February 2010 - Cougarsportsline - mailman.xmission.com

Just Four days left to get Four Cougar Sportsline Subscriptions for the Price of One!
by hb arnett 24 Feb '10

24 Feb '10

This offer expires in four days. GET FOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Your subscription to Cougar Sportsline expired so you might as well get four subscriptions for the price of one! We want your continued business and the eventual business of your family, friends or associates, so here's the deal. When you renew your subscription to Cougar Sportsline between now and March 1, 2010, we will give you three more free subscriptions for you to give to anyone you wish. 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 own 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 other three persons to whom you want to send the extra three free subscriptions and we will begin sending the newsletter to them. It's a win-win deal. You get your own subscription and look like a big spender by gifting subscriptions to family and friends. For us, we get to try and convert your three free subscriptions into paying customers the next year. That's it and thanks for being a subscriber. To renew or extend your subscription and get the three free subscriptions for someone else, just <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type=450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> click 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 29
by hb arnett 22 Feb '10

22 Feb '10

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 29 - February 22, 2010 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions BYU BASKETBALL...FOOTNOTES AND FLOODLIGHTS BYU won two road games last week to add to Cougars' basketball bibliography for this season. Let it be noted those games weren't exactly page turners. The scores for those contests were BYU 92 CSU 70 and BYU 85 Wyoming 63. File both wins as just minor footnotes in the main story of this basketball year that will unfold in Provo in a few days. It will be the floodlights of national exposure and rankings instead footnotes and Fort Collins this week. With San Diego State coming to town on Wednesday and New Mexico arriving for a conference championship showdown on Saturday, these games will not only have the attention of the rest of the conference, but a smattering of the national spotlight also. That is to be expected when two top 15 teams face each other as is the case with UNM and BYU. We expect both games to be battles of boinks and boards. Against the Aztecs, it will be a battle for the boards. The Aztecs play like the old teams of UTEP under Don Haskins. Those old UTEP offenses were based around throwing the ball up at the basket and then going to get it for an offensive rebound and a put back. That is what we expect from SDSU. They are extremely long, athletic and talented up front. They will be all over the offensive boards. BYU will have to find a way to negate this advantage. The Cougars can't match up inside with SDSU but are a much better perimeter team. We hate to keep hammering the same theme, but if BYU shoots the ball well from the outside, they are almost unbeatable. Boinks Against New Mexico, the Lobos are also very aggressive on the glass, but this game will be a battle of boinks. We expect this game to be decided by three-point shooting. The team that has the most boinks and misses from long distance will find themselves on the losing end of the score. We expect BYU to play a lot of zone against UNM to try and keep Dairese Gary from penetration to the rim. That means UNM will have to be hot from the arc to win this game. We expect Jimmer Fredette to have a good game, but we also expect that it will take some more help from the outside for BYU to win. Either Jonathan Tavernari, Jackson Emery or Tyler Haws will have to be scoring big from long distance if the Cougars if BYU is to win. We will tow the party line on these two games and call two BYU wins. Neither will be easy and both should be nail biters. FLUFF AND STUFF FIGURE SKATING AND BASKETBALL...We like football more than we like basketball. The main reason for our preference is that in football, there is less subjectivity when it comes to games. Sure there are blown calls, but overall, if a football team is bigger and better than their opponent, they just keep knocking the other team on their behinds and then get up and do it again. The vast majority of the time, regardless of some missed calls, the better team will win. We realize that in basketball, officiating, by nature, has to be subjective. Overall, we think game officials do a very good job, considering the job requirements. Most coaches acknowledge the rigors of officiating, but sometimes they can also get a little annoyed. The most annoyed we have seen BYU's Dave Rose this season was a few weeks back when he obviously was disgusted with the lack of calls given Jimmer Fredette going to the basket in the final minutes of the BYU-UNM game in Albuquerque. We acknowledge that our perspective may be a little tainted because we see way more of BYU basketball than we do of other teams in the league. We admit that our viewpoint is very subjective, but in our opinion, Jimmer Fredette is not getting the same calls by conference officials that he was getting in other games officiated by non-conference officials. We are aware of all the variables of officiating. Players that go to the basket get more calls than jump shooters. But again, in our opinion, Fredette doesn't get equal treatment when he goes to the basket in MWC games as he did in non-MWC games. We also realize that officials tend to swallow the whistle when a blowout is in progress and seem to be more interested in keeping the clock running than putting a player at the line. That is understandable and appreciated. With all of that said, here are some numbers we find interesting when it comes to three of the top players in the Mountain West Conference. In all games (conference and non-conference) played to date by Jimmer Fredette, Tre'von Willis of UNLV and Dairese Gary of New Mexico, here are their free throw numbers. All three have basically played the same number of contests. Fredette, overall this season, has shot 169 free throws and made 152 of those attempts. Gary, overall this season, has shot 191 free throws and made 143 of his attempts. Willis, overall this season, has shot 171 free throws and made 143 of his attempts. Here are the free throw numbers for the same three players in Mountain West Conference play only. Fredette, in MWC games, has shot 75 free throws and converted 65 of those. Gary, in MWC games, has shot 111 free throws, making 85 of them. Willis, in MWC games, has had 117 free throws, making 94 of them. According to our math, in non-conference contests this season, Fredette had 94 free throw attempts, Gary had 80 and Willis just 54. As soon as conference play started, those numbers flip-flopped with Willis getting 117 attempts, Gary at 111 and Fredette just 75 free throw attempts. It was obvious that Dave Rose thought Fredette should have had more calls, especially in the late going of the first UNM game when he was taking the ball to the basket and never got to the line. We saw at least seven or eight times in last week's games against Wyoming and CSU when Fredette was knocked to the floor while going to the basket and nothing was called. Maybe it would have been different if those games were hanging in the balance, but who knows? All we do know is that when it comes to free throw attempts, it appears that Fredette is not getting the same calls in conference play that he was getting in non-conference games. Maybe conference defenders against Fredette are just much better than those non-conference players who defended the junior guard from New York. Maybe Fredette isn't as aggressive in MWC games in going to the basket. Again, who knows? All we really know is that there is a discrepancy between the numbers of non-conference games and MWC games when it comes to Fredette and his frequency of going to the free throw line. We don't think you can blame it on his early conference season bout with mononucleosis. We will also bet that when BYU gets into NCAA post-season action, that Fredette will spend more time at the charity stripe than he currently does now in MWC play. Again, these are just our observations and another reason we prefer football over basketball. NO DISCREPENCY IN ROSE'S NUMBERS...One place where the numbers don't lie is with Dave Rose. In five years at the BYU basketball helm, he has put together the following numbers; 20-9; 25-9; 27-8; 25-8. With a current record of 25-3 and with at least 6 games remaining to play, which includes at least one game each in the MWC and NCAA post-season tournaments, a 30-win season for Rose and BYU is not out of the question. Rose has received a lot of national attention this season. Most of it deals with his inspirational and heartwarming story in regards to his battle with cancer. All of the media coverage is well-deserved. Where he should be receiving more coverage is in his coaching record. Much praise is heaped on Bronco Mendenhall for his model and matrix with BYU football. It too is deserved. What is obvious to us is that Rose has a very good model for BYU basketball. He knows his recruiting base and talent needs and always seems to find a way to fill those needs with his realistic pool of talent. You don't win as many games as Rose has without being a great recruiter and a great coach. THE FUTURES MARKET Listed below are how BYU's most recent signees and future prospects fared during the last week. All except recent signee Anson Winder, are LDS. Kyle Collinsworth, 6-6 guard/wing, senior, Provo HS...Collinsworth had 34 points in a 69-44 win over Westlake HS last Tuesday. He added 22 more points in the 51-49 rivalry win on Friday against Timpview. The regular season ends for Provo this Tuesday with a game against Timpanogas HS. The state championship tournament begins the following week. Nick Emery, 6-0 freshman guard, Lone Peak HS...The talented frosh scored 17 in a 59-51 overtime win against American Fork. Emery had 12 points in a 48-44 win over Hillcrest. His team finishes off the regular season this week with a game at Jordan HS on Tuesday. A win and they should advance to the 5A State Championship Tournament. Anson Winder, 6-3, guard, Senior, Bishop Gorman HS...In a 90-51 win over Arbor View, Winder scored the first nine points of the game and finished with 33. He connected on eight 3-pointers and finished 12-for-17 from the floor. Bishop Gorman will meet Desert Oasis on Monday afternoon in the Sunset Region Playoffs. Jabari Parker, 6-5, wing, Freshman, Simeon HS, Chicago...Simeon lost 64-46 to De La Salle last Saturday night. No box score was available. DeMarcus Harrison, 6-4, guard, Junior, Christ School, Arden, NC...He had 5 assists and 10 points in a 99-77 win over Rabun Gap last Saturday night. It is now on to the NCISAA tournament where Christ School is the No.1 seed. Jordan Chatman, 6-3, guard, Sophomore, Skyview HS, Ridgefield, WA...We couldn't find any games for Skyview that were played last week. They will play this Thursday in a District Championship game against an opponent yet to be determined. Chatman has averaged 17 points per contest in 20 games. Jordan Smoot, 6-10, center, Junior, Crown Point HS, Crown Point, IN...Smoot had 12 points and 17 rebounds in a 52-45 win over Portage last week. He scored 6 points in a 51-44 loss to Lowell. Stephen Rogers...6-8, 190, forward, Freshman, Mesa Community College, AZ...In a big 65-64 win on the road against Arizona Western, MCC kept their championship hopes alive. Rogers had 11 points, six boards, three blocks and two steals. Here are the current MWC Basketball Standings as of Monday, February 22 New Mexico......11-2.....25-3 BYU........................10-2.....25-3 SDSU........................9-4.....20-7 UNLV.......................8-5.....20-7 CSU..........................6-6.....15-11 Utah..........................5-7.....12-14 TCU..........................4-8.....12-15 Wyoming..................2-11.....9-18 Air Force..................1-11.....9-16 TELEVISION TIMETABLE BYU vs. San Diego State Wednesday, Feb 24 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. New Mexico Saturday, Feb 27 at Provo Tipoff: 2:00 pm Mountain Time TV: Versus BYU vs. Utah Wednesday, Mar 3 at Salt Lake Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. TCU Saturday, Mar 6 at Fort Worth Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn MWC Post Season Tournament March 11-13 at Las Vegas Tipoff: TBA TV: Mtn/CBS C/Versus

