BYU Sports

The Cougars could face some inclement weather for the first time all season when they play against New Mexico tomorrow at University Stadium in Albuquerque.
It is raining lightly in Albuquerque today, and the forecasts calls for more cloudy skies on Saturday, with a 60 percent chance of rain and game-time temperature around 50 degrees. A big storm is supposed to hit on Sunday, dropping temps to the low 40s.
Speaking of the noon kickoff tomorrow, I spent some time on the Lobos’ campus this morning, and asked a few students what they thought of the game.
Most said they have given up following the 0-9 football team and are more excited about the basketball season opener.
Coach Steve Alford’s Lobos take on the UC Riverside Highlanders on Saturday night in The Pit. Tonight, the UNM women open their season at home against Northern Colorado in the preseason WNIT.
The front page of the Albuquerque Journal’s sports section today asks, “Who will score more points this weekend, the UNM men’s basketball team or the BYU football team?”

--------------------

How big is New Mexico basketball in this town? The Journal published a college basketball section today, complete with a full-page photo of Lobos guard Amy Beggin on one side and a full-page photo of Alford and three players wearing hard hats on the other.
The construction theme is appropriate because the Pit is being renovated this year.

Let’s start today off talking about basketball, since the Cougars play host to Bradley tonight in the Marriott Center. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised by the Mtn.
I’m already in Albuquerque for the football game, so the Tribune’s Martin Renzhofer will handle the coverage tonight, and I will try to find a place that carries the Mtn. here in the Land of Enchantment.
I wrote today about how coach Dave Rose is not set on a starting five for the game tonight.
It will be interesting to see who gets the start in the post -- freshman Brandon Davies or senior Chris Miles. Miles started the first exhibition game, Davies the second. Davies played better, too, and Rose said Tuesday that Miles was trying too hard.
Regardless, the coach said the Cougs are as deep in the post as they’ve been in a long time.
“It’s going to be hard, and it is going to be interesting, because four guys [Noah Hartsock, Davies, Miles, James Anderson] can play that five spot. And there is not enough time for all of them to play consistent minutes in every game,” Rose said. “You want to get in some type of pattern or rhythm so they know what to expect because that consistency breeds a lot more confidence in those players. But it is nice to know we got some depth in that position and we can be able to handle foul trouble and illness  and injuris and those kinds of things.”

------------------------

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to write much about Bradley, BYU’s opponent tonight.
Here’s what Rose said about facing the Braves of the Missouri Valley Conference:
“A real good challenge. It’s a team that is probably a lot more advanced, as far as ahead of us. They had 10 practices in August, went to Brazil, played for two weeks. I know from coaching those kind of experiences that your team early in the season is way ahead.
I remember a game at Long Beach State a few years ago, after we had taken our trip to France. We were way ahead of them on that opening day. So that is going to be a challenge for us. We have to make sure we are ready for what they are going to bring.
They are bringing good players. I think their best player is a kid that got hurt last year and was supposed to be a senior. Now he’s a fifth year guy. They got a sixth-year guy who got a medical redshirt.
So it is an older, experienced team. So, it should be a good test for us.”

--------------------------

Here’s a link to my football offering in today’s paper, a look at how running back J.J. DiLuigi is playing up to expectations.

As you will notice when you read my articles in the newspaper (or online) tonight and tomorrow, I am already in Albuquerque, having made the trip a day  early to work on a non-football assignment.
Walking around campus and then checking out some of the football facilities (which are a mile or so south of campus), I can see why it could be difficult to recruit football players to this place.
By the way, renovations on the famed Pit (basketball arena) seem to be coming along nicely, although I wasn’t able to get a peak inside. I will get enough of the place -- my least favorite venue in the MWC, because of the seating configuration for the media -- when the Cougars play here on Jan. 27, I’m sure.

-----------------

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall was New Mexico’s defensive coordinator from 1998-2002, as knows as well as anyone how difficult it can be to win as a coach at UNM. He listed some reasons why earlier this week.
“A couple of things. I think a lot of their history has been tied to basketball. And I think basketball there for a long time was viewed as the premier sport. It might still be. And so I think that is one of the points of reference.
“Also, there aren’t many Division I [football] players in the state,and so that makes it difficult to have that homegrown feel of the local kids. Most of our instate players were walk ons. We recruited three, maybe four a year, that we could sign to scholarships.
“But then it was just an interesting perspective, even when we were winning football games, the stadium wasn’t full.
“Rocky [Long] continued to win year after year after year, and even after I left, and it still wasn’t full. And so I can’t really address why that is. But I think possibly now the appreciation for the job he did might be at a higher level than when he was there. Hard to say.”

