Farewell, BYU Basketball 2015 Seniors

I'm gonna cry . . .

I might be even sadder when this season's over than I was when Jimmer graduated. And that's saying A LOT. Tomorrow night, it will be time to say goodbye to 4 amazing basketball players as they (except in the event of an NIT appearance) play their last game in the Marriott Center . . .

Tyler Haws. Tyler is amazing. There are no words to express how sad I am that he's graduating. He will leave as BYU's all-time leading scorer and someone who was grossly underrated for his ability to quietly score 20+ points almost every single game. I really, really hope he gets a shot in the NBA because I think he definitely has the potential. He's not as flashy as Jimmer was, but he's equally good a scorer and much better at defense. Good luck, Ty! I hope for nothing but the best for you.

Skyler Halford. Although Skyler showed brief moments of Matt Carlino-like frantic insanity, he has been much more consistent than Matty and has always been good at giving a defensive spark and energy when it was needed most. He always seems to have a good attitude and never get frustrated or angry, even during tough times.

Anson Winder. I really hope Anson is able to recover from his injury enough to play at least a little bit on Senior Night. I remember when he was red shirting Jimmer's senior year and I always felt bad for him that he wasn't able to participate on the court during such a magical season. Despite being plagued by injuries, Anson has given the Cougars a great boost in both scoring and defense the last couple of years, and I think he definitely wins my "most improved" award for this senior class.

Josh Sharp. I'm so glad Josh has finally gotten back on the court these last few games to show what he's really made of, and I hope he continues to finish out his senior season in style. The thing about Josh is that his body doesn't really match his skills very well (he's tiny compared to other guys who do what he does), but he makes it work. You'd never think just looking at him that he could throw down the monstrous dunks he gets from time to time. He's also very quiet and unassuming-- he almost looks bored most of the time, even when he's playing, but he's got a great sense of humor and can definitely ball with the best of 'em.

Nate Austin is a senior, too, but the odds are good that he will receive a medical red shirt, so hopefully he'll be back!

Let's go get them Toreros tomorrow night, preferably capped by at least 35 points from Tyler so he can pass Jimmer on the all-time scoring list at home . . . and maybe even a 6th triple double for Kyle.

Thank you, seniors! It will be tough to replace these guys, but the future of Cougar Hoops is bright!

2014 WCC Tourney: Time for BYU to Dethrone the Zags!

Anson lays it up and in against the Zags in Provo

March Madness has begun! We're down to the final 4 teams in the WCC Tournament: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, San Francisco, and BYU. The semi-finals are tomorrow evening, followed by the championship on Tuesday. I'm getting new cable installed at my apartment on Tuesday morning... everyone pray for me that it goes off without a hitch because I CANNOT miss that game! I have a cautiously good feeling about BYU's chances of winning this...

Santa Clara came super close to beating Gonzaga last night. I watched about the last 10 minutes or so, and I was vacillating back and forth the whole time about who I actually wanted to win. The game was tied with 9 seconds left, and David Stockton managed to take it all the way across the court to sink a layup with 1 second left. With all their timeouts gone, Santa Clara just had to throw up a half-court prayer that didn't go down (I had brief flashes of the Dellavedagger... which would have been kind of sweet, I must admit, but it didn't happen). The Zags won by 2.

Of course, if BYU doesn't win the tournament, we need Gonzaga to win it, so another team doesn't steal an auto-bid to the NCAA and risk knocking BYU out of an at-large. I kind of wanted Santa Clara to win last night, just because it would increase BYU's chances of winning the tourney. But since the Zags did win, I hope they beat St. Mary's tomorrow because I'd rather have BYU play against Gonzaga than St. Mary's in the championship, if, of course, the Cougs can make it past San Francisco first.

Quadruple team on Tyler? No prob.

The Cougars were ahead of LMU almost the whole game yesterday, but it still wasn't very pretty, and I didn't breathe easy until the clock was almost gone. They didn't make a single 3-pointer, which was really aggravating. Their rebounding wasn't as good as it should have been, either. Kyle Collinsworth had a great game, though, easily nailing a double-double. Anson Winder added 16 points, and Tyler Haws scored a quiet 22. I'm amazed at how he is able to do that game after game. I'm hoping the guys can shake it off and step it up because playing San Fran definitely isn't going to be a cakewalk-- they will need to play much better than they did yesterday to beat the Dons for a 3rd time this year.

I definitely like the new starting lineup with Anson and Luke Worthington. It has prevented them from falling behind too early and keeping Eric Mika out of foul trouble. He has been struggling a little bit off the bench, though-- he needs to work on playing aggressively without committing stupid fouls (I did a figurative facepalm on his behalf a few too many times yesterday...)

We've got a lot of momentum right now-- beating the Zags at home was awesome! It was definitely the game with the most energy from the crowd this season. It was also nice to easily beat Portland in the last home game of the season-- Matty's 3-point spectacle was the perfect revenge for Bobby Sharp's hot shooting in the 3OT game earlier this year.