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Photos of Future Recruits and Pants Too Tight
by hb arnett 19 Feb '10

19 Feb '10

Friday, February 19, 2010 We have posted photos of several future BYU football and basketball recruits. You can see them at: www.cougarsportsline.blogspot.com <http://www.cougarsportsline.blogspot.com/> We have also posted about Tonto, Tight Pants and Winter Olympics Thoughts at; www.housebrokenhusband.blogspot.com <http://www.housebrokenhusband.blogspot.com/> hb

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We've Extended the Offer... Get Four Cougar Sportsline Subscriptions for the Price of One!
by hb arnett 15 Feb '10

15 Feb '10

We extended this offer for a couple of more weeks. GET FOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Your subscription to Cougar Sportsline expired so you might as well get four subscriptions for the price of one! We want your continued business and the eventual business of your family, friends or associates, so here's the deal. When you renew your subscription to Cougar Sportsline between now and March 1, 2-10, we will give you three more free subscriptions for you to give to anyone you wish. 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 own 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 other three persons to whom you want to send the extra three free subscriptions and we will begin sending the newsletter to them. It's a win-win deal. You get your own subscription and look like a big spender by gifting subscriptions to family and friends. For us, we get to try and convert your three free subscriptions into paying customers the next year. That's it and thanks for being a subscriber. To renew or extend your subscription and get the three free subscriptions for someone else, just <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type=450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> click 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 28
by hb arnett 15 Feb '10

