Deseret News | BYU basketball: This Marriott a heartbreak hotel

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BYU basketball: This Marriott a heartbreak hotel

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Joe | 12:39 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Congrats to BYU on the home winning streak. The best place to watch a college basketball game in the state remains the Spectrum in Logan. It is still also the toughest place for an opponent to win. USU is 16-0 this year and 138-12 under coach Morrill. Where's the write-up about this gem?

NeilCascade | 12:43 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

As those of us who were there remember, the original name was NOT the Marriott Center. It was the Marriott Activities Center. Every building on campus has an abbreviation and this one was MAC so it was affectionately known as "The Big Mac". I guess the Marriott family did not care for the McDonald's connection as it was soon renamed and the word Activities removed. If you look closely at the name on the side of the building you can see the holes where the additional letters once were.

Whitney Ghent | 1:21 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

First off BYU plays nobody in it's non conference home schedule. Who was your best non conference home win this year? SUU, maybe Pepperdine, or was it the hartford hawks out of the powerful American East, no, i know it was Jackson State. Looking at BYUs non conference home schedule is like looking a ton ten list of schools no one ever knew had a sports program. Your home win streak means nothing until you schedule some teams that have been participating in D1 basketball for more than five years. That's why the MWC gets no respect, it's top team plays a bunch of no names

Comments continue below

MWC tourney | 1:22 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

But unfortunately the conference tourney will be played on UNLV's home court which will cost BYU dearly in the NCAA tourney seedings.

Brian | 2:15 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Whitney you are right that BYU non-conference home games are pretty weak and you know why? No one whos program is worth anything wants to come to the Marriot Center because they will lose. Why do you think BYU played Michigan State at energy solutions arena and Oklahoma State there as well a few years back? The quality programs wont play at the Marriot Center because they have more to lose than to win. It is too risky for a top tier program to come into a hostile environment and play a lowly "mid-major" team that they will probably lose to.

Mark | 3:10 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

There were some times in its early years where the M(A)C hosted some NCAA tournament games. Has it been a BYU or an NCAA decision not to hold games there any more?

Jussi Kemppainen | 3:11 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

MARRIOTT BUILT IT - BUT KRESO FILLED IT.
If we start talking about the history... let's talk about the players who made the legacy - and the men who made the players - Stan Watts, Rodney Kimball, Floyd Johnson. They were the legends behind Cougar Basketball.
Some of us were there and saw it - and worked with them. WHAT A PRIVILEGE.

Jussi Kemppainen
Espoo, Finland

Anonymous | 4:26 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

If BYU ever wants any respect with the NCAA Selection Committee, they're going to have to stop whining about having to play UNLV on their home court....and just win. If you're a Sweet 16 caliber team, then prove it in a hostile environment! All of the talk about moving the Tournament out of Las Vegas is crazy....it's been tried before and was a miserable failure. Everyone loves going to Vegas, and the Mountain West makes tons of dough in the process. Cougars.....step up and win a game there!!

Again | 5:35 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Winning at home is great, but in the grand scheme of things, it means nothing. You should win at home. It's been a great streak, but it will not help BYU when they start the NCAA tournament.

lezoave | 5:53 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

whine all you want whitney, but the point is they win. and scheduling is a little more complicated than that. michigan state refused to come to provo this year so they played in salt lake. it's not all byu's fault.

Get a clue | 6:21 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Hey Whiney Ghent, do you really think any top schools would be willing to come play in the MC? No team with a reputation is going to put it on the line in the MC. Why do you think they had to play Mich State in SLC?

barry | 6:45 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Whitney is crying because Utah lost.

Joe | 6:52 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

There is one team in the state with a better home record than BYU. That's right, Utah State is 16-0 at home, compared to 14-0 for BYU. The Spectrum in remains the best college basketball atmosphere in the state, and the toughest place for opponents to win over the past 10 years. Utah state is 140-12 under Stew Morrill in the Spectrum.

