BYU vs. Arkansas-Little Rock Preview
By James Pigott
Jan 25, 2014; Spokane, WA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Kyle Collinsworth (5) tries to save the ball from going out of bounds against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Kevin Pangos (4) during the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs beat Cougars 84-69. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
BYU Cougars (1-0) vs. Arkansas Little-Rock Trojans (1-0)
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, UT
Time: 7:30 PM MT
TV: BYUtv
Livestream: http://www.byutv.org/
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=68969
Series History: First meeting
PROJECTED STARTERS
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth, 6.0 PPG
Tyler Haws, 21.0 PPG
Chase Fischer, 17.0 PPG, 5.0 APG
Luke Worthington, 2.0 PPG
Nate Austin, 6.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG
Arkansas-Little Rock
Ben Dillard, 10.0 PPG
Reid James, 12.0 PPG, 3.o APG
J.T. Thomas, 7.0 PPG, 3.o APG
James White, 11.o PPG, 7.0 RPG
Roger Woods, 7.0 PPG, 13.0 RPG
Meet the Teams
BYU
After a very tough opener against Long Beach State, the Cougars should have it a bit easier on Tuesday against Arkansas Little-Rock, giving Kyle Collinsworth a chance to play more minutes in order to get him ready for the Maui Invitational on on Monday. In the opener, BYU relied on Tyler Haws and Chase Fischer for a bulk of the scoring, while reserve guards Skyler Halford and Anson Winder both had fantastic games, illustrating BYU’s depth in the backcourt. Nate Austin is healthy and put up a fairly typical Nate Austin stat line in the opener: 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and also 3 assists. It will be interesting to see if BYU continues to play four guards around Austin as they did at the end of the Long Beach State game, or stays with two traditional big men. Part of that decision will be dictated by the size of the opposing team.
Arkansas Little-Rock
The Trojans are coming off a 15-17 season where they went 9-8 in the Sun Belt Conference. Forward James White was the team’s third leading scorer last season and second leading rebounder, and he will be looked upon for more production this season. While they do not appear to have one really big time scorer, the Trojans will look to a bunch of different players for offense this season including Reid James and Ben Dillard. If their first game of the season is any indication, BYU’s Nate Austin will have his hands full trying to keep Roger Woods off of the backboard.
Keys to the Game
BYU
Get ahead early: Part of the problem against the short-handed Long Beach State team was that the Cougars let the 49ers stay in the game for a very long time, giving them the idea they could stick with a really good team in an impossible road environment. Kyle Collinsworth needs to take care of the ball and establish the pace for BYU, and the Cougars need to eliminate all hope from UALR quickly.
Arkansas Little-Rock
Find shooters on defense: BYU has so many shooters, but UALR needs to force them to become drivers. Guys like Chase Fischer and Skyler Halford are great shooters but are much less effective when forced to put the ball on the floor.
Key Matchup
Kyle Collinsworth vs. Ben Dillard: Both floor generals will have the ball in their hands a lot, and Kyle Collinsworth needs to continue to make progress over the next two games or BYU will be in serious trouble for the Maui Invitational when they go up against the long, athletic San Diego State team.
Prediction
BYU will come out with more focus on the defensive end and easily beat the less talented Arkansas-Little Rock squad. BYU 85, UALR 58