15 Feb '10

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 28 - February 15, 2010 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions BYU BLOWS BY AIR FORCE 91-48 Hapless, helpless and hopeless. Those were three words that come to mind if you are an Air Force Falcons basketball fan and had to sit through BYU's 91-48 mauling of the Cadets. Happy, hopeful and history are the three words that come to mind if you are a BYU fan and sat through the same game. Let's face it. Air Force, for a variety of reasons, is not a very good basketball team. Hapless, helpless and hopeless are cruel adjectives used in describing the Falcons, but they are accurate. BYU's win was nice. It made Cougar fans happy that BYU was able to rebound and play extremely well coming off the most recent loss and dismal play at UNLV a week earlier. It made BYU basketball fans hopeful that the Cougars are back on track and ready to roll through the remainder of the regular season. If the Cougars can do that, they are on the road to making some nice history. That history would be Dave Rose and BYU winning their fourth straight Mountain West Conference Basketball Championship. It would also mark the fourth time Rose has done that in his five years of being the head coach in Provo. BYU will try and keep the happy, hopeful and history streak alive and well this week with road games at CSU and Wyoming. ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and Cougar Sportsline Declare the Winner Before the Polls Have Closed It's annoying, but usually very accurate. We are referring to the television networks declaring the winners of elections before the polls have even closed. One of the tools used by pollsters and pundits in making their declarations is sampling voting districts that are great indicators of how an election will pan out. We are using that same method in determining how the rest of BYU's basket season will play out. Our best voting district when it comes to BYU basketball this season is Jackson Emery. When he is hitting three-point shots, BYU is unbeatable. When he isn't, the Cougars are very beatable. It's annoying, but so far very accurate. BYU has three losses this year. They all came on the road at Utah State, New Mexico and UNLV. Against USU, Emery hit only 2-of-6 shots. They were all from three-point range. He scored just 8 points. We hesitate to put it all on him, because Jonathan Tavernari went 1-of-11 from the field and just 1-of-5 from the arc against the Aggies, but the common denominator in the three losses is Emery's sub-par outside shooting performances. Against New Mexico, Emery was 3-of-10 from the floor, including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. He finished with 8 points. In the loss at UNLV, he was 3-of-9 from the field which included just 1-of-6 with the three ball. He finished with 10 points. Emery is a very talented player with great athletic tools and has helped BYU win 23 games. When he is shooting it well from distance, BYU is unbeatable. That's why it's not fair, and certainly not scientific to blame the Cougars' three losses this season on his outside shooting. That said, we doubt we are the only ones who hang on how the junior guard shoots the three-ball in the early going of games. THE FUTURES MARKET Listed below are how BYU's most recent signees and future prospects fared during the last week. All except recent signee Anson Winder, are LDS. Kyle Collinsworth, 6-6 guard/wing, senior, Provo HS...Two more wins for the Bulldogs last week with Collinsworth scoring 22 in a 49-40 win over Mountain View and 17 points in the 59-38 victory over Orem. He also had 13 rebounds and 7 assists in that game. We actually attended the Orem game and it reminded us again that there is a reason that college coaches focus more on summer AAU games than high school games in evaluating prospects. We put up some video of Collinsworth in the Orem game. It is on our blog at www.cougarsportsline.blogspot.com <http://www.cougarsportsline.blogspot.com/> . Nick Emery, 6-0 freshman guard, Lone Peak HS...It was another week with just one game. The Knights lost 50-43 to Pleasant Grove HS. Emery had 12 points. Anson Winder, 6-3, guard, senior, Bishop Gorman HS...It was limited playing time for Winder in the 84-41 blowout of Desert Oasis and a 93-52 win over Bonanza where he scored 12. Jabari Parker, 6-5, wing, freshman, Simeon HS, Chicago...The second round of the Public League playoffs is underway and Simeon defeated Von Steuben 47-37 last week. The only mention of Parker was a free throw he hit in the fourth quarter. DeMarcus Harrison, 6-4, guard, junior, Christ School, Arden, NC...It was a busy week for Christ School as the racked up four wins. Harrison had 11 points in the 89-65 win over Meadowcreek HS of GA. He had 14 in the 88-29 blowout of Spartanburg Day and 9 points in the 79-50 win over Greensboro Day. In the final game of the week, he scored 24 points in leading his team to a 96-76 win over Patrick Henry HS of Roanoke, VA. Jordan Chatman, 6-3, guard, sophomore, Skyview HS, Ridgefield, WA...The sophomore had 17 points in a 69-56 win over Heritage last week. The victory clinched a league title for his team. Jordan Smoot, 6-10, center, junior, Crown Point HS, Crown Point, IN...Smoot had 9 points and 5 rebounds in a 62-55 loss to LaPorte last week. Stephen Rogers...6-8, 190, forward, redshirt freshman, Mesa Community College, AZ...Rogers had 30 points in a 67-55 win over Scottsdale CC last Wednesday. He followed that up with 26 points in a 68-50 win over South Mountain. He scored 16 of those points in the first 6 minutes of the game and the rout was on. FLUFF AND STUFF 2010 NFL Scouting Combine Max Hall, Dennis Pitta and Manasa Tonga have all been invited to participate in the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine set for later this month in Indianapolis. It kicks off February 24 and runs through March 2. They are the only BYU players invited of the 330 other players who also received invites. Here are the other Mountain West Conference players invited. Utah...Matt Asiata, RB; Zane Beatles, OL; Koa Misi, DE; David Reed, WR; Stephenson Sylvester, LB TCU...James Gresham, DB; Jerry Hughes, DE; Marshall Newhouse, OL; Daryl Washington, LB UNLV...Jason Beauchamp, LB; Joe Hawley, OL; Ryan Wolfe, WR CSU...Cole Pemberton, OL; Shelly Smith, OL New Mexico...Erick Cook, OL While it certainly is a prestigious invite, it is not like Max Hall and Dennis Pitta won't have plenty of other quarterbacks and tight ends with them in Indianapolis. Here are the other Quarterbacks and Tight Ends that were invited fro around the country. QB's Sam Bradford, Oklahoma; Levi Brown, Troy; Jarrett Brown, West Virginia; Sean Canfield, Oregon State; Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame; Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State; Tim Hiller, Western Michigan; Mike Kafka, Northwestern; Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan; Thaddeus Lewis, Duke; Tony Pike, Cincinnati; Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State; John Skelton, Fordham; Riley Skinner, Wake Forest; Jevan Snead, Mississippi; Tim Tebow, Florida (There were 19 quarterbacks invited) TE's Nathan Byham, Pitt; Dorin Dickerson, Pitt; Ed Dickson, Oregon; Jim Dray, Stanford; Brody Eldridge, Oklahoma; Dedrick Epps, Miami (Fl); Riar Geer, Colorado; Garrett Graham, Wisconsin; Jimmy Graham, Miami (FL); Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma; Rob Gronkowski, Arizona; Clay Harbor, Missouri State; Aaron Hernandez, Florida; Michael Hoomanawanui, Illinoise; Robert McCoy, Southern; Tony Moeaki, Iowa; Colin Peek, Alabama; Andrew Quarless, Penn State (There were 20 tight ends invited) FB's John Conner, Kentucky; Rashawn Jackson, Virginia (There were 29 running backs invited, of which only three were fullbacks) Class of 2011 Already Filling Up If early verbal commitments for the 2011 BYU football recruiting class are any indication, this class will also be top heavy with Utah high school signees. BYU now has six early commits, all of which are from Utah. Here they are. Baker Pritchard, DE, 6-2, 240, Bingham HS, UT Austin Heder, LB, 6-2, 215, Pleasant Grove HS, UT Manoa Pikula, RB/LB, 6-0, 205, Bingham HS, UT Alex Kuresa, QB, 5-11, 165, Mountain Crest HS, UT Lui Lapuaho, OL, 6-6, 285, Hunter HS, UT Moses Kaumatule, DL, 6-2, 245, Bingham HS, UT BYU already has offered other Utah prep prospects for the 2011 class. They include Ryker Matthews, OL, 6-7, 270, American Fork HS; Harvy Langi, RB, 6-1, 210, Bingham HS (Langi made an unofficial visit to Washington recently with his family). Handicapping the Home Stretch As of Monday, the New Mexico Lobos are atop the MWC basketball standings. BYU is tied with the Lobos in the loss column. That is also the way he standings should look in another week of conference play. While BYU will be on the road this week at Colorado State and Wyoming, UNM will host Wyoming and Air Force in Albuquerque. Both teams should add two more wins to their impressive resumes. The next two teams in the standings will need some serious help and a few miracles if they hope to bring home a regular season championship. San Diego State and UNLV both have four losses and will have to have some huge upsets of the Lobos and Cougars to have a chance. In our opinion, it will come down to the showdown in Provo between UNM and BYU in Provo on Saturday, February 27. If UNM can beat the Cougars in Provo, it's over. Even if the Cougars win, the race is still up for grabs. That is because even if New Mexico loses to BYU and has three losses, we expect the BYU-Utah game to go either way. It is very, very plausible that the Utes could whip the Cougars in Salt Lake City and force a tie for the conference championship with BYU and UNM having three losses each. Assuming BYU can beat San Diego State in Provo ten days from now, the tie-breaker between the Lobos and Cougars would go to BYU. That is because the Cougars and Lobos would have split games with each other and UNLV. BYU would have swept SDSU and the Lobos didn't. Being a No. 1 seed in he subsequent MWC tournament is not necessarily a good thing. It depends if and how early UNLV shows up in your bracket. The No. 1 seed for the MWC tourney opens with the winner of the pigtail or play in which will be either the No. 8 or No. 9 seed. The No. 2 seed opens with the No. 7 seed. UNLV could end up at either a No 3, 4 or 5 seed. At No. 3, they would be in the same bracket as the No. 2 seed. At either a No. 4 or No. 5, they would be in the same bracket as the No. 1 seed. The fact that we are even worrying about UNLV and their bracket in the MWC tournament with weeks to go before the start of the tourney, is proof that the home court advantage the Rebels have is real and unfair. Here are the current MWC Basketball Standings as of Monday, February 15. New Mexico......9-2.....23-3 BYU........................8-2.....23-3 UNLV............7-4.....19-6 SDSU......................7-4.....18-7 CSU.........................6-4.....15-9 Utah.........................4-6.....11-13 TCU.........................4-7.....12-14 Wyoming........2-9.....9-16 Air Force......1-10....9-15 TELEVISION TIMETABLE BYU vs. Colorado State Wednesday, Feb 17 at Fort Collins Tipoff: 6:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Wyoming Saturday, Feb 20 at Laramie Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. San Diego State Wednesday, Feb 24 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. New Mexico Saturday, Feb 27 at Provo Tipoff: 2:00 pm Mountain Time TV: Versus BYU vs. Utah Wednesday, Mar 3 at Salt Lake Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. TCU Saturday, Mar 6 at Fort Worth Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 27
by hb arnett 08 Feb '10

