The Beginning of BYU's venture into Independence

With it being the worst time of the year for sports, it's the perfect time to write about some college football. Especially with a lockout in the NBA and NFL. So happy Independence Day to all of the BYU fans out there. Independence definitely has its pros and cons. It will be really nice to have all 12 of BYU's football games on either ESPN or BYUTV. It will also be exciting to look at the schedule and not see many games that you can chalk up as wins on paper. However, this will also mean that a lot harder games will also be on the schedule. But, with the rising level of interest and higher caliber athletes being recruited, I think that the Cougars could be pretty competitive in a couple years. Heck the level of talent on BYU's football team right now is much better than say 2008. Now I am going to move to a breakdown of BYU's offense and defense. Here are highlights from the New Mexico Bowl from last year:


Offense: with all but 2 starters returning from last year's offense, things are looking very good. They ended the season very well. People might say "well look who they did it against" but Jake Heaps and Co. would not have done that in the beginning of the year. Just look at the Utah game. Heaps completed 60 percent of his passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. The offense collectively put up 300 yards on a solid Utah defense. That is improvement right there. Plus, most of these offensive players were Freshman and Sophmores last year. They will only get better. With the addition of Ross Apo and hopefully a couple breakout tight ends, this offense could be very fun to watch in 2011. Also, with all but one offensive lineman returning, plus All-American Matt Reynolds, this group could give Heaps plenty of time and open big gaping holes for Josh Quezada, JJ Diluigi, and Bryan Kariya.

BYU's defense going into 2011 has a few question marks, mostly in the secondary. The front seven will no question be stacked with a very strong core of linebackers, led by Uona Kaveinga. The defensive line will be good at stopping the run. The defensive tackle position has 4 capable players. They include Romney Fuga, Hebron Fangupo, Travis Tuiloma, and Jordan Richardson. The linebackers are deep, with Kaveinga, Jordan Pendleton, Kyle Van Noy, Zac Stout, and Brandon Ogletree. The question marks lie in the secondary, where no starters return from last year. However, I think the guys fighting for a starting position are more talented and faster than the defensive backs of the past. Watch out for Robbie Buckner and DeQuan Everett to stand out during fall camp, which is only about one month away!

Here are some 2010 college football highlights to get you excited about the season, which is only 2 months away!:

Here's to All of Jimmer's doubters

I have a read a lot of stuff about Jimmer Fredette's NBA future while he did his workouts with various NBA teams. All I hear is the so called experts say that all he can do is shoot and his game will not translate. However I have researched some stats of players who had the same things said about them. How does someone who consistently made 30 foot shots with double teams and hands in his face not carry that kind of shooting over to the NBA. He will get a ton of wide open shots in the NBA because teams can't afford to send double teams to him on a team that features Tyreke Evans, Demarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton, and John Salmons.

Now for the comparisons. First is Gordon Hayward. He was drafted ninth in the 2010 NBA draft to the Utah Jazz, to the dismay of many Jazz attending the draft party at Energy Solutions Arena. The knock on him was he is a skinny white kid who isn't athletic enough to play in the NBA. Also, he shot just 29% from the 3 point line in college. Most people said that would not translate to the NBA. However, in his rookie season, he did better than anyone would have dreamed of. In the Jazz's season finale, he scored 34 points against the Denver Nuggets. I shouldn't give him too much credit, it is the Nuggets after all, but nonetheless still impressive. Also, days before against the Los Angeles Lakers in LA, he guarded Kobe Bryant and did a fantastic job guarding him. Oh, by the way he scored 20 points in a win. As for his 3 point field goal percentage? 47%. That is about an 18 percent increase from college.

Steph Curry drew many of the same criticism from doubters when he was about to be drafted. "He can only shoot," they said. He average 18 points per game both seasons and shot 48 percent from the field, and about 44 percent from the 3 point line. He maintained his shooting and was a scorer in both seasons. Also interesting to note is his 6 assists per game per season. So not only is he a proven scorer, but he can dish the ball out too. Another thing Fredette, Hayward, and Curry have in common is their heritage from relatively small schools.

So for anyone who says Jimmer can't be a player in the NBA, just look at Curry and Hayward and think again.

Playoff Predictions: 2011 Version

Holy smokes, I have not posted since September of 2010. Time for me to get going. The playoffs this year have not been this intriguing since as long as I can remember. After day one, we see the top two seeds in the East have close game ones, and if Indiana doesn't completely collapse, they lead the series 1-0. Here are my predictions for this year's first round:

Bulls-Pacers: We learned that after game one that this series probably won't be a four game sweep. The Pacers led for almost all of game one. It was their game to lose. However, it depends on how Indiana responds after their total nuclear meltdown.
It should be a good one, but I'm taking the Bulls in 6.

