My Thoughts of the Week

Butler and the A-10

A while back I received a question about Butler (Ben H.). Are they legit? What has led to their success? That kind of a thing. I was in the middle of a three parter on the state of the BYU basketball team, an article I now regret due to their recent woes and probable NIT destination, so I decided to finish that before I did another mailbag. Then I decided that Butler deserved it's own post, but since knocking off top ranked Indiana they had kind of slipped into irrelevancy, not because of poor play, but because they had been playing a weaker schedule. When Butler beat Gonzaga at the buzzer last weekend, without their leading scorer and best player, Rotnei Clarke, I decided this week would be a great time to return to the Butler Bulldogs and give them a full post of their own, but then Wednesday they lost to La Salle. La Salle! Seriously. Consequently, I feel now is not the time to talk about Butler's dominance. I mean, La Salle, guys. They beat top-10 Gonzaga without Clarke, but lost to La Salle? Stunner. So for the time being I'll direct your attention to Mark Titus' Top 12 NCAA Power Rankings: How Butler turns it's irritating style of play into wins over top opponents like Indiana and Gonzaga. I highly recommend the entire article, and in fact you should check out more of his stuff because Titus is hilarious, but if all you care about is the Butler info, scroll down to their section. They come in at number 7 in his power rankings. This is, of course, prior to the La Salle game. I still can't believe it. La Salle?

Rotnei Clarke and Butler are probably still the best team,
but the A-10 is deep and the race to the top is wide open.

While we're on the subject, how about the Atlantic 10 conference this year? Joe Lunardi currently has them slated as a three bid league, with two more teams just barely on the wrong side of the bubble. I could conceivably see four bids coming out of this league, and that's incredible. Charlotte sits atop the conference, with VCU, Xavier, and Butler also all having just one conference loss. La Salle has two losses, just beat Butler and has VCU up next. The Butler win could give La Salle all the confidence they need to take down two ranked teams in the same week. Richmond also has two losses, but just took down VCU in overtime which could propel them going forward as well. Temple and Saint Louis have two conference losses and big wins out of conference and could conceivably make a run the remainder of the season. Last but not least, UMass also has just two conference losses, but lack a marquee win just yet, though they have games against Butler and VCU remaining. Any one of those nine teams could find themselves dancing in March. At most, the A-10 will be a four bid league, but when have we ever talked about nine teams in the A-10 having a shot at the tourney?

Duke and the Hurricanes

Unbelievable. I just can't believe it. Shane Larkin, son of Barry Larkin, who was taught to hit by his father, Tony Perez, and Pete Rose, was actually told by his Little League coach that whoever taught him to hit a baseball taught him wrong? Are you kidding me? He was taught to play ball by three two Hall of Famers and Pete Rose (don't get me started). If Pete Rose, the all time hits leader, teaches a kid to hit a baseball, I'm sure he did just fine.

But thanks to that stupid coach, we saw Miami upset number one Duke in blowout fashion, and it was a fun game to watch. The Hurricanes jumped on Duke from the beginning. Duke played miserably in the first half, and Miami played better that I would have ever predicted. After taking a 42-19 lead into the locker room at halftime, Miami never relented. The second half was filled with deep threes and exciting alley-oops. Duke played better offensively, but their defense never materialized. I'm not necessarily a Duke hater, but that game sure was fun to watch.

Kenny Kadji and Shane Larkin led Miami to a demolition of
Duke and the programs first win over a top ranked team.

The consequences for both teams are interesting. Duke has to learn to play without Ryan Kelly, and this was obviously not a good start. It could be a tipping point for the Blue Devils, and we may watch their season spiral out of control, or this may be a wake up call. They have a tough schedule the remainder of the way, including an opportunity for vengeance against Miami at Cameron Indoor on March 2. If they can learn quickly how to play without Kelly, they should still be a national title contender. If not, and if they suffer some losses down the stretch of conference play, we could see another early exit in the NCAA tourney.

Miami, however, may have just alerted the nation that they could be a serious threat in March. Despite two inexplicable losses against Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana State, they are an incredible team and seemed to hit their stride just as conference play come. If they can continue their run in the ACC, they could be primed to do some serious postseason damage.