08 Feb '10

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 27 - February 8, 2010 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions BYU ON TRACK AT WRONG TIME BYU certainly seemed to be on track for one of their finest seasons ever in basketball. The Cougars were 22-2 heading into a conference championship showdown with UNLV last Saturday in Las Vegas. Being on track is a good thing unless you are standing in front of a freight train barreling down those tracks. It was a railway rout for the Rebels as they completely dominated BYU with an 88-74 win. While the final score looks semi-respectable, the game was anything but, especially in the first half. BYU isn't the first top 15 team to lose a basketball game on the road, but top 15 teams usually don't roll over so easily on the way to becoming road kill. Roll over is defined as being down 47-18 with five minutes still remaining in the first half of play. In theory, rally is defined as closing the final score gap to just 88-74, but reality is defined as UNLV absolutely owning the Cougars in this contest. Holding the deed and doing the deed was Tre'Von Willis. The 6-4 junior guard for the Rebels scored a career high 33 points against BYU. That other junior guard, Jimmer Fredette, of BYU ended the game with 21 points. He had help in trying to put a respectable face on this game with Jonathan Tavernari coming off the bench to score 16 points. It's not hard to track down the reason for this Cougar loss. It can be traced back to the three point arc, especially in the first half. UNLV shot 13 three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of action. BYU had 15 attempts from beyond the arc. The difference was that the Rebels knocked down 9 of their long-distance attempts while BYU hit only 4 of theirs. UNLV shot 69.2% from the arc while BYU could muster only a 26.7 shooting percentage during that same time. BYU appears to be a team that lives by the three and in this instance, died by the three. BYU was forced to go small for most of the game in an attempt to try and stay up with UNLV's more athletic players. That helps in rationalizing BYU's lack of a post presence, but it doesn't soften the blow. The Cougars were without Brandon Davies. The freshman center underwent an appendectomy last Wednesday and was unavailable for action. Chris Miles was available, but only saw 16 minutes of playing time. He didn't attempt a shot during his time on the floor. With the loss, BYU is now in a three-way tie for first place in the Mountain West Conference basketball standings. Here is how it looks currently with conference and overall records. BYU................7-2....22-3 New Mexico....7-2....21-3 UNLV..............7-2....19-4 SDSU...............5-4....16-7 CSU.................5-4....14-9 Utah.................3-5....10-12 TCU.................3-6....11-13 Wyoming......2-7....9-14 Air Force.........1-8....9-13 At this point of the season, it is readily apparent who the top four teams in talent and the standings are. The conference winner will be determined by how those four teams fare against each other in the remaining seven games for each team. Here are the remaining schedules of the four top teams when it comes to facing each other. BYU...The Cougars are done with UNLV. They get New Mexico and San Diego State at home. New Mexico...The Lobos have to face UNLV this Wednesday in Las Vegas and get a trip to BYU later this month. They are done with SDSU. UNLV...The Rebels host UNM on Wednesday, but travel to SDSU on Saturday. SDSU...The Aztecs get UNLV in San Diego, but still have to travel to Provo for a contest with the Cougars. The wild card for all four teams will be Utah. BYU, New Mexico and UNLV all still have to visit Salt Lake City to play the Utes. SDSU will host Utah. You never know what kind of game you will get from the Utes in Salt Lake so they should be the determining factor in who finally wins the MWC championship. Meanwhile, BYU will get a chance to regroup and recharge this coming Saturday with a gimme game against Air Force in Provo. That contest is set for a 4:00 pm tipoff and will be televised on the Mtn. THE FUTURES MARKET Listed below are how BYU's most recent signees and future prospects fared during the last week. All except recent signee Anson Winder, are LDS. Kyle Collinsworth, 6-6 guard/wing, senior, Provo HS...Collinsworth kept up his hot scoring streak last week by popping for 31 points against Lehi. It wasn't enough, however, as the Pioneers defeated Provo 53-51. Provo rebounded with 49-40 win over Mountain View two days later. Collinsworth had 22 in that game. Nick Emery, 6-0 freshman guard, Lone Peak HS...The Knights played just one game last week. It was a 53-42 loss to Alta HS. Emery had 17 points. Anson Winder, 6-3, guard, Senior, Bishop Gorman HS...In a battle of nationally ranked high school teams, Mater Dei of California defeated Bishop Gorman 82-76 in the Nike Extravaganza last Saturday in Santa Ana. It was BG's first loss since running off a 23-game winning streak. Winder had 21 points in the loss. Jabari Parker, 6-5, wing, Freshman, Simeon HS, Chicago...The talented frosh had six points in a 51-33 blowout of West Aurora late last week. DeMarcus Harrison, 6-4, guard, Junior, Christ School, Arden, NC...Christ School continued its crusade against creampuffs last week with two wins; 83-46 over Carolina Day School and 96-40 over Shannon Forest Christian. Harrison had 12 points and 5 rebounds in the first game. Jordan Chatman, 6-3, guard, Sophomore, Skyview HS, Ridgefield, WA...The sophomore is on a scoring tear. Last week he put up 21 in a 65-56 win over Battle Ground and then followed it up with another 20 points in 66-63 win over Evergreen. Jordan Smoot, 6-10, center, Junior, Crown Point HS, Crown Point, IN...Just one game last week for Smoot and his Crown Point Bulldogs. It was a 57-46 loss at home to Merrillville. Smoot led CP with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Stephen Rogers...6-8, 190, forward, Freshman, Mesa Community College, AZ...BYU looked at this LDS player several years ago. He signed out of high school with University of San Diego. While serving an LDS mission, the coach was fired. Upon returning from his mission, he inked with ASU where he redshirted last year as a freshman. He left and is now the second leading scorer in the ACCAC with 20.1 points per game. Last Wednesday he scored his average with 20 points against Phoenix College. Saturday, he hit for 23 points, had 5 rebounds, four steals, one block and one assist in a 70-36 blowout of Glendale. BYU, Utah State, Fresno State and SUU are all aware of him. BYU CAN NOW OFFICIALLY TALK Now that football letters of intent have been officially received by BYU, Cougar coaches can now talk about the players they signed. Here is the official BYU version and bios of those players. Jordan Afo, DL, 6-4, 300, Cottonwood HS, UT... Ranked the No. 15 football recruit out of the state of Utah by Rivals.com ... totaled 19 tackles in 2009, helping his team to an 8-4 record ... suffered a broken back during his junior year ... also recruited by Utah and Utah State ... coached by Cecil Thomas. Ross Apo, WR, 6-4, 190, The Oakridge School, TX... Ranked the No. 13 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals.com ... averaged 19.1 yards per catch over his three year prep career ... totaled nearly 2,000 receiving yards ... 