HB Arnett’s
COUGAR SPORTSLINE
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hbarnett@fiber.net and hbarnett@xmission.c
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West 800 South –
Vol. 30,
Issue 27 – February 8, 2010
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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
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
UNLV..............7-2....19-4
SDSU...............5-4....16-7
CSU.................5-4....14-9
TCU.................3-6....11-13
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
UNLV...The Rebels host
UNM on Wednesday, but travel to SDSU on Saturday.
SDSU...The Aztecs get
UNLV in
The wild card for all
four teams will be
Meanwhile, BYU will get a
chance to regroup and recharge this coming Saturday with a gimme game against
Air Force in
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
Nick
Emery, 6-0 freshman guard,
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
Jabari
Parker, 6-5, wing, Freshman, Simeon HS, Chicago...The
talented frosh had six points in a 51-33 blowout of
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.
Jordan
Chatman, 6-3, guard, Sophomore, Skyview HS,
Jordan
Smoot, 6-10, center, Junior,
Stephen
Rogers...6-8, 190, forward, Freshman,
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,
Ross Apo,
WR, 6-4, 190, The
Jordan
Black, OL 6-7, 235, Alta HS, UT... Ranked No. 9 football
recruit out of the state of
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
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,
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
Collin
Keoshian, LB, 6-2, 225, Santa
A.J.
Moore...RB, 5-10, 190,
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
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
Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: The Mtn
BYU vs.
Wednesday, Feb 17 at
Tipoff: 6:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: The Mtn
BYU vs.
Saturday, Feb 20 at
Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: The Mtn
BYU vs.
Wednesday, Feb 24 at
Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: CBS C
BYU vs.
Saturday, Feb 27 at
Tipoff: 2:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: Versus
BYU vs.
Wednesday, Mar 3 at
Tipoff: 7:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: CBS C
BYU vs.
TCU
Saturday, Mar 6 at
Tipoff: 4:00 pm Mountain
Time
TV: The Mtn