Yo Whitney | 7:30 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Our last home loss was to Lamar.

You still have to win

Cougars might can beat Provo | 7:47 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

I think that it pretty much can be proven that the Spectrum is the best college atmosphere in the state. when Dave Rose won't honor an agreement to play there this year. The reason why was USU was predicted to be way good and your coach won't play there in that type of atmosphere. If you all are as good as you say you are why won't he come to Logan when it is your turn? That is why he plays these other teams on neutral sites. He won't play them on their court. I agree with this very intelligent Whitney (Whiney is a good one guys, real grown up)that BYU needs to step up its home schedule.

Jussi -Thanx for the memories | 7:48 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Will never forget the first season in the Big Mac-lining up overnight for tix to watch Cosic, Tolstrup, and the boys. This younger generation would find it hard to imagine Kresho-a gangly 6'11" Yugoslav giant that ran the floor like Pete Maravich

Every game was a sellout and some of the games against Arizona State will forever be classics.

Finlandia forever!

Steve C.

The Empire moves on! | 7:51 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

BYU now has STEAM-ROLLED all takers two straight years in Football and basketball and has become too tough for the MWC. Sorry Utah it's only getting worse now. Game , set , match!
COUGS!

little brother | 7:56 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Why do Utah State fans keep piping up about their school? No one cares. You're like the little brother that gets ignored and keeps crying out "look at me, hey, look at me." True respect comes when other people choose to look at you and recognize you for your great achievements, not when you have to tell others to pay attention to you. All your wins at home couldn't even put you in first place in your conference. Same with BYU football and the talk of BCS hopes. If and when the time comes, people will know it and BYU and/or it's fans will not need to say anything.

Hey Aggie fans... | 7:58 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Get a Life!!!! Go read your local newspaper or your school newspaper in Logan than talk about how great your progam is or how tough your homecourt advantage is. Yeah you guys are real menacing to opposing teams when you start playing your fight song, and milk the COW! Wowser! That has to be the stupidest fight song ever. I am so sick and tired of seeing Utah State fans read everything about BYU and then make your stupid comments about your insignificant team. BYU may have lost in Logan over the last 5 or 6 years, but you guys have lost in Provo every time as well. And the reason BYU had to re-do their contract with Utah State was because Utah State was getting 3 home games vs. 2 home games that BYU received in the contract.

That's not going to work for any school. That's like Duke getting into a contract to play 3 away games at Princeton, and only play 2 games at home in Cameron indoor stadium. That's ridiculous. That would do nothing for Duke, and everything to lose. Not only that but Utah State does nothing for BYU if they win the game.

Dear Whitney | 8:14 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Whitney, your comments simply aren't worth reading. The MWC is consistently in the top 6-8 conferences in the nation. Who cares about the non-conference schedule given every decent non-conference team wants to play us at a neutral site. BYU's strength of schedule is in the top 1/3rd in the country. What more do you want from a Mountain West school? The streak is great. Sure, it would be better if the Cougs had beaten a dozen top 20 teams during the streak, but that's just not an option or opportunity available. I tire of comments like yours.

Mr. Bone | 8:15 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

BYU plays in the MWC, USU plays in the WaC, there is ZERO incentive for BYU to play USU because if they win it does nothing for them, but if they lose it kills them.

The WaC teams have some of the lowest RPI's of any of the D-1A CBB schools, it's pretty simple to see why BYU has ZERO incentive to play them.

I remember | 8:19 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

The first time I walked into the locker room in the Marriott Center was to dress for practice. The previous year was KRESSO"S final year. The coaches had left a pair of his shoes, Converse All Stars, on the bench in front of his locker for a reason. I doubt they are still there but the point was that the man who really built the Marriott Center shoes were not easily fillable. Still are... The MC was only two years old then, still smelled new, and the roof leaked. Still does...
The truth about BYU and the MC is this. Until the old guard sitting with their arms folded "in the center CHAIR" section either die off or give up their tickets, the MC will never be anyplace intimidating. The same goes for Edwards stadium. Most season tickets holders and students still confuse events held in the MC with sacrament meeting.
Oh, the reason the NCAA"S will never hold another 1st or 2nd round in Provo is the utter lack of hotel space.