22 career touchdown receptions, including 21 over the past two seasons ... averaged 22.5 yards on 36 receptions as a senior, totaling 810 yards and 10 touchdowns ... as a junior he hauled in 37 passes for 764 yards for a 20.6 yards-per-catch average with 11 touchdown receptions ... he also recorded 27 catches for 331 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore ... invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl ... also recruited by California, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Tulsa ... coached by Phillip Farhat. Jordan Black, OL 6-7, 235, Alta HS, UT... Ranked No. 9 football recruit out of the state of Utah by Scout.com... earned All-State mention... helped lead Alta to two consecutive state titles, including a 10-3 record in 2009... team captain ... shows the ability to win battles at a consistent rate and has good quickness and body control ...also played basketball where he averaged five points and five rebounds per game... coached by Les Hamilton. Algernon Brown, RB, 6-1, 205, Skyline HS, UT... Rated No. 4 prospect from Utah by Rivals.com and No. 13 by Scout.com ... recorded 92 carries for 783 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior ... averaged 8.5 yards per carry ... does a great job of following his blockers and can hit the hole quickly ... good vision and excellent strength and instincts ... added 132 carries for 840 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008 ... had a career total of 271 carries for 1,983 yards and 30 touchdowns ... coached by Roger Dupaix. Tayo Fabuluje, DL, 6-6, 255, The Oakridge School, TX... Named to the Arlington Times-Register's Football Super Teams Offensive Second Team ... helped lead Oakridge to a 9-2 record in 2009 ... teammate of fellow recruits Ross Apo and Teu Kautai ... also recruited by Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, North Texas, Purdue, San Diego State, TCU, Tulsa and Utah ... coached by Phillip Farhat. Alani Fua, TE/DL 6-5, 210, Oaks Christian HS, CA... Rated the No. 25 weakside defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com ... recorded 71 tackles as a senior, along with nine sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles as Oaks Christian earned a 13-1 record ... also caught 25 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 ... had 67 tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble as a junior ... his older brother, Sione, is a defensive tackle at Stanford ... teammate of fellow BYU recruit Zac Stout ... also recruited by Arizona, Arizona State, Hawaii, Ohio State, Oregon State and Washington ... coached by Bill Redell. Kori Gaines, DB, 5-9, 170, Grayson HS, GA... Three-year starter for Grayson ... all-county and first-team all-state selection ... helped lead his team to a 12-1 overall record in 2009 as key member of defensive unit that allowed on average eight points per game and produced five shutouts ... returned punt 52 yards for a touchdown against Roswell in a Georgia 5A quarterfinal victory ... led county with school-record nine interceptions in 2009 and added 25 tackles ... finished second on the team in tackles as a junior with 46 ... also broke up seven passes with two picks in 2008 ... contributor on special teams with a 31.1 kick return average, including a long of 99 yards for a touchdown ... piled up 39 tackles and four interceptions his sophomore season ... has excellent quickness and change of direction ... fast in the open field and closes quickly on the run or the pass ... coached by Mickey Conn ... Grayson defensive line coach Lenny Gregory played defensive line for the Cougars from 1991-93. Jacob Hanneman, DB, 6-1, 190, Lone Peak HS, UT... Helped lead Lone Peak High School to a 9-3 overall record in 2009, including a 5-1 league-best mark in 5A's Region 4 along with Alta High School ... totaled 33 tackles with four interceptions ... had five or more tackles in four games ... Had 19 receptions for 380 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed three times for 20 yards on offense ... recorded season-high 137 yards with two touchdowns against American Fork ... all-state second team ... team MVP ... coached by Tony McGeary. Jake Heaps, QB, 6-2, 205, Skyline HS, WA... Ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the country by Scout.com and No. 1 pro-style quarterback by Rivals.com ... named the top college football recruit out of the state of Washington by MaxPreps ... earned Parade All-America honors following his senior season ... was invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl as the starting quarterback for the West team ... led Skyline to three consecutive state championships ... 2009 first-team All-State quarterback ... AP Washington State Player of the Year ... USA Today All-America first team selection ... 40-2 record as a starting quarterback ... completed 213-of-352 passes for 3,191 yards and 45 touchdowns as a senior ... team captain ... threw a state-title game record four touchdown passes in a 45-21 victory against Ferris HS ... career totals were 9,196 yards, 114 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions ... rushed for 30 touchdowns ... 2008 KingCo 4A All-Conference Co-Offensive MVP ... KingCo 4A All-Conference Quarterback ... Seattle Times MVP ... Gatorade Washington State Player of the Year ... AP State Player of the Year ... helped Skyline achieve a perfect 28-0 record over his sophomore and junior seasons ... also recruited by California, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Washington and LSU ... coached by Mat Taylor. Toloa'i Ho Ching, LB, 6-0, 225, Alta HS, UT... Rated the No. 23 inside linebacker by Rivals.com ... rated No. 5 prospect from Utah by Scout.com and No. 8 by Rivals.com ... totaled 81 tackles as a senior, as well as 10.5 sacks and a blocked field goal ... led 5A in sacks ... despite missing two games in 2009 due to a knee injury, he helped Alta advance to the 5A state semifinals ... two-year all-state selection ... had 82 tackles as a junior, 15 sacks and one interception ... also recruited by California, Colorado, UCLA, Utah, Utah State, Wisconsin and Wyoming ... coached by Les Hamilton. Jordan Johnson, DB, 5-10, 175, Brooks School, MA... Leage MVP ... helped Brooks School reach a 7-2 record as a senior ... he ran for 950 yards and 12 touchdowns, passed for 640 yards and six touchdowns and had 48 tackles on defense ... tallied 660 yards rushing as a freshman and 563 yards as a sophomore ... also recruited by Bryant, Connecticut, Northeastern and Tulsa ... coached by John Quirk. Tuni Kanuch, DL, 6-1, 285, Bingham HS, UT... Named a first-team All-American by MaxPreps ... ranked the No. 6 football recruit out of the state of Utah by Scout.com ... four-year starter at Bingham, helping them to a 13-1 record in 2009 ... quick enough to get out in space and run the field and always seems to get good positioning ... named the Deseret News 2009 Mr. Football ... first-team all-state as a sophomore, junior and senior ... also recruited by Utah ... coached by Dave Peck. Bronson Kaufusi, DL, 6-6, 225, Timpview HS, UT... Ranked the No. 9 strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com ... rated the No. 1 recruit out of the state of Utah by Scout.com and Rivals.com ... Red Zone Player of the Year ... Utah County Defensive MVP ... was invited to play in the 2010 Under Armour All-America Football Game ... totaled 19 tackles and two sacks in 2009 before suffering a season-ending knee injury ... recorded over 70 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles and batted down a team record 21 passes in 2008 ... had 57 tackles and eight sacks as a sophomore ... also recruited by Stanford ... coached by Louis Wong ... father, Steve, is the defensive line coach at BYU. Teu Kautai, LB, 6-1, 200, The Oakridge School, TX... An all-around athlete who played quarterback, safety and linebacker at The Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas ... high school teammate of fellow BYU commits Ross Apo and Tayo Fabuluje ... a team captain with outstanding leadership abilities ... led the offensive unit at quarterback with dual-threat agility as a passer and runner ... an aggressive defender who runs well and has great athleticism ... helped The Oakridge School achieve a 9-2 record in 2009 ... coached by Phillip Farhat. Collin Keoshian, LB, 6-2, 225, Santa Clarita Christian, CA.The first recruit to ever sign with BYU from a eight-man football team ... totaled 169 tackles during his senior season, along with eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles ... responsible for 45 touchdowns in 2009 ... passed for 408 yards and five touchdowns ... ran for 2,226 yards on 251 carries for 32 touchdowns ... caught 20 passes for 370 yards and seven scores ... 