Heat-76ers: Philadelphia opened this series on the road kicking the Heat players collective butts during the first quarter. Then the Heat woke up and started leading by 10 or 11, and one late Philly rally came up short, giving the Heat the win. Sorry 76ers, if Chris Bosh is scoring 25 and 11 and LeBron James and Dwayne Wade somewhat show up, they are screwed.
Miami in 5.

Celtics-Knicks: After the crazy game 1 in which New York choked, this series will be insane. However, Carmelo Anthony is a chemistry killer. He was 5-18 for 15 points. Amare Stoudamire had 28 points with 11 boards. Give him the ball, not Melo! If the Knicks keep doing this, they won't last long.
I think the Knicks will win in 7.

Hawks-Magic: Dwight had 46 points and 19 boards in game 1. Jameer Nelson had 27. If two of your best players make up roughly 78 percent of your points and you still lose, it's gonna be a short series. Hawks in 6.

Spurs-Grizzlies: If Manu Ginobili doesn't get healthy soon, this series could be very similar to the Mavericks-Warriors first round playoff series in 2007. However, I don't think that the Spurs will give up and die. Plus, I don't think that the Grizzlies are unbeatable on their home floor. It's a start, but I don't think that it is enough. Spurs in 7.

Lakers-Hornets: Yet another game one upset, this time with a team without David West and half-knee Chris Paul. However the Lakers are still struggling and I hope nothing but losing for the stupid Lakers and their fair-weather fans. Chris Paul goes goes Jimmer on them and Kobe realizes that it's time to retire. Hornets in 6.

Mavericks-Trail Blazers: Dallas always has a solid regular season and completely collapses in the playoffs almost every year. After winning game one, that still doesn't convince me that anything will change. Wesley Matthews is the x-factor and he only had 2 points in game 1. Portland in 6.


Nuggets-Thunder: The Thunder are good. The Nuggets traded chemistry killer Melo and gave up 34 points to Gordon Hayward. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will dominate. Thunder in 5.

Big game predictions week 4

Oregon State at Boise State: Oregon State beat Louisville by 7 on Saturday. Boise State is the real deal and Kellen Moore should win the Heisman.
Prediction: BSU 38, OSU 18

Alabama at Arkansas: The Razorbacks look good. QB Ryan Mallet is good. Problem is, the Crimson Tide is very good. I think that the Hogs will put up a fight and this game will come down to the wire.
Prediction: Bama 21, Arkansas 17

Nevada at BYU: Collin Kapernick is pretty good, but I'm not sure about Heisman worthy. He could be a Jake Locker type player, a run first guy. If Jake Heaps can get into rhythm and if the receivers hold onto, the ball, then BYU will roll up the yards and points. If they can't it will be a long night. I think that Kapernick runs wild and rolls up the points, but it's not enough for the Wolf Pack.
prediction: BYU 48, Nevada 45

South Carolina at Auburn: Both teams have great defenses and ok offenses with excellent running games. I'll give Auburn the edge because it's at Auburn's home field.
Prediction: Auburn 17, South Carolina 13.

West Virginia at LSU: The Mountaineers have been proven to be inconsistent(i.e. needing overtime to defeat Marshall) and the Tigers are a better team.
Prediction: LSU 28, WVU 17.

Big game predictions week 2

Miami at Ohio State- This will be an interesting game. It will be a game of two decent, but overhyped quarterbacks. I predict that both defenses will have great games and the offenses will struggle.
Prediction: Ohio State 17, Miami 13.

Florida State at Oklahoma: We'll see how Oklahoma does against a team that is better than Utah State this time around. It's the same scenario: FSU has a dual threat QB, and a very athletic team. I think that it will be a shootout, with the Seminoles coming out on top.
Prediction: FSU 45, Oklahoma 41

Penn State at Alabama- This will be a close but really boring game to watch. Both teams will try to grind it out, and the defenses will thrive. However, Alabama, without Ingram will lose.
PSU 21, Bama 17

Monumental upset highlights

Mixed feelings about Independence

I was listening to the radio yesterday and happened to hear to phrase: "Breaking news of the day, BYU to go Independent." My reaction is mixed. It's great from a standpoint of exposure and overall visibility of the institution, but how will they do, now having to play tougher teams who aren't named San Diego State, UNLV, Wyoming, etc. However, I love the eight year deal they inked with ESPN. I think this will attract more and more blue chip recruits. It was a very risky move, but I think it will work out because Bronco Mendenhall is a great coach.

One of the problems I see is scheduling. It may be easy to get the schedule through October planned out, but who will they play in November? I think that the answer is playing all three of the other football independents in November. Another potential problem that I've heard about but don't buy into is "How will they manage their tough schedule?" Answer: same as always. Last year the Cougars played 4 good teams in the regular season. Their record was 2-2. I look at the schedule for next year and it looks like:
At Oregon State
At Texas
Utah State
Utah
Four WAC schools(2 home, 2 away)
Hopefully they can add the three independent teams and possibly get another great team in there, like a Boise State or TCU. That's about 4 or 5 tough games. I think that BYU will do better than Notre Dame currently is.

