BYU in Need of Key Road Victory at Saint Mary’s
By James Pigott
BYU Cougars (15-5, 5-2) @ Saint Mary’s Gaels (14-3, 6-0)
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2015
Location: McKeon Pavilion, Moraga, CA
Time: 8:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Livestream: WatchESPN
Live Stats: smcgaels.com
PROJECTED STARTERS
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth, 12.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 6.1 APG
Skyler Halford, 5.8 PPG
Tyler Haws, 22.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Chase Fischer, 14.0 PPG
Luke Worthington, 2.6 PPG
Saint Mary’s
Aaron Bright, 11.9 PPG, 4.2 APG
Kerry Carter, 13.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Garrett Jackson, 6.8 PPG
Desmond Simmons, 5.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG
Brad Waldow, 20.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG
Keys to the Game for BYU
With Nate Austin still out of BYU’s lineup, Corbin Kaufusi and Luke Worthington will look to make things tough for Brad Waldow. While it may be hard to keep him quiet, the Cougar bigs will want to make him take a lot of shots to earn his points. BYU’s guards might have difficulty stopping Saint Mary’s sharpshooter Kerry Carter if defensive stopper Anson Winder is not healthy to play in this game. On offense, BYU should look to feature Tyler Haws, who has been shooting well lately. Whoever is guarding him, whether that is Simmons, Jackson, or even Carter, Tyler should look to exploit them with his outside shooting. This is one game where Kyle Collinsworth needs to be at double figure rebounds, and whoever guards Kerry Carter, likely Haws or Fischer, will need to make sure they box him out, as he averages almost six rebounds per game.
If Winder does not play and Halford is once again starting, BYU will need to replace the spark off the bench that Halford provided in that role. Whether that’s Frank Bartley’s quickness and athleticism, Jake Toolson’s outside shooting, or maybe even an out-of-nowhere performance similar to what Ryan Andrus did on Thursday by any one of BYU’s bigs, the Cougars will be in good shape, showing that they are much more deep than Saint Mary’s and their seven man rotation.
Keys to the Game for Saint Mary’s (By Josh Horton)
Feed the Beast – The Gaels have a great player in Brad Waldow, there is no question about it. However, with defenses constantly keying in on the senior center, the Gaels need to make sure they feed their “beast.” The BYU frontcourt has been tough to predict this season, but without Eric Mika (who is serving the first year of his LDS Mission currently) the Gaels should have an easier time getting their program centerpiece going
Protect the 3-point Line – BYU shoots a lot of 3-pointers; it’s no secret. While not all of their attempts from downtown are quality looks, the Cougars possess a lot of shooter that can fill up the stat sheet with trey balls. While BYU will probably connect on their fair share of 3-pointers, especially based on how many they attempt, Saint Mary’s perimeter defenders can put a hand in the face of Fischer, Haws, etc. and make life tough for Dave Rose’s sharpshooters.
Matchup to Watch (By Josh Horton)
Whoever is guarding Tyler Haws – While it is fun to predict who will be tasked with marking up one of the most prolific scorers in the country, an assembly of Saint Mary’s guard will likely be matched up with Haws on any given possession?
Why you ask? Because BYU is going to screen, screen and screen again to get Haws open looks. It would be the Gaels best interest to switch off on off-ball (and on-ball for that matter) or Haws (or his backcourt mate Fischer) will have a much easier night.
Whoever is guarding Tyler Haws – While it is fun to predict who will be tasked with marking up one of the most prolific scorers in the country, an assembly of Saint Mary’s guard will likely be matched up with Haws on any given possession?
Why you ask? Because BYU is going to screen, screen and screen again to get Haws open looks. It would be the Gaels best interest to switch off on off-ball (and on-ball for that matter) or Haws (or his backcourt mate Fischer) will have a much easier night.
Prediction
With Nate Austin out and Anson Winder listed as questionable, it should be tougher for BYU to get this road win. If someone like Corbin Kaufusi can frustrate Brad Waldow, I think BYU has a good chance to win. With the offensive struggles by SMC as of late, I think BYU prevails in a 72-65 victory.