Tyler Haws was interviewed on BYU Sports Nation on Thursday, and he agreed to moonwalk on the Orleans Arena court if they win the tourney on Tuesday. That would be hilarious-- I want them to win even more now!

That episode of BYU Sports Nation was also quite the embarrassing moment for me... Spencer Linton & Jarom Jordan apparently think I have a "huge crush" on Tyler Haws, which I will neither confirm nor deny. Here's the video and the audio-- they talk about me at about 26:10 and 40:00 on the video or 23:45 and 35:30 on the audio-only version. I must admit it's pretty funny, as mortified as I am by the whole thing. I may as well milk it, right? At least I got a "favorited" Tweet out of Tyler from it.... haha.

I did have contact with Jimmer the night before his 52-point thrashing of New Mexico in 2011, so maybe I'm good luck? I do hope Tyler has an equally awesome performance on Tuesday night. The Zags have been at the top of the conference for far too long, and BYU hasn't won their conference tourney in 13 years-- it's time! But of course, we've gotta get past San Francisco first. Come on, boys, let's win this thing!!!

BYU Basketball 2013-2014 Season Preview

Matt Carlino shoots over Frank Bartley
at the Cougar Tipoff

This time of year is my Christmas-- the start of the BYU basketball season! I'm stoked for this year. The roster has changed even more since the last time I blogged about it, leaving only 6 of the same players as last year and no seniors on the team. Normally, that means an inexperienced team that's too young to do much, but I don't think that will be the case. I think they definitely have the talent to have a great season this year and an even better season next year in 2014-2015. Tyler Haws, Matt Carlino, and Kyle Collinsworth have been named the team captains. But there's a whole lot more to this team . . . Let's meet 'em!

#00 Eric Mika
He stole Brandon's number and doubled it . . . but that's ok because I think Eric Mika definitely has the potential to be the next Brandon Davies at BYU. He's a true freshman right out of high school, but he's got a very similar playing style to B, and he's got the strength and the height (at 6'10") to stack up to competitors in the big leagues. With a high school Utah state and national championship under his belt, I think Eric will bring great things to the Cougars this year. He won the dunk contest at Boom Shakalaka, and he definitely did it with style. I'm just not even going to think about him probably heading off on a mission next spring . . .

#2 Matt Carlino
Moving up 8 spots on the numerical roster, Matt Carlino hopes to move up in a lot more ways this year, too. Although he is desperately in need of a haircut at the moment (but stick to scissors, Matty-- not a razor!), I really hope Matt can get his act together this year. When he's on, he's on, and he's amazing. When he's off, he can ruin everything. I think working together with Kyle Collinsworth will take some of the pressure off him at point, though, and he won't be forced to be the primary decision maker for the team all the time, which should help A LOT. If he is willing to learn from Kyle, if he can focus on not getting turnovers, and doesn't keep making stupid snap decisions under pressure, I think Matty will improve a lot this year. Unfortunately, I think he's a little overly confident . . . I hope it doesn't turn into cockiness because that could cause problems.

Kyle Collinsworth & Josh Sharp

#3 Tyler Haws
Not much needs to be said about Ty. He's the star of the team, and definitely my favorite on the roster. He played on Team USA this summer, and is back in Provo to do some damage on his home turf. This is just another year in his quest to beat some of Jimmer's records (and I predict by the end of next year, he definitely will pass him on a few).

#5 Kyle Collinsworth
Why did Kyle & Matt have to change numbers this year and confuse me? I still think of him as #31, but Kyle is back from his mission in Russia and will be wearing #5 this year. I'm super excited to see how things go with him. I doubt he will be quite as good off the mish as Ty was last year, but I think he will slowly come back into it. He really struggled at Boom Shakalaka with the dunk contest-- he just ran out of steam, but I guess you've gotta give him props for giving it a shot. As previously stated, I think his primary role this year should be as a mentor for Matt Carlino because what Matt lacks is what Kyle has (control, consistency, and good decision making). If they can develop a good rhythm together, they will be hard to beat. 

Chase Fischer guards Tyler Haws

#12 Josh Sharp
Josh is the only married member of the team this year, which is rather unusual at BYU. He has a quiet & reserved personality, but he can be a monster on the court. He also competed in the dunk contest at Boom Shakalaka by jumping over his wife's head in round one and doing another dunk in round two that Blaine Fowler & Dave McCann concluded just looked "too easy" or he would have gotten higher scores and given Eric Mika a run for his money. I admit I wasn't the biggest Josh fan until midway through last year-- I've really warmed up to him now, though. He gets it done when it needs to get done.

#13 Andrew Johnston
I don't know much about this kid. He is a walk-on who played both football and basketball in high school. As a 6'3" guard, I assume he will be a backup for Haws, Carlino, and/or Collinsworth.

#20 Anson Winder
Anson is finally healthy this year and can hopefully make some significant contributions to the team. I also heard a rumor that he might be the one to replace Brandon in the pre-game circle dancing role, which is obviously crucial to the team's success. :)

Eric Mika throws it down
at Boom Shakalaka

#23 Skyler Halford
Skyler is a transfer from SLCC. I am actually super impressed with him. He beat out Tyler Haws in the 3-point contest at Boom Shakalaka (which is definitely saying something!) and he played really well at the Cougar Tipoff, too. He reminds me a little bit of Stephen Rogers. I think he will be a great addition to the Cougars, especially as an outside shooter.