BYU and the NIT

Jack Carlino, little brother of point guard Matt Carlino, asked Joe Lunardi this week on Twitter what BYU needed to do to make it to the NCAA tournament. His response? "Stop losing to every tourney-level team they play." Yep, that about sums it up. If they don't steal a good win soon, BYU will be NIT bound.

Yep. That about sums it up.

In the biggest game of the year against a top-10 team on the road, BYU played the worst half of basketball imaginable. Wait, sorry, I just remembered Duke. The second worst half of basketball imaginable. That hole proved to be way too much, but if there's a silver lining to all this it's that BYU actually outplayed the Zags for much of the second half, and that was without any semblance of a contribution from the 7th leading scorer in the country, Tyler Haws. In fact, every Cougar struggled mightily in this game apart from Josh Sharp and Nate Austin who shot a combined 9-11 from the floor with 23 combined points. The rest of the Cougars? 12-48 for 40 points. Absolutely abysmal. For stretches, Carlino looked like he may come alive, and Brandon Davies played a significantly better second half than he did first half, but none of it was nearly enough to dethrone a Gonzaga team that looks destined for run late into March. 

I said just prior to conference play that BYU was going to need to go 2-2 in the four games against Saint Mary's and Gonzaga. Having started that quest 0-2, the Cougars are going to need to steal a game on SMC's home floor, and hold court against Gonzaga, both of which are remarkably daunting tasks. BYU will also likely need to avoid any further slip-ups against the rest of the West Coast Conference. 

Murray and the Djoker

Andy Murray is seeking his second Grand Slam title Sunday

What a wonder winning Gold did for Andy Murray! He followed that up by winning the US Open, his first Grand Slam title. And now he's made a run in the Australian Open, taking down Roger Federer in five sets. After beating Fed in the Olympics, Murray has been a different man. He was formerly fueled by determination, and with the help of his coach, Ivan Lendl, Murray rode that determination to victories, and now to confidence. Rather than getting shaken and rattled by his opponents if the going gets tough, he thrives on it. He embraces it. And he will now get another shot at Novak Djokovic in an Aussie Open final. He lost to the Djoker in Melbourne two years ago, but took him down in last year's US Open. 

Murray has been playing the best tennis of his career since last summer, but Djokovic has been the most dangerous player on tour in the last two years. Djokovic cruised through these championships, including a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 straight set demolition of David Ferrer in the semifinals. It almost certainly won't be that easy for him against Murray, but with that kind of dominance, you have to wonder if Murray stands much of a chance right now. I suppose we'll find out Sunday.

Manti and the Hoax

The more and more we find out, the more and more I become convinced of Te'o's innocence. I'm still not 100 percent sold, but I still believe him. That being said, I'm becoming more and more annoyed and bored with the story. I've basically lost interest and no longer care who was behind it or who did what. I mean, I'll still follow the story and wait for the whole truth to surface, but in the mean time, I'm just going to focus on sports and pay little attention to conspiracies.

Mailbag: A Whole Lot of Lies

That's right, Lance. Seven Tour titles. All lies.

I feel cheated. Lance Armstrong had to work hard to gain my respect. Seriously, he had to work really hard. When everyone else was jumping on the Lance Armstrong bandwagon, I still wasn't sure. I never knew why, but I just couldn't bring myself to like him. Perhaps it was because I was young. Maybe I didn't like yellow as a kid and didn't realize that yellow was a symbol of his dominance in cycling, but I just couldn't bring myself to appreciate him. But slowly, over a long period of time, my mindset began to change. Perhaps it was when my aunt got cancer. As she battled through that exhausting trial, maybe that's when things began to change for me. One way or another he had gained my respect as an athlete who had achieved a great miracle to become the most dominant man in the history of cycling. I genuinely believed him.

But now I'm just a chump like everyone else. Maybe it wasn't the color yellow that caused my displeasure. Maybe it was a feeling inside me. Maybe my instincts were telling me from the beginning, "Don't trust that man. As tempting as it is, don't trust him." I got suckered into a great story line, which seems to be happening a lot lately. It's heartbreaking that millions and millions of people stood behind yet another athlete using PEDs.