--------------------

Not only is new Lobos coach Mike Locksley winless (0-9), his tenure has been marked by controversy, including sexual harassment charges filed by a former UNM employee against him and the alleged punching of an assistant coach. Mendenhall expressed sympathy for Locksley, too.
“I can’t relate to the specific incidences that he has gone through, having not gone through those myself. But I do know something of the pressures that a head coach feels. I do know something of the criticisms that you will get, and now you have had a couple of incidents that are as visible as what they have had there, I can’t imagine what it would be like for he and his family.
“I think most head coaches maybe experience kind of the things that I experience, but to have a couple incidents in your first year of being head coach -- not winning a game yet, and then having a couple of those things. That is almost incomprehensible to what they must be going through as a family.”

A day after receiving a national letter of intent from Provo High guard Kyle Collinsworth, the Cougars got one from Anson Winder, a 6-3 guard from Las Vegas. Winder sent his in Thursday morning after a letter-signing ceremony at his school that involved all of Bishop Gorman’s college-bound athletes.
Here’s the BYU release on the latest signings:

PROVO, Utah (Nov. 12, 2009) – BYU men’s basketball coach Dave Rose today announced the commitments of three players who will join the program for the 2010-11 season in addition to Kyle Collinsworth. Guard Anson Winder of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas has signed a national letter of intent while forward Chris Collinsworth and guard Nick Martineau will return to BYU after completing their two-year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“We’re pleased to have signed Anson Winder,” Rose said. “He’s a versatile guard and a terrific athlete. Anson is a very capable scorer and takes pride in being an excellent defender and rebounder. He will flourish in our transition game. Anson is a dedicated team player and was an integral part of Bishop Gorman High School’s state championship team last season. He plays for a very successful high school coach, Grant Rice.”

A 6-foot-3 combo guard, Winder will join the Cougar roster in 2010-11. Winder follows senior Jonathan Tavernari as the second player to join BYU from Bishop Gorman.

Under the direction of Rice, Winder helped lead Bishop Gorman to a 28-5 record, the 4A Nevada state title, the Sunset Regional title and the Sunset Southwest League title his junior season. He posted averaged of 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists and earned all-Southwest Sunset League honors and Bishop Gorman’s 2009 Sportsmanship Award. At the High Energy Classic in Gillette, Wyo., Winder earned all-tournament honors.

Winder plays for the Triple Double Elite AAU team. Nevada, Portland, UC Riverside and Idaho also recruited Winder. This past summer he posted games with 40 and 36 points.

A 6-foot-9 forward with the skills to play at both the small and power forward positions, Collinsworth helped lead BYU to 27-8 record and an outright regular season MWC title. The older brother of recent BYU signee Kyle Collinsworth averaged 3.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while chipping in 14 blocks, 19 assists and nine steals. He led the Cougars in rebounding seven times while posting double-digit boards on three occasions. Collinsworth — who made six starts — posted career highs of 12 points against Colorado State in the MWC Tournament and 11 rebounds at UNLV during the regular season.

In high school Collinsworth led Provo High School to the 2007 4A state title while averaging 16.6 points and 12 rebounds. He was named the Gatorade Utah Boys’ Player of the Year and received Deseret News 4A and All-Valley MVP honors.

Martineau, a 5-11 point guard out of Fruit Heights, Utah, played in 20 games as a true freshman. He averaged 5.8 minutes per game and totaled 13 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds. Martineau posted career highs of six points and four assists against Loyola Marymount.

At Davis High Martineau averaged 15 points and six assists his senior year. He was named region MVP, earned first-team all-state honors and was named a UHSBCA All-Star.

Morning, everyone
Let’s start off with some morning links for you today.
The Tribune’s Martin Renzhofer wrote about BYU punter Riley Stephenson, who is No. 5 in the country in net punting, in this piece.
I wrote about BYU tight end Dennis Pitta, who is up for the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end, in this article.
There are also articles on the Tribune’s Web site about the signing of Provo guard Kyle Collinsworth, and a short preview of the BYU women’s basketball season.

------------------------

Most who follow BYU football know that quarterback Max Hall has 28 career wins and can tie Ty Detmer at 29 with a win Saturday at New Mexico.
Here are coach Bronco Mendenhall’s thoughts on Max’s milestone:
“I am very fortunate to be the coach when Max has been here as the quarterback,” Mendenhall said. “He’s a very good player, he’s a great leader and he has helped us win a lot of football games.
“BYU hasn’t won 10 games for three straight years for 24 years. It is not easy to do, and he’s been the quarterback to help us do it. And maybe a fourth if we continue to play well. I think that speaks a lot to how well he has played for us.”

--------------------

Got a chance last night to talk to linebacker Coleby Clawson, who says the Cougars can’t afford to overlook the Lobos.
“New Mexico is a lot better than their record shows. On film, they look really good. They have good running backs, good skill guys. They have an experienced offensive line. So they are better than their record shows. They are going to be up for us and ready to play, so all our focus has been on them and I haven’t heard anyone mention Air Force or Utah [BYU’s next two opponents].”