WCC Game Preview: BYU vs. Portland
By James Pigott
Feb 13, 2014; Stockton, CA, USA; Pacific Tigers guard
Sama Taku(3) dribbles the ball against Brigham Young Cougars guard
Matt Carlino(2) during the first half at Alex G. Spanos Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
BYU Cougars (19-10, 11-5) vs. Portland Pilots (15-12, 7-8)
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, UT
Time: 6:00 PM PST
TV: BYUtv
Video: byutv.org
LiveStats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=33655
This Season: Portland won the first matchup in triple overtime at the Chiles Center, 114-110.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Portland
Alec Wintering, 7.7 PPG, 4.5 APG
Bryce Pressley, 8.5 PPG, 3.3 APG
Bobby Sharp, 8.1 PPG
Ryan Nicholas, 12.8PPG, 9.0 RPG
Thomas van der Mars, 12.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth, 13.9 PPG, 87.8 RPG, 4.9 APG
Anson Winder, 5.5 PPG
Tyler Haws, 23.6 PPG
Josh Sharp, 1.6 PPG
Nate Austin, 4.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG
Keys to the Game
BYU
Keep Mika and Austin on the floor: This should be a little bit easier given the fact that Josh Sharp started over Mika in the Gonzaga game. But nontheless, Mika and Austin are the only Cougar bigs who can actually guard Portland’s front line well. In short, 185 pound Josh Sharp against 245 pound Ryan Nicholas will not bode well for BYU.
Portland
Who can replace Bailey’s production?: The answer is not one player, because no one player will score 16 points above their season average. However, Nicholas and van der Mars needs to be in the 15-17 point range and it would be nice if Sharp/Wintering/Pressley could be in the 9-11 point range. Portland is a high scoring team, averaging 76 points per game, but they only got 59 points against San Diego.
Key Matchup
Bryce Pressley vs. Kyle Collinsworth: Both are point guards in a shooting guard’s body, and both make their teammates much better. Collinsworth has the weight advantage however, so we’ll see if he looks to score inside against lankier Pilot guard defenders.
Prediction
BYU knows that they need to win these last two regular season games to still be in the NCAA Tournament conversation. They know a loss tonight will sting really badly. They have the sense of urgency to defeat the likely Kevin Bailey-less Portland Pilots. BYU 77, Portland 65.