BYU vs. Long Beach State Game Preview
By James Pigott
Mar 20, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Josh Sharp (12) grabs a rebound over Oregon Ducks forward Richard Amardi (13) and guard Johnathan Loyd (10) during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament and at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
BYU Cougars vs. Long Beach State 49ers
Date: Friday, November 14, 2014
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, UT
Time: 5:00 PM MT
TV: BYUtv
Livestream: http://www.byutv.org/
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=68968
Series History: BYU leads 5-4 and won the last meeting in 2008 75-65 behind a career high 36 points from Lee Cummard.
PROJECTED STARTERS (2013-14 stats)
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth, 14.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.6 APG
Tyler Haws, 23.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG
Chase Fischer, 4.5 PPG at Wake Forest in 2012-13
Josh Sharp, 1.4 PPG
Luke Worthington, 1.0 PPG or Nate Austin, 3.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG
Long Beach State
Mike Caffey, 16.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.3 APG
Bradford Jones, 5.8 PPG
Tyler Lamb, 15.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG
David Samuels, 6.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG
Eric McKnight, 6.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG at Florida Gulf Coast
Meet the Teams
The BYU Cougars are looking to make a statement in their first game of the season against a talented backcourt for Long Beach State. The Cougars won two exhibition games with defense, and the emergence of Chase Fischer could give Dave Rose another scorer to replace Matt Carlino. Kyle Collinsworth is still easing himself back from his ACL injury, but Tyler Haws has continued to be rock solid on offense through the exhibitions. While questions remain in the frontcourt with injuries to Nate Austin and more severely to Jamal Aytes, the backcourt is very deep and proven. Austin should be ready to play in this game, and Corbin Kaufusi is an intimidating presence down low who will demand minutes from Coach Rose.
Long Beach State, led by a high scoring backcourt, has high hopes this season following a 15-17 season where they finished 10-6 in the Big West Conference. The 49ers are lead by their backcourt of do-everything point guard Mike Caffey and Tyler Lamb, the high scoring UCLA transfer. (Sound familiar, Cougar fans?) While their third returning starting guard AJ Spencer is out for the season with an ACL injury, 6th man Bradford Jones is more than capable of carrying more of the load this season. In the frontcourt, FGCU transfer Eric McKnight, who saw significant minutes for the Eagles’ Sweet 16 team in 2012-13, will look to help replace the graduated Dan Jennings.
Keys to the Game
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth: It’s no secret that both of these teams rely primarily on their backcourt for offense, and it’s also no secret that Kyle Collinsworth will be a huge part of the BYU offense when healthy. He has the ability to create open shots for the Cougars’ many shooters with his driving ability, and his effectiveness on offense will determine if BYU is able to the productive backcourt of LBSU.
Long Beach State
Slow the pace down, limit turnovers: While the 49ers are a solid offensive team, I’m not sure they want this game to be played in the 80s. BYU is an excellent transition team, and Long Beach State does not have the depth to play a fast paced, up-and-down style of play for 40 minutes. They would be best served by using a decent amount of shot clock, being careful with the basketball, and not letting BYU get out and run.
Key Matchup
Kyle Collinsworth vs. Mike Caffey: Both are good scorers for point guards, both rebound the ball well for their size, and neither one is particularly proficient from beyond the arc. Whichever point guard is able to more effectively initiate offense and make others around him better will give his team a great shot at the victory.
Prediction
While Long Beach State is a talented team who should give BYU more of a test than a lot of top teams are getting in their first game in the season, the Marriott Center crowd will make BYU too much to handle. The 49ers will keep it interesting for a while, but eventually BYU’s depth and offensive talent will prevail. BYU 84, Long Beach State 68.