Oral Roberts

[Gunk]

Game was closer than I would have liked, but a win is a win. Three point shooting was not there, otherwise this would have been another double digit win.

Team is playing great defense. Move the ball well. I'm getting excited for this team heading into league play.

We have LMU next, which is very winnable. Then it's SMC at Moraga on Jan. 9th. I want to win that game so bad. We beat SMC on the road and we crack the top 25, assuming we don't lose to LMU.

[Wolverine]

Gunk, it’s been awhile, but it’s fun to watch BYU hoops again. Conference play will be a grind, but listening to Coach Pope last night post game got me really excited for the grind. For some reason or other, I dislike SMC more than any team from the old MWC days, and I’m not sure how that is even possible. From Bennett to Dellavadova to Waldo to every and any other Bloomin’ Aussie, I just don’t care for the Gaels. A win in Moraga would be huge, but business first with LMU.

[Gunk]

Gunk, it’s been awhile, but it’s fun to watch BYU hoops again. Conference play will be a grind, but listening to Coach Pope last night post game got me really excited for the grind. For some reason or other, I dislike SMC more than any team from the old MWC days, and I’m not sure how that is even possible. From Bennett to Dellavadova to Waldo to every and any other Bloomin’ Aussie, I just don’t care for the Gaels. A win in Moraga would be huge, but business first with LMU.

SMC, for some reason, has an axe to grind with BYU. Having lived in the Bay Area and frequented the SMC forum, I get the impression it has to do with them being upsurped as the WCC's second best team. They take offense to BYU fans whining about the size of their gym and the size of WCC schools in general. They feel like we came in over confident and cocky. They take offense to the fact many BYU fans look at joining the WCC as a step down (it kinda was at the time) and feel we should be grateful that the WCC allowed us to join the conference.

[Gunk]

Gunk, it’s been awhile, but it’s fun to watch BYU hoops again. Conference play will be a grind, but listening to Coach Pope last night post game got me really excited for the grind. For some reason or other, I dislike SMC more than any team from the old MWC days, and I’m not sure how that is even possible. From Bennett to Dellavadova to Waldo to every and any other Bloomin’ Aussie, I just don’t care for the Gaels. A win in Moraga would be huge, but business first with LMU.

SMC, for some reason, has an axe to grind with BYU. Having lived in the Bay Area and frequented the SMC forum, I get the impression it has to do with them being upsurped as the WCC's second best team. They take offense to BYU fans whining about the size of their gym and the size of WCC schools in general. They feel like we came in over confident and cocky. They take offense to the fact many BYU fans look at joining the WCC as a step down (it kinda was at the time) and feel we should be grateful that the WCC allowed us to join the conference.

[Wolverine]

Gunk, it’s been awhile, but it’s fun to watch BYU hoops again. Conference play will be a grind, but listening to Coach Pope last night post game got me really excited for the grind. For some reason or other, I dislike SMC more than any team from the old MWC days, and I’m not sure how that is even possible. From Bennett to Dellavadova to Waldo to every and any other Bloomin’ Aussie, I just don’t care for the Gaels. A win in Moraga would be huge, but business first with LMU.

rather the
SMC, for some reason, has an axe to grind with BYU. Having lived in the Bay Area and frequented the SMC forum, I get the impression it has to do with them being upsurped as the WCC's second best team. They take offense to BYU fans whining about the size of their gym and the size of WCC schools in general. They feel like we came in over confident and cocky. They take offense to the fact many BYU fans look at joining the WCC as a step down (it kinda was at the time) and feel we should be grateful that the WCC allowed us to join the conference.

I could see that being the case, even though BYU has in no way usurped SMC as the 2nd best team in the WCC. Hopefully that changes this year. I have never understood the “small gym size” smack from BYU fans. It’s not like playing in front of 4,000 fans in a 15,000 seat arena in Laramie on a Thursday night on CBSSN is anything to brag about. Me personally, I would rather BYU basketball be in the MWC. However, it is what it is and the WCC has been more than an adequate home while football continues to wander aimlessly in the desert of Independence.