Aggie Fan | 8:25 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

You have to give credit where credit is due. The fact is the Cougars hold the nations longest home court winning streak. You can discount that fact all you want but it's still a fact and still a great accomplishment. I say congratulations to the Cougars for their achievement.

go ags! | 8:31 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

BYU needs to get tougher teams at home before i'm impressed

Ryan | 8:43 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

To "Yo Whitney": Our last home loss was to Loyola Marymount, not Lamar.

Thomas | 8:39 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

My understanding is that the Marriott Center cannot host any NCAA tournament games because of an NCAA policy that you cannot host a tournament game on the same day that your team plays. In other words, if BYU makes the tournament and is scheduled to play on Thursday and (possibly) Saturday, games held in the Marriott Center would have to be scheduled for Friday and Sunday - which obviously cannot happen.

Utah State? | 8:56 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Wow, all this Utah State talk makes me think that the Aggies play some serious competition at home. Wait... it's non-conference schedule looks just like BYU's, but with Prairie View (HS?). And don't get me started with its conference schedule.

So maybe the Utes are the in-state team with the tough schedule. Ooh, well, not them either.

It's funny how the poeple who bash BYU have the same schduling problems as the cougars. Only they don't win as much.

When you play more than 1 top 100 team a year (besides BYU), then we'll talk.

Counference opponents | 8:52 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Aggie fans, who have you played out of conference at home? Let me guess, BYU is the only team on your list. Wow. Tough place to play. I guess you have had one or two tough conference home games the past decade too.
Each year, no matter who is scheduled out of conference, BYU still has to play conference games. While the Mountain West isn't the greatest conference in the country, it is consistently among the top-9 in the RPI. There are several tough opponents each year. Air Force was solid for a few years. Wyoming has some great players. Utah is a great program, though a little down right now. SDSU and UNLV have Hall of Fame caliber coaches and some dang good basketball players. New Mexico is usually fairly decent. The conference schedule is pretty tough.
The non conference slate is mostly rummies, but we still won all of those games. Several of the teams we played during our streak have at least made the NIT, including your mighty Aggies.

Hey Aggie fans, | 9:02 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Get a life!! You think BYU's schedule was weak, check out your own. You don't play anyone in your non conference and the WAC is a lot weaker than the MWC. USU would have a .500 home record in conference play if it played in the MWC. Aggie fans need to quit whining about BYU not playing them. We're all sick of hearing from you. Keep up the good work Cougars and beat whoever dares to come to Provo!

Traveler | 9:05 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

When the Marriott was first named it was called the Marriott Activity Center but the students quickly started calling it the Big MAC. Since the Marriott family was still involved in A&W and with McDonalds as a competor the university quickly took steps to rename the center the Marriott Center.

Another Note: At the dedication Brother Marriott was a special guest. They had him park near the entrance and during the meeting his car was towed because it was in an non-parking place. I love BYU

The Traveler

go ags1 ?? | 9:07 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Let's see who the Cows in Logan have beat at home this year...Laval, Austin Peay, Santa Clara, Prarie View, UVSC, NAU, Hawaii...etc. What a list. The only decent win in that list is Boise State. I don't see any San Diego State or UNLV in there. So don't tell me you want to see a tougher schedule before you are impressed. You Aggies have no room to talk about schedule.

Hey BYU Fan | 9:08 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

I seem to remember just a couple of years ago a 20 beat beating in the Marriott Center at the hands of the aggies. BYU is no more significant on the national baskteball scene than USU. At least USU has won an NCAA tournament game this decade. 9 straight 23 win seasons, 5 NCAA tournaments and a 140-12 home record is hardly insignificant.