Is the main difference between Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds just that Lance was more of a jerk? -Mike G.

Please understand, my following answer is in no way implying that Barry Bonds wasn't a jerk. I have heard and read far too many accounts to believe he was, by any stretch of the imagination, a nice guy. Ex-wives, ex-teammates, ex-employees of ball clubs have been told numerous stories that he was a jerk. Chalk a lot of it up to roid rage, but from what I understand, Barry Bonds was quite a scumbag.

However, I am inclined to answer this question with a yes. I believe that the main difference between Lance Armstrong and Barry bonds is that Lance has been more of a jerk. He has sued countless numbers of people and ruined their lives. Why? All because they were telling the truth about his use of performance enhancing drugs. All because they were ahead of the curve, condemning him of something that he has now received a lifetime ban from the United States Anti-Doping Agency for. He claimed slander, he claimed libel, and he went after people with a vengeance and destroyed their lives if he could. Only now we find out that those lives were destroyed because of a "ruthless desire to win." Ruthless is right.

Lance's interview with Oprah has been more
manipulative than apologetic so far.

And why is he admitting to it all now? He told Oprah he doesn't have a good answer to that question, that it's too late. He's right, it is too late. He should have done it before he destroyed people lives. Before he sued and harassed them for attempting to keep integrity in cycling. So why now? Because once again he is trying to manipulate life in his favor. He is trying to reduce his ban to eight years. USADA said this interview with Oprah isn't enough. They have said he needs to say it, under oath, directly to them.

His interview seemed to be another attempt to get America to love him. He took personal accountability, but mostly did so as he attempted to distance himself from it by pointing and saying "I see who I was, and he was arrogant." No, Lance, he is arrogant. You are arrogant. He apologized, but without seeming apologetic. He didn't apologize to anybody in particular, he simply apologized for his mistake. All the lives he ruined, the people he accused of slander and then slandered himself, did not receive an apology.

So yes, given the choice between the two, Lance was more of a jerk. And unless in part two with Oprah tonight he changes my mind, that's how I'm always going to view him.

**********

There's not a question about this situation that I don't have, but:

a) Did Manti Te'o fake having a girlfriend, or did he have a girlfriend he never met?

b) Which of the two is weirder?

P.S. If it's a hoax, I'm supposed to believe a Heisman candidate had a girlfriend that he never met in real life? I'm not even that pathetic. -Mike G.

First of all, Mike, I happen to know you're not that pathetic as you recently got married. Although, I've suspiciously never met her. Have you been catfished? I'm kidding, of course. I've seen pictures of the two of you, and you look great together. Congratulations.

But back to Te'o. I couldn't have said it any better. My mind has gone through a whirlwind of questions these past few days since the news broke. If you haven't read the Deadspin article, go read it now so you're up to speed.

At this point, I am still inclined to believe Te'o was duped and had no part to play in this. That being said, there are still far too many inconsistencies and unanswered questions for me to give him my full support just yet. And it just keeps getting weirder.

Did he meet Lennay Kekua after a game at Stanford? Did he meet her online? If he is the victim here, why has he left us under the impression that they met up in Hawai'i? Who was he talking to on the phone? Why didn't they Skype like every other long distance couple in the world? The list of questions could continue forever. My big question is this: if he really was in on the hoax from the beginning, what would his motive have been? When he started telling everyone he had a girlfriend, he wasn't on any Heisman radar, so he wasn't trying to add a story line to his senior season to get sympathy votes for a Heisman campaign. And then when his grandmother passed away, did he just think to himself "Oh, perfect timing, I'll kill off Lennay now." I just can't see that happening quite that way.

A lot of new information has come out after the initial Deadspin article surfaced. An article on SI.com with a transcript of an interview with Manti ten days after Kekua supposedly died. Interviews with people claiming to know the man behind the hoax, and that Te'o knew nothing and truly was the victim. Information showing that Te'o kept the story going even after he learned of its falsehood on December 6.  What on earth is going on?

