Why BYU wins 2 this week

Under Coach Rose at the Marriott Center:

Overall Record: 75-3

MWC Record: 37-1

Average Margin of Victory in MWC: 14.9 points



I'll take the Cougars and Coach Rose against anyone at home. Let's hear some more reasons why the Cougars win both games this week.

GO COUGARS!

Wolverine wrote:
Under Coach Rose at the Marriott Center:

Overall Record: 75-3

MWC Record: 37-1

Average Margin of Victory in MWC: 14.9 points



I'll take the Cougars and Coach Rose against anyone at home. Let's hear some more reasons why the Cougars win both games this week.

GO COUGARS!

Jimmer. Freiken. Fredette.



That's my reason - and the only one I need.

You know what, I'd even be happy with a win over SDSU and a loss to New Mexico. Both teams are playing really well right now but obviously losing to SDSU on your home floor would not be received well by the committee or the nation at large even though SDSU is playing some great ball lately. However, dropping a game to New Mexico, who has been a force this year despite a minor hiccup at the beginning of conference play would not hurt us too badly.



Of course I want to win both, but you know both teams are going to be gunning for us. BYU is always going to be the top dog and most coveted W even if they are not sitting atop the league standings. If the MC is full both nights and the guys come out and punch them in the mouth from the get-go, I like our chances in both games, but it's still going to be a battle. We certainly have the ability and talent to win both. Hopefully all our guys our healthy (Hartstock, Davies, Morgan, etc.) and everyone is on their game.



JT has been playing like a man-possessed of late. Haws seems to have hit a bit of a slump but has still found ways to be productive. Jimmer has been Jimmer... they're going to try to lock him up so we'll need everyone else to step up. More than anything I'd just love to see Miles take it deep inside and work it on the offensive end. Neither team would expect much out of him and hopefully we could get their bigs in foul trouble early so the guards have to try to double Miles thereby leaving our perimeter guys open outside the arc.

I think we'll see BYU winning, going away in both games.I think we're all underestimating how well this team is playing right now,as evidenced by the 20+ point wins on the front range this week.I just don't see either NM or certainly not SDSU as being able to hang with us past the 12 minute mark of the 2nd half in either game.I think that a lot has gone right for NM so far this season,but they've in no way been as consistent as BYU, and I think it's going to finally catch up to them this week.They'll have no answer for Jimmer and Tav this time.

gmj81 wrote:
You know what, I'd even be happy with a win over SDSU and a loss to New Mexico. Both teams are playing really well right now but obviously losing to SDSU on your home floor would not be received well by the committee or the nation at large even though SDSU is playing some great ball lately. However, dropping a game to New Mexico, who has been a force this year despite a minor hiccup at the beginning of conference play would not hurt us too badly.



Of course I want to win both, but you know both teams are going to be gunning for us. BYU is always going to be the top dog and most coveted W even if they are not sitting atop the league standings. If the MC is full both nights and the guys come out and punch them in the mouth from the get-go, I like our chances in both games, but it's still going to be a battle. We certainly have the ability and talent to win both. Hopefully all our guys our healthy (Hartstock, Davies, Morgan, etc.) and everyone is on their game.



JT has been playing like a man-possessed of late. Haws seems to have hit a bit of a slump but has still found ways to be productive. Jimmer has been Jimmer... they're going to try to lock him up so we'll need everyone else to step up. More than anything I'd just love to see Miles take it deep inside and work it on the offensive end. Neither team would expect much out of him and hopefully we could get their bigs in foul trouble early so the guards have to try to double Miles thereby leaving our perimeter guys open outside the arc.

My two cents:



1. Any ill will generated by a loss to SDSU would be easily compensated by a win to UNM. At least, I would think so. Knocking off a top #10 team usually does well for your ranking/reputation.

2. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but a loss to SDSU, followed by wins against UNM, Utah and TCU, would mean that we'd at least get a share of the conference championship, right? (Assuming that UNM doesn't choke in their other last two games.) Whereas if we lost to UNM, there's really not much hope left.

they will win...



because I want them to. You'll see.

Dcr36 wrote:

You know what, I'd even be happy with a win over SDSU and a loss to New Mexico. Both teams are playing really well right now but obviously losing to SDSU on your home floor would not be received well by the committee or the nation at large even though SDSU is playing some great ball lately. However, dropping a game to New Mexico, who has been a force this year despite a minor hiccup at the beginning of conference play would not hurt us too badly.



Of course I want to win both, but you know both teams are going to be gunning for us. BYU is always going to be the top dog and most coveted W even if they are not sitting atop the league standings. If the MC is full both nights and the guys come out and punch them in the mouth from the get-go, I like our chances in both games, but it's still going to be a battle. We certainly have the ability and talent to win both. Hopefully all our guys our healthy (Hartstock, Davies, Morgan, etc.) and everyone is on their game.



JT has been playing like a man-possessed of late. Haws seems to have hit a bit of a slump but has still found ways to be productive. Jimmer has been Jimmer... they're going to try to lock him up so we'll need everyone else to step up. More than anything I'd just love to see Miles take it deep inside and work it on the offensive end. Neither team would expect much out of him and hopefully we could get their bigs in foul trouble early so the guards have to try to double Miles thereby leaving our perimeter guys open outside the arc.