2006 Heritage Defensive MVP ... coached by Garrick Moss. A.J. Moore...RB, 5-10, 190, Murrieta Valley HS, CA.Scored 14 touchdowns last season, 10 rushing and four receiving his junior year... ran for 1,040 yards on 135 carries and caught 60 passes for 700 yards during his junior campaign... rushed for 921 yards on 125 carries and 12 touchdowns his senior season... recorded 37 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns the same year... also completed a 46-yard touchdown pass against Rancho Verde as a senior... selected as the NFL's initial 'Legacy Project' athlete and was mentored by NFL Hall of Famer Ron Yary... also recruited by Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State... coached by Greg Ireland. Manu Mulitalo, OL, 6-3, 305, Granger HS, UT.Ranked the No. 13 recruit out of the state of Utah by Rivals.com and No. 16 by Scout.com ... offensive MVP at USC Nike Camp in 2009 ... second-team all-state ... All-Poly camp MVP ... all-region ... finishes his blocks, moves his feet well and has a great punch ... cousin of BYU's Ryan Mulitalo ... also recruited by Navy, Utah, Washington, Washington State and UCLA ... coached by Doyle Holt. Joey Owens, LB, 6-2, 215, Pleasant Grove HS, UT.Ranked the No. 9 football recruit out of the state of Utah by Rivals.com and No. 11 by Scout.com ... recognized as first-team All-Region ... totaled 35 tackles as a senior, along with two sacks, helping the Vikings to an 8-3 record ... also saw time as a running back, totaling 417 career yards and five touchdowns on 67 carries ... shows a good combination of speed, quickness, and strength ... he can drop back into the passing lanes and effectively pass protect ... uses his quickness to outmaneuver most blockers, making plays from sideline to sideline ... teammate of fellow BYU recruit Bryan Sampson ... coached by Dale Sampson. Drew Phillips, RB, 6-0, 185, Boaz HS, AL.An aggressive runner with 4.39 40-yard dash speed amassed more than 5,000 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns during his career... averaged nearly 6.5 yards per carry over his career ... one of top three running backs in the state in 2009, earning first-team All-State honors by the Alabama Sports Writers Association ... rushed for more than 200 yards in at least five games in 2009 while helping Boaz to a 7-3 overall record and Region 7-best (tied) 6-1 mark ... rushed for 1,900 yards and returned four kicks for touchdowns in 2009 ... received Star of Alabama recognition vs. Albertville after rushing for 248 yards on 36 carries ... finished his junior season in 2008 with a school-record 2,196 yards rushing with 18 touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards per carry ... also played quarterback out of the "wildcat" formation where he passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns ... selected Marshall County MVP, Marshall County All-County team, the Gadsden Times All-Area team and MVP, Huntsville Elite All-Metro Team, and honorable mention All-State (5A) by the ASWA ... shattered school records for most rushing yards in a single season, and longest punt return for a touchdown in school history (99 yards) ... rushed for more than 1,200 yards as a sophomore in 2007... selected All-Marshall County and team offensive MVP in 2007... also recruited by Florida State, Illinois, Louisville, North Alabama, Stanford, SMU, Central Michigan, Utah and Wyoming ... coached by Drew Noles. Joshua Quezada, RB, 5-11, 210, La Habra HS, CA.Rushed for 2,114 yards and 26 touchdowns, while adding 186 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver, to lead the Highlanders to their third-straight CIF-Southern Section Southwest Division Championship in 2009 ... named the 2009 Freeway League MVP, Daily News 2009 Football Player of the Year and CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year ... back-to-back first-team All-Orange County selection ... ran for 1,680 yards on 163 carries and 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2008 ... also added 21 receptions for 318 yards and three touchdowns ... First Team All-Orange County ... First Team All-League and First Team All-CIF ... also recruited by Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico State, San Diego State, Stanford, Utah and Washington ... coached by Frank Mazzotta. Graham Rowley, OL, 6-4, 270, Waialua HS, HI.Ranked the No. 11 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com ... a first-team all-state selection by the Honolulu Advertiser ... has quick feet, balance, and the ability to use his hands ... 1.56 10-yard dash and 4.82 40-yard dash times ... also recruited by Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, SMU, Stanford and Washington ... coached by Lincoln Barit. Bryan Sampson, TE, 6-4, 210, Pleasant Grove HS, UT.Ranked the No. 35 tight end in the nation by Rivals.com ... rated the No. 10 football recruit out of the state of Utah by Scout.com and Rivals.com ... caught 21 passes for 249 yards during his senior season as the Vikings earned an 8-3 record ... caught the game-winning touchdown in the regional championship game against Riverton ... posted 12 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown as a junior ... he proves to be an outstanding blocker with a long wingspan, he's quick off the ball, runs good routes, and shows a good pair of hands ... also recruited by Idaho State, Utah State and Washington State ... coached by Dale Sampson. Zac Stout...LB, 6-2, 220, Oaks Christian HS, CA.Ranked the No. 8 middle linebacker in the country by Scout.com ... was invited to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl ... 2009 All-CIF Northwest Division selection ... led his team to the state championship game his senior season ... totaled 112 tackles as a junior, including 81 solo take downs ... averaged 8.6 tackles per game ... recorded two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown against Nordhoff ... also had two fumble recoveries ... 2008 First Team All-Tri Valley League ... helped Oaks Christian to a California State record-setting sixth-straight CIF-SS Championship ... recorded 112 tackles as a sophomore, 22 for loss, helping the Lions to the CIF-SS title ... also recruited by Arizona, Colorado State, Nebraska, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State ... coached by Bill Redell. Sae Tautu, LB, 6-3, 215, Lone Peak HS, UT.Ranked the No. 8 football recruit out of the state of Utah by Scout.com ... named defensive MVP at the 2009 All-Polynesian Camp in Bountiful ... totaled 87 tackles and five sacks as a senior, leading Lone Peak to a 9-3 record and 5-1 league-best mark in 5A's Region 4 along with Alta High School ... named Outstanding Linebacker at the BYU football camp ... also recruited by Stanford and Wyoming ... coached by Tony McGeary. Travis Tuiloma, DL, 6-3, 290, Washburn Rural HS, KS.Consensus First-Team All-State selection ... earned Class 6A All-State honors from the Football Coaches Association as an offensive lineman ... rated the No. 13 recruit out of Kansas according to Rivals.com ... received prestigious selection to participant in the 2010 Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Game to be played July 31, 2010, in Pittsburg, Kansas ... team captain ... first-team all-city, first-team all-league, first-team all-state defense, First-Team All-State 6A Coaches' Association selection ... coached by Derick Hammes. Blair Tushaus, OL, 6-2, 270, Notre Dame Prep, AZ.Ranked the No. 15 center in the country by Scout.com ... Scout.com 4A-II first-team all-state ... named first-team all-region as a junior after helping Notre Dame to the 4A2 state title and a perfect 14-0 record ... suffered a torn ACL prior to his senior season ... also recruited by Air Force, Arizona, Arizona State, Army, California, Duke, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, San Diego State and UNLV ... coached by Scot Bemis. Kyle Van Noy, LB, 6-4, 210. McQueen HS, NV.First-team All-State ... playing linebacker and receiver, helped lead his team to a perfect 14-0 record and 4A state title in 2008 ... caught 35 passes for 731 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed the ball 10 times for 121 yards ... defensively, had 79 tackles (55 solos), 10 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 14 sacks and one interception for a score ... as a junior had 69 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, seven sacks, seven fumbles caused and two interceptions while totaling 805 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns on offense ... was an all-conference and all-area selection as a sophomore and was also an all-league performer in track (4x100, 4x200 and 4x400) ... also recruited by Arizona State, UCLA, Boise State, Cal and Colorado. TELEVISION TIMETABLE BYU vs. Air Force Saturday, Feb 13 at Provo Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Colorado State Wednesday, Feb 17 at Fort Collins Tipoff: 6:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Wyoming Saturday, Feb 20 at Laramie Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. San Diego State Wednesday, Feb 24 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. New Mexico Saturday, Feb 27 at Provo Tipoff: 2:00 pm Mountain Time TV: Versus BYU vs. Utah Wednesday, Mar 3 at Salt Lake Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: CBS C BYU vs. TCU Saturday, Mar 6 at Fort Worth Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn

