BYU Basketball Seniors: Farewell to Kyle, Chase, & Nate

We may have seen the last of 3 of the most-loved BYU hoopsters on the court at the Marriott Center. Here's my tribute to BYU Basketball seniors Kyle Collinsworth, Chase Fischer, and Nate Austin.

Kyle Collinsworth

Jimmer's senior year (which was Kyle's freshman year), one of my roommates, Traci, decided that since everyone else loved Jimmer, she wanted to direct her attention to someone else, and she wisely chose Kyle, despite his unfortunate hairstyle choices. One time that winter, I saw Kyle at a BYU gymnastics meet and decided to get his autograph for Traci. I walked up to him (he was with a couple of friends out on the track at the SFH after the meet) and told him my roommate Traci was his biggest fan and asked for his autograph for her. He agreed, and as he signed the paper I handed him, the friend standing next to him asked me, "So why does your roommate like Kyle so much?" I said, "Um, because he's good at basketball?" Kyle's friend said, "Yeah, and he's really handsome, too!" Kyle turned bright red and handed the autographed paper back to me, then gave his friend the death stare. After walking away, I noticed that he had written: "Tracy- Thanks for being a great fan!" and signed his name at the bottom. When I gave her the paper that evening and apologized that he spelled her name wrong, she said, "That's okay! I'll go down to the courthouse & change it tomorrow!"

That's a fun memory for me, especially seeing what Kyle has become post-mission and post-ACL surgery. He's definitely gained in confidence, swagger, and talent over the past 6 years!

What more can you really say about Kyle? He's the undisputed triple double king. With 11 NCAA triple doubles, he is arguably one of the best players to ever take the court at BYU. He's definitely one of the most versatile. No one else stuffs stats like he does. I hope KC gets a shot in the NBA because I really don't want to have to stop watching him play basketball!

Nate Austin

Another story. Nate was in my stake a few years ago. One time at institute, our stake president was teaching the lesson, and he asked the question, "Where are the gates of Hell located?" With no hesitation, I heard a booming voice to my left shout out "The University of Utah!" Lo and behold, it was one Nate Austin. I have no idea how I didn't notice a 7-foot-tall guy sitting 2 chairs away from me until then, but it was hilarious. We definitely know that Nate is true blue, through and through.

Nate now holds two BYU basketball records-- most games played, and he recently passed Russell Larson for most fouls committed. I hope he is equally proud of both those accolades. :) I'm really glad Nate was able to come back as a 5th year senior. He's definitely not a high-scorer, and he hasn't even started very many games this year, but I think a lot of people don't realize just how much work he does to get rebounds, block shots, and scramble for loose balls . . . and things like that have the potential to win games. Without him, we probably wouldn't have beaten Gonzaga in the kennel for the second year in a row. Way to go, Rex!

Chase Fischer

Chase has been a great addition to BYU. He transferred from Wake Forest, so he was only able to play 2 years for the Cougars, but he has already scored 1,000+ points-- one of very few players to achieve that goal in only half a standard college career. Despite not being LDS, he has really embraced the BYU culture and has made a mark here both on & off the basketball court.

Chase's favorite spot in Provo is Sprouts market, and he wants to open a gym called "Chase Fischer's Aesthetics Gym" after graduation. He has great hair, an even greater accent, an awesome sense of humor, a beautiful long-range shot, and he loves God, Guns, and America. What more could you ask for? I really wish I was married just so I could join the "Married People Who Admire Chase Fischer Club." You will be sorely missed, Chase.


Hopefully we will be able to avoid the NIT and send these boys off with an NCAA tourney bid-- they definitely deserve it! Thank you, Seniors!

BYU Hoops vs. Gonzaga: An Epistle

From Spokesman.com

Behold, I write unto you an epistle, inspired by the words of my fellow Cougar fan & Twitter friend Jess following the Gonzaga game in the Kennel last year. Enjoy. :)

1. And it came to pass, on the fourteenth day of the first month in the year of our Lord two thousand and sixteen, the Cougars did again journey to the land of Spokane to go to battle against the warriors of Gonzaga.

