BYU vs. USF predictions

[Wolfman]

So how does this one shake out tonight? It's difficult to beat a team 3 times in one season and USF has hung with the Cougs in each of the first two contests before BYU slowly pulled away down the stretch in close games. I think this will be their toughest game of the WCC tourney because the Dons are playing solid basketball right now and have won 20 games while Gonzaga is not playing well at the moment and could lose to St. Mary's (which BYU also swept during the regular season) and they are not the same Gael squad BYU has seen the past few years... they are vulnerable and not as good as USF or Gonzaga. So I think BYU has its toughest test of the tourney tonight. If they get by USF, I think they'll beat Gonzaga or St. Mary's for the WCC tourney title. As for tonight's game, I'm predicting a BYU win in OT, 83-80. And then it's on to the WCC title, an automatic bid, an 11 seed for the tournament and then one and done. What do you guys think?

[Wolverine]

9 point BYU win....83-74

[BYULV]

Agree it is tough to beat a team three straight, but mainly because you figure a team out. Fortunately for us in this case, we are just barely figuring ourselves out. USF is definitely playing well currently, but so are we. I predict we win a close one in regulation, possibly due to a couple extra points due to Walters' technical he will draw after getting frustrated with Collinsworth. We win by 7 if we make some free throws.

Agree with USF being toughest game then the zags. Don't agree with seeding. I suspect we will be 11 seed if we lose Championship to zags and get at large bid, but we get a seed or two higher if we win the Conf tourney autobid. We suddenly have a pretty strong resume: Conf tourney champs, end season winning 9/10, beat Zags twice in that span, top 20 SOS, LOW 30 RPI.

** correction: just looked up SOS and we are only 43-44 overall, but #8 OOC SOS - that will help. RPI IS 33 or 34 depending on where you look.

[Wolverine]

Agree it is tough to beat a team three straight, but mainly because you figure a team out. Fortunately for us in this case, we are just barely figuring ourselves out. USF is definitely playing well currently, but so are we. I predict we win a close one in regulation, possibly due to a couple extra points due to Walters' technical he will draw after getting frustrated with Collinsworth. We win by 7 if we make some free throws.

Agree with USF being toughest game then the zags. Don't agree with seeding. I suspect we will be 11 seed if we lose Championship to zags and get at large bid, but we get a seed or two higher if we win the Conf tourney autobid. We suddenly have a pretty strong resume: Conf tourney champs, end season winning 9/10, beat Zags twice in that span, top 20 SOS, LOW 30 RPI.

** correction: just looked up SOS and we are only 43-44 overall, but #8 OOC SOS - that will help. RPI IS 33 or 34 depending on where you look.

This is slightly off topic and jumping the gun quite a bit, but would you prefer a #8/#9 seed and match-up with a # 1 on deck, or be a #12 vs #5 with a potential #4 on deck? Isn't the #12 vs #5 one of the most common first round upsets? I really hope we get to ponder such things throughout the week. Go Cougars!

[Gunk]

USF is playing solid ball. Tonight will be a tough game and is more important than the championship game. We lose tonight and we go to the NIT. We win and likely go dancing even with a loss tomorrow.

USF is a bit tricky because they are a fairly balanced team with four players averaging double figures. We'll need to limit Dickerson and keep Holmes from getting hot behind the arc. While not a prolific 3-ball team, if we can shut it down from the outside than I like our chances. It's good Worthington has been getting more minutes because we'll need him down the stretch.

I'd be surprised if SMC wins tonight.

[Gunk]

Agree it is tough to beat a team three straight, but mainly because you figure a team out. Fortunately for us in this case, we are just barely figuring ourselves out. USF is definitely playing well currently, but so are we. I predict we win a close one in regulation, possibly due to a couple extra points due to Walters' technical he will draw after getting frustrated with Collinsworth. We win by 7 if we make some free throws.

Agree with USF being toughest game then the zags. Don't agree with seeding. I suspect we will be 11 seed if we lose Championship to zags and get at large bid, but we get a seed or two higher if we win the Conf tourney autobid. We suddenly have a pretty strong resume: Conf tourney champs, end season winning 9/10, beat Zags twice in that span, top 20 SOS, LOW 30 RPI.

** correction: just looked up SOS and we are only 43-44 overall, but #8 OOC SOS - that will help. RPI IS 33 or 34 depending on where you look.

This is slightly off topic and jumping the gun quite a bit, but would you prefer a #8/#9 seed and match-up with a # 1 on deck, or be a #12 vs #5 with a potential #4 on deck? Isn't the #12 vs #5 one of the most common first round upsets? I really hope we get to ponder such things throughout the week. Go Cougars!

At this point, I'd take any seed. That said, I actually would prefer a 12 seed over an 8 or 9.

[snoscythe]

BYU puts the Dons down 84-69.

[BYULV]

Agree it is tough to beat a team three straight, but mainly because you figure a team out. Fortunately for us in this case, we are just barely figuring ourselves out. USF is definitely playing well currently, but so are we. I predict we win a close one in regulation, possibly due to a couple extra points due to Walters' technical he will draw after getting frustrated with Collinsworth. We win by 7 if we make some free throws.

Agree with USF being toughest game then the zags. Don't agree with seeding. I suspect we will be 11 seed if we lose Championship to zags and get at large bid, but we get a seed or two higher if we win the Conf tourney autobid. We suddenly have a pretty strong resume: Conf tourney champs, end season winning 9/10, beat Zags twice in that span, top 20 SOS, LOW 30 RPI.

** correction: just looked up SOS and we are only 43-44 overall, but #8 OOC SOS - that will help. RPI IS 33 or 34 depending on where you look.

This is slightly off topic and jumping the gun quite a bit, but would you prefer a #8/#9 seed and match-up with a # 1 on deck, or be a #12 vs #5 with a potential #4 on deck? Isn't the #12 vs #5 one of the most common first round upsets? I really hope we get to ponder such things throughout the week. Go Cougars!

I kinda like the 12 seed, underdog role, especially if we win the conference tourney so we don't have to play the playin game. Depending on who the five seed is, I think we have a good chance of competing well with most of them. BYU, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to play as well when they're favored in big games (maybe a huge generalization, but it seems that way).

[stuckinbig10country]

I prefer the 10 seed to even the 12 seed, but 8/9 seeded games are always toss ups and then you get a well rested 1 seed, who didn't even need to play a 2nd half against a 16. Although, Arizona in the west I think would be a good matchup for us. They can't shoot a lick at times.

But what do you know, the Shockers went from an 8/9 game to the final 4 and now are undefeated.

As for the game tonight, I'm really not confident in our chances, especially if Carlino isn't who we need him to be. LMU just wasn't very good, so we got away with a less than stellar game from Matty.

[Schmoe]

I predict a BYU win.