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Fredette Flashback and Hands Help
by hb arnett 05 Feb '10

05 Feb '10

Friday, February 05, 2010 We have a couple of more posts on our blogs. Check Out Jimmer Fredette and his flashback. www.CougarSportsline.blogspot.com <http://www.cougarsportsline.blogspot.com/> If you are a man and need help with your hands, check it out at: www.AllAboutHB.blogspot.com <http://www.allabouthb.blogspot.com/> thanks, hb,

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Cougar Sportsline, Vol. 30, Issue 26
by hb arnett 01 Feb '10

01 Feb '10

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 26 - February 1, 2010 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type-450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions Fredette Fabulous BYU STILL IN CONTROL OF CONFERENCE RACE After BYU's 82-69 win over Utah last Saturday night in the sold-out Marriott Center, here are the facts. Fact No. 1. BYU is still in total control of the MWC title chase. The Cougars are currently 6-1 in league play with a game remaining in the first half of the conference schedule against TCU in Provo. They are 21-2 overall. New Mexico is in second place at the half way point with a 6-2 record. The Lobos defeated BYU in Albuquerque last Wednesday, 76-72. UNLV is currently at 5-2 and San Diego State is at 4-3 in league play. Fact No. 2. Jimmer Fredette is fabulous. He scored 36 on the Utes, despite a defensive game plan designed to shut him down. He had 27 against the Lobos. The 36 points were the most ever scored against Utah by a BYU basketball player. Danny Ainge held the old record of 35 points against the Utes. He did it in 1981. Here's the deal with Fredette. He has played in 21 of BYU's 23 games and started 20 of those games. He is currently averaging 21.2 points per game. That's not bad. Take the away the four games against UNLV, Air Force, CSU and Wyoming, in which he was still suffering from the effects of mononucleosis, but still saw action, and Fredette would be averaging 25 points per game. The closest comparison we can think of for what Fredette is doing is Stephen Curry, the 6-3 guard from Davidson, who averaged 28 points per game last season. He left early after his junior year and is now a rookie for the Golden State Warriors. Fredette, like Curry, has taken a low-profile college basketball team and put them on the map and on ESPN Sports Center. Fact No. 3. Dave Rose owns Utah. Now in his fifth year coaching the Cougars, Rose is 7-2 against the Utes in regular season play. In the only MWC tournament action involving the two teams, he is 0-1, with that loss coming in his first season as the coach at BYU. Fact No. 4. Jim Boylen, Utah's third-year coach, loves his team. In the three short years he has been at the Ute helm, he has been quoted 7,248 times saying, "I love my team". If his team ever matches the dramatics displayed by Boylen on the court, in the press and in facial expressions, they could be pretty good. If Boylen is enamored with his 10-11 team, he will have to have his own television show, "Boylen's Love Boat" if the Utes ever get good. Fact No. 5. Despite Fredette, BYU will go only as far in post season play as their post players will take them. This was the second game in a row where they were non factors. To play with the big boys consistently, especially in post season, you still need a post presence. THE FUTURES MARKET Listed below are how BYU's most recent signees and future prospects fared during the last week. All except recent signee Anson Winder, are LDS. Kyle Collinsworth, 6-6 guard/wing, senior, Provo HS...Collinsworth exploded last week in what we think is his high school career best scoring night with 37 points in a 75-51 mismatch against Timpanogas last Friday night. Earlier in the week he had 19 in Provo's 46-32 win over cross town rival Timpview. According to the most recent state statistics, as compiled by the Deseret News, Collinsworth is having a Mr. Basketball kind of year. After 14 games, he is averaging 22.21 points per contest, hauling in an average of 8.21 rebounds per game, dishing out 7.21 assists per game, averaging 3.36 steals per outing and blocks 2.0 shots per game. It is just our opinion, but Collinsworth is being short-changed in the BYU basketball recruiting buzz among Cougar fans. BYU has had some great success on the court in recent years, but fans have always been looking for the next piece of the puzzle to put the Cougars over the top in the quest to becoming a nationally recognized team. Last year, everybody was waiting for Tyler Haws to come on board. He has certainly lived up to his hype. This year, because BYU is playing so well and because they have a nationally recognized star in Jimmer Fredette, the average fan doesn't have that same, wait until next year recruiting buzz. Based on Collinsworth play this year, we should be buzzed. Like Haws, he will be an integral part of the coaches' plans for next season. What many don't realize about Collinsworth is that during an AAU tournament last spring, he broke a bone in his back that was originally diagnosed as a bruise. He continued to play during the AAU circuit in the summer with lots of pain, but still managed to perform at an extremely high level. After the summer, he had an MRI and the break was revealed. Doctors shut him down from August to November and the start of the high school season to let the break heal. As evidenced by his play during this, his senior season, he appears to be back at full health. Here is another stat for Collinsworth that is very impressive. In his two and a half seasons as a starter for Provo HS, the Bulldogs are 57-6. He was the state 4A Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior and looks like a slam dunk to make it a three-peat this season. It may be time to crank up the recruiting buzz on this signee. BYU had a national steal on this kid, despite the fact that he plays just across the street from the Cougar campus. Nick Emery, 6-0 freshman guard, Lone Peak HS...On a night when Lone Peak HS retired his older brother's (Jackson Emery) number, Nick had 16 points in a 67-62 win over Brighton HS. Earlier in the week in a losing effort, Emery had 29 points in a 71-64 loss at home to Jordan HS. This week Lone Peak has just one game on their schedule, a trip to Alta HS. Anson Winder, 6-3, guard, Senior, Bishop Gorman HS...Winder and his BG team