2. Like unto their battle in the year previous, the Zags had received a national ranking. They had not earned as high a ranking as the year before, but they had obtained a respectable ranking of twenty-five, and I say unto you, the Cougars had no such ranking; therefore, they were not expected to be victorious, and some critics did mock and revile them.

3. Yet the Cougars did proceed with much confidence and a knowledge that their forefathers, led by Captain Tyler Haws, had defeated the Zags in the land of Spokane last year, yea, they believed they could do the same.

4. And the Cougars did fight with much valor, yet much to the dismay of the Cougs, the Zags did also show much fortitude in battle.

5. And with nine minutes and forty-five seconds remaining in the first half, the Triple Double King, Kyle Collinsworth, did proceed to sit on the bench, for behold, he had obtained two fouls. Woe, woe, woe unto the referees! Yet, the remaining Cougar warriors did take courage and did return to battle without him.

6. And behold, the Cougars were down by four points at the half.

7. Yet in the second half, Captain Collinsworth was permitted to return to battle. And he did fight valiantly and did obtain many points for the Cougars, yea, even twenty points. Yea, he was nigh unto unstoppable.

8. Yet behold, the Zags did obtain a large lead, yea, even a lead of thirteen points. Yet the Cougars did not surrender, for they knew the Lord was with them, and they did cut that lead down to one.

9. For with little time remaining in the battle, yea, only one minute and thirty-eight seconds, the mighty Nick Emery, who is but a freshman and had yet to score any points in this contest, did obtain the ball and did shoot it from a long distance; yea, I say unto you, it was from Jimmer range.

10. And the ball did go into the hoop to obtain three points for the Cougars, and there was much celebration among the other Cougar warriors, for BYU was now ahead by two points.

11. Yet the battle was not over.

12. Behold, despite having been wounded prior to a battle against the forces of evil, also known as the Utes, one year ago, the mighty Nate Austin did obtain a shirt of red and did return to battle with the Cougars again this season.

13. He did receive yet another battle wound being struck mightily in the head during  the first half of this contest, yet he did gather his courage and continued to fight in the second half. And behold, this did become quite fortuitous for the Cougars.

14. For with only three seconds remaining in the battle, the Zag called Wiltjer did attempt to make a shot that, were he successful, would earn Gonzaga the victory.

15. But behold, the mighty Nate Rex Austin did rise up, and he knew the BYU Sports Nation Karma was with him, and he did jump with a hand held high and a mighty roar; and behold, he did swat the ball out of the air; therefore, it did not reach the basket.

16. Austin then did swiftly pursue the ball, yea, all the way to the sideline that the Zags did not lay hold on it again. Yea, he was fouled and did proceed to the free throw line with less than one second remaining in the battle.

17. Austin did not make the free throw, but behold, it mattereth not.

18. And Wiltjer did score thirty-five points in the battle, yea, a new career high, but behold, it mattereth not.

19. For the desperation full-court shot of the Zags did not go in. And behold, the buzzer did sound, and the Cougars did defeat the Zags once again in the Kennel. And there was much rejoicing among the Cougar faithful and in the land of Provo.

20. Yea, no other team in the Conference of the West Coast has ever defeated the Zags in their own land two years in a row since the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, save the Cougars.

21. But behold, the time is not far distant that there shall be another battle between the Cougars and the Zags; yea, it shall take place on the twenty-seventh day of the second month of the year of our Lord two thousand and sixteen in the land of Provo.

22. The Cougars shall be prepared and shall rise up again unto battle with courage and fortitude, prepared to obtain the West Coast Conference crown; and great shall be the battle thereof. And I say unto you, Go Cougs!

BYU Hoops Takes Down the Zags!

When the KC primal screams come out,
You know it's gotta be good.
From www.usatoday.com

WE BEAT GONZAGA! I'll never get tired of saying it!

