November 2009 - Cougarsportsline - mailman.xmission.com

Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 17
by hb arnett 30 Nov '09

30 Nov '09

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 17
by hb arnett 30 Nov '09

30 Nov '09

HB Arnett's COUGAR SPORTSLINE 801 372 0819 hbarnett(a)fiber.net and hbarnett@xmission <mailto:hbarnett@xmission.com> .com 1391 West 800 South - Orem, Utah 84058 Vol. 30, Issue 17 - November 30, 2009 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions BYU 26 Utah 23 DEFENSE WINS GAME BUT HALL GIVES BYU FANS A HANDY TEFLON TICKET On paper Utah's defense is better than BYU's. They have better athletes and more of them. They have better stats and many believe they are better coached. They weren't better Saturday. The BYU defense won this latest game between long time rivals BYU and Utah. BYU defenders may not be better on paper and in stats, but they were better on the field against the Utes. Domination is not a word that was used frequently in the same sentence with BYU defense this season, but it is certainly appropriate to use when referencing this particular win for the Cougars. Neither team had much offense to crow about, but had to rely on their defenses for a chance to win. BYU's was better than Utah's on this day and it showed on the scoreboard with the 26-23 overtime win. By now, you know that Max Hall went Morgan Scalley in his post-game comments saying he hated the Utes and that they are a classless institution with classless fans. Like Scalley, who also had his comments caught on video, Hall has scurried to issue an apology for his remarks. In case you can't remember, Scalley, now a Utah assistant coach, said as a player in 2004 "I hate those _ _icks." The Deal Here's the deal from our perspective. Hall probably should not have said what he did, but there are probably thousands of Cougar fans who agree with everything he did say, but have never been able to say it themselves and get away with it. Hall's comments now give us a get-out-of-jail-free card. He said what many of us have thought for years and still think, but never wanted to be held accountable for thinking or, heaven forbid, saying. Now Hall has taken the heat for us. Both sides of this rivalry have fans who display boorish behavior. The difference is that when you mix beer with boorish behavior, it is never a good thing. You can be the judge of which fan base the beer reference applies to. Card carrying Mormons from both sides of the aisle are against boorish and bad behavior by the respective teams for whom they cheer. Utah Mormon fans don't have that boorish behavior stick to them, however. They have had their Teflon ticket for years. They can take the wins and glory and revel in them, but never are held accountable for being supporters of an institution that at times produces unacceptable behavior. It is just incidental and collateral damage that never comes back to roost with their religion. Bad Report It doesn't work that way with BYU fans. Anything bad, boorish or of bad report, is automatically laid at the feet of Cougar fans who are Mormon as another example of hypocrisy and self-righteous behavior exposed. Now with Max Hall taking the heat, we get our temporary version of the Teflon ticket. We agree with what he said, but because Hall is taking the heat, it is just incidental Cougar collateral damage that we can't be personably held accountable for. NOW THAT IT IS OVER, HOW DID THEY DO? If Bronco Mendenhall and almost every other D-1 coach can have exit interviews with players at the conclusion of the season, we can give our exit review for the 2009 regular season and our entrance preview for the 2010 season. Overall Season...BYU finishes the regular season with a 10-2 record and a No. 14 BCS ranking. Despite all the hand wringing and criticism about lack of speed, poor coaching and play calling and a dysfunctional defense, there was only one game that you could call a choke and clunker by the Cougars this past season.. That would be Florida State. TCU is just better than BYU and in our opinion, one of the top three teams in the nation. BYU would have been given a pass by its fan base if they had lost to Florida, Texas or Alabama, but TCU is as good as any of those teams and could whip any of the three if given the chance to play them. A very, very good year for the Cougars. Quarterback...We give Hall our MVP for the year because of what he meant for the team. We base it on the fact that without him, BYU would have been lucky to have been 7-5. He had some terrific games and also had some less than terrific games, but he still was the MVP. BYU couldn't have won 10 games without him. He didn't look impressive against Utah, but he won two of his three matchups with the Utes. As they like to say, "Scoreboard". For those who question his legacy as a Cougar, he is right up there now with Wayne Howard and Lenny Gomes. Is he irreplaceable? No way. No BYU quarterback has ever been irreplaceable. It is the nature of the college game. There are no quarterbacks signed to long-term contracts. Our money is still on Riley Nelson as the starter at qb next season. We look for some mistakes early, but this guy is a gamer and will win games for the Cougars. Jake Heaps is a great prospect, and continues to have a brilliant senior season. Saturday, he led his Skyline HS to a semi-final 31-26 win over No. 1 rated and previously unbeaten Bothell HS. Heaps started slow with two first-half interceptions but made big third down completions when the game was on the line in the second half to secure the win. Heaps finished with 17-of 32 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite his obvious talent, we haven't given Heaps much of a chance to secure the starting job as a true freshman next year. Then we saw what Jordan Wynn did as a true freshman for Utah. He came in early to the program and had a spring practice under his belt. Heaps will follow the same timeline as a Cougar. We now at least will acknowledge that if Heaps lives up to his billing, he at least now has a chance to start for next year. Running Back...BYU isn't going to have any big-time backs with shake and speed. That is why the need big power backs. Thank goodness for Harvey Unga. Take away Unga, either with an early NFL entry or after his final season in 2010, and it is back to the very ordinary backs that usually dot the Cougar backfield. Here's hoping Harvey returns for his senior season. Offensive Line...For a unit that was supposed to be young and inexperienced, it turned out pretty good for BYU. Four starters return for next season. All coaches need to do is find a center next year to replace R.J. Willing. Matt Reynolds is the guy from this group most likely to cash an NFL paycheck when he is done, but the real find of this season was Braden Brown. He was forced to switch from tight end to right offensive tackle because of depth issues. In our opinion, he has found his spot and a chance also to maybe someday cash an NFL check. He needs to add another 30 pounds, but he has the athleticism and feet that the NFL guys are looking for. Speaking of adding pounds, BYU would be wise to take Brown's younger brother, Travis Brown, the starting qb for Timpview HS. He isn't D-1 as a qb, but he has the same feet