Unusual situation for Cougars

Check around, there probably isn't another situation like it.

If you know of one, send it in.

Every returning starter on BYU's basketball team this year is coming off the bench. The former starters are averaging about 34 points a game, but they've given way to newcomers, three recruits, a redshirt freshman center and a senior walk-on (who is the son-in-law of the head coach), and he, Brock Reichner, is probably the leader of the team after 11 games of pre-league play.

The Cougars stand 8-3, a year after Steve Cleveland's last team won nine games and lost 21.

In most human circles where humans have human nature, feelings, pride and egos, this would spell doom. You'd have mutiny in the Marriott if the former blessed were demoted and their team status reduced. But for new coach Dave Rose, it all looks pretty good so far.

Why?

"Because those other guys are very talented," said former point guard Austin Ainge, one of the affected starters. His father's jersey number hangs from the rafters in the Marriott Center. If anyone should be sore, it would be the son of a legend.

But Ainge said it with sincerity and humility properly displayed, as believable as Mother Teresa.

Ainge buys into this role because the contrast of going 9-21 a year ago hurt a lot.

"It's fun because the way we're playing, the style, is fun," Ainge said.

And, finally, Ainge added: "We're winning. Everything goes well when you're winning."

Winston Churchill couldn't have summed it up better.

You can endure myriad things when you win.

The Cougars were predicted to finish ninth in the MWC. But that was based on faces known, not unknown, as in all the previous starters.

All other things being equal from a year ago — and they are not — these Cougars run. They've actually hatched out a transition game. And they're tougher, in better condition and play harder. They still need to improve their rebounding, shoot better free throws and pull out more stops on defense.

But that's getting picky.

So far, Rose's version of the Cougars is scoring about 15 points more a game, shooting 8 percent better from the field, rebounding better by 3 a game, blocking more shots, having more assists, shooting better from beyond the arc and having more steals per outing than a year ago.