Talk about a potential no-win situation.

While the Utes definitely needed at least one victory in the Mountain West Conference tournament to keep alive their hope of their first postseason appearance in three years, they also might have dashed their most promising prospect by beating New Mexico in overtime last night.

See, the Lobos were considered on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, so the loss to the Utes probably dumps the Lobos down into the NIT ... just maybe taking a spot that the Utes might otherwise have been able to claim. In fact, the web site NITology lists the Utes as merely "on the bubble" for the NIT, with New Mexico and San Diego State definitively in.

In other words, a loss to the UNLV Rebels tonight in the tournament semifinals probably means the Utes are looking at reaching only the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, if anything at all. A win, however, and the Utes not only strengthen their case for the NIT, but keep alive their hopes of an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.