Impressions of the BYU vs Zag Game

They sure did come out with energy tonight (full 40 minutes of pressure) and recorded 15 steals in first half. As I expected Winder started and his athletic influence (3 steals - 10 points) was another positive force in the game besides our big 3 (Harstock, Davies, Carlino). Harrison came through big with 5 points, 3 assists, and a steal in 8 minutes. Would like to see more of his presence to keep up the intensity. Harstock and Davies really outplayed Harris and Sacre which shows we have a potent inside game when properly utilizing the inside-outside game. I am sitll bothered by our lack of 3-point shooting (3-12) so we haven't solved that problem. We are now playing for second place in this league. If we don't underestimate the remainder of our games, and can get a win in Spokane, we can lock up 2nd place and a bye into the second round of the WCC tournament. Hope to continue with our new found energy and full court pressure.

Well whomever it was that hates Saint Mary's needs to repent and hope the Gaels sweep the Zags and that someone other than LMU upsets the Zags and / or BYU sweeps the Zags. We have three conference losses. They now have two. Another loss to SMU would give them 3.



That is all fine and dandy and possible if not likely, but if we split with the Zags then we have 4 losses to their 2 or 3.



I guess that puts it in our hands - even if they split with the Gaels, if we sweep the zig zags, and do not slip up, we would each have 3 losses and head-to-head is probably the tie-breaker.



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When Coach Rose told the Cougar Club luncheon on Tuesday that we would probably see some adjustments to the starting roster, he also spoke about wanting to take undue stress off of the young players and I believed then he was referring to Carlino, which didn't sound good to me. When I saw the change as Winder for Zylstra, I liked that. Zylstra is a good player to have, but Winder has a lot more upside in my mind and he is better defensively. One aspect of his game I hope he learns sooner than later is to watch his passes. He so often attempts cross-court passes. Some have been picked off, but to me, that is a very high percentage turnover pass and he needs to get those under control. He was better last night and actually was the only starter without a turnover.



The game still made me uneasy at times. I'll probably say this until I'm blue in the face, but Cusik looks about as comfortable bringing the ball up the court as would Betty White. He looks so unathletic in his moves that I'm constantly affraid someone is going to strip the ball.

I'm probably simply echoing the coach in wondering what the team has to do to get that 3 point shot back. In pregame warmups, Noah was hitting about 95% of his shots and he shot so many, then doesn't have an attempt in the whole game. The one shot he missed though, he was straddling the line. As Marc Lyons said on the radio broadcast, don't take a shot that far out unless you're sure you're behind that line. Long 2 point shots are foolish.



P.S. I've been attending BYU home games for 10 years now since I've lived back in Utah and last night was the first time that someone told me that in order to hear the game well on KLS while at the game, tune your radio to 1100 AM. I never knew that and it was great. On 102.7 FM and 1160 AM, it's so hit and miss.

One other observation--the crowd in the 2nd half when everyone was screaming their heads off was very loud and deafening. I love when that happens. Zags had about the best contingent of fans of anyone we've played at home this year. They were doing the Bull$&#! chant in chorus at one point about the officiating. We wouldn't know anything about questional calls.

byucougar1 wrote:
They sure did come out with energy tonight (full 40 minutes of pressure) and recorded 15 steals in first half. As I expected Winder started and his athletic influence (3 steals - 10 points) was another positive force in the game besides our big 3 (Harstock, Davies, Carlino). Harrison came through big with 5 points, 3 assists, and a steal in 8 minutes. Would like to see more of his presence to keep up the intensity. Harstock and Davies really outplayed Harris and Sacre which shows we have a potent inside game when properly utilizing the inside-outside game. I am sitll bothered by our lack of 3-point shooting (3-12) so we haven't solved that problem. We are now playing for second place in this league. If we don't underestimate the remainder of our games, and can get a win in Spokane, we can lock up 2nd place and a bye into the second round of the WCC tournament. Hope to continue with our new found energy and full court pressure.

I thought Harrison's 3pt shot was going to get the monkey of the team's back but they still struggled. Although they did finish the game 2-3 from 3pt. If they can get that back then we have got a shot.

