HB Arnett’s
COUGAR SPORTSLINE
801
372 0819
hbarnett@fiber.net and hbarnett@xmission.com
1391
West 800 South –
Vol. 30,
Issue 15 – November 16, 2009
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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
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
Which brings up
the question, is the Cougar football cup half full or half empty?
Based on what was
on display at
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
We have seen BYU football
this season at full faucet, with water overflowing the Cougar cup in great
games against
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
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
The bright spot
for the Cougar defense was their 5 sacks, three of which helped preserve the
win when
BYU looks
vulnerable for their last two games against Air Force and
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
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
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
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
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
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
We knew that BYU
was already on to Chris Collinsworth, Kyle's older brother and current Cougar
serving an LDS mission in
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
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,
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."
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
Riley
Nelson...Did not play against
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
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
Kickoff: 1:30 pm Mountain
Time
TV: CBS C
BYU vs.
Saturday, Nov 28 at
Kickoff: 3:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: The Mtn and CBS C
Basketball
BYU vs.
Tuesday, Nov 17 at
Tipoff: 7:30 pm Mountain
Time
TV: none
BYU vs.
Friday, Nov 20 at
Tipoff: 10:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: KFVE (local only in
BYU vs.
Southern
Tuesday, Nov 24 at
Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: none
BYU vs.
Friday, Nov 27 at
Tipoff: 7:30 pm Mountain
Time
TV: The Mtn
BYU vs.
Wednesday, Dec 2 at
Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: the CW30 (local only
in
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,
Dec 8,
Dec 12,
Dec 17, Wagner at
Dec 19, Eastern
Washington at
Dec 22,
Dec 23,
Dec 28,
Jan 2, Eastern New
Mexico at
Jan 6, UNLV at
Jan 9, UTEP at
Jan 13, Air Force at
Jan 16, CSU at
Jan 20,
Jan 23, SDSU at
Jan 27,
Jan 30,
Feb 2, TCU at
Feb 6, UNLV at
Feb 13, Air Force at
Feb 17, CSU at
Feb 20,
Feb 24, SDSU at
Feb 27,
Mar 3,
Mar 6, TCU at
Mar 10-13, MWC Tourney at
All times are Mountain