That game was so intense. I believed before it started that we could win . . . but I wasn't very sure that we would win. I was terrified through the whole first half that if we even fell behind by one point, we'd panic and blow the whole thing. It's so much easier to keep a lead than it is to play catch-up. The Zags managed to tie it at the half, but couldn't pull ahead. It wasn't until a few minutes into the second half that I started to build some confidence. We could do this; we could actually do this!!

And we actually did it! The Cougars held on til the very end. I think what's even more amazing is that Gonzaga never led, and Tyler only scored 10 points! How we managed to pull all that off is astonishing. I love it, though! And the fact that Jarom Jordan had to shave his head on BYU Sports Nation on Monday made it even better . . . That's what happens to non-believers! One of the funniest things I've seen in a loooong time for sure. So glad they brought Skyler Halford in to do it. He had a HUGE game on Saturday!

I've changed my mind in the last few weeks about the big dance-- I think, barring a first-round WCC tourney loss (which isn't gonna happen), we punched a ticket to the NCAA with that win. We're peaking at the right time, and that's never bad. How in the world could the committee leave a team out of the tourney that beat the #3 team in the country (on the ROAD on last day of February, no less) and a team that has one of the nation's top scorers AND the current NCAA all-time record holder for single-season triple doubles?! That team HAS to be in! I don't care about the "bad losses" anymore. Pepperdine scmepperdine! That Gonzaga win should make up for all of that.

The fact that Kevin Pangos was named WCC player of the year (and the Zags swept the rest of the awards, too) is a total sham . . . Pangos isn't even the best player on his TEAM, let alone in the conference. My heart belongs to Tyler, but I think Kyle should have won it. Hands down. Hope they use that as motivation to go to Vegas this weekend and beat (most likely) the Gaels and Zags again.

Me & Ty at the Coach Rose radio show on Tuesday.
Can't wait to see him play in Vegas!!

The first round is pretty much a given. Knock on wood, I can't imagine losing to Santa Clara

or LMU. The second and third games will be challenges, though. We should beat St. Mary's, but the odds are pretty low that we could beat Gonzaga again. I believe, though! Capping off this season with a tournament championship would be beyond AMAZING.

Unfortunately, I won't make it to Vegas to see it . . . but I'll be watching every minute. Let's go get that 'ship, Cougs!

P.S. Shout out to my man Tyler Haws for becoming BYU's all-time leading scorer in the Portland game last week! Such an amazing moment for an amazing player!

Is BYU Going Dancing in 2015?

The shot that passed Danny Ainge.
Only 70 more points to pass Jimmer!

I haven't posted in a few months (sigh...), but now that the end of the BYU basketball season is approaching, I've got to repent & get some blogging going again!

The big question on everyone's mind right now is whether the Cougars will get into the big dance this year. And no, I'm not talking about Jake Toolson's Riverdance (although that is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen).

They are definitely on the bubble, but whether they are in or out is still TBD. Unfortunately, my personal opinion is that they probably won't make it. I think they will lose to Gonzaga and maybe one other team along the way (most likely is tonight vs. St. Mary's), which will seal the deal with the NIT. They may not even make it to the conference tournament championship, especially if they end up being a 4-seed and have to play Gonzaga in the semi-finals.

However, I'm one of those weird people who's ok with the NIT. I hate it when they get a low seed in the NCAA and lose in the first round (and that's almost inevitably what will happen if they do make it in). I'd rather have them get a few more home games and have the shot to still be playing hoops in April, making it to the NIT final four like they did a couple years ago. Hoops in late March / early April = shorter off-season and a shorter mourning period for me. So those are my selfish reasons...

However, I would be sad if they don't make it to the NCAA because I know that's what the players want, and I want them to get what they want, especially Tyler. He deserves so much more than what he's getting for his senior year! So I do hope they make it for that reason. I'm already on the verge of tears just thinking about him graduating...

For now, though, they just need to take it one game at a time. Let's beat them Gaels!!

P.S. Shout out to KC for breaking the NCAA triple double record! So awesome!!! That has made this lackluster season a whole lot brighter.