The answer to all of these is We'll see.

Go Cougars!!

Week 1 big game predictions

With college football about 3 days away, I've decided to make week by week big game predictions.(and BYU, of course)

Utah-Pittsburgh- This will be an interesting game. Pitt has a great running game and defense, but their passing game has been bad lately. I give Utah the upper hand because it's in Salt Lake City.
Prediction: Utah 24, Pitt 21.

BYU vs. Washington: This will be the telling factor for BYU. Fortunately, it's in Provo, where only 2 teams have won since 2005. BYU is still trying to find a quarterback, but I think it will work out. Plus, Jake Locker is the 2nd most overhyped quarterback in the country, behind Terrell Pryor.
Prediction: BYU 37, Washington, 34.

6.TCU vs. 24. Oregon State: This is a battle between two ranked opponents. However, TCU is clearly superior to the Beavers. Oregon State GOT destroyed in their bowl game by BYU last December. Losing their quarterback and the fact that this game is being played in Dallas doesn't help at all.
Prediction: TCU, 45, OSU 10.

LSU vs. North Carolina: This is a game between two ranked foes and it's SEC vs. ACC for the second year in a row in Atlanta, Georgia. UNC's great defense and good offense will be enough to help propel the Tar Heels over the Tigers.
Prediction: UNC 27, LSU, 24

3.Boise State vs. 10 Virginia Tech: This is a battle of top 10 teams. The only thing going against Boise State is that it is in Washington DC, where 93,000 Hokie fans will be supporting their team. However, with the Broncos returning 21 starters on last year's 14-0 team and beat a TCU team who I thought was the best in the nation last year, BSU will be awfully good. Kellen Moore will have a good day and Boise's defense will shut down Va. Tech's offense.
Prediction: Boise State 31, Virginia Tech, 28.

BYU to go Independent?

With all these rumors and speculation about the possibility of BYU going independent, I came up with a theory. I think they are doing this to obviously boost their national exposure and become like Notre Dame. I think that the Big 12 will go back to 12 teams and invite BYU to join so they can have a Big 12 championship game. It's only a matter of time. Jerry Jones and ABC are ticked off in them getting rid of the championship game. And Jerry Jones is not someone you want to anger.

On the flip side, staying in the MWC might not be such a bad idea. The MWC just added Fresno State and Nevada. That would give the MWC 10 teams if BYU were to leave. If BYU stays, 11. Then the MWC would add a team like Houston and have a championship game. Also, I heard a rumor that the MWC might give BYU broadcasting rights to all 6 of their home games. I think that would mean ESPN would come a 3 times a season if they are playing the likes of TCU, Boise State, and Utah.

Cougars look good after first week of fall camp

I got a chance to go to a BYU practice today. It wasn't a scrimmage, but there were certain drills that were close to it. After that, I was assured that everything will be alright this upcoming football season.

First off, I like the quarterbacks we have. However, I think Jake Heaps has to be the guy. He has a killer arm, he looks very comfortable in the pocket, he has a good deep ball, and he looks off receivers very well. That's not saying he was flawless. He made some throws that made me cringe. It was a play where he went deep to one guy who was surrounded by 4 defensive backs. Steven Thomas came over and should have picked off the pass but dropped it. However, I think he looks better than Max Hall did in his redshirt sophmore year. Heaps went 7-10 for 2 TDs.

Riley Nelson is pretty good. He went 7-8 for a touchdown and had some nice runs. He is very athletic and he has a better arm than people give him credit for. However, whenever his first couple of options aren't there, he runs. I would rather have a quarterback who sits in the pocket than if one tries to run all the time. I want it this way because if BYU plays a team with an athletic and fast defense( i.e. TCU, Utah, Florida State) Nelson will get hammered and injured. That's not saying that I don't want to see Nelson at all. I would like to see him as a dual threat wildcat quarterback. However, I would like Heaps throwing most of the passes during the season.

People who are skeptical for the upcoming season are bugging me. The only reason the Cougars would only win 8 games is because of their schedule. Washington, Florida State, TCU, and Utah are the tough games for us. However, this year looks a lot like 2007. If you don't remember, the Cougars had to break in a new quarterback, running back, tight ends, and some defensive players. We had a good offensive line, and the secondary was proven. That season turned out fine. While there is uncertainty, there is a lot more talent than there was in 2007.

Also, people who view Air Force as a threat are up in the night. A Bronco Mendenhall coached team will not lose to Air Force. Won't happen. So called experts say Air Force is better this year, but reality is, they are the same team every year. Can't pass, they run a lot, and their lines are at a physical disadvantage because of the Air Force weight limit.

