BYU defeats Seattle Pacific 75-44 in Final Exhibition Contest

Mar 20, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Anson Winder (20) watches the clock wind down as Oregon Ducks forward Richard Amardi (13) celebrates in the background during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The BYU Cougars men’s basketball team used defense as a springboard to their 75-44 victory over the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Saturday night at the Marriott Center. Chase Fischer led the Cougars with 21 points on 9/13 shooting to go with 4 assists, while Tyler Haws added 15 points on 7/11, and Anson Winder added 11 points and 3 assists off the bench. No other Cougar scored more than five points. Kyle Collinsworth started the game, his first since the ACL injury, and recorded 2 points on 1/5 shooting to go with 4 assists in 13 minutes. In an interview with BYUtv sideline reporter Spencer Linton after the game, Collinsworth said that he was just looking to be a defensive presence and to get guys open shots in his first game back. Corbin Kaufusi made his presence known on defense with 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and countless other challenged shots.

Seattle Pacific struggled mightily to score, and the only players in double figures for the Falcons were Mitch Penner and Cory Hutsen, who each scored 10 points. Matt Borton and Garrett Swanson led SPU in rebounding with 7 boards apiece.

Based on two exhibition games, let’s take a look at how Dave Rose could possibly widdle down his rotation with so many options. In the backcourt, the top 4 guards seem very clear to me. Haws, Collinsworth, and Fischer will likely start with Winder as the first guard off the bench. At some point Winder could take Fischer’s spot, but based on prior experience and the exhibition games, these four guards have separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

Skyler Halford was very good at times last season and very ineffective at other times, and the two exhibition games continued to display that trend, as Halford played well against Colorado Mines but poorly against Seattle Pacific. Frank Bartley will likely be the 6th guard in the rotation. While he is a very explosive athlete, he hasn’t shown the ability to avoid turnovers in transition. He was in the doghouse at the end of last season until the final two games after Kyle Collinsworth’s ACL injury, and could be stuck there if he doesn’t play under control. Jake Toolson is a likely redshirt candidate, as six months ago he wasn’t even expected to be playing for the Cougars right now. So is Jordan Chatman, who hasn’t been fully healthy since returning from his LDS mission in April

While Josh Sharp and Luke Worthington started both exhibition games, I don’t really see either seeing major minutes during the regular season if Nate Austin is healthy for Friday’s opener against Long Beach State, which is likely to be the case. Sharp and Worthington combined for one field goal in the two exhibition games, with neither overly impressive on defense or the backboards. I could see both of them playing 8-10 minutes per game, with Austin and Kaufusi (who could both play 20-25 minutes or more in Austin’s case) ahead of them in the rotation.

More from West Coast Convo

With his outside shooting ability Isaac Neilson could also see some time in the frontcourt. Possible redshirt candidates in the frontcourt include Ryan Andrus and Dalton Nixon, both of whom are slated to leave for the LDS missions next spring and return in 2017. A redshirt year before their mission would allow them to experience college basketball while returning from their missions with 4 years of eligibility left, which is what former BYU guard Brock Zylstra did (and it worked out for him in the long run).

Dave Rose has some decisions to make, but whatever rotations he settles on, Rose will have the luxury of tremendous depth, which should help improve the defense this year and keep guys like Nate Austin out of foul trouble more often. BYU opens the regular season on Friday against Long Beach State at the Marriott Center at 5 PM Mountain Time.

Home/BYU