continue to win. In a 97-62 win over Spring Valley HS, everybody on the team scored at least single digit points, including Winder. The following game, a 106-89 win over Western HS, Winder had 20. Jabari Parker, 6-5, wing, Freshman, Simeon HS, Chicago...After coming off a two-loss week, Simeon rebounded with a 56-42 win over Julien HS this past week. Parker led his team in the win with a game high 15 points. He also had 6 rebounds. DeMarcus Harrison, 6-4, guard, Junior, Christ School, Arden, NC...Another week, another two wins for Christ School. Harrison had 7 points, 3 blocks and 3 steals in a 101-41 win over Asheville School. He also was the leading scorer with 15 points in a 102-61 win over Asheville Christian Academy. He added 4 blocks, 3 assists and 3 steals in that game. The competition for Christ Church (23-1) will get considerably stronger in April. The CC team has been invited by ESPN to participate in their second annual ESPN RISE National Invitational Tournament April 1-3. It will include eight teams that the network considers the cream of the crop from the high school ranks. BYU fans will get at least one chance to watch Harrison play as each school is guaranteed at least one nationally televised game on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. Jordan Chatman, 6-3, guard, Sophomore, Skyview HS, Ridgefield, WA...Tuesday night, Chatman had 25 points, 18 of which he scored in the second half while leading his Skyview team to a 66-60 win over Heritage HS. Later in the week he had 14 points in a 60-57 loss to Mountain View HS. Jordan Smoot, 6-10, center, Junior, Crown Point HS, Crown Point, IN...Smoot and his Crown Point Bulldogs suffered two defeats last week. In a 64-48 loss to Valparaiso HS, Smoot led his team in scoring with 15 points. He also had seven rebounds. Those stats were reversed in a 68-66 loss to Boone Grove. Smoot had 7 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. FOOTBALL FLUFF AND STUFF RECRUITING KINKS AT KAHUKU...In the good old days, Kahuku HS in Hawaii used to be a gold mine in football recruiting for BYU. Based on the latest results of the past few seasons, it looks like there are some serious kinks in the Kahuku pipeline these days. BYU had two early verbal commits from Kahuku players Hauoli Jamora and Kona Schwenke. Both are defensive linemen and neither will sign with the Cougars this coming Wednesday. Jamora decommitted several weeks ago and just last week, Bronco Mendenhall pulled the scholarship offer from Schwenke when he tripped to Notre Dame and Washington on official recruiting visits. That didn't sit well with Mendenhall who didn't appreciate someone who said he was committed to signing with BYU, still shopping himself around to other schools. There is no word on where Schwenke will sign, but it won't be at BYU. Throw in the Shiloah Te'o episode of this fall and Kahuku and BYU don't appear to be on the same recruiting page anymore. Te'o was dismissed from the team by Mendenhall and is now reportedly enrolled at Washington. He signed with the Cougars out of Kahuku in February of 2008. Here is a list of Kahuku signees since 2000. Saia Hafoka, wr, 2001; Aaron Francisco, db, 2001; Mulivai Pula, rb, 2002; Ferron Fonoimoana, wr, 2002; Spencer Hafoka, wr, 2005; Gary Nagy, db, 2007; Shiloah Te'o, db, 2008 and Jray Galea'i, db, 2009. In the last decade, only Francisco has had a stellar career as a Cougar. NO KINKS IN KURESA PIPELINE...There are no such recruiting kinks in the Kuresa pipeline. Alex Kuresa, a 5-11 junior quarterback and touchdown machine from Mt. Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah, was offered a scholarship by BYU recently. He has since told the Cougars he will sign with them next year in 2011 after his senior season for the Mustangs. His older brother, Jake, was a starting offensive lineman for the Cougars. There has never been any question about Kuresa's talent as a quarterback, just his size. Despite his gene pool, he has always been short. He now apparently has started to grow and projects himself to be at 6-2 - 6-3 as a college player. Kuresa is also the cousin to BYU basketball player Tyler Haws. LATEST LIST...Here is the list of verbal commits that should be signing with BYU this coming Wednesday during the first day of letters of intent. Jordan Afo, DL, 6-4, 300, Cottonwood HS, UT; Jordan Black, OL 6-7, 235, Alta HS, UT; Algernon Brown, RB, 6-1, 205, Skyline HS, UT; Tayo Fabuluje, OT, 6-5, 255, The Oakridge School, TX; Alani Fua, LB 6-5, 210, Oaks Christian HS, CA; Kori Gaines, DB, 5-9, 170, Grayson HS, GA; Toloa'i Ho Ching, LB, 6-0, 225, Alta HS, UT; Jacob Hanneman, DB, 6-1, 190, Lone Peak HS, UT; Jordan Johnson, DB, 5-10, 175, Brooks School, MA; Tuni Kanuch...DL, 6-1, 285, Bingham HS, UT; Bronson Kaufusi, DL, 6-6, 225, Timpview HS, UT; Teu Kautai, LB, 6-1, 200, The Oakridge School, TX; Collin Keoshian, LB, 6-2, 225, Santa Clarita Christian, CA; A.J. Moore...RB, 5-10, 190, Murrieta Valley HS, CA; Manu Mulitalo, OL, 6-3, 305, Granger HS, UT; Joey Owens, LB, 6-2, 215, Pleasant Grove HS, UT; Drew Phillips, RB, 6-0, 185, Boaz HS, AL; Graham Rowley, OL, 6-4, 270, Waialua HS, HI; Bryan Sampson, TE, 6-4, 210, Pleasant Grove HS, UT; Zac Stout...LB, 6-2, 220, Oaks Christian HS, CA; Sae Tautu, LB, 6-3, 215, Lone Peak HS, UT; Travis Tuiloma, DL, 6-3, 290, Washburn Rural HS, KS; Blair Tushaus, OL, 6-2, 270, Notre Dame Prep, AZ. Jake Heaps, qb, Ross Apo, wr and Joshuah Quezada, rb, all signed early in December and are currently enrolled in school. ONE-GAME DEAL...In other football news, BYU inked a one-game deal to play the Texas Longhorns in Austin in 2011. The game is set for September 10. The 2010 non-conference schedule for next season is set for games with Washington in Provo on Sept 4; Florida State at Tallahassee on Sept 18; Nevada at Provo on Sept 25 and Utah State at Logan on Oct 2. TELEVISION TIMETABLE BYU vs. TCU Tuesday, Feb 2 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. UNLV Saturday, Feb 6 at Las Vegas Tipoff: 2:00 pm Mountain Time TV: Versus BYU vs. Air Force Saturday, Feb 13 at Provo Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Colorado State Wednesday, Feb 17 at Fort Collins Tipoff: 6:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn BYU vs. Wyoming Saturday, Feb 20 at laramie Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain Time TV: The Mtn

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