I don't know if it matters if we finish second or third. The way it looks to me is we get Gonzaga in the semi's and SMC in the finals. I doubt we see LMU again since they will have to go through SMC to get to the finals and I don't see that happening.

Finishing 2nd would help our NCAA chances. We have a chance to do it. Last night I picked up 1160AM and I am in Oregon. Reception was not good. I will try the 1100 but I doubt it works out here.



Good win and looking forward to watching the replay tonight. I could not watch it last night due to a meeting.

scott715 wrote:
Finishing 2nd would help our NCAA chances. We have a chance to do it. Last night I picked up 1160AM and I am in Oregon. Reception was not good. I will try the 1100 but I doubt it works out here.



Good win and looking forward to watching the replay tonight. I could not watch it last night due to a meeting.

1100am is a transmitter they have inside the Marriott Center. It only broadcasts a few hundred feet.

Good game. Winder starting makes so much more sense and it kind of makes me wonder if things would have turned out differently had Rose made the switch earlier.



We played with fire and we played BYU ball - tough D and transition buckets. Loved seeing Sacre and Harris get worked down low.



I dislike SMC, but am no fool. So would gladly accept them beating GU; however its a better scenario for us if GU beats SMC. Would add to our win over GU, give SMC a loss and set up a better win for us when we go to Spokane.



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hawkwing wrote:

Finishing 2nd would help our NCAA chances. We have a chance to do it. Last night I picked up 1160AM and I am in Oregon. Reception was not good. I will try the 1100 but I doubt it works out here.



Good win and looking forward to watching the replay tonight. I could not watch it last night due to a meeting.

1100am is a transmitter they have inside the Marriott Center. It only broadcasts a few hundred feet.

Right, the minute I was out the door I lost reception and had to change back to the regular stations, which for some reason, pick up another overlapping station every time I walk north east across the MC parking lot.

EM_Puma I'm highly disappointed that in all the years we've known each other this is the first time you've mentioned 1100 to me! Usually I could get 1160 or 102.7 depending on my location (as long as I wasn't too high or too low) I could get one of the two. My game experience just got better.

Coach Cleve made some very interesting observations about our 3 point shooting. His primary premise was that the gaurds/wings were not creating proper space between the down low pass to Davies/Harstock and the kick out pass for a shot. Apparently the outside either driving into the defender or too close to them resulting in a highly contested, forced or impatient release. He felt that by watching film of how they were shooting their shots and then practicing the rich way would correct the problem. We need to follow the SM approach as they swing the ball around quite deliberately - yet quickly - to get open shots. Part of that is also related to our horrendous perimeter defense, but if we can have athletic guards breaking down the defense and the wings getting wide open shots as a result, our percentage will go up.



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byucougar1 wrote:
We need to follow the SM approach as they swing the ball around quite deliberately - yet quickly - to get open shots.[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Like we say in the Army: Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Speed is security (or open 3-pt looks).

Glad you are only relating speed/security to open 3 pointers. Never did me any good for tickets or a visit to the urologist :-)



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SpiffCoug wrote:
EM_Puma I'm highly disappointed that in all the years we've known each other this is the first time you've mentioned 1100 to me! Usually I could get 1160 or 102.7 depending on my location (as long as I wasn't too high or too low) I could get one of the two. My game experience just got better.

Exactly! I was just astonished last night when the guy from my work told me this as I was trying to listen on 102.7 cocking my head this way and that depending on the signal and not enjoying the added drama. We were 1/2 way through the 1st half and from that point it was no longer an issue. I think Greg Wrubell needs to mention that on his broadcast each time. TEN FRICKEN YEARS I meandered through that issue not knowing! If I had seats low I would not bring my radio knowng that I would not be able to pick up the signal on either of the channels. :angry:

Running is winning. Dave Rose's CC account comes in handy again.



Winder over Zylstra was great, and as I mentioned last week needed to happen.



Now we just need to get Rogers healthy for the tourney so he can start over Abuou, and we'll have the best d on the court since J. Emery left.

hawkwing wrote:

Finishing 2nd would help our NCAA chances. We have a chance to do it. Last night I picked up 1160AM and I am in Oregon. Reception was not good. I will try the 1100 but I doubt it works out here.