and athletic ability of his older brother. Send him on a mission and put an additional 70 pounds on his frame and you probably will have another outstanding offensive tackle on your hands. Receivers...This was an ordinary to disappointing season for this group. Despite the early excitement and projections for McKay Jacobson to be the play maker that Austin Collie was, it didn't happen. Jacobson was hurt for four games, but he, along with all the other receivers, Luke Ashworth, O'Neill Chambers and Spencer Hafoka, never kept opposing defensive coordinators awake at night. The only hope for next year is that Ross Apo, the verbal commit from Texas can come in and be a playmaker. Tight Ends...Dennis Pitta is a good and a proven producer. Andrew George also helped. We don't see how this position can be as good next season. Defensive Line...In our opinion, college defenses are like good baseball teams. They have to be strong up the middle. BYU was very ordinary this season up the middle at defensive tackle. While the 2009 all conference teams have yet to be released when this was written, it says plenty that in the nine years since the Mountain West Conference was formed, BYU has never had a defensive tackle selected as a first-team all-conference performer. There have been a few defensive ends selected, but it starts up the middle with the tackles. We don't see any outstanding tackles in the pipeline either for the foreseeable future. Eathyn Manumaleuna is due back from his mission, but we keep hearing talk from his home town in Alaska that he is considering transferring to the Pac 10 and Norm Chow and UCLA will be making a run at him when he returns. Fans get excited about quarterbacks, receivers and running back recruits, but wake us when BYU is able again to sign all-conference type defensive tackles. Linebackers...Weak up the middle, but better on the outside was our assessment of this season. The outside backing spots have a chance to be good next year, but it is a stretch, in our opinion to see much, if any, improvement inside for next season. Defensive Backs...Just like defensive tackles, BYU has not had a first-team all conference selection at corner back since the league was formed. They have only had one defensive back selected all conference in the last nine years and that was Aaron Francisco as a safety. Brian Logan was a serious upgrade at corner for this past season, despite his smallish size. BYU, in our opinion, desperately needs another juco infusion at corner for the coming year. Kicking...Okay, we didn't see all top-twenty five teams play, but the ones we did see on television all seem to have kickers that can get the ball into the end zone on kickoffs. Most of the other teams in the MWC also have kickers that can get the ball back there. Even at altitude, BYU has not been able to get it done. The punting was also spotty this season despite the preseason prognosis that it would be great. Maybe another year will be what it takes in experience because there won't be any new kicking personnel coming on board for 2010. Coaching...Despite all the nitpicking, Bronco Mendenhall and his staff, like Max Hall, get the best of all accolades: "Scoreboard". Some of us may not like his style, demeanor, dour expressions or how he does it, but four straight seasons of 10 or more wins really is some great coaching. BYU LIKELY HEADED TO LAS VEGAS BOWL There are only two bowl possibilities for BYU this year. They will either return to the Las Vegas Bowl for their fifth consecutive appearance or head to San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl. As of right now, regardless of either of the two bowls, there are only three possible opponents for the Cougars. That would be USC, Arizona and Cal. The Las Vegas Bowl gets the fifth-place team from the Pac 10 and the Poinsettia Bowl gets the sixth-place team from the same conference. BYU GETS WAKE UP CALL AND TUNE UP FOR UTAH STATE BYU found out two things last Friday in their 87-70 win over Weber State. After four previous wins, BYU discovered that there are teams that will actually play defense and compete on the boards with the Cougars. Weber State did both. BYU also found out that despite a little adversity and facing a team that doesn't roll over, the Cougars are still pretty good. The BYU guard line was the difference in this game. Jimmer Fredette had 23 points and Jackson Emery added 15 which included a second half shooting spark for the Cougars. Emery was limited to just 22 minutes of play because of foul problems, but when he did return to the court in the second half, it was his 3-point shooting barrage that put BYU back in the lead for good. The competitive game will be a good tune up for the Cougars when they travel to Logan to take on the Utah State Aggies Wednesday, December 2. To say it will be a hostile environment would be an understatement. To say the Aggies won't play hard and be prepared is an even bigger understatement. This will be a better barometer than what we have seen so far in the early going of this season an just how good the Cougars can be. Unless BYU can shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, we don't expect BYU to win, but we do expect them to compete. We don't think it matters how well the Cougars shoot from the free throw line because in Logan, BYU never seems to be able to get there. THE FUTURES MARKET As an old commodities trader, we have found a new futures market to follow as it pertains to BYU basketball. Listed below is how BYU's most recent signees and future prospects fared during the last week. Kyle Collinsworth, 6-6 guard/wing, Provo HS...The recent BYU signee opened his senior season with a steady performance despite being dogged by double teams all game long. Provo beat Springville 63-60 and Collinsworth had 14 points and 14 assits. Nick Emery, 6-3 freshman guard, Lone Peak HS...As a ninth grader, Emery opened his high school career locked up the limit. He led the Knights to a 63-48 win over Salem Hills and scored 19 points, had seven rebounds, five assists and five steals in his debut. He is the brother of current Cougar Jackson Emery. Anson Winder, 6-3, guard, Bishop Gorman HS...Season kicks off Dec 12 for this recent BYU signee. The opening bell forecast calls for a higher opening for Winder, who should lead his team in scoring this season. Jabari Parker, 6-5, wing, Simeon HS, Chicago...Season kicks off Dec. 6 for this multi-talented LDS freshman. TELEVISION TIMETABLE BYU vs. Utah State Wednesday, Dec 2 at Logan Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: the CW30 (local only in Utah) BYU vs. San Francisco Saturday, Dec 5 at Salt Lake Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: BYUTV and KJZZ (local) BYU vs. Arizona State Tuesday, Dec 8 at Provo Tipoff: 8:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Fresno State Saturday, Dec 12 at Fresno Tipoff: 8:00 pm Mountain Time TV: none BYU vs. Wagner Thursday, Dec 17 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: BYUTV BYU vs. Eastern Washington Saturday, Dec 19 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: BYUTV BYU vs. Nevada Tuesday, Dec 22 at Las Vegas Tipoff: 8:30 pm Mountain Time TV: BYUTV BYU vs. Nebraska or Tulsa Wednesday, Dec 23 at Las Vegas Tipoff: TBA TV: BYUTV

