Anyone Willing to Believe me Now?

[SpiffCoug]

Beating up on the AFA's, CSU's, and TCU's of the world doesn't mean jack when we play the way we did against UNM and UNLV. Outside the Marriott center, BYU tends to play this way against solid opponents. If we get another physical team that has good bigs... Lord help us.

BYU didn't play this way away from the Marriott Center against Arizona, Fresno St, Hawaii, UTEP, San Francisco. Oh that's right, those aren't solid teams, because BYU beat them.

Sure Arizona is one game back of the PAC-10 leaders, but they're not a solid team, because BYU struggles against solid teams.

Sure UTEP is leading Conference USA, but they're not a solid team because BYU beat them.

[Yndian]

I agree with what I've seen many posters say (here or elsewhere): Whether or not BYU gets past the first round this year is going to come down to one thing, and one thing only: Who we are matched up against.

Wow, everyone's going way out on a limb with that prediction. Every game of the season comes down to who you're matched up against. I'll go even farther out on the limb: Whether or not BYU gets past the first round this year is going to come down to one thing, and one thing only: Whether we score more points than whomever we play. Write it down, you heard it here first.

[Schmoe]

I agree with what I've seen many posters say (here or elsewhere): Whether or not BYU gets past the first round this year is going to come down to one thing, and one thing only: Who we are matched up against.

Wow, everyone's going way out on a limb with that prediction. Every game of the season comes down to who you're matched up against. I'll go even farther out on the limb: Whether or not BYU gets past the first round this year is going to come down to one thing, and one thing only: Whether we score more points than whomever we play. Write it down, you heard it here first.

I'll say that the tournament team that wins the most games in a row once the tourney starts will be the champs!

[bigbluepuma]

I agree with what I've seen many posters say (here or elsewhere): Whether or not BYU gets past the first round this year is going to come down to one thing, and one thing only: Who we are matched up against.

Wow, everyone's going way out on a limb with that prediction. Every game of the season comes down to who you're matched up against. I'll go even farther out on the limb: Whether or not BYU gets past the first round this year is going to come down to one thing, and one thing only: Whether we score more points than whomever we play. Write it down, you heard it here first.

I'd bet against you, but the prophet said no gambling.

[craigoscarson]

If there was any reason to freak out right now, it's the fact that games like UNM and UNLV on the road do not and will no help our tournament seeding.
We need to get that monkey off our back in the worst way and seeding is a big way to manage that.

Not a lot of teams (I can't think of any this year) could have come back and beaten UNLV the way they shot in the 1st half. BYU tried to make a game of it, but there wasn't enough time.

Dave Rose has not lost more than 1 game in February in the last 4 years; and this is his best overall team. Let's let things work themselves out....

If you would have told me 22-3 at this point (and as high as #10 in the country) I would have happily taken it. Hard to find much fault in that kind of success.

[BYULV]

We are still in the driver's seat with the MWC and the NCAA tournament seeding. Winning out from here guarantees us at least a tie for the MWC title. BY winning out we beat UNM to erase that loss. Winning the MWC tournament, including a win over UNLV at the t&m gets this current loss off our backs (and out of the memories of the selection committee). That leaves the USU loss unanswered, but by then it will have been so long ago it won't matter. We should get a great seed if we win out and win the MWC tournament. A good seed if we win out and lose in the title game. A more questionable seed if we lose another game before the MWC or lose early in the MWC tourney. I'm hoping for a NM win on Wed vs UNLV and then a beating of UNM by the Cougars when they visit - puts us right back alone on top.

[Iceman]

I can't believe I waited this long to say this: No

[bigbluepuma]

I can't believe I waited this long to say this: No

nanner nanner nanner, I said it first.

[SpiffCoug]

Only a fool would place more emphasis on one game than on the previous 24.

That said, I'm going to chalk this loss up to UNLV playing great. I don't think BYU is as bad as they looked today nor is UNLV as good as they looked today. UNLV was shooting .313 from behind the arc before today. They were 12-23 (.522) today but started 9 of 11 (.818).

Seriously, are you kidding me!? 9 of 11. That's unrepeatable. Now watch UNLV go a combined 4 of 37 against New Mexico and San Diego St and lose both games.

I was so close on this one. Against UNM the Rebels lost 76-66 but shot just 10-30 (.333) from the three point line. Against SDSU they lost 68-58 and shot 3-17 (.176) from the three-point line. In the two games after the BYU game UNLV was 13-47 (.277) from behind the arc or about three times worse than they shot the ball to start the BYU game and twice as bad as the entire game. They truly got up for the game of their lives against the Cougs.

For further evidence please see MWC Player of the Year "contender" Tre'Von Willis. Here's his last three games. Please tell me which one is the fluke game:

vs BYU: 38 min, 11-20 FG, 4-7 3P, 5 reb, 8 ast, 0 to, 33 pts
vs UNM: 38 min, 4-13 FG, 1-5 3P, 4 reb, 10 ast, 3 to, 13 pts
at SDSU: 38 min, 5-15 FG, 1-5 3P, 3 reb, 5 ast, 3 to, 17 pts

[Y&Brit]

Tool.