P.P.S. Tyler only needs 70 more points to pass Jimmer! I really, really hope it happens in a home game so I can be there to see it. Fingers crossed!

Summer Sports News Part 2: BYU Basketball

The new BYU Hoops poster! Love it.

I'm tired of football. Let's talk about BASKETBALL! Next Wednesday is the Cougar Tipoff, and I couldn't be more excited! Merry Christmas to me!

Here's what's been happening since we last met in March to current and a few former players... 

Matt Carlino transferred to Marquette & Eric Mika went on a mission. I hate to say it, but Matty is the Jake Heaps of the basketball team. I hope he finds what he's looking for in Wisconsin, but it was an incredibly selfish move to make, IMO. I don't think he'll find a system that was willing to make such drastic accommodations to make him a better basketball player as BYU. He just wasn't willing to admit it. The only other player we lost from last year's roster is Eric Mika, who is now Elder Mika in Rome, Italy.

We got a zillion new players. There are now 18 guys on the roster. EIGHTEEN. And 17 of them are eligible to play this year (Kyle Davis must redshirt, a la transfer rules. However, he shall be blessed from coming into the light from the darkness up in Logan, I am sure). Notables include Corbin Kaufusi, who shall strike fear into the hearts of Gonzaga players as another former football-playing beast of a man wearing #44, Chase Fisher, who is finally eligible to play after transferring from Wake Forest, and some freshmen I've heard really good things about-- Dalton Nixon, Jake Toolson, Ryan Andrus, Jordan Chatman, & Isaac Neilson. I'd be surprised if a few of them didn't redshirt, though. There's just so many boys on this team! I love the depth, especially in the post. That's gonna be a HUGE relief compared to last year's woes.

Tyler Haws is projected to be the nation's top scorer by Sports Illustrated. BOOM. Everyone chant with me now: please don't get hurt, please don't get hurt, please don't get hurt... Sorry, Taysom's made me paranoid! If Tyler stays healthy this year, I predict some Jimmer-esque Hawesomeness. Fingers crossed.

KC is BACK! I bet if that kid got a nickel for every time he was asked how his knee is doing this summer, he'd probably be making an NBA salary. Every time I've heard him asked that question, he says it's doing great. He's been cleared medically and should be ready to ball when Long Beach State comes to town. (And yes, that is me in the video at 10:10). Also, he's definitely bulked up his arms as promised. Dang. #Don'tJudge. Oh, and also, he saved a woman who was drowning in the ocean in Hawaii. Busy summer for Kyle!

Jimmer got signed by the Pelicans. Speaking of Jimmer, he's on a new team in NOLA, and I think he's got the best chance he's had so far in the NBA. He's doing well in pre-season play and is currently fighting for the backup PG spot. Go Jimmer! So excited to see him finally succeed, which I know he will if he's given the chance.

Craig Cusick's dad passed away. I'll never forget that buzzer-beater vs. USU a few years ago on the day Craig's dad was diagnosed with cancer. I lost my dad to cancer, too, so his story really hit home. I was sad to hear he passed away, but glad he's in a better place. #CancerSucks

Nick Emery came back from his mission, had surgery, then went back on his mission. Apparently he has some disorder called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which causes pain in the neck & shoulders. Rumors were flying about whether he would stay and try to play this year, but he ended up going back to Germany to finish up his mission. He should be back ready to play at the regularly scheduled time.  

Boom Shakalaka Part Deux. I thought this event was a little lacking in creativity and entertainment compared to last year, but it definitely had its moments. I thought Corbin Kaufusi's football-inspired dunk, followed by bowling his roommates down with the ball was pretty funny. I also liked the slightly inappropriate moment when Josh Sharp held up his new baby daughter and then commented that last year's kiss with his wife after jumping over her to dunk was so great that they got a baby out of it. haha! He always looks so bored and disinterested with everything, but he's definitely got an attitude and sense of humor hiding under that calm exterior.

Let's play HOOPS! So excited!