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1 BYU-Utah ticket available
by hb arnett 27 Nov '09

27 Nov '09

I have a relative in town for Thanksgiving that has one extra ticket to the BYU-Utah game tomorrow. It is in section ZZ in the Southwest end zone. I have actually sat there before and it is a decent ticket. He wants $50 for it. That's the price BYU would sell it for as a single game ticket.if they had any left. If any one is interested, email me back with your name and phone number. Thanks HB hbarnett(a)fiber.net

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Better Than a Free Turkey!
by hb arnett 25 Nov '09

25 Nov '09

Only 1 Day Left For Free Subscription There is just one day left to take advantage of our Thanksgiving Special. Free Cougar Sportsline Subscription Here it is. When you renew or extend your subscription to Cougar Sportsline between now and tomorrow, Thanksgiving, we will give you another free subscription for you to give to anyone you want. It can be a family member, friend, or anyone else you want to give it to. It just can't be added on to your subscription. Here is how it works. Renew or order a subscription for yourself. Then send us an email at hbarnett(a)fiber.net with your name and the name, email and other info for the person to whom you want to send the extra free subscription and we will begin sending the newsletter to them. That's it and thanks for being a subscriber. To renew and get the free year subscription for someone else, just click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type=450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> here. If you like, you can also renew via email, phone or check with the following information below. Cougar Sportsline 1391 West 800 South Orem, UT 84058 801 372 0819 hbarnett(a)fiber.net

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Better Than a Free Turkey!
by hb arnett 24 Nov '09

24 Nov '09

Only 1 Day Left For Free Subscription There is just one day left to take advantage of our Thanksgiving Special. Free Cougar Sportsline Subscription Here it is. When you renew or extend your subscription to Cougar Sportsline between now and tomorrow, Thanksgiving, we will give you another free subscription for you to give to anyone you want. It can be a family member, friend, or anyone else you want to give it to. It just can't be added on to your subscription. Here is how it works. Renew or order a subscription for yourself. Then send us an email at hbarnett(a)fiber.net with your name and the name, email and other info for the person to whom you want to send the extra free subscription and we will begin sending the newsletter to them. That's it and thanks for being a subscriber. To renew and get the free year subscription for someone else, just click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type=450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> here. If you like, you can also renew via email, phone or check with the following information below. Cougar Sportsline 1391 West 800 South Orem, UT 84058 801 372 0819 hbarnett(a)fiber.net

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 16
by hb arnett 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 16
by hb arnett 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

