BYU basketball: Cougars welcome target as MWC hoops favorite

It came as no surprise to the BYU Cougars to be picked, almost unanimously, as the preseason favorite to win a fourth-straight Mountain West Conference men's basketball title.

With four returning starters in Jonathan Tavernari, Jackson Emery, Chris Miles and Jimmer Fredette, and a host of returning bench players with experience, the Cougars garnered every first-place vote but one.

"That's a good core of players to have back," BYU coach Dave Rose said.

But even without the preseason media poll's endorsement, the Cougars already had the same expectations from themselves.

"We expect to win the league and that's what we want to have happen. The fact other people think that might happen this year won't put any more pressure on us," Rose said.

It's not uncommon for the Cougars to have a target on their backs, and the poll just might make that target a little bit bigger.

"The preparation sometimes from the other teams might be a little bit more intense and maybe a little bit more thorough, because they know they are playing a team that is respected by the media. So that might be a little bit different," Rose said.

The only spot the Cougars have to fill this season is the one left with the departure of star guard/forward Lee Cummard. Rose feels the Cougars have several players - sophomore Charles Abouo, transfer junior Logan Magnusson and freshman Tyler Haws — who can step in and effectively play that position.

"You don't replace a player like Lee. You figure out a way to play without him," Rose said.

The Cougars biggest question marks, Rose said, are chemistry and leadership.

"Can we win close games and make the plays down the stretch?" he said.

It also came as no surprise to Rose that forward Jonathan Tavernari, a second-team all-conference pick last year, is a preseason all-conference choice and that Jimmer Fredette, a first-teamer last year, is the preseason pick for player of the year.

"The fact that there is so much to Jimmer's game, and that he has so much variety and that he's expanded his game over the summer and really worked on his strength and his ability to finish, so I do believe he's one of the premier players in our league and Im glad he's on our team," Rose said.

All of the league's coaches showed Rose "terrific support in a time where I really needed it" during his battle this past summer with cancer, but the BYU coach doesn't expect any sympathy on the basketball court this season because of his ongoing ordeal.

"I feel a lot of support from all the guys, but I do know that once we throw this thing up starting in January that it will be a real competitive situation and we'll all be trying to beat each other."

e-mail: jimr@desnews.com