BYU vs. Utep Comments

What a game. Who'd have thought that BYU would walk out of El Paso with a win with both Fredette and Tavernari sitting on the bench during the last two minutes in a tight game.



Fredette out with with illness and JT fouling out in the final two minutes and BYU still holds on to preserve the win.



What can we say about JT? That scrimmage against NNMS or whatever their name is, sure cured what was ailing JT and just in time for conference play.



And how about those fabulous freshmen? Both Haws and Davies score career highs with Haws icing the game with his free throws.



There were too many turnovers and too many careless plays down the stretch that could have lost it for the boys in blue, but they came up with some strong defensive stops to preserve their 16th win of the season against one loss.



The refs really tried to give this game to UTEP and thankfully they couldn't hit their free throws or it might have been a very different outcome.



With NM now down 0-2 with a home loss, and SDSU losing to Wyoming, BYU and UNLV are the leaders, for now.



I can't wait for the rest of the games this month: Air forcr, CSU, Wyoming, then battles with SDSU and @NM before hosting :utard: to close the month. I really think this team can go 7-0 in conference play this month.

We gutted out a game without Jimmer, with the refs out of their minds on the road. Quite a statement from this team.



Once again, Tyler "Ice Man" Haws comes up huge.

Here are mine:



I wouldn't be surprised to see JT win MWC POW. He stepped up huge in Jimmer's absence.



Haws is nails.



We dribbled deep way too often tonight and then got caught with nowhere to go.



We overcame A LOT to win: on the road, no Jimmer, 22 turnovers, 27 fouls; but we fought and got the win.



Great team defense especially late. I know Caracter was out with cramps, but injuries are part of the game. UTEP couldn't play without their best player the last two minutes of the game. We found a way to play without our best player the last 40 minutes of the game.

Huge game. Championship teams find ways to win even when they're playing poorly. This team showed some real championship mettle tonight. Way to go cougs! (But get well soon Jimmer)

If you had told me a week ago that Fredette would not be playing tonight, that the team would commit 22 turnovers and 27 fouls, that Emery would be 1-6 on his 3's, and that Tavarnari would also be on the bench at the end of the game having fouled out, I would have chalked this up as an unfortunate loss....For the Cougs to nevertheless win is exciting and amazing....This team continues to surprise and amaze me.....

Road wins are just so tough to come by in college basketball and every one should be appreciated. BYU is now 6-1 away from the Marriott Center.

1. Haws is going to be a star, he is so solid, and man he has a nose for rebounds (11 tonight)...and the kid has ice in his veins, just steps up and makes his free throws.



2. I have been unimpressed with Davies, he has showed me nothing so far this year, but he won we back tonight, great game for the freshman, some great defensive plays, and some great offensive moves and scores.



3. Emery plays so smart, and great defense.



4. Tavanari...whew, we owe him for a couple of great wins.



5. Man, am I sick about JImmer. Mono? that junk could knock him out, more or less, for the rest of the year; I hope not, but that stuff is ugly--especially for an athlete because it just saps your energy.

BYU is probably ok without Jimmer until January 23rd, when we go to SDSU--we need him by then.

bball wrote:
BYU is probably ok without Jimmer until January 23rd, when we go to SDSU--we need him by then.

I expect we'll have him sooner than that. What Jimmer has that avg Joe doesn't is a world class medical team getting him healthy.



I think we'll see him soon.

craigoscarson wrote:

BYU is probably ok without Jimmer until January 23rd, when we go to SDSU--we need him by then.

I expect we'll have him sooner than that. What Jimmer has that avg Joe doesn't is a world class medical team getting him healthy.



I think we'll see him soon.

world class, medical team that misdiagnosed mono that caused him to develop a rash for the UNLV game...



I'm sure its a common misdiagnosis (someone else on the board said so) but let's hope they're better at treating than diagnosing...

bball wrote:



I have been unimpressed with Davies, he has showed me nothing so far this year, but he won we back tonight, great game for the freshman, some great defensive plays, and some great offensive moves and scores.

.

I don't know what games you've been watching, but Davies has looked good all year. I could see someone saying something like that about Abouo (who actually has done nothing again this year), but not Davies. This kid is aggressive, athletic, and has moves...easily the best big man we've had since Keena.

