BYU set to Clash with Saint Mary’s in Provo
By Josh Horton
Jan 10, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Kyle Collinsworth (5) protects the ball while shooting over Loyola Marymount Lions guard Ayodeji Egbeyemi (24) during the second half at Marriott Center. Brigham Young Cougars won 85-72. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
The Gaels and the Cougars will meet again for the school’s second meetup of the season. However, this time BYU will host Saint Mary’s on their home court and will get a shot at revenge after SMC knocked them off in Moraga.
Saint Mary’s Gaels (18-5, 10-2) at BYU Cougars (18-8, 8-5)
Date: Thursday, February 12th
Location: Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
Time: 7:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Livestream: WatchESPN
PROJECTED STARTERS
Saint Mary’s
Aaron Bright (10.6 PPG)
Kerry Carter (12.4 PPG)
Garrett Jackson (7.7 PPG)
Desmond Simmons (5.9 PPG)
Brad Waldow (20.0 PPG)
BYU
Kyle Collinsworth (13.0 PPG)
Chase Fischer (13.4 PPG)
Tyler Haws (22.5 PPG)
Dalton Nixon (2.3 PPG)
Corbin Kaufusi (2.9 PPG)
Last Matchup
The Gaels defeated the Cougars at home on Jan. 17, topping BYU 82-77 in a closely contested game. The Gaels stayed undefeated in non-conference play, before they were knocked off by Gonzaga in the next game.
Like most of his opponents, BYU had absolutely no answer for Brad Waldow. The senior center scored 24 points and tallied 14 boards in the victory, his 12th double-double of the season. Waldow has not recorded a double-double since.
Garrett Jackson was only one rebound away from a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds, one of his best games to this date this season.
Tyler Haws was equally effective for the Cougars, scoring 28 points, grabbing six boards, dishing out three assists and stealing two passes in the loss. Chase Fischer chipped in 19 points.
What’s New with BYU?
The Cougars have disappointed in conference play this season, losing to teams they probably should beat. Losses to Pepperdine (x2), Saint Mary’s, San Diego and Gonzaga have made their NCAA Tournament at-large hopes virtually non-existent.
As it stands now, BYU would be the fourth seed in the WCC tournament, which means they would mostly likely matchup with Gonzaga in the semifinals of the conference tournament if they advanced that far. The Cougars need wins to fend off Pepperdine, who currently hold the tiebreaker over BYU with two wins over the Cougars.
Haw’s continues to be one of the most polarizing scorers in the country, averaging 22.5 points and shooting 47.6 percent from the field. He will need to be a force on the offensive end to help BYU keep up with Saint Mary’s, especially with the Cougars lack of post scoring.
What’s New with Saint Mary’s?
The Gaels have been virtually perfect in non-conference play, excluding a hiccup against Pepperdine and a loss at Gonzaga.
Waldow continues to be a force down in the post. His 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in conference play is down from his non-conference numbers, but that is most likely due to the fact that the rest of the conference is aware of his skills more so than out-of-conference foes. His PER of 28.3 for the conference season is a testament to his effectiveness though, as he has been the Gael’s horse on the offensive end all season.
In a hostile environment, the Gaels need their guards to get after it on the offensive and defensive end in order for SMC to take down BYU. Aaron Bright, Kerry Carter and Emmett Naar will be tasked with guarding the dynamic Cougar guard trio of Kyle Collinsworth (a.k.a. the Walking Triple-Double), Haws and Fischer. Those aforementioned BYU guards aren’t the most stellar on the defensive end, so the Gaels backcourt can try and put pressure on the perimeter to create space for Waldow inside.
Matchup to Watch
Waldow v. Whoever is guarding him – stopping Waldow = most likely a victory for BYU.
Prediction
BYU 82 – Saint Mary’s 77. Home-court advantage will take the Cougars over the top.