20 Point Beating | 9:03 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

It was a 20 POINT Beating at the hands of the aggies in the Marriott Center a couple of years ago.

Yo Yo Whitney | 9:04 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Actually BYU's last home loss was not to Lamar, but to Loyola Marymount. As for Utah State's better home record this year 16-0 and 14-0 are both still 100% and equal. 140-12 is impressive, but the teams that USU has played at home aren't any more impressive than those BYU has played. Bottom line: please aggies, quit moaning because your third place WAC team isn't getting it's fair share of attention.

John | 9:15 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

I'm glad BYU has had a good year this year. Wow, 2 good years in a row! What a great program. The aggies 9 straight 23 win seasons are insignificant. BYU knows they should be better than USU at basketball but just can't quite get there. I know, it is hard to take cougar fan. It is OK, you only have 7 more seasons to go to catch up. And good luck trying to win ONE tournament game. Great job on the recruiting, overlooking Carroll, Harris and Newbold. Not to mention Wesley, Nelson and Wilkinson. BYU seems to get USU's LDS leftovers in basketball.

10 home losses in 8 years | 9:23 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Just for a second let us look at the fact that qoute un qoute BYU has not played any great teams at home in the last 8 years.

The point of it is that they are nearly perfect at home. Over the same time period how has Utah done against the same teams? Well, lets just say it is not as impressive. Nor is anyone else by maybe UNLV as good at home.

Old Student in AZ | 9:19 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

When I went to BYU we could only get student tickets every other game. (11,000 tickets alocated for students. The place was sold out 23,000+ every game. (Ainge, Roberts, Kite, Trumbo, Craig). It is great to see the fans coming back but it is still rare to "Sell Out" a game. Even the Utah game was not sold out. Often more Red than Blue. HELLO!!!! BYU fans should be there every game regardless of the other team. You want a Great team you have to have Great Fans. Not the opposite. Until we sell the place out every game we have only good fans. Those that are there are great. Don't need fair weather fans, big game fans or couch potato fans. If I were still there I would be there as much as I could. Come on all! Turn off the TV and go to the game. I wish I could. I can't even get the games on TV down here but we won't open that can of worms. Web radio is my link to the BYU basketball world.

Provo High would beat you | 9:19 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

If I remember right Prarie View and Lamar are from the same conference, so home schedules are about the same. As far as the angry man that listed himself as hey aggies or whatever I would say that we have won and had a win streak against the cougs and last year you snapped that at your place and that would include wins in the great confines of your extra fatty cheeseburger. Your comments about a cow made me laugh even though I was in the middle of doing taxes! haha. Looks who is getting angry. Maybe its those who feel that they should be the big daddy, but don't really know inside that over the last ten years USU has definetely been the better basketball program. Although I will give it to you that BYU is a "little" better program in football, and to the last comment if you check your schedule we didn't play byu this year because your coach was to scared of our talent and tradition!

Pizza | 9:28 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Do they still provide pizza to the opponents after the games? Back when they had the Cougar Classic at the beginning of the season they would usually have 1 or 2 big name teams along with a lower division team. They also provided some nice parting gifts (swag?)after the final game. Maybe that will lure some big names to the MC.

Eric Rice | 9:35 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Whitney is my hero. A female who is able to stand up to the to close to call gender people from Provo. I love you Whitney! Thanks for standing up for what is right.

Hawk | 9:36 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Interesting how all the saggy, baggy, aggie comments start with "I seem to remember...." The past is all they have and they cannot live in the present.