[nuk13]

I could see that being the case, even though BYU has in no way usurped SMC as the 2nd best team in the WCC. Hopefully that changes this year. I have never understood the “small gym size” smack from BYU fans. It’s not like playing in front of 4,000 fans in a 15,000 seat arena in Laramie on a Thursday night on CBSSN is anything to brag about. Me personally, I would rather BYU basketball be in the MWC. However, it is what it is and the WCC has been more than an adequate home while football continues to wander aimlessly in the desert of Independence.
[/quote]

I agree with this. I don't see that gym size has anything to do with anything. SMC is one of the better teams in the nation. I too would rather see BYU in the MWC for both sports. We could continue to schedule Gonzaga and others in the preseason. We're one of the few teams that have beaten Gonzaga. Remember when they were unbeaten until they played us on their court?

You put it very well saying, "football continues to wander aimlessly in the desert of independence". They beat a top 25 team one week and up go our hopes. Next week they lose to someone you've barely heard of. I don't know if being in a conference would change that but I'd still rather be back with our old rivals.

[Wolverine]

[quote=nuk13
I agree with this. I don't see that gym size has anything to do with anything. SMC is one of the better teams in the nation. I too would rather see BYU in the MWC for both sports. We could continue to schedule Gonzaga and others in the preseason. We're one of the few teams that have beaten Gonzaga. Remember when they were unbeaten until they played us on their court?

You put it very well saying, "football continues to wander aimlessly in the desert of independence". They beat a top 25 team one week and up go our hopes. Next week they lose to someone you've barely heard of. I don't know if being in a conference would change that but I'd still rather be back with our old rivals.
[/quote]

Seems that guys like you and me are in the minority these days. I too wouldn’t mind BYU returning to the MWC for everything. I’m afraid the P5 ship for football has sailed forever. Give me regional rivalries, meaningful games in October and November, and a couple of good OOC matchups to begin the season. I’m not buying the “what about the ESPN $$$, and all of our games are broadcast nationally” rationale. The excess $$$ BYU gets from their ESPN contract as opposed to being in a conference like the MWC is chump change in today’s major college arms race. It isn’t making a difference IMO. Get over the Utah envy. Can’t stand the Utes, but good for them. They hit the lottery and BYU didn’t (I have my own personal and biased opinion as to why BYU is really excluded, and it has nothing to do with athletics). Time to call it what it is and make the most of it. Go Cougs!

[byufan4ever]

It's not just the gym size though, LOL, it's the quality of the gyms. There are better (read, not bigger) high school gyms in Idaho. I mean, some of the teams have to push their seats back into the wall after the game. Most of the WCC teams can't even fill their tiny gyms. I mean, it is really sad. The conference in generall could use some large injection of investment in basketball if they are serious about progressing and getting better.

And regarding the MWC and their crappy network coverage. I want to be in a conference for football, but I GREATLY enjoy the TV coverage we get now. I am not paying butloads more $$ to get some crappy conference TV converage that barely plays at 720p. BYU also has a great deal with the WCC. Lots of ESPN and BYUTV. You won't get that in the MWC or the PAC-12.

[ABYUFAN]

It's not just the gym size though, LOL, it's the quality of the gyms. There are better (read, not bigger) high school gyms in Idaho. I mean, some of the teams have to push their seats back into the wall after the game. Most of the WCC teams can't even fill their tiny gyms. I mean, it is really sad. The conference in generall could use some large injection of investment in basketball if they are serious about progressing and getting better.

And regarding the MWC and their crappy network coverage. I want to be in a conference for football, but I GREATLY enjoy the TV coverage we get now. I am not paying butloads more $$ to get some crappy conference TV converage that barely plays at 720p. BYU also has a great deal with the WCC. Lots of ESPN and BYUTV. You won't get that in the MWC or the PAC-12.

Please indicate which WCC gyms you are talking about here. Of the WCC gyms that I have been to, I haven't encountered a single gym that was not as nice or better than the best high school gyms in Idaho (Capital High class of '87 here)