Good win and looking forward to watching the replay tonight. I could not watch it last night due to a meeting.

1100am is a transmitter they have inside the Marriott Center. It only broadcasts a few hundred feet.

KSL Radio on the Internet. You can get 1160 from anywhere using the Internet. I have used my PC, iPhone, Ipad - they all work. It comes with about a 30 second delay from the live TV broadcast.

Gunk wrote:
Good game. Winder starting makes so much more sense and it kind of makes me wonder if things would have turned out differently had Rose made the switch earlier.



We played with fire and we played BYU ball - tough D and transition buckets. Loved seeing Sacre and Harris get worked down low.



I dislike SMC, but am no fool. So would gladly accept them beating GU; however its a better scenario for us if GU beats SMC. Would add to our win over GU, give SMC a loss and set up a better win for us when we go to Spokane.



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It is not better. IN the event that WCC only gets two seeds - you do not want Zags ranked higher than BYU. You just do not. SMC will be. They beat us twice. Just root for SMC to not lose again to anyone but us and those losses hurt us less. Root for the Zags to beat everyone but us and SMC - or in case we split with them - Zags to get upset by someone other than LMU - as we do not want LMU sneaking past us in conference.



SMU undefeated in conference. BYU with 3 or 4 conference losses and Zags with 4 or 5 conference losses gets us in the dance. It just will. SMU with one conference loss, Zags with just 2 conference losses and us with 4 losses - is a crap shoot.



Even Gaels with a loss to Zags, and BYU beating Zags in Spokane and BYU and Zags thus with 3 conference losses, but them having a win over SMC but us beating them twice - risky bet as to which of us gets in if both do not.



But I guess th atis why we have the tourney. Everyone but one team is going to pick up a loss in the tourney whether they win any or not. We do not have a good confrence track record in conference tourneys in Las Vegas even when we do not play UNLV.



Bibster prediction. BYU will lose to Gonzaga in Spokane and will lose to someone in Las Vegas. Thus - we add two losses. Saint Mary's is going to upset the Zags in Spokane if that is even an upset at this point. Saint Mary's is going to win the conference tournament.



BYU needs to have a better record than Gonzaga to ensure a berth. Otherwise we be bubblin.

Cougarbib2 wrote:

Good game. Winder starting makes so much more sense and it kind of makes me wonder if things would have turned out differently had Rose made the switch earlier.



We played with fire and we played BYU ball - tough D and transition buckets. Loved seeing Sacre and Harris get worked down low.



I dislike SMC, but am no fool. So would gladly accept them beating GU; however its a better scenario for us if GU beats SMC. Would add to our win over GU, give SMC a loss and set up a better win for us when we go to Spokane.



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It is not better. IN the event that WCC only gets two seeds - you do not want Zags ranked higher than BYU. You just do not. SMC will be. They beat us twice. Just root for SMC to not lose again to anyone but us and those losses hurt us less. Root for the Zags to beat everyone but us and SMC - or in case we split with them - Zags to get upset by someone other than LMU - as we do not want LMU sneaking past us in conference.



SMU undefeated in conference. BYU with 3 or 4 conference losses and Zags with 4 or 5 conference losses gets us in the dance. It just will. SMU with one conference loss, Zags with just 2 conference losses and us with 4 losses - is a crap shoot.

Eh, I don't think so.



I think IF SMC wins the tourney the WCC only has maybe one more bid. But I wouldn't be surprised with only one going to the WCC. Most of the times that the zags and the Gaels have gone dancing, both were ranked.



I think the only surefire way of getting 2 bids is SMC winning out, and losing once in the tourney. They are an automatic in for the tourney, win or not. They will still be ranked top 25 even with another loss or two.



We might only have one bid this tourney. BYU needs to win the tourney, or greatly increase the chances of missing out. (The only thing BYU has going for them is quality losses)

WCC will get two bids - minimum. Hold me accountable for thatpredictoin. They just will. WIth BYU, SMC, and and Zig Zags - and with SMC being the clear cut best - Zags or Cougs are going to get sloppy seconds and there is a tiny chance that all 3 get in.