WCC Game Preview: BYU vs. San Diego

Dec 21, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks guard

(10) passes the ball to Oregon Ducks forward

(13) as Brigham Young Cougars

(00) defends at

Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

BYU Cougars (8-7, 0-2) vs. San Diego Toreros (9-6, 0-2)

Date: Saturday, January 4, 2014

Location: Marriott Center, Provo, Utah

Time: 6:00 PM PST

TV: BYUtv

Video: http://www.byutv.org/

LiveStats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=33647

Last Season: San Diego won 2 of the 3 matchups.  The Cougars won 74-57 in Provo, the Toreros won 74-68 in San Diego, and the Toreros also defeated the Cougars in the quarterfinals of the WCC Tournament 72-69 in Las Vegas.

PROJECTED STARTERS

BYU

Kyle Collinsworth, 13.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.3 APG

Matt Carlino, 15.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.5 APG

Tyler Haws, 22.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG

Eric Mika, 13.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG

Nate Austin, 4.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG

San Diego

Christopher Anderson, 10.5 PPG, 6.6 APG

Johnny Dee, 18.9 PPG

Brett Bailey, 2.8 PPG

Jito Kok, 5.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG

Dennis Kramer, 11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG

KEYS TO THE GAME

BYU

Carlino needs to regain confidence:  We all know what Matt Carlino can be at his best.  2 years ago at San Francisco.  Last year vs. Santa Clara at home.  Somewhere inside this slumping turnover brick machine is that player.  That player needs to come back, and very soon.  He is really the only thing (other than a big football player rejoining this team) that can save the Cougars’ season.

San Diego

Get Christopher Anderson out of his slump:  A shooting slump that is.  He is still a great distributor, and had 12 assists against LMU. But he’s 6 for his last 28 from the field.  Essentially no one has scored other than Dee/Kramer/Sandaze recently for San Diego.  Anderson is a capable scorer and occasional shooter.  He needs to step it up scoring or else he will be put in the category of Jordan Giusti and Demetri Goodson (point guards who cannot shoot).

PREDICTION

Both teams were picked in the top half of the WCC in the preseason and both are in dire need of a victory.  The Cougars are at home at it is nearly impossible for road teams to win in the Marriott Center.  Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth will step up and lead the Cougars to a 78-65 victory.