Wow. UTEP's coach just threw the whole team under the bus during the post-game interviews. Harsh.

mizzoucoug wrote:

I have been unimpressed with Davies, he has showed me nothing so far this year, but he won we back tonight, great game for the freshman, some great defensive plays, and some great offensive moves and scores.

.

I don't know what games you've been watching, but Davies has looked good all year. I could see someone saying something like that about Abouo (who actually has done nothing again this year), but not Davies. This kid is aggressive, athletic, and has moves...easily the best big man we've had since Keena.

Word. I have the beginnings of a man-crush on Davies. I cannot wait to see how good this kid can be.

I stopped watching. What did the coach say?

I got home from stake conf. in time to see the last 8 or 9 minutes. In a very short time, I was furious about the reffing. Caracter got Jordan-esq calls one after another, and our players would get beaten up --no foul, then we woujd get ticky tack, or phantom fouls called.



Other than that, great game! Our back up point guards looked good, Haws was fabulous, and what can I say about JT? This will just make them a better team when Jimmer gets back. I hope he recovers quickly.

This win says a lot about how good this team actually is. Had a few balls bounced their way over the course of the season, UTEP could likely have been ranked right now. UTEP has played three top 25 teams in the last 3 weeks including ours, losing very tight games, one they were leading with under 4 minutes to go, and the other they took to overtime, and both of those were ON THE ROAD. We go into their HOME, and do just as well as either of those other top 25 teams, and we did it all WITHOUT our star player! You know, the only Point Guard in AMERICA who's top 20 in scoring AND assists?!?!



Our guys on the floor were put in a position in which we were required to develop an entirely new team chemistry on-the-fly (something ANY team would lose without their star point guard), against a team that, for at least for the 1st half anyway, was defending us in a way that forced us to completely abandon our out-in-the-open, up-tempo style, and we STILL managed to stay with them in a half-court set.



I'm very optimistic about our team's ability to adapt from here on out. We've certainly shown we can tonight.

Ugh...so wish I could have watched this.



What I like from the stats is our points from Davies and Haws the most, particularly Davies. It's been two long seasons since a BYU post player has put that many points up against a quality opponent. Congrats.



The points from JT off the bench are awesome. I said it earlier in the week and I'll say it again, JT thrives coming off the bench. That's his spot.

bigbluepuma wrote:
I got home from stake conf. in time to see the last 8 or 9 minutes. In a very short time, I was furious about the reffing. Caracter got Jordan-esq calls one after another, and our players would get beaten up --no foul, then we woujd get ticky tack, or phantom fouls called.



Other than that, great game! Our back up point guards looked good, Haws was fabulous, and what can I say about JT? This will just make them a better team when Jimmer gets back. I hope he recovers quickly.

You got it right, Buddy. I saw about 37 minutes of this game, and for that whole time the officiating was just as you described for the last eight minutes. I was angry and worried through most of the game. I think BYU would have put that team away easily had it been at a neutral venue. UTEP has a very talented team man for man, but does not have the team-work to stand up to BYU.



BYU has a very deep and capable team. I'm impressed with all of them, but was especially pleased tonight with JT, Emory, Haws, and Davies. I also liked the way that Lloyd and Morgan drove hard to the rim. Haws is quite a cool character for a freshman.

CougarClaw wrote:

bball wrote:
BYU is probably ok without Jimmer until January 23rd, when we go to SDSU--we need him by then.

I expect we'll have him sooner than that. What Jimmer has that avg Joe doesn't is a world class medical team getting him healthy.



I think we'll see him soon.

world class, medical team that misdiagnosed mono that caused him to develop a rash for the UNLV game...



I'm sure its a common misdiagnosis (someone else on the board said so) but let's hope they're better at treating than diagnosing...

Let's be very clear, nothing was misdiagnosed. What happened with Jimmer happens quite commonly with those with mono. Mono is almost never an initial diagnosis.

Indeed, how does a doctor mis-diagnose strep? You take a swab, send it to the lab, and it's either strep or it's something else. Doctor's, like officials, often call what they think is going to happen, not what actually happens. I think the doctor thought it looked like strep, and that was the diagnosis--not real smart.