HB Arnett's COUGAR SPORTSLINE 801 372 0819 hbarnett(a)fiber.net and hbarnett@xmission <mailto:hbarnett@xmission.com> .com 1391 West 800 South - Orem, Utah 84058 Vol. 30, Issue 16 - November 23, 2009 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions VINYL VERSUS CD's They used to make records by pressing them into vinyl. Now it is all on CD's. BYU was technologically current in the record department last Saturday in Provo by producing a masterful CD (completely dominating) 38-24 win over Air Force. Max Hall and Harvey Unga both went Platinum in recording their names in the BYU record books. Hall went digital over Ty Detmer and downloaded to his resume the record for most wins by a starting BYU quarterback. Detmer previously held the record for wins with 29. Hall now owns the all time mark with 30 wins. Harvey Unga broke the rushing record for BYU by surpassing the previous mark held by Curtis Brown. Unga now has 3,267 yards rushing for his career. He also set a new BYU record for rushing attempts. That mark was also held by Brown. Unga finished with 67 yards rushing on 11 carries against the Falcons. Against Air Force, Hall completed 33-of-45 attempts for 377 yards and five touchdowns. He also had two interceptions in the game. While the BYU defense didn't set any records, they showed some promise of delivering a few hits of their own next week against Utah. The Cougar defenders are still athletically challenged in some key spots on the defense, but they played extremely hard and with heart against the Cadets. It was a welcome sight and one that will deliver more success if that level of play can be continued against Utah and a bowl opponent. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT On paper, in the battle of Utes and Cougars set for this Saturday in LaVell Edwards Stadium, BYU should win. The Cougars are coming off their best performance of the season, a 38-24 domination of a good Air Force team. Momentum is on their side. BYU is perceived to be the better team based on rankings. The Cougars are ranked No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. Utah is at No. 19. In the AP Poll it is BYU No. 18, Utah No. 22. Throw in the algorithms and analysis of the BCS and their computers and BYU is still in front of the Utes. The BCS boys have the Cougars pegged at No. 19 and the Utes at No. 22. Even the guys who really know and make a living by knowing have the Cougars as the better team. The early Las Vegas betting line opened with BYU as a 7 1/2 point favorite. The only place where the two teams are even is in domination by TCU. Both clubs looked pathetic in losing to the Horned Frogs. Despite all the paper signs of BYU being successful against the Utes, in our opinion, BYU is in trouble. Utah is coming into this game with an inexperienced quarterback. Jordan Wynn, a true freshman, has started just three games for the Utes and is just 2-1 in those starts. On Paper On paper, BYU should eat him up and take advantage of his lack of experience. Oops, the last time Utah showed up with an inexperienced quarterback in Provo, it was 2005 and seldom-used backup Brett Ratliff shredded the Cougar secondary and defense with his arm and legs and led the Utes to a 41-34 overtime victory. Line up the two quarterbacks in this upcoming game, Max Hall of BYU and Wynn of Utah, and on paper it is a monumental mismatch. Hall is the most winning qb in BYU history with 30 victories. Wynn has just two wins to his credit. So why is our stomach still churning with anxiety? Both teams have good running games. The Utes have better receivers, but BYU has better tight ends. The Utes have better defenders. Neither team has much of a kicking game. The key matchup will most likely be Ute wide receiver David Reed going up against Cougar cornerback Brian Logan. Look for Utah to do all they can to get this matchup as often as they can. Size Advantage Reed is an exceptional wide receiver with a distinct size advantage over Logan. Logan is a very good corner, but he is small. If he was 6-1 instead of 5-6, he would be exceptional. He would also be playing in the Pac 10. History shows that the Utes will come prepared and ready to play. Recent history of BYU in this matchup shows that you never know what you will get with the Cougars. None of that matters. The winning team will have the quarterback that performs the best. That performance will be based on which team can protect their qb. Max Hall appears to be the slam dunk choice, but we aren't betting against Wynn because despite going against a front seven of the Cougars that he hasn't seen in person, he will know what they are going to do and how they will play certain formations and situations. You can count on the Cougars doing what they have always done defensively against the Utes and you can count on Ute coaches knowing what to expect and preparing Wynn accordingly. Pass Protection This game will come down to pass protection. For BYU to win this game, they will have to get to Wynn. We don't think that will happen too often, but we do see Max Hall redeeming himself for his dismal performance of a year ago against the Utes. It is all about the quarterbacks. We pick Hall and the Cougars and call it BYU 31 Utah 28. BYU AND UTAH PLAYING FOR CUPCAKE AND PROGRAM CHAMPIONSHIPS Forget the Mountain West Conference championship. That belongs to TCU. Forget playing for a BCS bowl berth. That passed both teams by weeks ago. This game is for the cupcake championship. It wasn't intentional. Neither the Utes or Cougars wanted to play pushovers this year, but both did. Blame it on the two-tier Mountain West Conference cake. The top layer of BYU, Utah, TCU and Air Force is firm, but the bottom layer is soft and spongy. It is a similar scenario of other conferences. The upper echelon teams feast and frost their win-loss records on the lower-end cupcakes of their respective conferences. Going into this matchup of MWC cupcake challengers, BYU holds a one-game lead in the softie standings. Utah has beat just one team with a winning record this season. That would be Air Force. BYU has beat two teams with winning records to date. That would be Oklahoma and Air Force. The Sooners will more than likely give up their winning record this weekend when they face Oklahoma State. Another loss and the Sooners will finish the regular season at 6-6. Losing Record As of right now, neither the Utes or Cougars have lost to a team with a losing record this season, but BYU will have lost to a team in Florida State that will be 6-6 next week after the Seminoles face Florida this coming Saturday. The win-loss record of the bottom five teams of the MWC this year is an abysmal 17-38. Both the Utes and Cougars also featured 3-8 Utah State on their non-conference slates this season. The Utes also cupcake walked over 1-9 San Jose State and 4-7 Louisville. BYU countered with 3-8 Tulane. That is why the BYU-Utah game this Saturday in Provo is so big. The team that wins will get the automatic berth in the CCS (Cupcake Championship Series) game against Boise State. Don't get us started on their schedule of cream puffs. While a BYU win over Utah will be nice, in our opinion, it won't unseat the Utes as the better program over the last ten years. Partisanship Take away the partisanship and from our perspective, Utah is the better program