#24 Frank Bartley IV
I'm also really impressed with Frank. He reminds me a little bit of Charles Abouo. He's strong, athletic, and can dunk super well for a guy who's only 6'3"-- he came in second place in the Boom Shakalaka dunk contest, and his first dunk was make over the top of 6'10" Eric Mika-- it was crazy!

 #30 Chase Fischer
Chase just transferred from Wake Forest, so he'll have to redshirt this year. I'm impressed with him, though-- I even see little glimpses of Jimmer-esque moves in him. I think he'll be a great addition to the roster next year.

Frank Bartley jumps over Eric Mika

#33 Nate Austin
Story time! I was at my stake institute class a few weeks ago, and about 20 minutes into the lesson, I was looking around the room, and lo and behold, Nate Austin was sitting 3 chairs to my left. How in the world did I not notice a 6'11" guy? I walked right past him! He was sitting down-- that's my excuse. Anyway, my favorite moment of the lesson was when Pres. Lewis (my stake president) asked where the Gates of Hell are located and Nate shouted out, "The University of Utah!" hahaha . . . Pres. Lewis also asked Nate at one point how old he was when he was first able to dunk. Nate answered: 9th grade. Pres. Lewis said, "I've never been able to dunk. Does that make you a better person than me?" Nate (with no hesitation): "Yep." He's a funny guy. And an awesome basketball player.

#41 Luke Worthington
Luke had the chance to play football at BYU, but he chose basketball instead. Or, who knows, maybe he'll be the next Bronson Kaufusi? :) I don't know much about Luke, but he is super tall and strong and will make a good backup for Mika and Austin.

#45 Graham Pingree
Graham is a walk-on, along with Johnston, and is planning on going on a mission next spring. He's a 6'8" forward, so I assume he will play backup for Josh Sharp and maybe Mika, Austin, and Worthington.

All in all, this team inspires me. And makes me super excited for the next 4 months. BYU basketball is the only thing that gets me through the winter . . .

The first exhibition game is tomorrow night, and of course, I'll be there in my mediocre season seat . . . but at least I'm not stuck in the student section anymore! Wahoo! Go Cougars!

A Bittersweet End to the BYU Basketball Season

I'm calling it right now.
Two years from now, Tyler Haws
will be BYU's #1 all-time scorer.

As difficult as it is to come so close and fall short, I'm generally happy with the way the 2012-2013 BYU basketball season ended. To go from a first-round exit in the WCC Tourney against a team that we were supposed to beat easily to turning things around and making it all the way to the NIT Final Four is definitely something to be proud of. We were one of the last 8 teams in the country to still be playing basketball in April-- awesome! Despite all the heartbreaks that happened in the last few months, the Cougs' post-season NIT run really saved the whole season.

The 2012-2013 season certainly wasn't without highlights. I still get all tingly inside when I watch Craig Cusick's putback against USU, and I loved the show the boys put on against LMU on my birthday. We ALMOST beat the #1 team in the country (it obviously would have been much sweeter if we had actually pulled it off, but it was sweet nonetheless), and we did beat a really, really good team on the road like it was child's play. Tyler Haws started smashing records, Brandon Davies made his way into the top-10 Cougars of all-time in several different categories, Brock Zylstra finally came out of the woodwork to end his career on a great note, and Matt Carlino, despite his frantic play and inconsistency, saved the day more than once. There were a lot of great moments and some great successes this season. But that definitely doesn't mean there's not room for improvement. 

Nate Austin showed a glimmer of hope toward the end of the season, but he has a long way to go before being able to carry the team in the post. We also have 2 incoming freshmen to help in that area (Eric Mika & Luke Worthington), but it's yet to be seen how their games will transition to the college level. I think that's gonna be the most difficult task in the off-season-- figuring out how to make up for losing Brandon.

The #2 task is going to be putting a leash on Carlino, but I actually don't think that's going to be super hard because there's an easy solution-- put Kyle Collinsworth at the 1-guard position and move Carlino to the 2. BAM! Problem solved. Carlino is soooo much better at the 2 because it allows him to get better looks at the basket without having to concentrate on running the show, but we just haven't had anyone else at the 1 to replace him. But with Collinsworth coming back from his mission, that's definitely the logical thing to do. He can run point and let Carlino take a backseat, where he's more productive and less frantic. Hopefully Dave Rose thinks so, too. It would also help to get Anson Winder fully healthy again so he can make up some slack defensively that we will get with losing Cusick.

I'm really looking forward to next season. I think we'll have a better, more mature guard line and hopefully can get Brandon's replacements in the post up to snuff before conference play.

So, now I enter my 7-month period of mourning where there is no BYU basketball to be seen . . .  :( I'll try to wipe my tears now and look forward to another great year. Go Cougs!