At this point, I'm still with Te'o. After reading the SI.com transcript (very much worth the read) it seems to me that he sounded sincere. He was fuzzy on the details of how they met, but as the article states, if he met the girl online, you can understand why he would want to keep that information private. He also never once explicitly states in that interview that he had met up with Kekua in person. You would think that if this was a fictional tale he created that he would include that to make it sound more realistic. I believe he was genuinely fooled into believing he had fallen in love with a young woman named Lennay Kekua.

Here is where Te'o went wrong, however. After discovering the truth of it all on December 6, he should have gone straight to school administrators and gotten ahead of this thing and issued a statement and apology of his own. I'm sure he felt he was in too deep, and the times he spoke about his girlfriend publicly after December 6 were probably a result of him feeling cornered, trapped by this lie and not understanding a way out. He probably believed he could ride out the wave and it would all be fine. Clearly, however, that hasn't happened. And so he perpetuated the lie and is guilty of at least that.

Back to the original question, with everyone in America digging for the truth on this one, it's only a matter of time before we know the truth. Did he fake having a girlfriend, or did he have a girlfriend he never met? I think he had a girlfriend he never met. Or at least he thought he did. Which one is weirder? Now that's a good question, but in today's world of online dating (weird) I'm going to have to say that having a fake girlfriend is weirder.

This One Hurt

I have never gone from that high, to that low, that quickly. Ever.

My senior basketball season at Menwith Hill High School, a tiny division 4 school in Harrogate, England, began against a division 1 school's JV squad. They might have been a bigger school, but we were a varsity squad and we were confident we could win.

But it came down to the wire. We were tied heading into the final possession, and they held the ball. Their guy dribbled around the perimeter, looking for a gap. He couldn't find one. My teammate was quick and kept him from finding a lane to the basket. Time was expiring and it came down to a deep, desperate three point attempt. It went in.

I played in that game. It still wasn't as devastating as what happened last night.

Going into the final minute, BYU and Saint Mary's College were tied. With 34.6 seconds left, tie game, and shot clock off, BYU had possession of the ball. Carlino dribbled the clock down to 10 and the play went into motion. The pass, of course, went to Tyler Haws on the wing. He took his man in, put up a difficult shot, and with two and a half seconds left, it found nylon. The Marriott Center went ballistic. We went crazy. We had won the game in the final seconds and Tyler Haws' star status was becoming more and more clear! Saint Mary's couldn't possibly make a half court shot to win... Wait.

This was not the scene Provo wanted to see last night.

I was crushed. I dropped to my seat and sat in stunned silence. They could review it all they wanted, but it wasn't even close. Matthew Dellavedova got the inbounded pass around half court, took a couple of dribbles, and heaved a 35 foot running desperation shot. Anson Winder, in the neighborhood, made the right decision to back off enough that he wouldn't have a chance at being called for a foul. I would take that shot every time. And my team would win nearly every single one. But not last night. Not against Saint Mary's. That desperate heave went straight through the bottom of the net.

That shot undermined some huge shots by Brock Zylstra. He should be feeling incredibly confident about his game right now, ready for more. Instead, he's likely reeling. It will be interesting to see how he plays going forward. That shot undermined some excellent play from Anson Winder and some nice shots from Nate Austin, who is finally looking confident. That shot negated an incredible effort from BYU's budding star, Tyler Haws. That shot wiped out Haws' game winner, what could have been a defining moment for his season, and for this team's season.

And it remains to be seen, but that shot may end up blocking BYU from the NCAA tournament and sending the Cougars to the NIT.

It will now be a long, uphill battle for BYU to make it to the Big Dance. I said before conference play began that BYU would likely need to go 2-2 in their four games against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. Now one of those wins will have to take place at SMC or at Gonzaga, and that feels like a stretch.

The game wasn't lost on that shot, however. I kept screaming not to leave Stephen Holt open, because he burned us last year. He hit a shot. Then another. And another. I yelled that we couldn't give him any breathing room, but he kept finding enough space to hit the open look. Dellavedova, cold all night, came up clutch in the last few minutes leading up to that crippling, heart breaking shot.

