Archive for the ‘UW at BYU men’s basketball’ category

UW-BYU five things to watch

January 19th, 2010

1. Don’t get the runs: Not those kind of runs. Wyoming can’t allow BYU to go on any big runs like it often does at home. At the Marriott Center 4-0 runs turn into 12-0 runs in the blink of an eye. This can’t happen for the Cowboys to have any chance.

2. Score, score and score again: Sure, BYU has a lot of firepower (83.9 ppg) and a coach can drive himself insane trying to figure out how to stop the Cougars or just slow them down. But you also have to score against BYU, especially in Provo. UW wants to push the tempo and speed the game up, which plays right into BYU’s hand. I don’t think UW can win a half-court game against BYU so if it’s going to run with the Cougars, they better score.

3. No freebies: BYU is the best free-throw shooting team in the country at nearly 78 percent. It’s tough enough to defend the Cougars when the game is live, but to put them at the free-throw line is worse. If BYU is going to score, make it earn it on the floor, not the line.

4. Rebound: Once again this finds its way in the top five for UW. The Cowboys did a good job last Saturday against New Mexico. It won the rebounding battle — barely, but it still won it. The Pokes can’t give the Cougars any second or third chances to score.

5. Protect the rock: Despite 23 turnovers against a 16-3 New Mexico team, UW still had chances to win. If the Cowboys have that many against BYU the game will be over within the first 10 minutes. For the Pokes to have any chance they must cut their turnover total in half, at very least.

See Wednesday’s paper for more on this game, and on the Cowgirls home game against BYU Tuesday night.

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Posted in Basketball, UW at BYU men's basketball

Las Vegas connection

January 18th, 2010

One of the reporter’s on Monday’s Mountain West Conference coaches teleconference brought up an interesting fact.

Eight of the nine MWC schools have at least one player from Las Vegas on their rosters. Utah is the only one not in the mix.

Many of them are really good players, too:

BYU senior forward Jonathan Tavernari (went to high school in Las Vegas), San Diego State junior forward Billy White and New Mexico junior wing Darington Hobson.

“It beats me. You go where you think players are,” said San Diego State coach Steve Fisher on why so many MWC teams look to Las Vegas for recruits.

Hometown UNLV has two natives on its roster: Junior guard Tyler Norman (a transfer from Iowa State) and freshman guard Anthony Marshall.

“There are a lot of good high school players in Las Vegas,” UNLV coach Lon Kruger said. “You expect other teams in the league to come in. It’s not a surprise. It’s natural for  players in Las Vegas to go to other schools in the league.”

Wyoming has one player from Las Vegas: sophomore guard James Dean. He is a walk-on who transferred from Wisconsin-Milwaukee and it not playing this season.

MWC men’s basketball players from Las Vegas

Air Force: G Jon Atkins, So.

Brigham Young: F Jonathan Tavernari, Sr.; G Michael Loyd Jr., So.

Colorado State: F Andre McFarland, Jr.; G Harvey Perry, Sr.

New Mexico: G/F Darington Hobson, Jr.

San Diego State: F Billy White, Jr.

TCU: G Hank Thorns, Jr. (transfer from Virginia Tech, sitting out this season)

UNLV: G Anthony Marshall, Fr.; G Tyler Norman, So. (transfer from Iowa State)

Wyoming: G James Dean, So. (transfer from Wisconsin-Milwaukee)

UW (8-10 overall, 1-3 MWC) plays at No. 14 BYU (18-1, 3-0) Wednesday. See Tuesday’s paper for what Cowboys coach Heath Schroyer had to say about the Cougars, as well as from the coach whose team just got waxed by the Cougars: CSU’s Tim Miles.

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Posted in UW at BYU men's basketball, UW men's basketball