A Disappointing Slump in the BYU Basketball Season

BYU vs San Francisco

I'll be blunt-- the last 2 BYU basketball games have sucked. Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse after losing to San Diego . . . it got worse with another loss to San Francisco. But all is not lost. We still have a chance to finish out the season on a high note. It may not be the high note the players and fans were hoping for, but a high note, nonetheless.

Here are my conclusions:

1. BYU is going to the NIT post-season tourney. I've head a bunch of BYU commentators play the what-if game this week, saying "Well, if BYU wins the conference tournament . . ." and "Well, if BYU beats St. Mary's on the road AND Gonzaga at home, AND at least makes it to the championship game of the WCC tournament . . ." Ok, guys, let's be real. That's not gonna happen. I love my basketball boys, and yes, they have the talent, and yes, they have the skills, but they just aren't consistent. There is no way they can pull together enough consistency to beat St. Mary's twice and Gonzaga once, let alone twice. It's just not going to happen. Honestly, I'll be surprised if they can pull off one of those three or four games. So, let's just make the best of it, and get excited for the NIT. It's not the end of the world. In fact, that might even give us a few more home games to enjoy, after quite likely suffering defeat to Gonzaga in the final home game of the regular season. I'd LOVE to come back and win a few more at home in the post-season, so let's do it!

I really like this article by Ryan Teeples of The Deseret News, which says, in part:

The sky is not falling.

Well, maybe the clear blue has already tumbled in terms of NCAA tournament chances for the 2013 Cougars.

But these struggles are likely little more than a brief blip. Just a bump in the road, and one not unique to Provo. When you put it all in context, BYU is hitting a lull that’s not uncommon, not surprising and certainly not worth melting down over . . .

Just eight teams in America have a longer NCAA Tournament appearance streak than BYU. The Cougars have six straight trips to the Big Dance under their belt. Sure, fans want to see the team there perennially. But the fact is, very few teams make double-digit straight appearances. Those teams are called Duke and Kansas.

Sure, Gonzaga has 14 straight, but they are the major exception. Kentucky, Ohio State, UCLA, UCONN have all missed the dance at least once in the last five years, yet BYU has not.

2. It really could be worse. We're lucky to have made it to the tournament so many years in a row, and while it is a disappointment to not make it this year, it's ok. They'll learn from it and come back next year (with the exception of Brandon, Brock, and Craig, unfortunately) with a clear goal in sight.

3. Tyler Haws is crucial to this team. How many more games would we have lost without Tyler? I'd be willing to wager that "several" is a good answer. Without him, we might have an empty post-season.

4. Matt Carlino and Anson Winder need to do some SERIOUS mental training in the off-season. I'm willing to give Anson a break because he was injured at the beginning of the season and has had a hard time coming out of it, but he almost blew the entire Pepperdine game for us with a stupid last-second foul on a 3-pointer, and he's made a few more really, really dumb mistakes over the season. He's a good defender, but we need him to defend cleanly. And Matty is still Matty. I'm sorry, but I think he needs a little kick in the pants, maybe even from Coach Rose. I'm pretty sure I could have better ball security than that guy. Yes, he can score, but he needs to STOP PANICKING! He gets frantic way too easily and throws the ball to the wrong team or out of bounds or whatever, and it has cost us games in the long run. They are both really talented-- I think it's just a mental block that is getting in their way. They need to get rid of that in the off-season. Shake it off, boys!!!

5. BYU doesn't fit well in the WCC. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss the MWC. I'm tired of BYU playing in high school gyms and all of their games being either miracle wins or horrible losses. There needs to be some in-between. They really aren't evenly matched with any of the teams in this league (with the possible exception of St. Mary's), and it's getting old. They need some more evenly-matched competitors who play in arenas similar in size to the MC to really have any chance of standing out in the national perspective.

Even though this season isn't turning out as hoped, it's not over yet. Don't throw in the towel, and all you stupid people who are calling for Dave Rose to get fired, get a grip! He's the best coach the BYU basketball team has had in a loooong time, so just shut your traps and let him do his job. It's not his fault at all. Even the greatest programs in the country hit a lull once in awhile, and it's okay. We will fight, day or night, rain or snow! Go Cougars! Let's finish out this season on a strong note . . . and, who knows, maybe an NIT championship! :)

What BYU needs to do to make it to the Big Dance

Matty takes a shot against San Diego, 1-19-12

Last night's BYU basketball game against Pepperdine was WAY too close for comfort. The game ended up resting in the hands of Matt Carlino (which, as much as I love Matty, is never a safe bet), yet he somehow managed to throw up a wild, falling flat on his back, several feet beyond the arc three-pointer that luckily found nothing but the bottom of the net, just as the shot clock expired with 12 seconds left in the game. It gave the Cougs a 4-point lead which they had fought and clawed and scratched their way to, despite being behind almost the entire game. Anson Winder almost threw the happy moment away by fouling Jordan Baker on a 3-pointer at the other end of the court. Baker nailed 2 freethrows and missed the third on purpose, hoping to get a tip-in to send the game to overtime. Luckily the tip missed, too, and BYU scraped by with a win, even though it was far from pretty.

