BYU Cougars
West Coast (21-11, 10-6)
BYU once again had a solid season. There were not any bad losses in the non-conference slate, but there were not any great, signature wins either. The story was pretty much the same during West Coast Conference play. The Cougars never really threatened Saint Mary’s or Gonzaga on the top of the standings, but that is always a tall task.
Big Wins: 11/28 Montana (85-60), 12/15 at Weber State (78-68), 1/12 at Santa Clara (82-64)
Bad Losses: 2/7 at San Diego (68-74), 2/9 San Francisco (87-99), 3/8 San Diego (69-72)
Coach: Dave Rose (8 seasons at BYU)
Why They Can Surprise:
The efficient and potent Cougar offense runs through Matt Carlino. The sophomore dishes out 4.3 assists per game and adds 10.7 points. Carlino was horribly inconsistent as a freshman, but nothing helps with consistency like becoming a sophomore. Having Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies has helped Carlino develop as well. Haws is a capable shooter, but the sophomore wing usually scores by using his 6-5, 200 pound frame to attack the basket. He is a pure scorer and a great marksman at the line. Haws leads the team with 20.9 points per game and Davies is not far behind at 17.6. Davies is the interior scorer on the team and a strong rebounder as well. With Haws, Davies and Carlino all capable of filling up the stat sheet, the Cougars offense can be tough to stop.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Brock Zylstra, Craig Cusick, Josh Sharp and Nate Austin often get overlooked. Those are the four players who usually fill in Coach Dave Rose’s seven man rotation. Zylstra is a great glue guy who can score rebounds and pass. Cusick is a fine backup point guard. Sharp and Austin help out in the rebounding department. The role-players have the potential to make a very big impact on any given game, but what BYU needs from them is defense. This is a team that gives up a lot of points and the opposition can usually get a pretty clean look at the basket if they work at it. The Cougars can outscore a lot of teams, but getting more help from the defense as a whole could make a big difference during those close games in March.
Probable Starters:
Matt Carlino, Sophomore, Guard, 10.7 ppg, 4.3 apg
Craig Cusick, Junior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 2.2 apg
Tyler Haws, Sophomore, Guard, 20.9 ppg, 1.9 apg, 4.9 rpg
Brock Zylstra, Senior, Guard, 7.2 ppg, 1.9 apg
Brandon Davies, Senior, Forward, 17.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Nate Austin, Sophomore, Center, 3.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Josh Sharp, Sophomore, Forward, 4.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.5 (20th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.2 (242, 9)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.8 (58, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.3 (154, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.6 (227, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.5 (192, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.1 (80, 3)
Rebound Margin: 3.3 (78, 3)
Assists Per Game: 15.6 (22, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.2 (87, 5)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA First Round win over Iona
2012 NCAA Second Round loss to Marquette
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Wofford
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Gonzaga
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Florida
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Florida
2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Kansas State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Texas A&M
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Texas A&M
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