Farewell, Matty Basketball

Matty puts up a shot against San Diego

Well, so much for the idea of not losing any of the members of this year's basketball team permanently. :( Matt Carlino (a.k.a. Matty Basketball, Matty Ice, Matthew Mario Carlino . . .) has announced he will be transferring to another school to play his senior year of eligibility. The main question on every fan's mind is . . .  WHY?!?

Personally, I think it's a combination of a bunch of things.

First, he's not the preferred starting point guard anymore, and obviously that's not ideal in his mind. I really hope this isn't the main reason he's transferring, though. That would put him in a category all-too-similar to Jake Heaps (a la a 1st grader whining "If you won't let me be #1, I'm taking my ball and playing somewhere else!"). I don't think Matt is that arrogant and selfish . . . or at least I hope not.

It also doesn't make sense that this reason would contribute very much to his decision to transfer because Kyle Collinsworth is out for an undetermined amount of time after his ACL surgery. While KC is hoping to be back by the beginning of the 2014-15 season, there's no knowing how much he'll be able to play next year. And if he's not 100%, Matty would have that starting position in the bag.

He wasn't the starter, but he was playing starter minutes, so is it really that bad? And honestly, Matt plays soooo much better when he's the backup. I don't know why, but it's true. I think they won games because of it-- so isn't that what's important? If he were willing to embrace that role (and I thought he had, but I guess maybe not . . .), he could have been one of the best point guards ever to play at BYU. He's already top 10 all-time in 3-pointers, steals, and assists. Too bad he won't get to improve those numbers next year.

Second, he was scrutinized quite heavily. I admit even I've been hard on him from time to time for his tendency to get stupid turnovers and make bad decisions, but he didn't deserve anywhere near the amount of criticism that was thrown at him. He even completely deleted his Twitter account because so many people were saying such mean things to him (which is totally inexcusable, by the way. Leave him alone, people!) I think he came to Provo at the wrong time-- he was being compared to Jimmer right from the start and couldn't live up to it (which isn't a criticism-- no one could have filled those shoes!) But I think, if anything, BYU fans were probably a lot kinder to him than they would be at a lot of other universities. He's not LDS, but I don't think this would be a huge factor because he really seemed to fit in at BYU. I really thought he fit in quite well with the culture at BYU and seemed to be good friends with a lot of the other guys on the team. He wasn't bullied or picked on or excluded . . . I'm stumped.

Third, there were 14 scholarshipped players on the roster for next year, and only 13 are allowed. So someone had to go sometime between now and October. I definitely don't think Matt was kicked off the team, but I suppose it's possible if he were on the fence, he decided to leave so no one else would have to.

Fourth, and probably most likely, something must have happened that the public doesn't know about and probably never will know about. Maybe it was something in his family or something in his personal life, but something is making him want to leave BYU, and that makes me sad.

I hate it when players leave and we don't get to give them a proper goodbye. I need warning to emotionally prepare for events like this! I'm already trying to brace myself for the inevitable deep grief I will feel when Tyler Haws graduates . . . and that's a year away! But wherever Matty goes, I hope he has success. Anyone who says BYU is better off without him doesn't know what they're talking about. He leaves behind a great legacy, unfortunately cut short. You will be missed, Matty Basketball!

BYU is One-and-Done in the Big Dance

Yeah, this pretty much sums up the game...
From www.deseretnews.com

Well, pretty much as expected, BYU was one-and-done in the NCAA Tourney. I'm still a little confused by those who say that outcome was a million times better than the chance of winning the NIT. Yes, I know the NIT is far from a prestigious tournament, but I still hate it when the season ends earlier than I feel like it should have. I just wish basketball was a year-round sport . . . #MarchSadness.

The NCAA selection committee was super generous in giving BYU a 10-seed. I thought they had a shot at beating Oregon, but it was a very, very tiny shot. I did choose them to win that one game in my bracket, hoping for good karma, but no such luck. If we hadn't lost Collinsworth to a torn ACL in the Gonzaga game, I think we would have had a much bigger chance. It's another one of those "what could have been?" years, like 2011 when we lost Brandon Davies with just a few games left in the regular season. I hate that feeling of wondering what might have happened, but I guess now it's time to move on.