It pains me to say that this kind of inconsistent play is what might be the BYU basketball team's ultimate undoing. Yes, they almost beat St. Mary's, but they got creamed by Gonzaga, and barely scraped by one of the worst teams in the league, which doesn't look so good on their rap sheet. The question at the forefront of every Cougar fan's mind is: Will they make it to the NCAA tourney for the 7th straight year? I think they're definitely on the fence. So what do they need to do to make it?

One of these scenarios has to play out for BYU to make it to the Big Dance:

Ty drives to the hoop vs. Pepperdine
in Provo, 1-10-12

1. They win out the rest of the season, with the possible exception of one loss to either St. Mary's on the road or Gonzaga at home-- but they can't lose both. I think if they can at least beat one of them, though, they've got a good shot at making it into the tournament. Those are the last 2 games of the regular season, so they've got plenty of time to prepare-- I just hope they don't psych themselves out like they often tend to do.

2. They win the conference tournament. BYU will most likely be a 3-seed, making that task almost impossible-- it's basically the absolute worst seed to get because they'd have to beat both St. Mary's and Gonzaga to win. In order to only have to play one of them, they'd have to get them to play each other in the semi-finals, meaning BYU would have to be a 1-seed, which is basically impossible at this point. 

3. They get lucky. If they lose to both St. Mary's and Gonzaga AND lose the conference tournament, but someone on the selection committee sees the potential of Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies (like I believe they should), or if they're itching for another Iona-like showdown, they may have a shot. But obviously there are no guarantees.

For one of those situations to play out, Matt Carlino has to stop being frantic and get some consistency back into him, Tyler Haws has to be ON every game, and Brandon Davis has to stay out of foul trouble. I'm not sure if all three of those things has ever happened at the same time this year, but they need to-- especially in the games against St. Mary's and Gonzaga.

All-in-all, I think the most likely situation is they will end up in an almost identical position as last year-- they will be one of the first four in or one of the first four out of the bracket. Maybe I'm a horrible fan for saying this, but I kind of hope if that's the case, they go to the NIT instead of NCAA. I'd rather have them play a few more games (some of which could even be on their home court) and make it a little further in a tournament than get creamed in round one. Then again, I said that last year, too, and if I had been right, we never would have had the chance to witness the greatest comeback in NCAA history against Iona. I would feel really badly for the seniors (Brock Zylstra, Craig Cusick, and Brandon Davies) if they don't make the NCAA, but I think they could finish off their careers on a higher note if they go to the NIT. I guess only time will tell. I can't believe there's only a little over a month left in the season! March Madness will be here before we know it. Hope they finish strong, no matter which way the cookie (or their season) crumbles.

A depressing weekend in BYU sports

It's not very often that my two favorite sports teams lose three times in two days. Sigh . . .

I guess I do have to say that the weekend wasn't 100% bad in the BYU sports world. I caught the end of the BYU women's soccer game on Saturday right before the football pre-game show, and it was INTENSE. I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I've gotta give major props to those girls. I could tell they thought they were going to lose-- they were clinging to each other and shaking, with tears rolling down their faces as each different member of the team stepped up to take a penalty kick. They somehow held on through 8 rounds of PKs and came from behind to beat Marquette and make it to the elite 8 in the NCAA tourney. Way to go!

Now onto the tough stuff . . .

Auggie Ambrosino and Nate Austin fight for the ball vs FL State
From www.ksl.com

Loss #1: BYU basketball vs. Florida State

I knew that BYU had to keep turnovers to a minimum to have a shot in this game. When Matt Carlino committed 2 turnovers within the first minute of the game, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. They shaped up a little bit as the game went on, but it was still very messy. The refs were also horrible and called really nit-picky fouls. Brandon Davies got in foul trouble early on and spend most of the first half and a good chunk of the second half on the bench. He still managed to score 19 points, and Tyler Haws added 23, but it wasn't enough. We struggled defensively and couldn't knock down shots when it mattered most.

Loss #2: BYU basketball vs. Notre Dame

This loss was pretty heartbreaking. BYU really should have won. But again, unnecessarily called fouls and an inability to make easy shots was the story. BYU led by 1 at the half, but fell behind in the second fairly quickly and never recovered. Brandon only played 18 minutes because of fouls. Coach Rose wanted to limit Nate Austin's time so he could heal from an ankle (I think?) injury sustained in the FL State game, but had to play him when Ian Harward got in foul trouble and eventually fouled out. The team as a whole only shot 38% from the field and 21% from behind the arc.