Coach Rose walks off the court after the loss to SMC.

It wasn't all Saint Mary's good play though. A lot of it was Cougar mistakes. Carlino started hot and Haws started cold. Randy Bennett switched up his defense and pressured Carlino. That turned out to be a wise decision. Carlino kept trying to do too much. He didn't step back and find the open man. He ended up committing six turnovers, more than doubling his previous total from league play thus far. He forced up shots that weren't there. And it cost the Cougars.

Brandon Davies played through foul trouble and ended up fouling out. Were he on the floor in the final minute, would it have been a different outcome? I would guess so, but his play throughout the game was detrimental. He played a little like Carlino. Started well, then got overconfident and started forcing things. He was like a vacuum at times. He sucked the ball into the post and then failed to kick it back out when nothing was there, forcing up bad shot after bad shot.

Then there were the neutral players, the guys who didn't necessarily harm the team's play, but they didn't necessarily add to it either. Josh Sharp hit the first shot of the game, a three pointer, but he practically disappeared after that. Craig Cusick chipped in three assists, but not much else. Agustin Ambrosino played one minute and had one shot blocked.

Haws, Austin, and Winder, as well as Zylstra, deserved to
 be all smiles after their performances.

And there was some good. Tyler Haws warmed up and the game was his. He deserved that game winner, but he didn't get it. Nate Austin played perhaps his best game of the year. Anson Winder hit his first three pointer of the year and chipped in several hustle plays. Brock Zylstra hit both shots he took, and they were probably the two biggest shots he's taken in his career.

But it wasn't enough. Against the good teams, BYU needs a full team to show up. BYU needs to keep their composure when the pressure comes. They can do it, but they're clearly not quite there yet against the top conference competition.

My little high school team developed into a great squad after that buzzer-beater loss. We shocked everyone, won our conference, and stormed into the European Championship finals. That one regular season game was a turning point for us, and perhaps this game against Saint Mary's College can be a turning point for the Cougars as well.

If the Cougars can use this as a learning experience and a building block and take confidence away from it, they can still make the NCAAs. Admittedly it is a long shot, but so was Dellavedova's.

What's Wrong With BYU Basketball? Part 3

Now that we have looked at each of the returning players, let's look at the team as a whole and make any further necessary diagnosis.

Conference play has started well for the Cougars, with many of my concerns already being addressed. Matt Carlino seems to be back on track and completing BYU's "Big Three." If he continues to score in double figures, dish the ball to his teammates (5.25 assists per game so far in league play), and take care of the ball (only 1 turnover in the past three games, and 4.2 assist/turnover ration in league play) then BYU can be a dangerous team.

With Matt Carlino coming into form at the right time
BYU could make a run in conference play.

Brock Zylstra had a big game, Josh Sharp hasn't been shooting well of late but he has been rebounding well, especially on the offensive end. Brandon Davies hasn't been the same player since he rolled his ankle, but he has done just enough to make an impact (apart from the San Francisco game where he fouled out. Fortunately Carlino and Zylstra stepped up big in that game). Tyler Haws struggled from the line against San Francisco but has been on a tear the last couple of games, winning his second WCC Player of the Week honors this year. The starters are rolling into form, and despite still having some ups and downs they seem to be playing well as a unit and hitting their stride at the right time.

As for the other returning players, Craig Cusick's playing time has begun to increase again, apart from the Santa Clara game, and he has chipped in nicely. I expect that he will finish the season playing around 15 minutes a game and his contributions will be solid and consistent. Nate Austin remains a curious case and I still don't know what to expect from him the rest of the year. Provided Davies can stay out of foul trouble, it doesn't appear that Austin is going to play a major role the rest of the year unless he can start adding buckets in his limited playing time, but 2 points per game in conference play isn't going to get him more playing time. Anson Winder, however, is coming off a 14 minute, 10 point outing against Santa Clara and seems to be pretty close to full strength, so he could see more minutes through the remainder of conference play.