Hopefully the Cougars can find a quarterback who establishes himself.

Fail ESPN, fail

A certain ESPN writer by the name of Andrea Adelson has just lost all credibility. Apparently she's the replacement for Graham Watson who was the ESPN non-automatic qualifier blogger. Adelson just released a power ranking of the top 10 non-AQ teams. They go as follows:
1. Boise State
2. TCU
3. Houston
4. Navy
5. Utah
6. Notre Dame
7. Middle Tennessee State
8. Southern Methodist University
9. Temple
10. Northern Illinois
Can you guess who's missing?

My preseason MWC predictions

With the MWC media days underway, including everyone's preseason predictions out, I decided to post my own predictions. I'm a big BYU fan so don't be surprised if these are a little biased.

1. TCU- The Horned Frogs have most of their starters returning on offense and almost their entire defense, with the exception of Jerry Hughes and Daryl Washington. I think they will be better than last year, which is saying something.

2. BYU- This is a bit of a risky pick. If the starting quarterback performs, they could indeed finish second. If he struggles, it could be an 8 win season. Plus, they have to break in a new front seven. The guys coming in are talented, but they lack experience. However, the secondary is experienced, only having to replace Scott Johnson at the free safety position.

3. Utah- The Utes return who I think is a very good quarterback, Jordan Wynn. They also have Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata at the tailback spot. They have a few very good offensive linemen in Zane Taylor and Caleb Schlauderaff. However, their defense isn't as good as it usually is, with them losing Koa Misi, Stevenson Sylvester, Robert Johnson, and some other key cogs in last year's solid defense. They will likely have a 10 win season.

4. San Diego State- This might come as a surprise, but the Aztecs are legit. They had BYU on the ropes last year before losing 38-28. They have Ryan Lindley coming back, Vincent Brown at receiver, and a lot of other good athletes. They are a university in the middle of San Diego. I think Brady Hoke and Rocky Long will have this team turned into a title contender by 2012-2013.

5. Air Force- They say the Falcons look better this year, but in reality, they are essentially the same team. They run the option. They pass 10 times a game. Their defense is good. They can hang with you, but if they have to pass, I'm not so sure they can win. I think the conference will be good for the first 5 teams.

6. Colorado State- The Rams will have a young quarterback and a couple holes to fill. It will be a tough year for them.

7. UNLV- Decent offense and bad defense is the storyline for the Rebels. They won't be much better under Bobby Hauck then Mike Sanford.

8. Wyoming- They won a bowl game last year with a freshman quarterback. However, they will struggle in 2010.

9. New Mexico- Losing Donovan Porterie won't help, but The Lobos are bad. Sure they signed a four star defensive lineman by the name of Calvin Smith who turned down offers from Tennessee and Florida State and signed with UNM.(?) They also have Carmen Messina, who apparently had over 130 tackles last year. It still won't be enough for the pitiful Lobos.

Jazz future not so bleak anymore

After the Jazz lost Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver to Chicago, I gave up on their front office. They drafted Gordon Hayward ninth in this year's draft( a player who did not fit any of the needs the Jazz had) and they appeared to do nothing about losing Boozer and Korver. Until they pulled a trade from up their sleeve and acquired Al Jefferson for virtually nothing.(Kosta Koufous and 2 future first round draft picks won't contribute to any team) That came out of nowhere and was great news. He is a 20 and 10 guy who scored his points without a great point guard. With Deron Williams, his scoring total will likely go up because Deron has the ability to find guys for easy baskets. He actually wants to be in Utah(unless he is disingenuous and was bluffing his entire press conference) and has a strong work ethic.

A day later after signing Jefferson, Utah went after a former player of theirs, Raja Bell. Bell is a good defender who can shoot(41% 3 point shooter) and isn't as beat up as you'd think. He is 33, but he has missed a lot of time with injuries. he says he feels great now and his broken wrist is healed. Great. Now the Jazz have somebody to stop Kobe and guard the Lakers' bigs.

With these acquisitions, the Jazz, in my opinion, can compete with the Lakers for the number 1 seed in the west. They have a very strong lineup. If all goes well, it could look like:
1.Deron Williams
2.Raja Bell
3.CJ Miles or AK
4.Paul Millsap
5.Al Jefferson
That's a good team. All-star point guard and center, and serviceable role players who can put in double figures consistently. Now all the Jazz have to do is dump Andrei Kirilenko's contract and add another good player.

Predictions for the upcoming BYU football season

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So even though fall camp is about a month away, I am going to boldly predict how the BYU football season is going to shape up.

