Keys to beating UNLV tonight

I think the first key to beating UNLV is playing better defense than BYU played v. TCU. TCU scored 18 pts more than their season average, and shot over 50% v. BYU in the game. And we defended the arc poorly as TCU shot near 53%. We can not let UNLV shoot like that or that crowd will throttle us. We have to control the tempo better v. UNLV. That will be a huge factor in the outcome.



On offense, Jimmer needs to jack up fewer 3's, but drive to the rim hard like he did tonight. Getting 24 FT's is unbelievable. But he shot just 2-10 from the 3, and 8-13 inside the arc. He was WAY more effective inside last night scoring and then setting up other guys behind the 3. The rest of the team was 8-13 from the 3 because Jimmer's driving got so many good looks. Love it when he attacks a D. Great things happen for BYU when he does that.



Any other keys you guys look at?

Agree. UNLV's defense was pretty tenacious last night against Utah and they'll attempt the same against us tonight. We tend to get a bit too frazzled at times when defenses press us like that and I can't imagine that Kruger has not noticed. We need to be settled and disciplined and hope the refs don't take the game away from the players.



I'd really just once like to say in watching a MWC game (and I'm talking more than just BYU's games) and walk away saying the game was reffed to the standard you'd expect and not just see so many missed calls.

The key to beating UNLV tonight is using a very similar gameplan. Take the ball to the rim and don't settle for outside shots. BYU shot 37 FTs and drew 25 fouls on TCU. We need to be aggressive and force contact from UNLV's pressure defense. Make the officials make calls. Be aggressive and FORCE the issue. UNLV can't hang with us if they get in foul trouble and if they can't play their pressure defense they can't run with us either.



We know UNLV is going to be very physical and we can't shy away from that. We have to initiate contact and make the officials make calls.

I'll be honest, I am afraid for this game tonight. Please cougars, pull it together and beat these guys on their home court!!

Score more points than UNLV does.



Beyond that, we need to take care of the ball. Last night UNLV really pressured Utah with a full court press and from what I saw had several steals and easy points.



I hate to say it, and I know that there will be some that disagree with me, but I believe the refs effect our games with UNLV more than against any other team we play. In my opinion, UNLV is one of the most physical teams we play against, and when the refs "let them play" then we tend to struggle with their physical defense.



An interesting side note, over the last 4 years (10 games), the team that has taken the most free throws has won 8 times. The 2 exceptions are when the other team shot lights out (This year at UNLV, BYU shot more free throws, but UNLV shot 52.5% from the field and 52.2% from 3, and in 2007 UNLV shot more free throws, but BYU won shooting 57.6% from the field). Basically, I think Jimmer needs to get to the line.

We need our bench to step up big time! Loyd, Abouo, Davies and Tavernari need to play really well. We're more deep than they are and our bench needs to bring a lot of energy. Fredette needs to penetrate and if the shot is there then take it, but if they collapse he needs to kick it out. I hope we set a lot of off the ball screens to open up our guys. Oddly, I have a good feeling about this game. Usually UNLV scares me.

EM_Puma wrote:
Agree. UNLV's defense was pretty tenacious last night against Utah and they'll attempt the same against us tonight. We tend to get a bit too frazzled at times when defenses press us like that and I can't imagine that Kruger has not noticed. We need to be settled and disciplined and hope the refs don't take the game away from the players.



I'd really just once like to say in watching a MWC game (and I'm talking more than just BYU's games) and walk away saying the game was reffed to the standard you'd expect and not just see so many missed calls.

I was curious about UNLV's press defense last night. Namely, how good it was. Can they suffocate teams like that regularly, or does Drca have zero ball-handling skills? (I haven't seen much of Utah all year.)

I think its the monkey. The huge 800lb gorilla sitting on our back. We are 0-7 at Thomas and Mack under Rose and I don't see a win tonight. UNLV will jump to an early lead, will play tight D and we will fold.



We lose by 12.

