By Skyler Bell
I love Cougar basketball fans. We are the most fickle bunch of cronies.
Before the season started Cougar Nation prepared itself for a sister season to last year”s 9-win beauty, and the home loss to Loyola Marymount cemented those feelings. We heaved a sigh of loving non-approval.
Then came the road woes. I was so upset at one point with our inconsistency that I began referring to the women”s squad as “BYU”s team” and the men as “the other ones.”
That”s when head coach Dave Rose found the proverbial “Fountain of Maturity” before the first TCU game. It was the same day Cougar fans realized their team could do some damage in the MWC and began to see anything less than an appearance in the conference tournament final a failure. Expectations had changed, but so had the Cougars.
The TCU game proved pivotal. It began a streak in which the Cougars went 10-1, beating every team in the conference, except Utah. Only two games during that run had a double-digit margin of victory – an 11-point loss at Utah and a 10-point win at home against San Diego State. The Cougars beat Utah by 2 points at home on Jan. 7, 2006, so they have beaten every team in the conference, all of which were chosen by the media at the start of the season to finish ahead of the Cougars. Shows how much the media know. Stupid sports writers.
The Cougars finished tied for second in the Mountain West Conference but lost the tiebreaker to Air Force. As the No. 3 seed in the MWC conference tournament this weekend, BYU will face Utah in the late game Thursday night.
Essentially, the last 11 games not only earned the Cougars a spot in the NIT, should they not go mad, but the Cougars are a lock to host first- and second-round games, extending the Marriott Center magic to the postseason.
But who wants to NIT when we can dance?
Most of the college basketball analysts around the country have had San Diego State or Air Force winning the automatic bid from the MWC. No matter how the tournament plays out, the MWC is looking more and more likely to only get one bid. Last week, before a slew of upsets stole at-large bids by the handful, it looked like BYU just had to beat Air Force in the probable semifinal matchup. As far as RPI is concerned, Air Force is No. 39, BYU No. 56, and San Diego State No. 59, putting Air Force in the top spot for an at-large. However, if the Cougars beat the Falcons, they would likely do a John Kerry and BYU would have the edge.
As long as there are no huge upsets in the various conference tournaments, the Cougars” at-large hopes remain alive. But getting to the conference title game is a must.
So what will the Cougars need to do to get there? Win. And they”ve shown they can do that.
First of all, BYU needs to set the pace of the game. Their up-tempo style is too much for most teams, especially in a game-every-day tournament format.
They will also need to continue their balanced scoring effort, while getting at least five players each game in double figures. One of those five will always need to be freshman Trent Plaisted. He will have to avoid foul trouble and keep himself on the floor.
Another key will be the play of Rashaun Broadus. Broadus has been able to boost the team by carrying them through the first half with an unstoppable shot, then drawing the double team and passing out of it in the second. His points and assists will need to be season bests if the Cougs hope to compete.
Keena Young, who recently found his long-lost work ethic, will need to play strong defensively. He has been stellar of late, and if the Cougars make the round of 64 it will be because Young shifted into a whole new gear. Brock Reichner, aka Cougar Clutch, will need to live up to his name and his position as captain.
The bench, probably the most important intangible for BYU, must continue to produce. Jimmy Balderson has been terrific, and Austin Ainge has been worth the price of admission since breaking out of a 14 percent shooting slump. Everyone must contribute.
Lastly, they need a few fans willing to take a road trip. Everyone loves an underdog, and the Cougars will never really have that luxury. The more fans they can get at the Pepsi Center the better. Pack your bags, have a cute girl in your Thursday and Friday classes take extra good notes and join Cougar nation for the ride.