over the last decade. The Utes hold a 6-4 winning record over the Cougars in the last ten seasons. They have appeared in 8 bowl games in ten years and have won all eight games. BYU has appeared in six games during that same period and are just 2-4. Overall, in the last decade, BYU is 78-46 and Utah is 85-36. In the last four years with Bronco Mendenhall and Kyle Whittingham as head coaches, BYU is 38-13 and Utah is 37-14. Both are 2-2 in head-to-head matchups against each other. We still give the edge to Utah as the better team of the last decade because of their bowl record and two BCS winning appearances. It is much closer if you take only the last five years. Both Utah and BYU have won two conference championships. TCU won the other. The difference is that when Utah won their championships, they were undefeated seasons and resulted in BCS bowl wins. BYU's conference championships resulted in two trips to the Las Vegas Bowl More Rubbing, Less Reminiscing A win on Saturday will draw the Cougars closer to Utah in the battle of programs and would give Mendenhall a one-game edge in head-to-head matchups with Kyle Whittingham, but until BYU is able to sniff a BCS appearance, when it comes to the two programs, the Utes are still the best team of the last decade or the last five years. History, however, is so yesterday. What is really important is who will be the best program on Saturday? This game is never about reminiscing about history, but about rubbing the most recent win into the face of the other team. As Cougar fans, here's hoping that Saturday will produce more rubbing and less reminiscing. BASKETBALL WINS KEEP COMING BYU notched two more wins in basketball last week with victories over Idaho State and Hawaii. The Cougars were 87-53 winners over ISU in Provo and defeated Hawaii in Honolulu 83-65. Jimmer Fredette led all scorers in both games. He put up 22 against the Bengals of Idaho State and added 20 more against Hawaii. His nice outings were complemented by his backcourt mate Jackson Emery. The junior guard from Lone Peak HS in Utah threw in 19 against ISU and 11 more against Hawaii. Speaking of Lone Peak, Tyler Haws, the true freshman from the same school, looks to have locked down a starting role for the Cougars. He scored 12 against Hawaii in his first career start as a Cougar. Against ISU, he scored 9, but also had 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocked shots. Jonathan Tavernari broke out of his early season scoring and shooting slump in Hawaii. The preseason All MWC first team selection broke lose for 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting. He was 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed 5 rebounds. Two Games The Cougars will have two games this week. Both are home games. Southern will be in town on Tuesday for a matchup with the Cougars. They don't appear to be very good. They were blown out last Saturday by Utah in Salt Lake City 88-48. Weber State will show up in the Marriott Center on Friday in a post-Thanksgiving game. The Wildcats are currently 0-3 on the year with a loss to Utah State at Ogden and losses to UC Santa Barbara and Seattle on the road. Weber should get their first win earlier this week when they face Western State in Ogden on Tuesday. It is still early, but after three games here is what we see when it comes to BYU basketball. BYU may have finally found the next Danny Ainge. That would be Jimmer Fredette. His style of play is different, but his production isn't. Fredette may be the guard that can take BYU to a couple of NCAA wins. He is a scorer and can create his own shot. There is a reason that he is the preseason MWC player of the year selection. He has game and has brought it in each of the first three contests. Focus Opponents will focus on him, especially in league play, but he is the real deal. Jackson Emery would be the go-to guard for Dave Rose if not for Fredette. He is the team's best defender and brings energy to the floor on every outing. When his outside shot is right, like it was against Idaho State, he is all conference material. Jonathan Tavernari will score. You just don't know when. His shooting slump appears to be over, but for the first time in his career, Dave Rose has some leverage over Tavernari. If he is having a bad outing, Rose can go to the bench and get production from Noah Hartsock. Speaking of Hartsock, he my be the most productive player per minute on the team. He doesn't look like he is doing anything spectacular, but you look up and he has a stat line full of rebounds and points. Hartsock has been effective in the post when BYU goes small and quick and he also helps at the 4 spot. Tyler Haws is showing that he can do at this level what he did at the high school level. He is a good open court player and can get to the rim and finish. Outside Shot His outside shot has been good in the early going, but he will make his living getting to the rim and consequently getting to the foul line. The player that has surprised us the most with his good play is Michael Loyd, Jr. His penchant for offense and shooting the three has been unexpected. The post play is still unsettled. Brandon Davies shows big talent as a freshman, but has yet to play any extended minutes. Chris Miles will be needed against some teams, but we expect the post to be by committee with Hartsock, Davies and Miles all seeing action according to foul troubles and matchups. This is a very good team. They could be a great team, but that won't be known for sure until the Cougars face a good team. That hasn't happened yet. BASKETBALL BRIEFS A few years back there was a pretty good movie released called Glory Road. It detailed the history of Don Haskins and UTEP basketball, when, in 1966, Texas Western (now called UTEP) won the national championship in basketball by beating Kentucky. At the time it was major news because Kentucky started 5 white guys and Texas Western started 5 black guys. If you know the racial history of this country, you know why it was news. We aren't expecting a sequel to the movie, but 43 years later, BYU had their small version of Glory Road. With 39 seconds remaining in the first half of the BYU basketball game against Idaho State in Provo last week, there were four black players on the court for BYU. Three days later in a game against Hawaii in Honolulu BYU had four black players on the court for significant minutes while the game was being contested. As one who is old enough to have lived through the racial tensions of the '60s and '70s, and as one old enough to know about and experience from a distance the "Black 14" protests at the University of Wyoming, I certainly noticed that nobody else noticed. In my mind, nobody noticing or caring about the rotation Dave Rose had on the floor last week says a lot about the university and the basketball program. Both are positive statements. TELEVISION TIMETABLE BYU vs. Southern Tuesday, Nov 24 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: none BYU vs. Weber State Friday, Nov 27 at Provo Tipoff: 7:30 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Utah Saturday, Nov 28 at Provo Kickoff: 3:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn and CBS C BYU vs. Utah State Wednesday, Dec 2 at Logan Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: the CW30 (local only in Utah)

