Unsuccesfully mating a Bulldog and a Cougar: Mayhem at McCarthey 2016

[BlueK]

Tonight is going to be very frustrating for Cougar fans. BYU hasn't really played well on the road this year and this will be a brutal game for the Cougs.

Just like last time we played there?

[Katy Lied]

Well, not the LAST time we played there. Come sniff my essence.

[imanihonjin]

Just like last time we played there?

This year's team has really struggled on the road at true away games. Tonight will be no different.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I would like to see BYU win this game. BYU will not win this game.

[BlueK]

This year's team has really struggled on the road at true away games. Tonight will be no different.

The last road game wasn't so bad.

[BlueK]

Yeah, it's not likely BYU will win tonight at Gonzaga. Practically no one wins there. But BYU is playing better than a month ago. Sagarin has been a remarkably accurate predictor for them this year. The Utah, CU and SMC games pretty much fell right where Sagarin would have predicted. Perhaps surprisingly, Sagarin has SMC ranked much higher than the Zags right now, making the expected spread tonight manageable. I still think it's unlikely, but it's not impossible. It was "impossible" last year.

I've been following the nunmbers pretty closely. As bad as we tend to think BYU has been on the road, for most of this season they've done as the computers would have expected. But now BYU is exceeding the expected pointspread on Sagarin in most of the last several games, which tends to indicate they've gotten better from earlier in the year. The turnaround started in the UNM game. The 14 point win at Pacific was several points better than Sagarin thought it should have been, and that was BYU's last true road game. And if you remember, that game wasn't even that close for most of it. Pacific made a few big shots in garbage time to make it a 14 point game.

What will be really telling is how they do in the three road games that follow this one at Portland, LMU and Pepperdine.

[Katy Lied]

I think that BYU will not win tonight. I would be happy if they just looked more cohesive and less variable. I hate to be subjected to the whims of Chase Fischer's gunning.

[BlueK]

I think that BYU will not win tonight. I would be happy if they just looked more cohesive and less variable. I hate to be subjected to the whims of Chase Fischer's gunning.

They have been more cohesive offensively at least for the last several games. Starting with the UNM game they've steadily moved up about 50 places on Pomeroy's ranking for offensive efficiency, to #26. It hasn't just been Fischer playing better recently. Defense, not so much though.

http://kenpom.com/

[jay santos]

Expecting a 9:00 start, pleasantly surprised at the 7:00.

[BlueK]

ESPN recognizes this as the marquee WCC game for the regular season, and Thursday night doesn't have all that much competition from the other leagues, thus the favorable time slot tonight. The P12 plays on Thursdays, but ESPN doesn't have that much inventory with them.

[Green Monstah]

Airball on the thread title.

I was just trying to get SU to participate.

[cougjunkie]

You guys are such pussies. You should be ute fans. We are going to slay the shit out of the Zags.

[Flystripper]

You guys are such pussies. You should be ute fans. We are going to slay the shit out of the Zags.

Good post

[Topper]

Disappointing start so far. Lots of turnovers. Nobody shooting well and Collinsworth creates a four point play.

[Topper]

Time out Rose. Please don't let this get away from us.