BYU Hosts San Diego on Senior Night for Haws
By James Pigott
San Diego Toreros (14-13, 7-8) @ BYU Cougars (12-8, 10-5)
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, UT
Time: 8:00 PM MT
TV: ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein, Corey Williams)
Livestream: WatchESPN
Live Stats: BYU StatBroadcast
PROJECTED STARTERS
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth, 13.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 5.8 APG
Chase Fischer, 13.6 PPG
Tyler Haws, 22.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Josh Sharp, 1.9 PPG
Corbin Kaufusi, 2.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG
San Diego
Christopher Anderson, 8.2 PPG, 6.6 APG
Johnny Dee, 18.0 PPG
Duda Sanadze, 6.4 PPG
Thomas Jacobs, 6.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG
Jito Kok, 5.6 PPG, 2.7 BPG
Can Johnny Dee get help on offense for San Diego?
Christopher Anderson and Duda Sanadze were both double figure scorers last season, but have not shot the ball particularly well this season. As a result, no Torero player is within 10 points of Johnny Dee’s 18 points per game average. As a result of the increased attention from defenses, Dee’s shooting percentage is a bit down from last season. If Thomas Jacobs or Jito Kok can provide some interior scoring, the Toreros might be able to find more room for Dee to get open shots from the outside. BYU is another team where it will be harder for Kok to use his shot blocking ability, as the Cougars are heavily reliant on guard scoring and three point shooting in particular. For as many players as USD has in their rotation, the X-Factor is really Sanadze, who has the ability to take over a game by attacking the basket even if his shot is not falling.
How will Anson Winder’s Return Impact BYU?
For most of the season, Anson Winder was the 6th man or the starter, but with the recent emergence of Skyler Halford on offense and Josh Sharp on the boards, Winder is likely stuck as the 7th man. It will interesting to see how much he is able to play coming off of his groin injury. This night is all about the seniors that have heavily contributed to BYU’s success in the post-Jimmer Fredette era. This season started with five seniors: Tyler Haws, Anson Winder, Nate Austin, Josh Sharp, and Skyler Halford. However, Austin will likely be back with team next season due to his injury, so the Senior Day festivities will likely be limited to four. Tyler Haws needs 35 points to pass Fredette as the BYU all time leading scorer at home against USD. Given that he hasn’t reached the 30 point plateau since December, he’ll probably need the game at Portland to break the record. This game means everything for the seniors but also the entire team, as any non-Gonzaga loss will permanently remove BYU from any NCAA at-large bid considerations. Expect the Cougars to come out with the focus and energy necessary to get revenge on the San Diego Toreros, who they lost to last month at USD.
Current Line as of 2/18/15: BYU favored by 11.5 points