Utah State

@Arizona worries me the most, just because we typically don't travel all too well. Looking at our schedule, I don't really see any games that aren't winnable.

Gunk wrote:
@Arizona worries me the most, just because we typically don't travel all too well. Looking at our schedule, I don't really see any games that aren't winnable.

It worries me because of how the PAC 10 officials screwed us last year at ASU. We got treated like s***.

The best part of this team is we have enough depth to absorb an injury or 2 to our starters with having our team drop off the map.

It's going to be a war in Logan. I hope we pull it off; we should, but it's in Logan and they want the win very badly.



USU played Northeastern at their place (in Boston) and held the lead most of the game.

Northeastern (won 19 games last season) lost their 1st to a good Siena team that has 2 guys with pro potential and a history of NCAA tourney invites (Siena won 27 games last year and has won 20+ in 4 straight seasons).

Utah State will test us; but there's no doubt that if BYU plays up to their potential that we should win, even in Logan.



And test us they did... :~(

Gunk wrote:
@Arizona worries me the most, just because we typically don't travel all too well. Looking at our schedule, I don't really see any games that aren't winnable.

Actually BYU travels quite well during the holidays compared to most teams. There will be a good amount of Cougar fans there and next to no Arizona students considering we play them on the 28th of December.



Arizona has (1) senior on their team- Nic Wise - he's also their best player

(1) junior

and a bunch of underclassmen



We should beat them. This is not the Arizona team of the 80s and 90s.



The only games I don't think we'll be favored in this year would be at UNLV and at SDSU.

craigoscarson wrote:

@Arizona worries me the most, just because we typically don't travel all too well. Looking at our schedule, I don't really see any games that aren't winnable.

Actually BYU travels quite well during the holidays compared to most teams. There will be a good amount of Cougar fans there and next to no Arizona students considering we play them on the 28th of December.



Arizona has (1) senior on their team- Nic Wise - he's also their best player

(1) junior

and a bunch of underclassmen



We should beat them. This is not the Arizona team of the 80s and 90s.



The only games I don't think we'll be favored in this year would be at UNLV and at SDSU.

Good to know.



I know we always have fans show up to the game, I just worry about our team showing up.I think we'll pull it off, I just don't think it will be a gimmie, which I'm more than happy to wrong about. :crazy:

If BYU vs Utah State in football is their bowl game. Then BYU vs Utah State in bball is their Final Four appearance. I bet a majority of Aggie fans would trade a win over BYU in December over a win in the NCAAs in March.

Mars wrote:


...simply isn't as good as BYU in men's basketball, and it's their #1 sport. Plus they have an incredibly whiny head coach.



The Cougars are absolutely going to slap the Aggies up in Logan this year. I've never been to an athletic event at USU before, so I'm thinking about making the trip, just to watch and laugh.



@ Arizona, at home vs. Arizona State, in Las Vegas against Nebraska or Tulsa, those are the tough games that I'm actually worried about this year. And all are winnable.

They're good enough in Logan. Especially when JT can't hit the side of a barn.

craigoscarson wrote:

...simply isn't as good as BYU in men's basketball, and it's their #1 sport. Plus they have an incredibly whiny head coach.



The Cougars are absolutely going to slap the Aggies up in Logan this year. I've never been to an athletic event at USU before, so I'm thinking about making the trip, just to watch and laugh.



@ Arizona, at home vs. Arizona State, in Las Vegas against Nebraska or Tulsa, those are the tough games that I'm actually worried about this year. And all are winnable.

They're good enough in Logan. Especially when JT can't hit the side of a barn.

I really thought BYU was going to take this one. Apparently,so did BYU because USU ate them up in that second half. Great win for USU. Lesson learned- Never underestimate the power of the Spectrum.

USU was just a lot more intense this game, they treated it like a rivalry. We didn't .... we'll be ok though.

1st half 3's:



Emery 2 for 4

JT 0 for 1

Fredette 3 for 5



2nd half 3's:



Emery 0 for 2

Haws 0 for 1

JT 1 for 3

Fredette 0 for 1



Fredette stopped shooting 3's in the second half and JT decided to take over that role. USU was packing the lane, so when Fredette got around the guy guarding him, instead of going for a lay-up like usual, he was forced to take a bunch of off-balance 12 footers. Personally, I would rather have Fredette shoot a 25 footer in rhythm than an off-balance mid-range jumper. And, while I am complaining, what's with JT and the turnaround jumpers? Last year he would shoot a couple of those early in a game to set up the up-and-under move later on. This year? It seems JT has developed an allergy to the paint.

There's the pride cycle.

BYU continues to lose to teams of inferior talent. There's not much excuse. Dominant teams stay dominant because they keep their heads in the game. BYU? We get a few wins, think we're world beaters, and then play like passionless zombies. Oh well, I've come to expect it in football and basketball. If the guys never want to get far, whatever.

You may be right, Italics. Although, I would argue that BYU and USU are very comparable, talent-wise, when you factor the Spectrum into the equation. And, what you characterize as "passionless" is seen during successful times as being level-headed and under control. One of the most passionate coaches around works forty miles up the road, and his group has fallen to mighty teams from Seattle U., Weber State and Idaho already this season. BYU rarely has an excess of passion, either in FB or BB, so I would rather save it for March than spend it in Logan in December.

Logan is just a very tough place to play. I bet even some upper echelon teams would struggle to shoot well and win there.

cougdoc wrote:
You may be right, Italics. Although, I would argue that BYU and USU are very comparable, talent-wise, when you factor the Spectrum into the equation. And, what you characterize as "passionless" is seen during successful times as being level-headed and under control. One of the most passionate coaches around works forty miles up the road, and his group has fallen to mighty teams from Seattle U., Weber State and Idaho already this season. BYU rarely has an excess of passion, either in FB or BB, so I would rather save it for March than spend it in Logan in December.

USU is mediocre this year. Good by WAC standards, crappy in every other regard. Look at who they've played and what they scores were. NO other top team in the country would have lost to Utah State. This is just another example of BYU turning into a bunch of cocky fools and losing to a vastly inferior team. Playing like we have been and then losing to a team that couldn't even handle northeaster is INEXCUSABLE no matter how you cut it. And while I want to say "well, our boys will learn their lesson," I won't, because they won't. I say the same thing year after year and you know what I've come to learn? Our players never learn. They will go back to playing hard, win some games, get prideful again, and lose. This cycle will repeat, and our guys will end up with a good seed in the NCAA tourney and lose. Whatever.