

Alford Has Words With BYU's Tavernari

Update: Steve Alford has been reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference, but the New Mexico coach says the league's action was not warranted.

New Mexico's Steve Alford calls Brigham Young's Jonathan Tavernari an asshole Saturday during the postgame handshake.

Tavernari was involved in a minor skirmish with the Lobos' Darington Hobson during the final minute of New Mexico's 83-81 win, with Tavernari claiming that Hobson threw an elbow after a timeout was called.

The Cougar player later apologized to Alford. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

The Fraud That Is Steve Alford

They are snickering in Iowa, and why not? Steve Alford left the Hawkeye program after the 2006-07 season for — of all places — New Mexico. The good people of Albuquerque thought they had pulled one off, getting a coach from a Big Ten team, but they are finding out what Iowans have known for years. Alford is a fraud.

The latest damning piece of evidence against Alford came late Sunday night in Cancun, where the Lobos lost to Drake, 68-62, dropping New Mexico's record to 3-4. Matching last season's 24-9 record is going to be next to impossible and it would appear the best the Lobos can hope for is a trip to the NIT, something Alford made a regular practice of during his eight seasons at Iowa.