Morals of the story from these two basketball losses:

• They've got to keep Brandon out of foul trouble. Haws is amazing, but he can't carry the team, and we need Brandon in the post, both offensively and defensively.
• They've got to keep their heads in the game. Matt Carlino in particular tends to panic. He's very frantic and makes some costly mistakes. Even if they're down with just a few minutes left, they need to concentrate and stop throwing up desperation shots that never go down or passing the ball in traffic and getting it turned over.
• They need to shake up the lineup. Cory Calvert is my unsung hero of the season so far. That kid is incredible-- not the best shooter in the world, but he is an assist machine! He's got quick hands, is great on defense, and is an amazing passer. I think he's just as feisty as Carlino, but he works much better under pressure. They also need to play Craig Cusick more often. 
• Anson Winder needs to get healthy again. I was happy to see him in for a few minutes at the end of the FL State game. Hopefully he is healing well and can be back on the court soon. We could really use him.

Riley Nelson breaking tackles left and right.
From www.heraldextra.com

Loss #3: BYU football vs San Jose State

I hate to admit it, but even I gave in to the temptation to go to bed early on this one. I gave up with about 5 minutes left (when they were down 20 to 7), paused it, and went to sleep. I hit play again on Sunday morning and watched the rest. I started hyperventilating when they managed to get one more touchdown and completed a successful onside kick-- they had a shot! A good shot! I was kicking myself for not hanging on a little longer on Saturday night! But then, of course, my dreams were dashed when that SJSU linebacker jumped over Jamaal Williams' head (how in the world did he do that?!?) and sacked Riley Nelson to effectively end the game. So close, yet so far. The story of the season.

Despite the bad outcome of this game, overall I was impressed with the way BYU hung on. There were some great moments (a career-high 13 Cody Hoffman catches, a spectacular on-side kick, an amazing zig-zagging sack from KVN, and an awesome juggling interception from Daniel Sorensen, to name a few), but of course, there were some very painful moments, too.

I must state my firm opinion about Riley Nelson, though-- Riley is not a terrible quarterback. He may not be the best QB that BYU has ever seen, but he's definitely not as bad as everyone seems to be making him out to be. He was breaking tackles all over the place and made some incredible passes. However, it seems like the opinion of the day is that Riley should have been benched in favor of James Lark in the second half because Riley was playing so badly. I disagree. I don't think Lark could have made a big difference in that game. I think he would have played just as good as (or maybe worse than) Riley. I don't think he could have won us the game. The only reason Riley maybe should have been pulled was because of his injuries-- NOT because of his playing performance.

To prove that Riley isn't the ultimate downfall of the BYU football program, I cite this tweet from Greg Wrubell:

He has fewer turnovers than Max Hall for heaven's sake! That's amazing! Granted, Bronco's obsession with Riley Nelson has definitely gone overboard, and I think it has cost us a few games this year, but SJSU was not one of them.

Why did BYU lose this game? The defense didn't show up until the second half-- that's why. It's true that Riley was far from perfect (yes, I know there was a turnover on downs and an interception in the blue zone), but he is still clearly having back problems AND he dislocated one of his ribs! I'd like to see anyone play as well as he did with those injuries. I don't know why the BYU defense couldn't stop SJSU on their first 3 drives, but that was what ultimately cost us the game. Well, that, and an amazing play from the SJSU linebacker who sacked Riley with 1 minute left in the game. But I don't think there was anything anyone could have done to prevent that one.

I close by making a plea to Bronco Mendenhall: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE play James Lark against New Mexico State. That's right-- James Lark at QB for the ENTIRE GAME. NMSU has one of the worst teams in college football right now-- certainly Lark can handle it, and he deserves to play a game as a senior QB. Let Riley take a month off, take a much-needed vacation to the hospital, get fixed up, and come back ready for the bowl game on December 20. Please stop shooting your team in the foot by overplaying Riley. PLEASE. We all know you adore him-- that point has been abundantly clear. Now please make the smart decision and let him sit out next Saturday. It may not even be the worst idea to sit Cody, too, since he is now nursing a shoulder injury.

Alright, Cougars, time to pick yourselves back up and go get 'em. First up, basketball vs UT- San Antonio on Wednesday night. You know I'll be there!

BYU Basketball Cougar Tipoff 2012

It's my favorite time of the year!!!  The BYU Basketball Cougar Tipoff last night was AWESOME. And I must begin my commentary by admitting that I take back what I said about Josh Sharp being boring and not contributing much to the team. He definitely proved me wrong by providing the most exciting moment of the evening. Check out this sick dunk:

 

Well played, Josh. Well played. As Davies said about the dunk: "He catches you sleeping. He'll put one on your head." True dat.

Matt Carlino from downtown

Unfortunately, it looks like Stephen Rogers is officially done with his basketball career. I'm really sad about that, but not too surprised, considering all the injuries he has had. But the thing that made me saddest of all is that he wasn't even at the Tipoff last night. So on my autographed poster that I got after the game, the picture of Stephen is the only one without a signature to go with it. :(

The thing that scared me the most about last night was how many injuries appear to already be plaguing the team, and the season hasn't even started yet. Is Brandon Doman calling their plays? Just kidding . . . But they've completely lost Chris and Stephen, and Anson Winder didn't play last night because of an ankle injury. After the game, Nate Austin had two gigantic ice packs strapped to his shoulders, and Ian Harward put a big brace on his leg. Heck, even one of the cheerleaders left the court in tears, cradling her arm after a fall. I also had two heart-stopping moments when Matt Carlino and Brandon Davies hit the court hard and didn't pop right back up. It looked like Carlino smacked his left elbow really hard because he was rubbing it for a few minutes, but thankfully, he kept on playing and seemed fine. Brandon, however, sat out the entire second half after falling on a hard foul. He claims he's fine, though, and it was just a precaution. It seemed really rough for an exhibition game-- I hope they were just full of too much adrenaline and can play safer now that it's out of their systems.