First and foremost, the winner of the BYU quarterback derby will be Jake Heaps without a doubt. At least it should be that way. I don't think that Riley Nelson will be any better than Max Hall. For instance, Brandon Bradley, one of BYU's starting corners was interviewed about how they defended each QB. He said that the defense moved up when Nelson was in because of his good running ability and inability to consistently throw the ball more than 20 yards. Bradley also said that they were on their heels when Heaps was in because he could throw the ball a quarter mile. I will be pretty upset if coach Mendenhall goes with Nelson because he's an older guy. He is a running Max Hall and I never want to see another Hall in BYU's system again. His arm leaves plenty to be desired. But, Mendenhall said that he sometimes forgets that Heaps is 18 because he acts very maturely. Heaps will distance himself in fall camp with about 1-2 weeks remaining until the September 4th opener against Washington. While I'm at it, I think that Josh Quezada, the Freshman out of La Habra High School in California will be the starting running back to replace Harvey Unga. I think that he will have a Harvey Unga-esque Freshman year.

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Prediction: BYU 45, Washington 41. I see this game being a shootout with Heaps struggling in the first half, then figuring it out in the second half and torching the Husky secondary for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense will struggle.

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Prediction: BYU 35, Air Force 24.This is a weird game because it's a conference game on the second week of the year. The Cougars will stop the Falcons monotonous ground game and the offense will shine, once again.

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Prediction: Florida State 45, BYU 28. BYU will struggle with Florida State's speed and the defensive line will once again get manhandled because of their stupid, stupid 3-4 defense and 3 or 4 man rush every time. Heaps will struggle.

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Prediction: BYU 56, Nevada 24- This game will be a shootout for a half, and then the Cougars will pull away for a lopsided win. The Wolf Pak will put up a pretty good fight in the first half, but then the Cougars offensive firepower will bring Nevada to their knees.

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Prediction: BYU 45, Utah State 27- Utah State is much improved under Gary Andersen, who will be going into his second year as head coach of the Aggies. They have a good offense and they will be pumped up heading into this game in Logan. Unfortunately for USU, their 20,000 supporters won't be enough to rattle Heaps. Look for a semi-close game.

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Prediction: BYU 35, SDSU 21- I am a true believer that it is only a matter of time until SDSU becomes a power. They used to have the worst coach ever in Chuck Long and now with Brady Hoke, they are going to get better. Who wouldn't want to play in San Diego? However, the Aztecs are a couple of years away from being a serious threat to the top tier MWC teams.

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Prediction: TCU 35, BYU 31- This will be a closer game than it was in 2009 because
A. The Cougars do not have Staredown Max as their QB
B. TCU lost Jerry Hughes, Darryl Washington, and a few other standout defensive players from their 2009 BCS busting campaign.
TCU won't be able to shut BYU down this time around because the offensive line will be better and Heaps has the ability to look off several different receivers before throwing the ball. Plus, if healthy, the Cougars will have McKay Jacobson and Ross Apo, both 4.4 guys who can stretch the defense. This will be a close game, but TCU's offensive firepower and a 5th year senior quarterback will be enough to beat the Cougars.

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Prediction: BYU 60, Wyoming 7- This game will be ugly because it us Wyoming and it's in Provo. If last year was 52-0, this year will be worse. I could be wrong, but this is the likely scenario.

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Prediction: BYU 52, UNLV 24- The Rebels will sort of put up a fight offensively, but they still won't be able to stop the Cougars 3rd stringers. I don't think that Bobby Hauck will do any better than Mike Sanford in his first year as head coach.

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Prediction: BYU 42, Colorado State 17- Wow that's three boring games in a row. I don't care where this game is played, it's a win for BYU. If these games are competitive, I'll take back every word I've said about the MWC bottom dweller teams being crummy. But I don't see that happening.
The Cougars keep on rolling.


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Prediction: Brigham Young 38, New Mexico 17- New Mexico will still be bad in 2010. The Cougars won't play that well in this game, but it won't matter, as they chalk up their 4th consecutive win.

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Prediction: BYU 31, Utah 28- This will be a good game. Great game even. Utah's future is bright, with them moving to the Pac-10 and picking up 10 recruits a week. Also, it will be a battle of young, but talented quarterbacks. I must confess that I like Jordan Wynn as a quarterback. It has nothing to do with what school he goes to, he's a gamer. He never got rattled as a Freshman and he put up good numbers in his 6 games he played in. I see Heaps and him having a duel, but Heaps will get the better of him with a last minute touchdown pass to Ross Apo to rip Utah fans' hearts out for the 4th time in 5 years.

Boise State to the MWC?

The MWC decided not to invite Boise State University to join the Mountain West Conference. However, that does not mean that they won't be invited. Adding the Broncos means that the MWC would have four great teams in football. That means that the MWC just might have the criteria to be one of the BCS conferences. The MWC would become unstoppable. Recruits would be lured in to BYU, Utah, TCU, and Boise State because of the opportunity to play with four of the best teams in the nation. Personally, I think that BYU, Utah, and TCU blackballed it. They wanted to wait until this Friday when the deadlines are for several teams to decide if they will join another conference.