The only thing that makes me happy right now is that we're not losing anyone from this team permanently. Eric Mika is heading to Rome on his mission soon, but he'll be back in 2016. It's possible that Kyle Collinsworth will miss part of next season (or maybe even all of it, if he decides to red shirt, although that's not the plan right now) while recovering from surgery. But he'll be back. And apparently he'll be back better than ever . . .

Haha. At least he has a good attitude about it. The timing of his injury certainly sucked, but right now, the Cougars just have to make the best of it.

Down side is that next year, there will be bunches of seniors-- Anson Winder, Nate Austin, Skyler Halford, Josh Sharp, Matt Carlino, and of course Tyler Haws. I'm already sad about losing some of these guys. But I guess for now, we'll just hope for a productive off-season and rebuilding next year. We need to get deeper in the post, especially-- that was the Cougars' major achilles heel this year. Well, that and free throws, but I'm not gonna talk about that . . .

Let's just focus on the video of their reaction to receiving an at-large bid. I think I've watched it at least a dozen times, and it always makes me smile. 

Can't wait til next season! Is it October yet? :(

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 is on the Bubble

Tyler Haws fights for a shot against Santa Clara

As I sit here waiting for the Pacific game to start this evening, I figured now was as good a time as any to write a few thoughts about BYU basketball conference play so far. Obviously, it hasn't been pretty overall, but there have been some good moments, and the season certainly isn't over yet.

They started off with 2 losses on the road at Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. While they snapped back fairly well after that, it is still coming back to bite them now, especially since Loyola Marymount is now in last place in the WCC, at 3-10.

They finally broke a four-game losing streak and won their first conference game at home against San Diego on January 4. This game marked a really important milestone, in my opinion-- Skyler Halford got the start instead of Matt Carlino, and it's been that way ever since. I saw news article after news article in the following days and weeks saying how brilliant Dave Rose was to make that change. Not to toot my own horn, but I had the idea first . . . in fact, I've been saying since last season that Carlino is much more effective as a backup than a starter, and this year, that has proven to be true. I know, I'm a genius-- what will it take to get the credit I deserve for my brilliant insights into the Cougar roster? :) 

After 4 more wins, including revenge games against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine, the Cougs played in one of the most memorable games that has happened this year in all of college basketball. Unfortunately, they came out on the losing end, falling 110-114 in triple overtime at Portland. I think I lost at least a few years off my life watching that game. It felt like a full 2 games-- not just one. It was not all terrible, though-- Tyler scored a whopping 48 points, and they put up a really good fight. I think it made them extra tired and frustrated going into the Gonzaga game a few days, later, though, and they got creamed, 69-84.

Since the Gonzaga game, the Cougars haven't lost. Tyler has been playing amazingly well, scoring points in a Jimmer-like fashion. Nate Austin has been racking up rebounds like crazy, and Kyle Collinsworth has been filling in all kinds of stat sheets. They notched home wins against Pacific, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and -- best of all -- Saint Mary's. No Dellevedaggers this year! By the way, on a side note, I think it's totally ridiculous that the Gaels are retiring Dellavedova's jersey when BYU travels there on Saturday. I prefer Nate Austin's idea that they retire his mouthguard instead . . . stupid beaver.

Anyway, right now, the Cougars are squarely on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. They have to beat Pacific tonight. They have to beat Portland at home and San Diego on the road. They can maybe lose on the road at Saint Mary's or at home against Gonzaga-- but definitely not both. And I think they need to make a good run in the conference tournament-- preferably making it to the championship game-- to make a good case for an at-large bid.

If they do make the NCAA, they could be really good, although they have been known to flake out and lose several games they should have won. It's definitely iffy at this point, and a ton depends on what happens in the next few weeks.