CJem | 9:48 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

I was attending BYU also when the MAC, now MC, opened. It was spectacular. I remember that story about the Marriott car getting towed. One of the most tense basketball games I ever attended was in the MC, when BYU played UTEP's slow down game. It went into three overtimes before BYU finally won, seems like with about 60 points. I attended the dedication of the Provo Temple in the MC. The NCAA had a first round playoff scheduled for the MC, which would have put BYU against UCLA and Bill Walton. BYU just had to get past some little Idaho team on Thursday to play UCLA on Saturday. There was great excitement on campus. But opps. as so often happens when BYU overreaches, BYU lost to that little Idaho team. My roommate and I went to the UCLA-Idaho game on Saturday, and there was hardly anyone in the audience. It was still great to see Bill Walton live.

Danny Roe | 10:04 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

BYU could schedule some better teams if they really wanted to. Yes, it is true that lots of teams will not travel to provo to play the cougs in their own building, but trust me BYU could get better teams to play at the marriott. The T&M in Vegas is not an easy place to play(see BYUs game for an example) but some how UNLV plays 2 to 3 top 25 teams every year at home, and UNLV plays in the same conference as BYU. So how can UNLV get teams to come to the T&M but BYU only scheldules JV teams? It's because UNLV actually prepares its teams for tournament play.
UNLV sweet 16
BYU First round

Props to BYU on its home win streak, really, i respect what you have done, but for the sake of the MWC schedule some better teams. And show the nation you can beat good non conference teams. It would also prepare you to win a game in the NCAAs, something that has not be accomplished since the cold war days.

Poor Aggie Fans - Let them whine | 10:19 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Bottom Line - BYU hangs with the big boys and is destined for a fine seed in the NCAA tournament. They are well respected Nationally and top tier teams won't come to the Marriott center because they know they will get beat.

Utah State hasn't even played a top 25 team this season and is only in 3rd place in the WAC. Not a single WAC team is even geting a vote in the top 25 this week. They have not earned their respect.

Poor Utah State fans grasping at straws. Let them whine on our board if it helps them feel better. That is all they have. The truth hurts doesn't it. Your postings tell the whole story.

I forgot Aggies existed | 10:23 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

BYU Ranked top 25, RPI top 25. No one disagrees with you that the Spectrum is a hard place to play. But we have won 45 in a row at home.

But to say we are afraid to play you is just ignorant. Fact is Coach Rose and AD Holmoe weren't the people who agreed to a 2 for 3 format with you. They didn't agree with this philosophy and free handout to you as a result of the football team dropping you from the schedule. BYU offered to play at the ESA for 1 year only and then resume the regular rivalry. Your coach and AD declined. Your coach called a bluff, and Coach Rose busted out the royal flush and removed you from the schedule. Don't worry though, they only scheduled teams like Louisville, UNC, Wake Forest, Michigan State instead. Who did you schedule? I am excited for the rivalry to resume again so all my aggie friends will stop using this incredibly lame smack talk. Oh and good job beating BYU a few years back. Only you and 20 other teams did it that year! Kudos!

Anonymous | 10:25 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

We used to play high school state tournament games at the Marriot Center but that hasn't happened in a long time. How come?

kresemir Cosic | 10:21 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

That is one player that I would have loved to watch play. My father attended the Y when he was playing and to this day says that Kresemir is the best player he has ever seen play in person. Does anyone know how to see old film or footage of him playing? Go Cougs!

Marriott Coug | 10:22 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Marriott Magic is back and better than ever!!

The Truth Does Hurt | 10:34 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

BYU is not well respected nationally in basketball. I am sorry, but that is a very funny post!

Cougar Blue | 10:38 a.m. Feb. 29, 2008

Being a BYU fan and going to a game in the Spectrum I have to admit that they have something going there. The atmosphere compares with the likes of Duke (I've been there also). I think the gym helps creates the better atmosphere. BYU would be able to create that kind of college basketball atomosphere if it had the Spectrum instead of the massive Marriott Center. We're getting closer as of late to what the Aggies have in Logan however.

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Vocal BYU fans pack the Marriott Center during the recent UNLV game. The arena is a safe haven for the Cougars and unfriendly territory for opponents.