According to http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1092612, Nebraska has received an invite to join the Big 10 and they are expected to accept that invitation. The landscape of college football could change drastically over the next few days. I think that Notre Dame and Rutgers have received invites to join the Big 10.

There have also been reports of the Pac-10 planning to raid the Big 12 South and get all six of those teams to create a 16 team conference. That means that Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Missouri could be left in the dust. They should join with the MWC plus Boise State and the MWC could become an automatic qualifying conference, or the Big 12 would gobble up the good MWC teams. I guess all that we can do now is wait for Friday and brace ourselves for the craziest offseason in college sports history.

USC is a bunch of cheaters

According to ESPN, USC is in trouble by the NCAA. They are looking at probation and a loss of scholarships. Good news all around. Apparently it had to do with the Reggie Bush recruiting process. Bush accepted money from the Trojan organization, $200,000-300,000. Also, a prospective sports marketer at USC had the Bush family living rent-free in a home owned by him. Hmmmm...


With Lane Kiffin as their new head coach, things will not change. He is a dirtbag. He already showed how loyal he was to any team when he jumped ship from Tennessee to USC after a year. Any recruit who falls for his child-like features isn't very bright.

Jazz steal game 2

Who would've thought. The Utah Jazz, (minus Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko) pulled off a an upset in game two of their first round playoff series with the Denver Nuggets, 114-111. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer decided to show up and play with heart. Deron had 33 points and 14 assists, and Booze had 20 points and 15 rebounds. I am finally able to watch a Jazz team that cares, buckles down and plays defense. CJ Miles actually played some defense.

Carmelo Anthony is a punk. He is right up there with Kobe Bryant on players that I hate. He is lazy. He almost injured D-Will on a play where he didn't move his feet. He deserved to foul out.

Now the Jazz have home-court advantage and have to win out at home. They need to keep up the intensity.

Most ridiculous shot ever

Number one seed in the NCAA tourney?

Cougars virtual lock for NCAA tourney

With the Mountain West Conference regular season out of the way, BYU appears headed for the NCAA tournament no matter what. However, I hope they win out because then a three or four seed seems easily within reach. That will not be easy.

BYU already got a preview of the quarterfinals on Saturday, beating TCU 107-77 in Fort Worth. Talk about a swing. The Cougars came out flat with no energy, while the Horned Frogs came out firing. It was 18-4 in TCU's favor three minutes into the game. By then, Dave Rose had already pulled four of BYU's starters, except for Jackson Emery. He brought in a younger, but quicker group of guys to rally the Cougars. Those guys were Michael Loyd, Brandon Davies, Jonathan Tavernari, and Charles Abouo. They provided the spark defensively, helping force 24 turnovers. JT was on fire, going 4-6 for 23 points. BYU led 57-43 at the half and never kept their foot off the pedal during the rest of the game. There was a 44 point swing in the Cougars favor by the end of the game. Jackson Emery and Charles Abouo added 22 points, but that was a career-high for Abouo.

With BYU entering the MWC tournament as a number 2 seed, anything is possible. They play TCU at 7:00 Mountain time, 6:00 Las Vegas time. Assuming they win that game, they will play the winner of the Utah-UNLV game the next day at 8:30 Las Vegas time. If they play UNLV, it's all over. We can't win at the Thomas and Mack center. It's been proven. This year was our supposed best shot. Nope. UNLV got up 36-11 and won 88-74 before a sellout crowd. They shot well over 60 percent and Tre'Von Willis had 36 points. However, Utah swept the Rebels in the regular season. If they can limit Willis somewhat and shut down everyone else and not shoot 26 percent, they have a good chance to win. That would be interesting to play Utah. Especially since we just pounded them 71-51.
Go Cougars!!!!

Cougars whip Cowboys, prepare for crucial stretch

The 16th ranked Cougars took care of business nicely against the Wyoming Cowboys on the road at Arena Auditorium in Laramie on Saturday afternoon, 85-63. The Cougars played very well in my opinion. It was one of those games where I thought everybody played well. They gave up the extra pass and it led to open looks. Freshman Tyler Haws had 22 points along with Jimmer Fredette. Haws was 6-15 from the field, but 10-10 from the charity stripe to go with eight rebounds. Fredette had 15 points in the second half. Jonathan Tavernari pitched in with 17 points and eight boards and Jackson Emery chipped in with 10 points. BYU shot only 43 percent from the field, but was 20-24 from the free throw line, good for 83 percent.

This was one of those nights where Jimmer didn't have to do everything. Against Colorado State on Wednesday, he was lights out, scoring 36 in the 92-70 road win.