I know I'm strange in having this opinion, but I think I'd almost rather have them go to the NIT again-- I'm always happy when they get to play more games and have a greater chance to go deep in the tourney, even if it's not THE tourney. If they go to the NCAA, they will probably lose in the 1st or 2nd round, and I'll always prefer extending the season as long as possible. Last year, they were still playing in April, and I LOVED it!

Anyway, whatever happens, I'll always be loyal, strong, and true. Hope they start off the home stretch with a win tonight. Tipoff at Pacific coming soon . . . Go Cougs!

My 2014 New Year's Resolutions for the Cougars

I feel your pain, Cody.
From www.ksl.com

Oy, this has been a painful month. The BYU football team lost in rather spectacular fashion to Washington in the Fight Hunger Bowl, and the BYU basketball team has lost 4 games in a row for the first time in the Dave Rose era and finds itself in the bottom of the West Coast Conference. As disappointed as I am, I am definitely not a fair-weather fan, so I will continue to support the Cougars and hope things turn around in 2014. Here are a few things I think the football and basketball teams need to do to improve. Time for tough love . . .

1. Go a little less fast, a little less hard. BYU football had one of the fastest offenses in the country this year, snapping the ball to Taysom 684 times. While I think it was an interesting approach for Anae to use, and I guess it was worth a shot, it just didn't work. We need to go for quality instead of quantity. Playing smart is a lot more important than playing fast. Take the time needed to call good plays-- stop rushing it!

2. MAKE FREE THROWS. With the exception of Tyler Haws, who is still fairly reliable, I swear I have a higher free throw percentage than most of the BYU basketball team this year . . . sheesh. It's killed their ability to stay in the game more than once. It just doesn't look like they're taking things seriously, and they're letting the pressure get to them. I don't care what it takes-- If they have to do it again and again and again until they understand, so be it. They need to learn to get that ball in the hoop from the charity stripe. I get angry when they get fouled because it just means points that could have been . . . and that's not the way it should be.

3. Throw out the offensive line and start over . . .  again. Taysom carried way too much of a burden this year, and he took a real beating. He is super lucky that he made it through the whole season without a serious injury. He got sacked 38 times-- that's ridiculous. I think it's time to roll out the 3rd brand new offensive line in 3 years. They've gotta try something else because this just isn't working.

When Tyler is sad, it makes me sad :(
From www.vanquishthefoe.com

4. Bench Carlino. Sorry, I just can't handle his poor decision-making ability anymore. Put Kyle at the point, and sub in Halford, who can actually hit a 3 once in awhile. Matty also plays better when he has something to fight for-- if Rose takes him out of the starting lineup, I think he will play with his head on a little straighter. But he can't give him the starting job back easily-- he's got to really earn it.

5. Play to strengths. This could easily apply to both teams-- put the ball in the hands of the players who can do the best things with it. I think the rushing game is pretty solid next year in football, with Jamaal Williams, Adam Hine, and Paul Lasike, not to mention Taysom himself. The receivers will struggle, though, especially with the loss of Cody Hoffman, Skyler Ridley, and JD Falslev. If that means they need to run the ball more than throw it, so be it. They have to do what works. In basketball, the ball needs to be in the hands of Tyler Haws, Kyle Collinsworth, Skyler Halford, and Eric Mika. They get points. On the other hand, Nate Austin should almost never shoot the ball-- his role is solely rebounding and blocking. Unless the shot clock is gone, they should always be looking for a good shot-- not throwing up ridiculous prayers. We don't need heroes-- we need teammates.

6. Make the best of what they've got. Resist the temptation to panic! It's not looking like a deep run in the NCAA is in the BYU basketball team's near future. In fact, at this rate, they'll be lucky to make the NIT again. But now is not the time to throw in the towel-- take things one day at a time and don't let the emotion get you. Mika especially needs to control his temper and stop committing stupid fouls and getting technicals on top of it. They can still have a successful season if they start working RIGHT NOW. The football team's schedule is a lot easier next year, but that doesn't meant they can take a nap. They need to get their heads on straight and play hard, and they could come out with a 10-win season, prepping them adequately for another tough year in 2015.