Tyler & Brock

Tyler Haws was definitely the overall standout of the evening. He led the winning blue team with 26 points and made all his free throws, of course. :) He now dons jersey #3, which totally threw me off . . . although maybe that means he's just planning to channel his inner Kyle Van Noy. haha. Tyler looked good. Really good. He has even been named one of the team captains (along with Brandon and Brock), despite being only a sophomore and fresh off the mish. Mark my words: He is going to have a really special year this year. He may even have Jimmer-like potential. I'm stoked!

Raul Delgado & Craig Cusick

Matt Carlino still seems a little bit rushed and frantic on the court, but he has improved. I think his play is a little bit more controlled, which is really good. He had 19 points and 8 assists last night. If he can keep up those kind of numbers consistently throughout the season, he (and the team) will be in really good shape.

Our two new JC transfers, Auggie Ambrosino and Raul Delgado, both looked really good, too. They seem to fit in with the team well and both had some great moments on the court. They are definitely fun to watch.

My other highlight of the evening came when I was in line getting an autographed poster. Craig Cusick was first at the table. He thanked my niece and I for coming and asked me if I am a BYU student. I said, "No, I'm an alum." He seemed surprised and said, "Really?" I said, "Yeah, I graduated a long time ago" (Looking back, that probably made it sound like I'm about 50 . . . but in my defense, it has been a really long 4 years!) He said, "Well, you definitely don't look like it!" I just laughed and said, "Thanks." So thank you, Craig, for making me feel like I'm not an old maid for at least one brief moment. We should be friends. :)

First exhibition game is tomorrow! Can't wait!

Brandon for two!

Tyler takes it in while Brock imitates an alligator. Very intimidating.

BYU Basketball 2012 Season Preview

Cougar fans, it's time!

In preparation for the BYU basketball season just around the corner, I've been trying to catch up on all the interviews that happened last week for BYU Basketball Media Day, and I've been doing some research on our new and returning players. I think we've got a good team shaping up, and I can't wait for the season to begin!

For starters, we've lost several players since last year. Charles Abouo and Noah Hartsock graduated, Chris Collinsworth retired because of injuries, Damarcus Harrison transferred to Clemson, Nick Martineau lost his scholarship and chose to leave the team, redshirt Michael Boswell left the team because of problems recovering from a surgery, and redshirts Jaren Sweeney and Austin Nelson have departed on their LDS missions.

Anyway, that is quite a lot of shoes to fill. Let's see how this year's team is shaping up:

Seniors: 
Brock Zylstra- Brock the rock is Brock with vengeance! Bad puns aside, Zylstra really grew on me last year. In his media day interview, he said he feels the team is better prepared for this year. They're more comfortable on the court and with each other. It will be hard to fill the void left behind by Noah and Charles, but the new seniors are ready to step up and take over with a solid team effort on both offense and defense.

Brandon Davies- I'm already depressed that this is Brandon's last season. He's my favorite. In his media day interview, the first thing out of his mouth was, "I can't wait. It's been too long!" Amen, Brandon. He said this is his last shot, his senior year, so he's going to give it everything he's got. Woah boy, I'm excited. 

Craig Cusick- Craig is one of the most underappreciated members of the team, IMHO. He's got a great shot, and has improved drastically since he first transferred to the Y. Brock mentioned that Craig has especially improved in the off-season, so I'm excited to see what he brings to the court in his senior year.

Stephen Rogers- According to Coach Rose, Stephen is having a hard time recovering from the surgery he had to repair his torn meniscus last year. He still has a lot of issues with pain and swelling, so he may or may not make it on the court this year. I hope he at least gets to play a little bit. I really like that guy and the way he plays under pressure. I feel bad for him and all the injuries he has had the last couple of years.


Juniors:
Both juniors on the team are JC transfers.

Raul Delgado- This guy is getting a lot of hype in the pre-season. Originally from Mexico, he's got a cool accent and a lot of swag. In his media day interview, Raul said he is impressed with the team's dedication, strength, and tenacity. He believes his role will be to make shots and be a good representative of the team both on and off the court. The interviewer mentioned that Raul is already becoming known as a showman. Raul's response: "It's all about having fun. Basketball is fun!" He's also very resilient-- he dislocated his elbow the day before school started this fall, but he's already way ahead of schedule on his recovery and is ready to go. Coach Rose says the fans will really enjoy watching him play. He's fast. He can score in a variety of ways-- a good driver and a good finisher. I'm really excited to see him in action. 