UNLV is a very good team at home, and yes it is a home game Craig Thompson, taking the huge UNLV off the court doesn't make it a neutral court!! UNLV always plays us tough on their home court in front of their home fans. I think the key tonight is rebounds. UNLV is going to shoot lights out like they always do and we cannot give them 2nd chance opportunities when they do miss. I think that allowing the other team to get those offensive rebounds has been a huge weakness for BYU this year and against a team like UNLV it is absolutely critical that this doesn't happen.



Conspiracy Theory: I would not be surprised if BYU and New Mexico get screwed in the officiating department tonight. Putting UNLV and SDSU in the championship game all but locks up the MWC into having 4 teams in the big dance. I'm not saying that I think this will happen, I'm just saying that it wouldn't surprise me if it did happen.



How's that for post #100? :evil: :evil:

Dcr36 wrote:

I was curious about UNLV's press defense last night. Namely, how good it was. Can they suffocate teams like that regularly, or does Drca have zero ball-handling skills? (I haven't seen much of Utah all year.)

Teams do not press us so much because we usually have 3-4 guys on the court who can handle the ball, so we beat presses and create easy shots. UNLV may press us to test it out, but they will not stick with it unless we are turning it over too much. But I do think they pressure the ball all night long.

Per wrubbell:



Sobering stat: including conference tournament play, Rose is 70-20 against MWC teams; 4-8 v. UNLV, and 66-12 v. the rest of the league. Rose's teams are 0-7 at the Thomas and Mack Center. Rose and BYU are due.



UNLV has never lost an MWC tournament semifinal game at the Thomas and Mack Center (5-0; 1-2 in semifinals played at the Pepsi Center).



This doesn't look good. We better be on tonight. The refs are going to let them hack away at us. I agree, biggest key is our players driving to the hoop, getting fouled and making free throws. hopefully this will result in them getting in foul trouble and having to back off a little on their defensive intensity.



If we win this game tonight it will be a bigger win than beating new mexico in the championship game in my opinion.

jonnylingo wrote:
If we win this game tonight it will be a bigger win than beating new mexico in the championship game in my opinion.

It will be to us Cougar fans, but I'm not convinced that beyond our own world that the selection committee or the Jack Palms from the CollegeRPI.com's of the world will see it for the monumental achievement it will be.

I think the key may be confidence. The players need to realize that they have played better than the Rebels all year (with the exception of that one game!). Comparative stats show the Cougars lead in every category, with a pretty comparable schedule:

SCORING

BYU UNLV

83.5 Points/Game 74.3

48.8 Field Goal % 46.4

78.4 Free Throw % 71.9

42.1 Three Point % 32.9



DEFENSE

41.1 Rebounds/Game 37.6

8.5 Steals/Game 7.8

3.7 Blocks/Game 3.6

I was so careful about spacing out that last message so the stats would be readable, but when I submitted, it just removed all of my spacing! Bummer!

spacing is a tricky business on the web, if you want it to preserve (mostly) you're spacing, but that part of the text in [ code ] [ /code ] blocks (without the space between the [ ]

How about we will win if UNLV does not hit 7 3's in a row! They did that last time or were really close to it. I would love to see some backdoor plays to take advantage of the overplay that they do. I expect them to pressure the inbound pass after baskets. We need to throw it over the top in that case.

IowaCougar wrote:
I think the key may be confidence. The players need to realize that they have played better than the Rebels all year (with the exception of that one game!). Comparative stats show the Cougars lead in every category, with a pretty comparable schedule:

SCORING

BYU UNLV

83.5 Points/Game 74.3

48.8 Field Goal % 46.4

78.4 Free Throw % 71.9

42.1 Three Point % 32.9



DEFENSE

41.1 Rebounds/Game 37.6

8.5 Steals/Game 7.8

3.7 Blocks/Game 3.6

I also think that confidence is the key. BYU needs to realize that UNLV is going to come out and play another fantastic game, but even a UNLV great game can be overcome if the cougs can somehow stay composed and stop runs from getting out of control. The last UNLV game was the only real disappointment this year for me and that was because BYU showed no moxie at all in the game that probably should have meant the most to them.



I think BYU wins this one by less than 5.

Mars wrote:


Pay the refs more than UNLV pays them.

Fixed.

The streak of losses ENDS tonight. Got a feeling. Need to play some D. The offense will be there.



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