Depending on Matt Carlino's back, which seized up this week in practice, tonight's starting lineup could include Cusick, with Winder playing significant minutes at the point guard position. They could also play alongside each other depending on Zylstra's performance in the game.

The other role players on this Cougar squad remain the big question mark. I think most people expected more out of Agustin Ambrosino and Raul Delgado. Late in the non-conference schedule it seemed like Delgado may emerge as a lock-down defender, who go transition buckets who could hit the three, which is what BYU recruited him for, but he has averaged just 5 minutes and 1.75 points per game since conference play began. All of his points came in a 7 point performance against Loyola Marymount, and he has failed to score a point in the last three games. Ambrosino has made an almost imperceptible impact on the Cougars this year, prompting a position switch from the 4 to the 3, backing up Tyler Haws, where he will see even less playing time as Haws plays the vast majority of available minutes.

Last year's Colorado high school player of the year, Cory Calvert, had some nice games early in the year, but it appears that his playing time is also diminishing with Winder becoming more healthy. Big man Ian Harward, who struggled with some lower back problems early in the year, has struggled to find a place in the rotation. Even when he makes it to the floor, his propensity to foul (13.2 fouls per 40 minutes played) keeps him from making any sort of positive impact.

Kelly Olynyk (13) and Kevin Pangos (4) will make it tough
for BYU - or anyone - to make a run in the WCC.

So where do the Cougars head from here? It will be very interesting to see, and I think we can get a pretty clear indication in the next three games (home against Saint Mary's and San Diego, on the road against Gonzaga). If BYU continues to roll and can go 3-0, or even 2-1 with the one loss being a close game against top 10 Gonzaga, the Cougars can ride that momentum all the way into the NCAA tournament. If BYU drops the Saint Mary's game and the Gonzaga game, BYU could very well be NIT bound. I believe that overall BYU needs to go 2-2 in their four games against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in order to make the NCAA tournament. These next three days could make or break the momentum that is building up and they could make or break the remainder of the season for BYU.

I believe that this BYU squad is better, albeit slightly, than last year's team, even if they have a lesser result. However, in order to duplicate last year's success and continue the streak of NCAA tournament appearances for, the "Big 3" have to stay strong and consistently put up big number. The role players will also need to contribute, but I still don't see anyone who can be a consistent scorer outside of Haws, Davies, and Carlino. Carlino remains the question mark in this trio, but if he can continue his in conference success and take over games when Haws and Davies get into foul trouble, BYU can be successful.

The concern now is health. Davies sprained his ankle and seems to be recovering, but he has also appeared out of sorts since the injury. He hasn't been as quick with his feet and consequently has found himself in old habits and foul trouble. Carlino is suffering from back spasms, and hopes to be healthy enough to play but his status is up in the air. With this happening just before this critical three game stretch, a lot of things are in doubt, and somebody else is going to need to step up for BYU if Carlino isn't ready to go and Davies gets into trouble. Haws likely won't be able to carry the entire team just yet and is going to need some help.

There are a lot of uncertainties, but watch the next eight days of Cougar basketball to likely see the fate of BYU's season.

What's Wrong With BYU Basketball? Part 2

First of all, let's all just take a minute to relive the performance of the year so far from a Cougar, courtesy of Tyler Haws:

And now, just for kicks, let's watch the full court baseball pass from Matt Carlino to Ian Harward, the kick back out to Craig Cusick, and the pass to a cutting Josh Sharp. In case you haven't seen it yet, I'll let you watch the ending so I don't ruin the surprise:

That monster dunk ended up as the number three play of the day in Sportcenter's Top 10. And for those of you who were shocked to see something like that from Sharp, this one came in the Cougar Tipoff game at the beginning of the year and let us all know what he was capable of:

If he catches you sleeping on defense, watch out.

Okay, okay, enough with the videos (I got distracted watching BYU basketball videos for at least the past half hour). Let's get back to diagnosing our BYU Cougars.