Next up is a critical two game home stretch. Those games are San Diego State on Wednesday and New Mexico on Saturday. The game with UNM is a sellout, but I don't know about Wednesday. Expect a crowd of over 18,000+, but I don't think it'll reach 22,000. These match-ups are against good teams who will be ready to play. The Aztecs play great defense and crash the offensive glass hard. Their best players are Freshman forward Kawhi Leonard, junior D.J. Gay, and junior forward Billy White. Those guys are huge for the Aztecs. However, shooting is not their strength. If BYU can hit lots of shots early and get the crowd going, it'll be hard for SDSU to get back in it.

New Mexico has a little more experience and some really talented scorers. The Lobo's best players are Dairese Gary, transfer Darington Hobson, Phillip McDonald and Roman Martinez. They can really balance the floor, and any of these guys can easily score 20 points a game. Just depends who it is. Last month in Albequerque, it was Gary who had a big game with 29 points in the 76-72 win. I hope the Cougars pound the paint, and then kick it out for threes.

Both of those games are huge games with conference implications on the line. They will be exciting, energetic games.

MWC race wide open

So, with New Mexico a half game lead over BYU, recently defeating UNLV in Las Vegas 70-60. Now BYU controls their own destiny with two critical home games and a tough road game. First it's SDSU and then the Saturday showdown with New Mexico, where I'm guaranteeing 22,000+ fans will be on hand. But, if BYU loses to Wyoming or Utah on the road, that could be trouble. They don't have to play UNLV anymore(thank goodness) in the regular season and they have a favorable schedule the rest of the way. But that New Mexico game will not be easy because the Lobos are ranked something like 12th, and they beat BYU at the Pit last time. However, the rest of the regular season conference race is BYU's to take. They control their own destiny. I hope they can get over the hump in the MWC and NCAA tournaments and win one for a change, that'd be nice. But I'm predicting that BYU loses in the second round of the MWC tournament to SDSU, and then loses in the second round of the NCAA tournament to a 6 or 5 seed.

Whatever happens, happens.

BYU ranked 12th in AP poll, 10th in USA Today Poll

After a big road win over the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday, BYU jumped 2 and 3 spots in both polls earlier today. As long as the Cougars keep winning, they will move up. But, the target keeps getting bigger with each win. If BYU can keep winning road games, their RPI will boost, and so will their ranking. This Wednesday, the Cougs travel on the road to face New Mexico at the Pit. Huge game. Can't emphasize it enough. If everyone shows up, we'll win. If Jimmer Fredette is the only one that decides to come to play, we're in trouble.

Cougars defeat Cowboys, prepare for tough upcoming stretch

So I'm pretty convinced that this year's Cougar team has potential to win an NCAA tournament game. But that doesn't mean they will. So far, they are 19-1, and have beaten/blown out a lot of good teams. I'm gonna rate their best wins so far, and review their lone loss. Best wins:
1.UNLV 77-73 in at the Marriott Center in Provo.
2.Arizona 99-69 at McKale in Tucson. Jimmer Fredette scores 49 points on 9-13 3 point shooting.
3.Nevada 110-104 Las Vegas Orleans Arena a shootout with a good Wolfpack team. Down at halftime, didn't freak out and rallied back for win in HoopsTV Las Vegas classic.
4.UTEP 83-77 in El Paso, Texas. No Jimmer, no problem. The Cougars pick up a nice victory over a good Miner team.
5.Colorado State 91-47 in Provo. This was a Ram team that came into the game in the top 100 in RPI and the Cougs steamrolled them by 44 points.
The loss:
Utah State 71-61 at the Spectrum in Logan. Poor shot selection, bad defense, and turnovers cost the Cougars this one.

BYU is 19-1 and ranked 13 and 14, but I'm not sold on them yet. They have to show me road wins at San Diego State, New Mexico, UNLV, Utah, and Wyoming before I'll call them for real. They do have lots of talent, depth, and experience. They rotate 10-11 guys a game, and they wear you down with a lot of fresh bodies on the floor.

The starting five for BYU is really good. Fredette, Tyler Haws, Jackson Emery, Noah Hartsock, and Chris Miles. They have good shooting, post presence, and the ability to drive to the hoop. Also, there is one senior in that group, Chris Miles. The lone Freshman starting, Tyler Haws is amazing. I knew coming out of high school he would be good, but I didn't think he would play as good as he is playing right now. 24 points for him is no big deal. I grew up watching him in high school(Lone Peak) and he had games where he scored 35. He has made a strong case for MWC Freshman of the Year.

After beating Wyoming last night 81-66, the Cougars are preparing for San Diego State Saturday night in San Diego. They will need to hustle, shoot, play good defense if they are going to beat the Aztecs on Saturday. It won't be an easy game, especially in a tough environment where the crowd is raucous. On Wednesday, the Cougars travel to Albuquerque in another crazy environment, with 15,000 fans screaming profanities at the whole team. They will need to stay composed and calm. They have stayed calm in other games on the road, but this one will be a lot tougher. If the shots don't fall, BYU will lose.