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 15
by hb arnett 16 Nov '09

16 Nov '09

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 15
by hb arnett 16 Nov '09

16 Nov '09

HB Arnett's COUGAR SPORTSLINE 801 372 0819 hbarnett(a)fiber.net and hbarnett@xmission <mailto:hbarnett@xmission.com> .com 1391 West 800 South - Orem, Utah 84058 Vol. 30, Issue 15 - November 16, 2009 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions COUGARS AND CUPS When it comes to sports, my three favorite events are the Ryder Cup, Breeders' Cup and World Cup. In my opinion, they are sports at its ultimate and highest level and better than anything the NBA, NFL or MLB can, or ever will, produce. When it comes to sports, in my estimation, those "Cups" are as good as it gets. I have, however, also seen a few of less-than-spectacular specimen cups when it comes to athletic contests. The latest was in Albuquerque this past weekend when BYU was listless and lucky enough to come away with a 24-19 win over hapless and winless New Mexico. After watching that sub-par specimen, the question for Cougar fans might be: Is the "cup" board really that bare on defense? No need to wait for the analysis to come back from the lab on this one. BYU won a game it should have lost if not for three missed and one blocked field goals by the New Mexico kicker. Which brings up the question, is the Cougar football cup half full or half empty? Based on what was on display at Albuquerque, the easy answer would be half empty. Current Record Based on the Cougars' current record of 8-2 we could also easily make a case for a cup half full. The final verdict on the status of this 2009 BYU football cup will be determined in the next two weeks in Provo when the Cougars face Air Force and Utah to close out the regular season. We have seen BYU football this season at full faucet, with water overflowing the Cougar cup in great games against Oklahoma and Wyoming. We have also seen the Cougars torture their fan base with "waterboarding" performances against Florida State and New Mexico. When it come to how the Cougars finish out the year against the Falcons and Utes, we will go with the Beach Boys who sang, When some loud braggart tries to put me down and says his school is great, I tell him right away, Now what's the matter buddy, ain't you heard of my school, It's number one in the state, rah, rah, rah, be true to your school. For this optimistic tune to turn out right for the Cougars in their quest beat Utah in two weeks and be number one in the state, the BYU defense will have to start playing more like Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears and less like Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Lyrics and Lines Here are the actual lyrics and lines from the game against the Lobos. As poorly as the defense played, BYU didn't have a great day offensively either. The Cougars couldn't run the ball with only 41 yards rushing on 23 carries. Max Hall did complete 21-of-31 for 314 yards. He also had one interception, but threw two touchdown passes. Defensively, the Cougars allowed New Mexico to run 81 plays and had a hard time getting the Lobos off the field. The bright spot for the Cougar defense was their 5 sacks, three of which helped preserve the win when New Mexico had a chance to win the game on their last possession. BYU looks vulnerable for their last two games against Air Force and Utah after what they showed or didn't show against New Mexico last week. But as the Beach Boy tune says, the Cougars are still on track to be number one in the state. Sing it with me now. Rah, rah, rah, be true to your school. We go Beach Boys with BYU against Air Force this coming Saturday in Provo and call it BYU 31 Air 24. COUGARS GO JAZZ IN SEASON OPENING WIN OVER BRADLEY BYU opened their 2009-10 basketball season win a 70-60 win over Bradley last Friday night in the Marriott Center. They looked an awful like the Utah Jazz in doing it. No, BYU doesn't have NBA talent, but they displayed the same Jazz blueprint in this season-opening win. Both teams have outstanding point guards who carry their teams. The Jazz have Deron Williams. BYU has Jimmer Fredette. It was Fredette who put the Cougars on his back to make sure Dave Rose's return to the court from a trying summer of health issues was successful. The junior preseason Mountain West Conference player of the year led all scorers with 25 points and countered every charge from Bradley with either a big basket or big production from the foul line. After missing his first two free throws in the first half, Fredette reeled of 12 consecutive makes. The Jazz and BYU both have players who, when they are good are very good, and when they aren't, they are the cause of more hair pulling by fans than a New Mexico women's soccer player in a fit of rage. The Jazz have Carlos Boozer. You hate him, and