Report Card: BYU 81, San Francisco 56

Brigham Young Cougars

81

Final

56

San Francisco Dons

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 4-6 FG | 2-3 3PT | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 12 PTS Message received, loud and clear. Carlino was a much different player than we saw Thursday in Los Angeles, looking first to get his teammates involved rather than for his own shot. As our point guard, I like to see him sharing the ball, but the pendulum may have swung a tiny bit too far. Carlino attempted just 6 shots, and while it didn't matter much Saturday, BYU will need his scoring moving forward.
	Brock Zylstra, SG 8-8 FG | 6-6 3PT | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 3 AST | 22 PTS Zylstra continued to stake his claim for the title of World's Greatest Player Against Mediocre Competition. Brock was blistering hot against USF and he didn't miss a single shot, even going a perfect 6-for-6 from deep. What's more, he also grabbed 6 boards and dished out 3 dimes. He looked like an All-American. Now he just needs to do that in a competitive game...
	Charles Abouo, SF 1-5 FG | 0-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 7 AST | 2 PTS This is a weird stat line that I really can't explain. I don't remember Charles dishing out 7 assists (with no turnovers!), but apparently that quietly happened. Good on him for pulling back and finding another way to contribute on a night when his shot wasn't falling. (Lemonade out of lemons, etc.) A nice bit of self-awareness that wasn't present against LMU.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 5-9 FG | 0-1 3PT | 4-4 FT | 6 REB | 2 AST | 14 PTS Hartsock took an unusual backseat to The Brock Zylstra Show tonight, and understandably so. Nevertheless, despite taking only 9 shots, Noah did his usual business — scoring and rebounding with the efficiency of a robot assassin. It's a testament to his talent that he always finds a way to produce, even when his touches are reduced.
	Brandon Davies, C 5-9 FG | 0-0 3PT | 2-4 FT | 6 REB | 6 AST | 12 PTS Davies started the game hot, and had 9 points after about 5 minutes. He was dominating from everywhere — posting up inside, knocking down mid-range jumpers, dishing out assists — and the Dons didn't seem to have an answer. Unfortunately, he picked up two quick fouls and had to come out soon thereafter, and he never quite found that same rhythm again when he eventually returned.

BENCH

	Nate Austin, C 2-4 FG | 0-1 3PT | 0-2 FT | 9 REB | 1 AST | 4 PTS A fairly typical Austin performance. He didn't score a bunch, but he grabbed a ton of rebounds, took a few charges, and generally hustled his butt off whenever he was on the floor. It may not be flashy, but that's the kind of play that great teams have to get from their role players.
	Craig Cusick, PG 1-3 FG | 1-2 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 3 PTS After an excellent performance against LMU, Cusick saw his playing time get cut in half on Saturday. With Carlino leading the team in minutes (31) and running the offense with a much improved steadiness, there was regretfully little time left over for Cusick. Most of his 9 minutes came during garbage time, and he played relatively well in his limited opportunities.
	Damarcus Harrison, SG 1-5 FG | 1-3 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS Blaine Fowler was right on the BYUtv broadcast: Harrison definitely isn't afraid to shoot. Unfortunately, he's just not shooting them very well. After sitting all of last game, the blowout got Harrison on the floor — and he came in locked and loaded, putting up 5 shots in 9 minutes. He made his first shot from the corner, but things got increasingly erratic from there. There's plenty for the freshman to work on.
	Stephen Rogers, SF 1-1 FG | 1-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 3 PTS Rogers continues to work his way back from knee surgery, but Rose provided him only limited minutes yet again Saturday. He drained the one shot he took (a contested fadeaway 3-pointer in the corner), but still looked a bit tentative and unsure of himself. He struggled handling the ball and somehow managed to pick up three fouls in 8 minutes. It will take a bit for him to get fully back in rhythm.
	Josh Sharp, PF 0-1 FG | 0-0 3PT | 1-2 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 1 PTS Don't ask me how Sharp lucked into 11 minutes — more than any bench player except Austin — but he again looked like he was in over his head. It seems his sole purpose is to provide another big body with which Rose can rack up fouls when necessary. Otherwise, Sharp is a virtual non-factor on both ends of the court for now — he'll need a bit more seasoning before he's ready for primetime.
	Anson Winder, SG 1-2 FG | 1-1 3PT | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 5 PTS Not Winder's best work. Other than knocking down his one 3-point attempt, he was largely ineffective on both ends of the court, committing 2 turnovers and 4 fouls in just 9 minutes. With so many other guys playing well, BYU didn't need Winder to be an basketball savant tonight, but taking care of the ball and guarding without fouling should be a given, especially against weaker teams.