Cougars stomp Beavers, other notable bowl games

Didn't see that coming. I have to admit, going into the Maaco Las Vegas bowl I was pretty skeptical about the Cougars chances against Oregon State. Why? This matched up like the TCU and Florida State games. But, despite the fact that there was a 40-50 mile an hour wind, BYU came into Sam Boyd stadium and made the Beavers look silly. The defense got it done, the offense had confidence going into the wind, and the team was well prepared and motivated. Max Hall had a good night, throwing for 193 yards, 3 touchdowns and no picks. I'll remember him as a pretty good quarterback, but not a great QB. The traits I liked about Max was that he was a competitor, he hated to lose, and he was fearless. He would take hits and get right back up again. That is the kind of quarterback I like to see.

After thinking about whether or not Harvey Unga will enter the draft, I have figured it out. I don't think he will stay for another year. Here are my reasons:
1. BYU just picked up Josh Quezada, a 3 star running back from La Habra California. He ran for over 2,000 yards his senior season. It came down to BYU and Utah. He would have to cut his trademark long hair if he chose BYU. He chose BYU because he wants playing time, and he fits the system. A 226 pound bruiser. He is enrolling early, so he can learn the system. He must have heard something along the lines of "Harvey's going pro." If that happens, he only has to beat out Bryan Kariya and a couple other halfbacks.
2. he already broke a few BYU records, like the Freshman rushing record, rushing yards in a career, and receiving yards for a halfback at BYU.
So don't be surprised when Harvey decides to go pro.

The Mountain West Conference is sitting pretty after watching 4 out of its 5 bowl teams win their respective bowl games. Wyoming beat Fresno State, 35-28 in double overtime, a pair of Pac-10 teams were thumped, when BYU hammered Oregon State and Utah finished off Cal, and recently, Air Force just grounded Case Keenum and one of the best passing teams in the nation, 47-20, picking off 6 passes. All that's left is for TCU to beat Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl to give the MWC dominance over the WAC. That'll be a fun game to watch. One of the nation's best defenses with 4 year starters at cornerback and defensive line going up against the most efficient quarterback in the nation in Kellen Moore. I think TCU shuts down the Broncos and their ground game runs over, through, and past this defense to win its first BCS bowl game. If Boise State couldn't stop Ryan Matthews, they're not going to stop TCU's ground game with Ed Wesley, Ryan Christian and Joseph Turner.

Prediction: TCU 55 Boise State 21

Pitta doesn't win the Mackey Award, other notable stuff

Dennis Pitta was one of three finalists for the John Mackey award. It was going to go to either Aaron Hernandez of Florida, a tight end from Pittsburgh, or Pitta. However, the award went to Hernandez of Florida. Why? Here's a few reasons:
1. Florida is a big time school that went 12-1.
2. The voters don't think Pitta plays against great competition.
3. Hernandez caught the ball from the "Chosen One", Tim Tebow.( If he is the best college football player ever, how come his team got steamrolled by Alabama?????) Yeah, Tebow is really overrated. I think he's gonna be either a wildcat player or a fullback.
4. Pitta ended the year kind of slow. He can still be the NCAA's all time receptions leader in the Vegas bowl, needing 3 catches.

So, I think Pitta is better than Hernandez, but he will get a shot at the next level, along with Andrew George.

Anyway, BYU was chosen to play in the Maaco BYU Las Vegas bowl for the 5th straight year. The catch? They are playing an Oregon State squad that was a touchdown away from playing in the Rose Bowl. They are ranked 15th, and they are super fast. They have an accurate passer, and a great run game. I'm not sure about their defense, but they are good. This is the type of opponent that we have struggled with this year. An accurate passer in Sean Canfield, a great run game with Jaquizz Rodgers, and a receiver named James Rodgers. This game matches up like TCU and Florida State. Both had accurate passers in Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder, and both had great run games. (FSU 313 yards, TCU, over 200) I think the Cougars are going to be much more ready and excited this year's bowl game. This game is rated as the 7th best bowl game, six spots ahead of the Orange bowl, which is 13th. That game just stinks. Georgia Tech and Iowa. Yes Iowa, a team that got an at-large bid to the BCS.

Boise State and TCU were selected to play in BCS bowls. Great right? Nope. The BS had the teams playing against each other. Another reason the system should be called the BS system. The BCS will argue that they did the Non-BCS schools a favor, having two of their teams in the Fiesta bowl. But that just shows that they are a bunch of wusses making sure their darling teams don't get knocked off. They say that it is a great game, having two undefeated teams clashing. Wouldn't that have been the case had TCU and Cincinatti been selected to play against each other? I think TCU would give anybody a run for their money. But the BCS decides to take the safe route. They can't afford to have another BCS team go down in a BCS bowl. Double thumbs down to the BS system.