then you love him when he plays at the top of his game. BYU has Jonathan Tavernari. You pull you hair out when he hoists up half-court threes and goes 0-7 in doing so. You love him when he connects on his next four long-distance shots. Non-Stop Shooting Neither Boozer nor Tavernari know when to stop shooting. Tavarnari showed both sides of his game against Bradley. He was clueless and scoreless in the early going, but got his game in gear and under control later in the game to end up with 13 points. Both the Utah Jazz and the BYU Cougars have been looking for a post presence that can produce on the defensive and offensive end of the court for what seems like decades. Based on what we have seen of the Jazz this year and what we saw of the Cougars in the opener against Bradley, the search continues. BYU got 5 points from the post against the Braves. Both the Jazz and Cougars have some hope, however. The Jazz get the New York Knicks first round draft selection this coming spring. It is almost assured of being a lottery pick. If there is a big guy available, the Jazz will take him. Based on the early looks of new freshman Brandon Davies, BYU fans may feel like they hit the lottery also. BYU hasn't had a big man with as much athleticism and potential in a very, very long time. Until the Jazz and Cougar hopes for a big man actually pan out, thank goodness for Deron Williams and Jimmer Fredette. The Cougars' next game will be Tuesday in Provo against Idaho State. BYU'S BASKETBALL RECRUITING CLASS BYU and Dave Rose announced the addition of two new basketball signees to their program last week. Neither was a surprise. Years ago in recruiting, you might be able to sneak in a player that nobody knew of, but not anymore. We first started hearing about Kyle Collinsworth, a 6-6 guard, when he was in the seventh grade and before he had even enrolled at Provo High School. We knew that BYU was already on to Chris Collinsworth, Kyle's older brother and current Cougar serving an LDS mission in Australia, when the Cougar staff starting watching Chris when he was a freshman at Provo. Our sources told us then that Chris would be a Division I player, but they also said that he had a brother in Springville in the 7th grade that would really be something. Turns out they were right. We found out about Winder, a 6-3 guard, only two months ago. For us, he was an internet find. We were looking for something else and found his web site and other links that told us that BYU had offered him. Big Fish If you go by who else was trying to reel these guys in, Collinsworth was the big fish. He has been a national recruit for the past two summers based on his play on the AAU circuit. Winder made his recruiting noise this past summer with some nice play on that same circuit. Here's the deal with Collinsworth. He can play the 1,2 or 3 spots. Where he is the biggest mismatch is when he plays the point. He is not extremely athletic, but he can get to the rim whenever he wants and against whoever is guarding him. Speaking of guarding, that is the weakness in his game. Opposing guards can't guard him and keep him from penetrating because of his size, smarts and proven ability, but the question is can he keep other guards, especially those with superior quickness from doing the same? Regardless, there was a reason that BYU made an all out recruiting effort for this kid beginning three years ago. Rose's Remarks Here is what Dave Rose says about Collinsworth. "We're excited with the addition of Kyle Collinsworth to our program," BYU head coach Dave Rose said. "He was a national recruit who is a terrific competitor and an extremely versatile player. An athlete with the skill level to play multiple positiions, Kyle is a talented scorer, a productive rebounder and a proficient distributor. he's a key part of a state championship Provo High School program and plays for a highly respected high school coach, Craig Drury. Kyle has also enjoyed tremendous success at the AAU level competing for Utah Pump 'N Run. Here is what scouting services say about Collinsworth. From Jerry Meyer at Yahoo Sports: A physical wing player, Collinsworth has a knack at getting to the rim and either finishing or drawing fouls. Although he is just an average outside shooter, Collinsworth is a high-level passer off the dribble. Defensively, he doesn't have the quickest feet, but Collinsworth has physical strength and is a good rebounder. Another Take Here is another scouting take from Scout.com. Collinsworth is a strong wing with a good basketball body. He showed a high basketball IQ by displaying the ability to read the defense at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. He understands how to pass and cut and fill a vacated area on the floor in order to help him get open. He sprints the wing in transition and likes to attack off the dribble from the wing or along the