BYU v. New Mexico (probably a barometer game)

[byu71]

Even after a nights sleep and some thought this morning, I am not worried about this team. Now if we beat Utah by less than 20, I will start to become seriously concerned.

[Surfah]

Even after a nights sleep and some thought this morning, I am not worried about this team. Now if we beat Utah by less than 20, I will start to become seriously concerned.

I feel much the same way. BYU played like crap (much of that due to NM) and we still had a chance to win at the end in the most hostile arena in the MWC against a legitimate top 25 team.

[Goatnapper'96]

Even after a nights sleep and some thought this morning, I am not worried about this team. Now if we beat Utah by less than 20, I will start to become seriously concerned.

I think we don't lose another conference game. There are only two real road tests left, at UNLV and at Utah. I like how UNLV is after two home games. Rose and clan will get rested and playing at a high level again. Emery will come out of his slump and this team will play a good game at Vegas. I think they win. I believe that after the emotional win over Cal State San Diego and back to back road trips, especially with the Pit rocking like it was, was just a bridge too far. BYU didn't play its best, but it still competed. I liked the effort. I expect BYU to play better in Vegas and if they can replicate the effort, I think they win.

BYU will win the conference at 15-1, but I think they lose in the semis or finals of the MWC tourney. So I figure they are either 31 or 32-3 going into the NCAA tourney. They will get a 5 seed and get the SLC bracket and sweep into the elite 8 by upsetting the #1 seed at the Huntsmen. That is my prediction and I am sticking to it!

[byu71]

I think we don't lose another conference game. There are only two real road tests left, at UNLV and at Utah. I like how UNLV is after two home games. Rose and clan will get rested and playing at a high level again. Emery will come out of his slump and this team will play a good game at Vegas. I think they win. I believe that after the emotional win over Cal State San Diego and back to back road trips, especially with the Pit rocking like it was, was just a bridge too far. BYU didn't play its best, but it still competed. I liked the effort. I expect BYU to play better in Vegas and if they can replicate the effort, I think they win.

BYU will win the conference at 15-1, but I think they lose in the semis or finals of the MWC tourney. So I figure they are either 31 or 32-3 going into the NCAA tourney. They will get a 5 seed and get the SLC bracket and sweep into the elite 8 by upsetting the #1 seed at the Huntsmen. That is my prediction and I am sticking to it!

Emery will come back. I doubt to the level he was shooting before the slump, but certainly good enough. One positive thing about Emery's slump, I am not as down on JT's shots as I used to be. One thing that still frustrates me about JT's game is the "casual" pass. There are at least a couple of those a game that even I could pick off. I probably couldn't get down the court to make the layup, but opposing players can. How hard is it to mention to him not to "casual" it on passes. It isn't like it happens once in a while.

I do think JT's overall game is helping this team again. (reprove betimes with sharpness showing forth afterwards an increase of love to him whom thou hast reproved).

P.S. Notwithstanding my respect for your BB genius, I still think we lose another conference game.

[TheBYUGuy]

BYU will win the conference at 15-1, but I think they lose in the semis or finals of the MWC tourney. So I figure they are either 31 or 32-3 going into the NCAA tourney. They will get a 5 seed and get the SLC bracket and sweep into the elite 8 by upsetting the #1 seed at the Huntsmen. That is my prediction and I am sticking to it!

I can't predict a BYU win at UNLV. The team is good enough that it wouldn't surprise me, but my heart has been ripped out every time I think they will actually pull it off. The last time they won at UNLV was when they were really bad in 2004-05.

[cougjunkie]

I think we don't lose another conference game. There are only two real road tests left, at UNLV and at Utah. I like how UNLV is after two home games. Rose and clan will get rested and playing at a high level again. Emery will come out of his slump and this team will play a good game at Vegas. I think they win. I believe that after the emotional win over Cal State San Diego and back to back road trips, especially with the Pit rocking like it was, was just a bridge too far. BYU didn't play its best, but it still competed. I liked the effort. I expect BYU to play better in Vegas and if they can replicate the effort, I think they win.

BYU will win the conference at 15-1, but I think they lose in the semis or finals of the MWC tourney. So I figure they are either 31 or 32-3 going into the NCAA tourney. They will get a 5 seed and get the SLC bracket and sweep into the elite 8 by upsetting the #1 seed at the Huntsmen. That is my prediction and I am sticking to it!