Agustin ("Auggie") Ambrosino- A transfer from SLCC and a devout Catholic, Auggie grew up in Argentina and Spain. He is fitting in well with the team, according to Coach Rose. He said he chose BYU over his other offers because he likes their fast-paced playing style and the coaching techniques of Dave Rose. He's also a big Jimmer fan. I like him already. :) He's a 6-foot-8 power forward who averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game at SLCC last season. He also has 44% accuracy on 3-pointers. His playing style has been compared to Noah Hartsock-- I certainly won't complain about that!

Sophomores:
Nate Austin- Nate had shoulder surgery in the off-season, but he has been cleared to play. He's a good back-up for Davies and brings a lot of strength and good defensive skills in the paint.

Matt Carlino- According to Coach Rose, Matt has been working really hard on being more consistent and improving his pick-and-roll skills lately. He should be much improved this year, especially since he can play the whole season now. He is dedicated and wants to be good ALL the time, which is something a coach and fans love to hear. I think he'll bring great things to the team this year and in the two years after that.

Tyler Haws- I'm sooo excited that Tyler is back from his mission and ready to play again. He's one of the best free throw shooters I've ever seen. In fact, he has a current streak of 48 consecutive free throws made-- a school record-- that he can continue building on this season, despite his 2-year hiatus. He was getting teased about it a little bit at the commercial shoot in May-- Brandon accused him of forgetting how to play basketball while he was gone, and everyone was saying he'd better not miss that first shot back on the court (Tyler admitted that is one of his biggest fears). In his media day interview, he said the biggest strength of this year's team is unity. Everyone gets along on and off the court. They're competitive-- they want to win and they will be a tough team to beat this year. Tyler is a solid addition to this team and is expected to be a starter and a team leader, a role he is very excited to have.

Josh Sharp- This might sound harsh, but if I had to pick a "least favorite" member of the BYU basketball team, it would probably be Josh Sharp. He just doesn't seem to do very much or contribute to the team on the court, and he's always back in the shadows off the court, making it hard to feel a connection to him. But maybe he'll change my mind this year and come out swinging! I hope so.

Anson Winder- At the basketball commercial shoot in May, Anson really impressed me with his friendliness to the fans and his sense of humor. Toward the end of the shoot, the crowd was starting to thin out and they were having a hard time making it look like there were a lot of fans in the background, so Anson came over during one of the shots that he wasn't in, stood right behind me, and started cheering with us, shouting things like, "Hey Brandon, nice shot! I'm a fan! Can I have your autograph?" He's a cool guy, both on and off the court. I like his ability to keep cool and deliver under pressure. I think he's got a great season ahead of him.

Freshmen:
Cooper Ainge- Son of the legendary Danny Ainge, Cooper is a walk-on on this year's team. Since he will be leaving on his mission next summer, he might redshirt.

Cory Calvert- Cory originally planned on going on a mission before enrolling at BYU, but he has decided to play for a year first instead. He's 6-foot-3, was the 2012 5A MVP in Colorado, and plays both point and shooting guard.

Kyle Rose- Coach Rose's nephew Kyle redshirted in the 2009-2010 season (which means he had lots of practice guarding Jimmer and Jackson in practice during their junior year) before his mission in Salt Lake City. Now he's back and is ready for his first regular season on the team. He said it's not that strange to be playing on his uncle's team because at family reunions, Uncle Dave is the one joking around and making everyone laugh, but "when it comes to basketball, he's Coach Rose."

Ian Harward- Ian decided to redshirt last year (I heard they were originally going to redshirt Nate Austin, but when Harward got injured (I'm not sure what the injury was, though), they switched places), but this year, he's ready to go. I don't know much about him, but he's really tall (6-foot-11) and hopefully can do some damage in the paint like Nate Austin.

Coach Dave Rose:
In his Media Day interview, Coach Rose said he likes the way the team looks, both physically and mentally, but admitted they need to be more confident and become more prepared through repetition and consistency. The new NCAA rule that coaches can practice 2 hours per week with the team during the summer has helped a lot. The pre-season non-conference schedule is "one of the best we've ever had" and he's excited to get started.

It will take some getting used to (for both players and fans) with the student section behind the hoop and the players' benches on the other side of the court this year, but they're ready to go. And so am I!!!

The Cougar Tipoff is one week from tonight!!! Let's get ready to rumble!!!

BYU Basketball Commerical: The Final Product!

The moment I've been waiting for all summer is finally here! The new BYU basketball commercial has finally been posted! You'll find yours truly in a white shirt right next to the hoop. Here's my 30 seconds of fame:

If you like the final product, you might also be interested in the behind-the-scenes video and my pictures from the shoot. Ahh, that was a great day . . . Love my basketball boys. Go Cougars!

BYU Basketball Commercial Shoot

My "BYU BFF" Melanie and I can now die happy! Last night, we got to meet the BYU basketball team front men and be in the next promotional video. Shout out to Jarom from BYU athletic marketing and athletic communications for giving us a front-row seat and letting us meet the boys. You rock!

TYLER IS BACK!!!!

Matt warming up before they made him go shave :)

 

YAY!!!!! BEST NIGHT EVER!!!