BYU basketball: Cougars ready to open league play vs. Rams

The BYU Cougars have spent the past week reminding themselves that last weekend's tough loss to No. 4 Wake Forest is something they need to put in the rearview mirror.

Even though the Cougars and their fans hated to let that game slip away in the final seconds and see the team's 53-game home winning streak end, there are now bigger challenges ahead. In fact, what happens from this point forward as BYU begins Mountain West Conference play today against the Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins, Colo., is what really counts.

"Basically, it's a whole new season," Cougar sophomore guard Jimmer Fredette said.

The Cougars had a bye last week while every other MWC team got its feet wet. So will the late start affect them as they prepare to open league play against a team that's lost 18 straight regular season conference games and lost last week's opener 81-67 at TCU?

"We know it's going to be tough on the road," co-captain Lee Cummard said. "But to be able to compete for a conference championship we have to be able to win on the road."

The Cougars point to three key road games this season as an indication that they're ready for conference competition and the unfriendly crowds they're likely to encounter over the next two months. Despite tough crowds at Idaho State, Arizona State and Tulsa, BYU played well in all three games — winning two with solid play down the stretch and losing to the Sun Devils in the final seconds.

"We always get big crowds wherever we go, and we like that," Fredette said, pointing out that the Cougars know they're going to have a target on their backs and likely see every team's best game. "People are going to show that they want to beat us. They don't want us to win the league again."

Coach Dave Rose has tried to instill in his players how different it is playing in a conference game, even though several Cougars experienced it last season. They're more intense, he said, and all the teams have familiarity so the biggest keys are preparation, focus and execution.

The Rams, despite their youth, are more balanced and have more depth this season, Rose said. They have a returning star in senior point guard Marcus Walker, who scored more than 20 points in 11 games last season, and they have shown plenty of firepower with a strong inside-out attack.

"If you can play Minnesota to a 1-point game (72-71 loss on Nov. 22) on your home floor, you have the ability to beat anyone," Rose said of the Rams.