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 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!

Making New Friends at the BYU Cougar Fan Fest

Got to meet a few of my favorite Cougars tonight at the BYU Cougar Fan Fest. I dragged my mom along with me to be my photographer, but I think she had a good time, too. My favorite comment from her during the evening was, "Wow, they seem so lifelike!" haha. Love all these guys!

Ty Haws

Nate Austin

Cody Hoffman & Taysom Hill

Michael Alisa

Bronson Kaufusi

Bronco!

Took me a while to get the pads on, but Ziggy had the same problem, and now he's in the NFL!
So I'm considering trying out to be a walk-on next year . . . whatddaya think? :)

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!

Football DL Bronson Kaufusi Joins the Basketball Team

Bronson's first time on the court
in a Cougar basketball uniform

Bronson Kaufusi, a 6'7", 260 lb defensive lineman from the BYU football team, is making waves in a new sport: basketball. When I first heard that he was possibly joining the basketball team, I thought it was a joke. And when he first stepped onto the court against Loyola Marymount last Thursday, I thought it was even more of a joke. Seriously-- this guy can play basketball?! He looked like a grizzly bear, standing next to the likes of little Matty Carlino and Craig Cusick. Or perhaps more accurately, he kind of looked like a grizzly bear in headlights . . . for about 10 seconds. Then he kicked into football mode and did what he does best-- intimidated the opponent with his sheer size and grit. I half expected him to tackle the poor guy, but instead, he played pretty solid, legal defense in the paint, then got the ball in his hands on the other side of the court and scored on his first-ever attempted shot as a Cougar hoopster (and it wasn't a super easy one, either). During a blowout game with mostly lackluster cheers, the crowd went wild.

Bronson's first score as a
BYU basketball player

My first impression of Bronson on the basketball court is that he's HUGE. I looked up his football stats after the game and wasn't surprised--he had 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery during his freshman season on the football team this year. Dang.

I was also surprised to learn that he played both football and basketball at Timpview High School before his mission in New Zealand, and played both really well. He just doesn't look like a basketball player to me, but I'm glad he is. He's intimidating, he's got a solid base that's perfect for defense, and did I mention he's HUGE? :) Tyler Haws said, "He doesn't move on box-outs. You go to box him out, and it's like his feet are locked on the floor. He provides a big presence inside and gives Brandon a good guy to go against every day in practice."

I think, with a little more practice, Bronson Kaufusi could be a decent backup for Brandon Davies and Nate Austin, especially against teams with bigger guys who they are having a hard time defending. I'm not sure how many minutes he'll actually get, but I think he has a lot of potential and gives the BYU basketball team something they have been missing, at least to some extent -- SIZE. I know I wouldn't want to run into an angry Kaufusi in a dark alley . . . or on the basketball court.

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!!!

My nominees for BYU basketball sixth man of the year

In some ways, the basketball season is still just getting started, but I’m excited about the potential of BYU’s bench. The following three Cougars are my early-season nominees for sixth man of the year. 
Craig Cusick- At 6’2” and 185 lbs, he’s pretty close to the same body type as Jimmer (he just needs about 10 more pounds of solid muscle). I was pretty skeptical about Cusick at the beginning of the season and wondered why in the world Rose has started him for a few games, but now he’s growing on me. He’s a decent free throw shooter and can hit shots from the field with decent consistency, but I cringe almost every time he goes up for a three. He’s only made 5 treys all season. Not your shot, man. Whether he comes into his full potential this season is debatable, but if he does, he could do some real damage. I think his fairly good performance at Utah a few days ago could be the start of something great.

Nate Austin- Another guy who’s really growing on me. I can’t quite figure out why, but he reminds me of Jonathan Tavernari. JT is one of my favorite BYU sixth men of all time. He was in my ward during his senior year, right before he got married. I only talked to him a couple times, but he was a really nice guy, even to the little people (like me). My favorite memory of him was when he gave a talk in church and told a story about talking to a friend who was having a hard time. His response was: “Man, all you need is Jesus!” and he gave him a Book of Mormon. Being such a nice, funny guy off the court made him an even greater player in my eyes. Austin is 5 inches taller than Tavernari and has a wingspan that looks about twice as long, but their playing styles seem similar. I don’t think Austin will replace Brandon Davies (that’s crazy talk), but he has the potential to be able to shoot from the outside (which Brandon can’t do) and get on the inside and score in the post. He just needs some more consistency.

Stephen Rogers- I have a soft spot in my heart for this guy. He’s quiet and unassuming, but can do some real damage, especially from beyond the arc. During the Wisconsin game a few weeks ago, I was practically screaming at the TV: “PUT ROGERS IN!!!” Rose finally put him in a few minutes later, and Stephen promptly knocked down a catch-and-shoot three (his specialty). The coaches really need to listen to me more often. BYU ended up losing the game and Rogers made a couple of big mistakes (like leaving that guy who hit about a dozen threes in a row wide open), but overall he really impresses me. No one’s perfect (except for Jimmer, of course), but I really like Stephen.

Clearly there’s no scientific theory behind my reasoning, so am I right or am I wrong? Who is your sixth man of the year?