My two cents:



1. Any ill will generated by a loss to SDSU would be easily compensated by a win to UNM. At least, I would think so. Knocking off a top #10 team usually does well for your ranking/reputation.

2. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but a loss to SDSU, followed by wins against UNM, Utah and TCU, would mean that we'd at least get a share of the conference championship, right? (Assuming that UNM doesn't choke in their other last two games.) Whereas if we lost to UNM, there's really not much hope left.

Good points. I didn't consider that.

They will win because...I'll be there. First live game in years for me.

SDSU won't be able to stay with them @ the MC. They have strong memories of two games this year, NM and UNLV. They won't forget thos memories when they meet either team. They will win both games this week, and they will win the LV Invitaional.



You heard it here second. :love: :love: 8) 8)

bigbluepuma wrote:
SDSU won't be able to stay with them @ the MC. They have strong memories of two games this year, NM and UNLV. They won't forget thos memories when they meet either team. They will win both games this week, and they will win the LV Invitaional.



You heard it here second. :love: :love: 8) 8)

Third word. Really all anyone needs to know is: (homage to FuriousCougar)

Jimmer Freakin' Fredette. Nothing else needs to be said. :love: :love: :love:

Dcr36 wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but a loss to SDSU, followed by wins against UNM, Utah and TCU, would mean that we'd at least get a share of the conference championship, right? (Assuming that UNM doesn't choke in their other last two games.) Whereas if we lost to UNM, there's really not much hope left.

Well, technically, the regular season conference championship goes to the team(s) with the best conference record, and in case of a tie, it doesn't matter who the wins and losses are to. I.e. if BYU and New Mexico both ended 13-3, even if BYU lost both games to New Mexico, the teams would still be co-champions. It'd count, but it would feel like a much more hollow victory.



It's the Conference Tournament seeding that takes head-to-head into consideration. Most times (like last year), all tied champs win home and lost away, and the tiebreaker goes to record over next-highest ranked teams. However, the above scenario would obviously make New Mexico the 1 seed, as they would have beaten BYU twice.



All THAT said, I really don't think we'll have a problem with either San Diego State or New Mexico. If I had to call our tightest game of the last four, in a HEARTBEAT I'd say its up on the molehill next Wednesday. A decently talented and underachieving Utah squad is TROUBLE, because their season's already crap, and a win over their rival is EXACTLY the kind of thing they get motivated for. We already know they're motivated against us this year, having played us to within 4 points in the last 3 minutes in Provo. My fear is that we'll expend loads of emotional and psychological energy getting the two big home wins, and won't have enough in the tank for all the Ute-hate.

While I agree with those that think that Jimmer is key to winning this game, I will add another reason. The other players besides Jimmer with these being home games. While Jimmer has been the leader on this team, we have relied on him less at home than on the road. We have been able to win games when he has struggled at home due to the play of the other players. Here are Jimmer's FG%'s for his three worst games both on the road and at home and the result:



Away:

@ UNLV 4-15: 26% -- Loss

@ Utah State 5-15: 33% -- Loss

@ New Mexico 8-21: 28% -- Loss



Home:

Arizona State: 1-13: 8% -- Win

UNLV 2-10: 20% -- Win

Wyoming 3-11: 27% -- Win



We can overcome a poor outing by Jimmer and still win at home, but th three times Jimmer has shot below 50% on the road, we have lost. Jimmer has been amazing on the road this year, while he has only been great at home. For these 2 games, I would like to see Jimmer play like it is a road game, and the rest of the team play like it is a home game. Here are Jimmer's stats on home vs. road



Stat -- Home -- Away -- Neutral

FG% -- 40.5% -- 50.3% -- 64%

3PT% -- 44% -- 54.4% -- 33.3%

Pts/Game -- 17.8 -- 25.9 -- 23.3



Go Cougars! I can't wait until tonight.

kjjson said:

We can overcome a poor outing by Jimmer and still win at home, but th three times Jimmer has shot below 50% on the road, we have lost. Jimmer has been amazing on the road this year, while he has only been great at home. For these 2 games, I would like to see Jimmer play like it is a road game, and the rest of the team play like it is a home game. Here are Jimmer's stats on home vs. road



Stat -- Home -- Away -- Neutral

FG% -- 40.5% -- 50.3% -- 64%

3PT% -- 44% -- 54.4% -- 33.3%

Pts/Game -- 17.8 -- 25.9 -- 23.3

Nice post...I hope Jimmer plays tonight and Saturday as if he were playing in the MC...McKALE CENTER!!!

clemdiggitydog1 wrote:
I think we'll see BYU winning, going away in both games.I think we're all underestimating how well this team is playing right now,as evidenced by the 20+ point wins on the front range this week.I just don't see either NM or certainly not SDSU as being able to hang with us past the 12 minute mark of the 2nd half in either game.I think that a lot has gone right for NM so far this season,but they've in no way been as consistent as BYU, and I think it's going to finally catch up to them this week.They'll have no answer for Jimmer and Tav this time.

Good call, you got it almost to the minute that we started to pull away. Let's hope the same holds true on Saturday.