UNLV is now without Derrick Jasper one of their top players for 5 weeks. That should help.

[Surfah]

After last night's game BYU fell to #7 in Sagarin's ratings. Predictor is at 5. Their RPI is at #19. And their SOS improved to #108. Not bad for losing. I guess that's a compliment to NM's strength.

[cougjunkie]

By the way I do not think the refs dictated the outcome in this game at all. I just think they were horribly inconsistent on both ends. It was weird anything goes in the paint yet they called tons of touch fouls on the perimeter.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the way the referees are positioned, I know this sounds weird but on one end you have a ref under the basket and calling stuff down low, then on the other end that same ref is out on the perimeter. So he is looking for completely different things.

[TripletDaddy]

I'm over this one.

Go Cougars, Beat the Utes!

[jay santos]

I come away from this game no less enthused than I was before about this team. They didn't play well at times and New Mexico would go on runs, but BYU always battled back. They showed some character. In the end, it could have gone either way but New Mexico made a couple plays.

Miles could have four points more a game if he made one simple fix to his game. CATCH IT HIGH KEEP IT HIGH. What the hell's his problem bringing the ball down to his knees every time he catches it?

Question: Midway through the second half, the ball goes into Hartsock on the block, he's bumped, whistle. Based on crowd reaction and the fact the players stayed where there they were, not headed back to UNM's basket, it seemed clear it was a foul on UNM. They show some replays and discuss something else, then when they come back to the action, UNM is taking the ball out of bounds. What happened?

[cougjunkie]

I come away from this game no less enthused than I was before about this team. They didn't play well at times and New Mexico would go on runs, but BYU always battled back. They showed some character. In the end, it could have gone either way but New Mexico made a couple plays.

Miles could have four points more a game if he made one simple fix to his game. CATCH IT HIGH KEEP IT HIGH. What the hell's his problem bringing the ball down to his knees every time he catches it?

Question: Midway through the second half, the ball goes into Hartsock on the block, he's bumped, whistle. Based on crowd reaction and the fact the players stayed where there they were, not headed back to UNM's basket, it seemed clear it was a foul on UNM. They show some replays and discuss something else, then when they come back to the action, UNM is taking the ball out of bounds. What happened?

I am curious about that particular play as well.

[cowboy]

If we had to lose one, this was a good one to lose. Four points to a #23 team in the pit - I'll take it.

Did anyone els think that NM looked a lot quicker and moved much better without the ball than we did? It seemed like we were one pass short all night, forcing the ball rather than looking for a more open man.

[I.J. Reilly]

I like this team, but my biggest complaint is still about their inside strength. It hurt them last night, on both ends. If they could have muscled in there and pulled down a few more of those rebounds on the defensive end instead of letting UNM tip it back in or grabbing it and kicking it back out it would have helped a lot. It just looked like there was a lack of effort on the glass on both ends of the floor. On the offensive side, I really wish Hartsock would get down lower before posting up. I swear he is posting up like 15 feet away from the basket. If we could get someone to work a little better down there we could move more inside out and be shooting more 12-15 foot jumpers as opposed 20 feet out or behind the arc, where our percentage (while not bad) is still lower.

This has been, imo, the biggest hole in BYU's game this year, and last night it hurt them enough to lose this close one.

[TheBYUGuy]

I like this team, but my biggest complaint is still about their inside strength. It hurt them last night, on both ends. If they could have muscled in there and pulled down a few more of those rebounds on the defensive end instead of letting UNM tip it back in or grabbing it and kicking it back out it would have helped a lot. It just looked like there was a lack of effort on the glass on both ends of the floor. On the offensive side, I really wish Hartsock would get down lower before posting up. I swear he is posting up like 15 feet away from the basket. If we could get someone to work a little better down there we could move more inside out and be shooting more 12-15 foot jumpers as opposed 20 feet out or behind the arc, where our percentage (while not bad) is still lower.

This has been, imo, the biggest hole in BYU's game this year, and last night it hurt them enough to lose this close one.

This is what happens when you have a 5'3" guy coaching your bigs.

[cougjunkie]

I think the lineup that would have been most effective last night is:

Loyd- Having him guarding Gary
Fredette
Tavernari
Abouo
Hartsock

That gives us good rebounders, and enough scoring punch.