After the weekend performance against Virginia Tech, I think the solution is simple: Tyler Haws just needs to score 40 points a night and BYU should be just fine. But since I'm not convinced Haws is Jimmer quite yet, and "You got Tylered" just doesn't have as nice a ring to it as "You got Jimmered," I'm still in favor of finding a third scorer for the team to rely on, and this team needs to find a way to step out of its struggles as conference play is about to strike. Tomorrow in fact. So hopefully the Virginia Tech game gets BYU going, because there were a lot of good things to take away from that win, not just Haws' 42 points.

So here we go again. Today we'll look at the other three returning players from last year's squad, a group which is certainly having it's ups and downs, but overall is hopefully on the rise.

Nate Austin - 6'11" F, Sophomore

2011-12 season: 12.9 minutes, 4.1 points, 54.2% FG, 30.4% 3FG, 3.8 reb., .5 ast., .3 steals
2012-13 season: 14.1 minutes, 4.1 points, 41.5% FG, 33% 3FG, 4.2 reb., .5 ast., .5 steals

Austin had off-season shoulder surgery, and has struggled with several other minor injuries in the early going of the season thus far. As well as limiting his physical capabilities, it seemed to hinder his confidence. His shooting percentages are significantly lower on the year thus far, although he has started to step out and shoot the three a little bit more in the past couple of weeks, so even though he is only 2-of-6, it looks like he is gaining that confidence back, and I would expect him to become a bit more of a force in the paint the remainder of the season. Without a confident Nate Austin, BYU's frontcourt depth takes a serious hit, so he needs to be aggressive on defense and raise his shooting numbers on offense. Despite his injury struggles and limited playing time this season, it's always fun to watch Austin on the bench as he cheers his team on and is always the first one to greet his teammates on their way to the bench for a timeout. In the early going he's been a great teammate, and he should become a great contributor the rest of the year.

Craig Cusick - 6'2" G, Senior

2011-12 season: 16.8 minutes, 3.1 points, 37.1% FG, 37.9% 3FG, 1.5 reb., 2.1 ast., .8 steals
2012-13 season: 22.8 minutes, 4.3 points, 32.8% FG, 31% 3FG, 2.9 reb., 2.6 ast., 1.1 steals

Craig Cusick is perhaps of the players, along with Brock Zylstra, who has struggled the most this year versus his performance last year. That's not to say he is playing terribly (apart from his shooting), but he is not performing at the level he was a year ago. His rebounding, assist, and steal numbers are all up from last year, and while he lacks lock-down speed, he remains a solid defender. He stays active, especially with his hands, and has the ability to disrupt opponents. His rebounding numbers have almost doubled, perhaps as a result of his move to playing off the ball some, rather than strictly running point, and his always aggressive mentality. Not a knock on Cusick, who I believe is a very important leader on this team, but he is being outplayed by just about everyone else on the guard line at both point and shooting guard. He is still an important role player, and will certainly see time on the floor, but his playing time will probably see a decline the remainder of the season.

Anson Winder - 6'3" G, Sophomore

2011-12 season: 16.2 minutes, 4.3 points, 36.6% FG, 29.8% 3FG, 1.6 reb., 1.7 ast., 1 steal
2012-13 season: 6.7 minutes, .8 points, 15.4% FG, 0% 3FG, .8 reb., .6 ast., .2 steals

Now close to fully healthy, Winder should start to make
an impact, especially on defense.

It remains to be seen what Winder will really be capable of this season as he missed the first several games do to an ankle injury and has since seen only limited playing time as he eases his way back into the lineup. He has the capability to be a lock down defender, and has still shown that he has speed, but his lateral movement is still not up to full speed. Probably (and hopefully) as a result of his time off his shooting numbers have been awful, but he has only attempted 13 field goals on the year. He has begun to see time backing up Matt Carlino as the first point guard off the bench, and I would expect that to continue. His shooting numbers will improve, and although he may not be a dominant scorer, he has speed and defensive skills that will likely make him a valuable asset to this team in conference play against guards like Matthew Dellavadova of Saint Mary's, Anthony Ireland of Loyola Marymount, and Kevin Pangos of Gonzaga. Even more-so than Nate Austin, Winder's struggles can be written off to injury and we should start to see some real good things from him the remainder of the year.