BYU basketball: Cougars ready to see game action
PROVO — The depth being touted on BYU's basketball team has been pretty evident through more than three weeks of practices.
To narrow down a starting and reserve rotation before the Cougars' opening game against Bradley next weekend, however, coach Dave Rose needs to see how his guys perform more in game situations. He did get a brief glimpse in last week's Blue/White scrimmage, but he's more anxious to see how the Cougars perform against someone other than themselves.
He'll get that chance tonight when the Cougars host the Trinity Western Spartans, and again next Tuesday when Central Washington visits the Marriott Center in another exhibition contest.
"In practice, you get them all to a level to where you've got a group of guys who understand your system and play really hard, share the ball, all the things you really try to emphasize," Rose said. "And then when you start playing these preseason games, you'll see the ones who are able to do that in that setting, and that's usually where the separation comes."
Trinity Western is a 4,000-student private Christian liberal arts college in British Columbia. The Spartans compete in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport, the athletic governing body for the majority of the degree-granting colleges in Canada.
The Spartans should be a good first test for the Cougars. Currently, on their three-game swing through Utah, they are 1-0 after a convincing 19-point win over Utah Valley University on Tuesday night. After tonight's game, they move on to play Utah State in Logan on Saturday.
In Tuesday's win, the Spartans had 18 assists, shot nearly 52 percent from the floor and 42 percent from behind the 3-point line. Senior forward Jacob Doerksen scored 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting, and he also pulled down 11 boards. Senior point guard Louis Hurd added 20 points.
Most likely, the Cougars will start returners Jackson Emery, Jimmer Fredette, Chris Miles and Jonathan Tavernari. Sophomore forward Charles Abouo, who can play the 2, 3 or 4 position, seems to be the leading candidate right now to get that fifth starting position.
The other two in the hunt for that final starting nod are swingman Tyler Haws and power forward Noah Hartsock. However, Haws missed more than a week of practices with a knee injury, and Hartsock is a game-time decision after spraining an ankle in practice Monday.
Cougars on the air
BYU vs. Trinity Western (exhibition)
Tonight, 7 p.m.
Marriott Center
TV: BYU Television
Radio: none
e-mail: jimr@desnews.com
Recent comments
Quest for Perfection, baby!!
Ernest T. Bass | Nov. 5, 2009 at 10:00 p.m.
GO COUGARS!!!!!!!!
BYUFTW | Nov. 5, 2009 at 2:11 p.m.
This team should be solid but not outstanding. They will probably...
Rabid Cougar | Nov. 5, 2009 at 1:55 p.m.
- Bengals take Henry's death hard 7:52 p.m.
- Student injured by bus in Sandy 7:49 p.m.
- Shanahan Redskins next coach? 7:45 p.m.
- Can Johnson reach 2,000? 7:44 p.m.
- Woods wins golf writers award 7:43 p.m.
- Chamber opposes Herbert tax plan 6:33 p.m.
- Deal reached on depleted uranium 6:26 p.m.
- Blog: Aiono set to join Utes 6:20 p.m.
- Seahorses arrive in Sandy 6:16 p.m.
- 3 indicted in rape case on tribal land 6:06 p.m.
- Susan Powell's family saddened
- Susan Powell notebook seized
- Conan mocks Orrin Hatch, Mormons
- Here are Max Hall's Top 10 wins
- It's official; Heaps signs with BYU
- Genetic testing, ethical dilemmas
- Watching over the Sacred Grove
- David Archuleta's different mission
- Frances Monson recovering well
- Jazz open road trip with victory
- Here are Max Hall's Top 10 wins
147 - Conan mocks Orrin Hatch, Mormons
142 - It's official; Heaps signs with BYU
135 - Letters: 'Liberal conceit'
133 - Stay the course with our president
116 - Jazz stunned by Timberwolves
114 - TV mom gives birth to 19th child
113 - Susan Powell notebook seized
113 - Josh Powell meets with WVC police
109 - Letters: Explaining Palin
102
Before they play the New Jersey Nets here tonight, a few lingerings...
Well, then, if Ron Artest says everything will work out for Tiger Woods,...
"...It's something like a quick step shuffle combination." Plus a few...
A backwater place where even hatch and bennett don't care about.
I challenge any of you who are attacking cap and trade to explain exactly...
the review doesn't say where the movie is playing and it doesn't seem to bt...
@mark 5:58 p.m.: "All Knowing (giggle) you sure like to dance, don't ya."...
It took three days and that's all you've got? I am not advocating most of...
I totally disagree with everything about this review except that I agree that...
After reading a number of these posts, it seems the glass remains half empty...
If Josh forgot what day it was because he didn't go to church, I'm sure Susan...
bring back johny and malone man for real