Fingers crossed that 2014 sees more success on the court and the field!

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!

Changes in the BYU Basketball Roster

Mr. R. D. is transferring from BYU

Hello Cougar fans! Seems like I haven't blogged in forever! In my defense, I've been super busy with work and other stuff, and there's just not much going on in BYU sports nowadays anyway. That dreaded summer lull is upon us . . . Anyways, there has been a little bit of news on the BYU basketball front over the past few weeks.

First, Raul Delgado has decided to transfer to Metro State (wherever that is . . .) Kind of a strange move for a to-be senior, but I guess I shouldn't be terribly surprised. He didn't get a lot of playing time in the one year he had as a Cougar. The good news: that leaves only one senior on the team this next year: Auggie Ambrosino. And, no offense to Auggie whatsoever, but that's not a crushing loss. That means we'll have roughly the same team for 2 years in a row (with the exception of Eric Mica and maybe Luke Worthington, who will probably leave on missions after their freshman year).

Second, Ian Harward has been forced into retirement because of injuries. Sheesh, what is up with all these career-ending injuries? First Steven Rogers & Chris Collinsworth and now Harward? :(

I heart Kyle.

Speaking of Collinsworth, KYLE is back from his mission!!! YAY! I really hope he gets on the phone with Tyler Haws FAST to create a plan and start doing the same training Ty did when he got back from his mish so he'll be up-to-par in October. SO excited to see them on the court together!

With Delgado and Harward leaving, plus Brandon, Brock, Chris, and Stephen graduating and Cory Calvert going on a mission (He received his call to Boston! Congrats to Cory!), that left 7 open scholarships for this coming year. Two will be given to freshmen Luke Worthington and Eric Mika  (who was voted MVP of the West Coast All-Star Classic game this week, by the way, with 28 points and 5 blocks . . . yowza!) Another goes to Collinsworth, and another to SLCC transfer Skyler Halford.

Two more were filled in the last week or so by transfers:

Chase Fischer, from www.ksl.com

Chase Fischer- This news came as a big shock to a lot of people. Chase is a 6-3 guard transferring from Wake Forest, so he'll have to sit out this coming season, but he'll still have 2 years left of eligibility in 2014-15 and 2015-16. He's not LDS, and the only connection he's had to anyone at BYU before was working with assistant coach Mark Pope, who used to be an assistant at WF. Chase didn't play a ton last year at WF (averaging 14.2 MPG), but he shot pretty well-- 39.5% FG and 42.2% 3FG. In other words, he can shoot 3s better than 2s-- that's definitely rare! I hope he can help us put some points on the board.

Frank Bartley, from www.deepshadesofblue.com. I'm sure
Anson is happy he won't be the only black guy on the team! haha.

Frank Bartley- Bartley is also a 6-3 guard is transferring from a prep school in California, which means he'll be able to play immediately and have 4 full years of eligibility. I wasn't able to find much info about him, but hopefully he'll be a good relief off the bench for the likes of Carlino and Collinsworth. Bartley isn't LDS either, but he's a convert to Jimmerism. :) From this article:

“I didn’t know hardly anything about BYU when coaches first contacted me, but I sure knew about Jimmer,” Bartley said. “I became a huge fan of his during the NCAA Tournament and I watch his highlights frequently. I have a link to my computer that goes automatically to just Jimmer highlights and that was long before BYU coaches even contacted me.”

Love this guy already! haha. 

So here's the 2013-14 roster as it stands right now:

• Tyler Haws
• Matt Carlino
• Josh Sharp
• Anson Winder
• Nate Austin
• Auggie Ambrosino
• Kyle Collinsworth
• Eric Mika
• Luke Worthington
• Skyler Halford
• Chase Fischer (red shirt)
• Frank Bartley
• Kyle Rose (walk on)

That leaves one scholarship available . . . Hope they get another big man! We need as many as we can get to have any hopes of replacing B. :(

Is it October yet???

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!