baseline where he can finish around the rim with either hand after he lifts the defender with a terrific shot fake. Collinsworth is a good ball handler and passer. He can see over smaller defenders and make the right pass. He didn't look to shoot the open jumper but preferred to drive. Collinsworth seemed to struggle at times with the speed of the game and when he had to defend athletic swing players. Collinsworth is a good, not great athlete and has good upside. Collinsworth was recruited by Virginia, USC, ASU, Gonzaga, Kansas, Stanford and all in-state schools. Words on Winder Here is what Rose said about Winder. "He's a versatile guard and a terrific athlete. Anson is a very capable scorer and takes pride in being an excellent defender and rebounder. He will flourish in our transition game." Here is what scouting services say about him. "Winder possesses a nice frame with long arms and overall solid length for the 2-guard position. He is a Division I sleeper who needs some polish in terms of skill development. He plays with great effort at both ends and thrives in transition where he can attack the rim. His frame allows him to draw contact and finish as well. He is a streaky player who plays in spurts and needs to be more consistent. He can knock down the 3, but his shot is streaky and a tad flat in its trajectory." Windsor was recruited by Nevada, Portland and Idaho. BYU also indicated what we already knew when they released their announcement of early signing news. Chris Collinsworth and Nick Martineau will be returning for next season after serving LDS missions. One More Signing Dave Rose has signed a new five-year contract as coach of BYU that will take him through the 2013-14 season. The new deal replaces the contract Rose signed in 2007. QUARTERBACK QUEUE Max Hall...With the win over New Mexico, Hall tied Ty Detmer for most wins as a BYU quarterback with 29 victories. Hall has three games remaining, including a bowl game, to surpass Detmer. Riley Nelson...Did not play against New Mexico. James Lark and Jason Munns...Both will be back from missions for next season. Jake Heaps...Defeated South Kitsap HS 63-14 in first round of state playoffs. Heaps threw for 301 yards and 7 touchdowns in the first half. He didn't play the last two quarters. Tanner Mangum..Season is over for the sophomore from Timberline HS in Boise. Alex Kuresa...Kuresa's junior season came to an end with a 38-21 loss to Timpview in the state semi-finals. He completed 27/42 passes for 375 yards against the T-Birds. TELEVISION TIMETABLE Football BYU vs. Air Force Saturday, Nov 21 at Provo Kickoff: 1:30 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. Utah Saturday, Nov 28 at Provo Kickoff: 3:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn and CBS C Basketball BYU vs. Idaho State Tuesday, Nov 17 at Provo Tipoff: 7:30 pm Mountain Time TV: none BYU vs. Hawaii Friday, Nov 20 at Honolulu Tipoff: 10:00 pm Mountain Time TV: KFVE (local only in Hawaii) BYU vs. Southern Tuesday, Nov 24 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: none BYU vs. Weber State Friday, Nov 27 at Provo Tipoff: 7:30 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Utah State Wednesday, Dec 2 at Logan Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: the CW30 (local only in Utah) We have had several subscribers ask for us to publish the entire basketball schedule, so here is the rest of it with current television plans. Dec 5, San Francisco at Salt Lake, 7 pm, TV: BYUTV and KJZZ Dec 8, Arizona State at Provo, 8 pm, TV: The Mtn Dec 12, Fresno State at Fresno, 8 pm, TV: none Dec 17, Wagner at Provo, 7 pm, TV: BYUTV Dec 19, Eastern Washington at Provo, 7 pm, TV: BYUTV Dec 22, Nevada (Reno) at Las Vegas, 8:30 pm, TV: BYUTV Dec 23, Nebraska or Tulsa at Las Vegas, TBA, TV: BYUTV Dec 28, Arizona at Tucson, 7 pm, TV: Fox Sports Jan 2, Eastern New Mexico at Provo, 7 pm, TV: none Jan 6, UNLV at Provo, 8 pm, TV: The Mtn Jan 9, UTEP at El Paso, 7 pm, TV: CBS C Jan 13, Air Force at Colorado, 6 pm, TV: The Mtn Jan 16, CSU at Provo, 4 pm, TV: The Mtn Jan 20, Wyoming at Provo, 6 pm, TV: The Mtn Jan 23, SDSU at San Diego, 8 pm, TV: The Mtn Jan 27, New Mexico at Albuquerque, 8 pm, TV: The Mtn Jan 30, Utah at Provo, 7 pm, TV: The Mtn Feb 2, TCU at Provo, 7 pm, TV: The Mtn Feb 6, UNLV at Las Vegas, 2 pm, TV: Versus Feb 13, Air Force at Provo, 4 pm, TV: The Mtn Feb 17, CSU at Fort Collins, 6 pm, TV: The Mtn Feb 20, Wyoming at Laramie, 4 pm, TV: The Mtn Feb 24, SDSU at Provo, 7 pm, TV: CBS C Feb 27, New Mexico at Provo, 2 pm, TV:Versus Mar 3, Utah at Salt Lake, 7 pm, TV: CBS C Mar 6, TCU at Fort Worth, 4 pm, TV: The Mtn Mar 10-13, MWC Tourney at Las Vegas, TBA, TV: The Mtn, Versus and CBS C All times are Mountain

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 14
by hb arnett 09 Nov '09

09 Nov '09

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