BYU hoopsters seek another fast start

PROVO — The BYU men's basketball team looks to maintain the nation's second-longest home winning streak, sustain its fast-start successes after two wins this season and take a successful first step into a prestigious national tournament as the Cougars play host to Jackson State tonight.

Tipoff between the Cougars (2-0) and visiting Tigers (0-2) is 7 p.m. tonight at the Marriott Center, the site of BYU's 90-69 home-opening win Wednesday over Idaho State.

BYU has racked up 32 straight triumphs in Provo and will look to extend the homecourt string tonight against Jackson State — which is coming off Texas-trip losses at Baylor (100-76) and Stephen F. Austin (70-55) — and Tuesday night against Hartford.

The Jackson State and Hartford home contests serve as the Cougars' first two rounds of the 2007 Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational tournament — spread over a couple of weeks, home-school sites and the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Then come the Cougars' biggest early season tests — a third-round Nov. 23 pairing with No. 6 Louisville at the Orleans and a final-round matchup against either top-ranked North Carolina or Old Dominion the following night at the same venue.

Against Idaho State and in the season-opener at Long Beach State, the Cougars jumped out early, which junior guard Lee Cummard admitted to be "surprising" compared to recent seasons.

"The first two years I was here, we weren't too good coming out of the gates," he said. "These two games, the coaches have made a point of challenging us to start fast, and this team has done that."

Junior frontliner Trent Plaisted said patience on the attack and the extra pass is paying off.

"It's been instilled in us," he said. "Also, the team captains — myself, Sam Burgess and Lee Cummard — are in a leadership position, and it's easy for us to emphasize the extra-pass mentality. That's why our team is good — it's not great individually, but we're great as a team and that's fun to be a part of."

Jackson State finished 21-14 last season, winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament title and earning the SWAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament — the Tigers' first trip to the big dance since 2007. Once there, they became first-round fodder for eventual national champion Florida.

Old Dominion played its first-round game Sunday, beating South Carolina State 64-54. Other tournament first-rounds have Hartford at Louisville and Iona visiting North Carolina.

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