|
BYU blows out Division II powerhouse in final exhibition |
|
|
|
|
JaredCowley | Wednesday, November 8, 2006, 11:53 pm
|
Jason Franchuk
DAILY HERALD
Wednesday night ended in typical exhibition game fashion, the seriousness not quite as prominent at the end. There was even one scene, with about two minutes left, when Montevallo and BYU started play at one end of the floor while Cougar mascot Cosmo finished his walking handstand to the opposite baseline.
Yet for all of the high jinks of the last few minutes, the Cougars looked strong and focused in winning, 92-63, at the Marriott Center.
Remember, this was a Montevallo team that lost by only 11 points at No. 11 Alabama on Saturday. The Falcons hung around for most of the first half before BYU’s depth and Provo’s altitude pushed them into a wall.
For what it’s worth, as the Cougars prepare for next Wednesday’s game at top-5 UCLA, head coach Dave Rose sidestepped a question about whether it meant anything to blow out a team that nearly upset the Crimson Tide in both teams’ first exhibition game. A few of his players didn’t celebrate the achievement, either, not really believing in the transitive property in this case.
Neither did Montevallo coach Danny Young, who praised BYU but figured his team was too tired to give the same performance.
“They’re bigger, stronger, faster,” Young said of Alabama. “If we played this game first, it would’ve been closer and then Alabama would’ve beaten us by 35.”
Young later diplomatically added that it would be a “very good game” between those two teams.
Rose said he was just happy to see his whole lineup be able to play another team, and share the ball. The Cougars had 36 baskets, 24 of which came on assists.
“That’s what we need to do,” Rose said. “We had a good ratio.”
Montevallo, the No. 2-ranked Division II team in the nation from Alabama, wasn’t nearly so spread out in its scoring. Six-foot-2 senior guard Greg Brown had a game-high 26 points. Rated as one of the top 16 players at his level in the preseason, he looked every bit the player who could compete in BYU’s Mountain West Conference.
He had 15 points in the first half, on 6-of-10 shooting, as the Falcons trailed 45-35 at halftime.
It looked more like competition this time, as Montevallo didn’t roll over like Canadian college team Brock did six nights prior. Then, Rose could play his roster at will. This one took a little more patience, and better execution. The score was tied at 28 with 5:49 remaining in the first half.
By then, Rose had used most of his bench. He started almost the same five players as the first exhibition. Guards Jimmy Balderson and Lee Cummard were joined by forwards Trent Plaisted and Keena Young, just like last time. Rashaun Broadus, who has battled an injured knee, was in the first five just like almost all of last year, flipping roles with Austin Ainge. He hit a couple of 3-pointers that helped to put away the Falcons early in the second half.
BYU ran mostly a vanilla offense, preferring to show the more exotic flavors available later. UCLA and the Cougars, in what is essentially a gentlemen’s agreement — with nation-wide encouragement from a college coaches association — have exchanged game tape from the first preseason game with the Bruins.
Players left the locker room with that footage, and they’ll begin studying immediately for the season opener in fabled Pauley Pavilion. (They’ll do the same trade with footage from the second game.)
Plaisted, who had 20 points to lead BYU again in scoring, said a lot of work remains before the real first game.
Said Rose: “We have gotten to play a lot of players and see how they play in a game together. We got some good chemistry from a few different lineups.”
Rose was able to play the 6-11 Plaisted, one of the assured starters this year, with 6-10 Vuk Ivanovic.
The Serbian redshirt, who sat out last year after transferring from an NAIA school, showed some qualities that will give him the opportunity for floor time — if foul trouble doesn’t strip it away. He collected all five of his infractions (to go with six points) in 10 minutes.
Rose and Plaisted agreed that it’s smaller players, and Ivanovic’s size, that caused some whistles.
“Vuk’s a big guy, and he eats up a lot of space,” Plaisted said. “I know what foul trouble is like. It’s something he’ll have to work on. But when you’re a big and strong guy going up against smaller guys, you’re going to get some cheap ones.”
BYU’s biggest concern may be its ongoing process of finding a guard who can match up with another team’s go-to scorer on the wing. Brown caused fits for the Cougars, as he was allowed carte blanche in his team’s offensive schemes to find the basket.
“You can do a lot of things when you have that freedom,” Broadus said.
Last year BYU used Brock Reichner, now graduated, and current missionary Jackson Emery. So it’s a stopper’s role that must be filled, most likely by taller guards Balderson and Cummard.
Otherwise, Rose was pleased to see 6-6 forward Young (12 points) continue to show he can shoot further away from the basket than a year ago. He connected on a couple of tough turnaround jump shots, and it’s the team’s hope he can be one of the more difficult matchups for opponents with a more consistent shot.
BYU is done with exhibition games, but will hold the Cougar Tipoff on Friday at 6 p.m. before the women’s season opener against Idaho State in the Preseason WNIT. Rose said he’ll divide his 15-player roster into two teams (as yet to be determined) and play a pair of 20-minute halves.
Signing day a success: Rose could not talk individually about his three-player recruiting class, as some paperwork still needs to be completed. But there have been no surprises.
“It’s been a good day,” Rose said.
Jimmer Fredette of Glens Falls, New York, is expected to be joined by junior-college guard Lamont Morgan. Also, Provo High forward Chris Collinsworth held a signing ceremony at school to celebrate his day during the week-long early signing period that started Wednesday. |
- Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Rating: 4.0/5 (1 votes cast)
|
